Adherents to the teaching of enlightenment
Some adherents to the Buddha Dharma find that the coining of buddhism is somewhat misleading, or not comfortable and find the term Dharma fellowship much more soothing. This may especially be true to buddhists that are also Christian, or also Muslim, or some kind of Hindu, Shinto, Bahai, Jew, or Shaman etc. or in other ways find 'Buddhist' or 'Buddhism' a peculiar coinage in regard of the teaching. The first recorded use of the English words 'Buddhism' and 'Buddhist' occured in 1801. Buddha means 'the enlightened one'. Dharma is a Sanskrit word meaning the teaching. Buddha and Dharma is two of the three jewels, the values by which the seeking wanderer will find refuge. The third jewel is called the Sangha which exactly are referring to the Dharma fellowship. The teachings differ between two kinds of fellowships, it refers to the fellowship of the enlightened ones and/or the fellowship of those who are on the path to the realisation of enlightenment (i.e. the congregation).
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