| Buddhism is a dharmic, non-theistic religion, which | | | | Some scholars[5]use other schemes. The term |
| is also a philosophy and a system of | | | | Hinayana, referring to Theravada and various |
| psychology.[1] Buddhism is also known as Buddha | | | | extinct Indian schools, is sometimes used, but is |
| Dharma or Dhamma, which means the "teachings | | | | often considered derogatory, and the World |
| of the Awakened One" in Sanskrit and Pali, the | | | | Federation of Buddhists recommends it be |
| languages of ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhism | | | | avoided. |
| was founded around the fifth century BCE by | | | | Buddhism continues to attract followers around |
| Siddhartha Gautama, hereafter referred to as | | | | the world and is considered a major world religion. |
| "the Buddha". | | | | According to one source, "World estimates for |
| Early sources say that the Buddha was born in | | | | Buddhists vary between 230 and 500 million, with |
| Lumbini (now in Nepal), and that he died around | | | | most around 350 million." However, estimates are |
| age 80 in Kushinagar (India). He lived around the | | | | uncertain for several countries. According to one |
| fifth century BCE, according to scholarship.[2] | | | | analysis, Buddhism is the fifth-largest religion in the |
| Buddhism spread throughout the Indian | | | | world behind Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and |
| subcontinent in the five centuries following the | | | | traditional Chinese religion. The monks' order |
| Buddha's passing, and thence into Asia and | | | | (Sangha), which began during the lifetime of the |
| elsewhere over the next two millennia. | | | | Buddha in India, is amongst the oldest |
| Indian Buddhism has become virtually extinct, | | | | organizations on earth. |
| except in parts of Nepal. The most frequently | | | | In Buddhism, any person who has awakened |
| used classification of present-day Buddhism | | | | from the "sleep of ignorance" (by directly realizing |
| among scholars[3] divides present-day adherents | | | | the true nature of reality), without instruction, is |
| into the following three traditions: | | | | called a buddha.[8] If a person achieves this with |
| Southern Buddhism, or Theravada (its own usual | | | | the teachings of a buddha, he is called an arahant. |
| name for itself), also known as Southeast Asian | | | | Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is thus only one |
| Buddhism, or Pali Buddhism - practiced mainly in Sri | | | | among other buddhas before or after him. His |
| Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and | | | | teachings are oriented toward the attainment of |
| parts of Malaysia, Vietnam, China and Bangladesh | | | | this kind of awakening, also called enlightenment, |
| (Southeast Asia) | | | | Bodhi, liberation, or Nirvana. |
| Eastern Buddhism, also known as East Asian | | | | Part of the Buddha’s teachings |
| Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Sino-Japanese | | | | regarding the holy life and the goal of liberation is |
| Buddhism, or Mahayana - practiced predominantly | | | | constituted by the "The Four Noble Truths", which |
| in China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore and | | | | focus on dukkha, a term that refers to suffering |
| parts of Russia | | | | or the unhappiness ultimately characteristic of |
| Northern Buddhism, also known as Tibetan | | | | unawakened, worldly life. The Four Noble Truths |
| Buddhism, Tibeto-Mongolian Buddhism, or | | | | regarding suffering state what is its nature, its |
| Vajrayana, sometimes called Lamaism - practiced | | | | cause, its cessation, and the way leading to its |
| mainly in Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan and parts of | | | | cessation. This way to the cessation of suffering |
| Nepal, India, China and Russia. | | | | is called "The Noble Eightfold Path", which is one of |
| An alternative scheme used by some scholars | | | | the fundamentals of Buddhist virtuous or moral |
| has just two divisions, Theravada and Mahayana, | | | | life. |
| the latter comprising both Eastern and Northern. | | | | |