Buddhism is a religion, a practical philosophy, and arguably a psychology, focusing on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who lived on the Indian subcontinent most likely from the mid-6th to the early 5th century BCE.

Although Buddhism originated in India, it has had an important lasting impact on China. Traditional Chinese culture came into being through a harmonic blend of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. Since Chinese traditional thought focuses more on ethics rather than metaphysics, it has developed several schools distinct from the originating Indian schools. The most prominent examples with philosophical merit are Sanlun, Tiantai, Huayan and Zen. They investigate consciousness, levels of truth, whether reality is ultimately empty, and how enlightenment is to be achieved. After harmonizing gradually, Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism have complemented each other, thus form a self-sufficient cultural system.