Buddhism comes from India, a prince realized that he was not deserving of such wealth and took the life of a pauper, spreading his beliefs to the people. It incorperated the system of reincarnation and karma from Hinduism, the predominant religion in the region, as so people could easily assimilate themselves to it, although it did reject the caste system to the dismay of few and jubilation of many.

The religion is based on what is known as the four noble truths. Life is Suffering. The Cause of Suffering is Desire. By Eliminating Desire You Attain Happiness. The Way to Eliminate Desire is Through the Eight-Fold Path.
The eight-fold path is a means by which to live your life by channeling your outlook on life as well as your actions to those that help others. By the simple idea of everyone acting out of everyone else's best interests, Buddhism hopes to make the world a better place. There's meditation sure, which leads to inner peace and all that, but that's for the self, the eight-fold path is for everyone.
Contained within the eight-fold path is Right Speech. This means to only say things to others that offer support, encouragement, and happiness. You tell the truth, but you can color it as to not hurt someone's feelings. You should not say anything out of malice or for the intent or hurting someone. Instead, you should only say things that are positive and can be helpful. While it may be difficult for a jaded person to under take, this is the path towards peace with one's neighbors.

to learn more, wait until I get a book on the subject or do some kind of research.