Buddhism
| Buddhism | |
|---|---|
| Family | Indian / Dharmic |
| Origin region | Northern India / Nepal region |
| Founding period | 5th-4th century BCE |
| Estimated adherents | Hundreds of millions globally, with large communities across Asia and the diaspora. |
Buddhism is A tradition founded on the awakening of the Buddha and paths for ending suffering through wisdom, ethics, and mental cultivation.
Overview
Buddhism began with Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, and spread through South, East, Central, and Southeast Asia. Its many schools share core teachings such as the Four Noble Truths, dependent arising, impermanence, no fixed self, karma, compassion, and liberation from suffering.
Key beliefs
- Four Noble Truths
- Noble Eightfold Path
- Impermanence, dependent arising, and non-self
- Karma and rebirth interpreted differently by traditions
- Nirvana or awakening
Practices
- Meditation
- Ethical precepts
- Monastic discipline
- Chanting
- Merit-making
- Pilgrimage
- Devotion to Buddhas and bodhisattvas in many schools
Places of worship
- Temple
- Monastery
- Stupa
- Meditation hall
Sacred texts
- Pali Canon / Tipitaka
- Mahayana sutras
- Tibetan Kangyur and Tengyur
- Zen and other school texts
Holidays and observances
- Vesak / Buddha Day
- Magha Puja
- Asalha Puja
- Uposatha days
- Losar in Tibetan traditions
Branches and related traditions
- Theravada - A tradition prominent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, emphasizing the Pali Canon and monastic discipline.
- Mahayana - A broad family including Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren, Tiantai, Huayan, and other traditions centered on the bodhisattva path.
- Vajrayana - Tantric Buddhist traditions especially associated with Tibet, the Himalayas, Mongolia, and related lineages.
- Zen - Meditation-centered Mahayana traditions that developed in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and globally.