Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophical system based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" or "he who has attained truth"). It originated in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent around the fifth and sixth centuries before the Common Era, and subsequently spread throughout Asia.

Buddhism does not center on the worship of a god who created the world. Instead, it emphasizes understanding the causes of suffering (dukkha) and the path to its cessation. The number of practitioners is estimated at roughly three to ten percent of the world's population, concentrated mainly in East, Southeast, and North Asia.

Core teachings

The foundation consists of the Four Noble Truths: suffering exists; suffering has a cause (craving and attachment); suffering can be ceased; there is a path to its cessation. That path is the Eightfold Path: right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Other important concepts include karma (actions and their consequences), samsara (the cycle of birth and death repeating), and nirvana (liberation from that cycle). There is also anicca (impermanence), anatta (the absence of a permanent self), and mental cultivation through meditation.

Major divisions

Theravada is predominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, and relies on Pali texts. Mahayana spread to China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, and emphasizes the bodhisattva ideal of seeking to save all beings. Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhism, is based on Mahayana but employs tantric methods and specialized training.

Community and practice

The Sangha is the monastic community (bhikkhus and bhikkhunis) living under specific rules. Lay practitioners support monastics through alms and food, receiving teachings in return. Temples, stupas, and Buddha statues form part of religious practice. Major texts include the Pali Tipitaka and numerous sutras in Sanskrit and Chinese.