For more than two millennia, Buddhism has shaped how millions of people understand life, suffering, and the path to inner peace. Rooted in a search for enlightenment rather than devotion to a deity, it emphasizes mindfulness, compassion, and moral discipline as guides to human fulfillment. From quiet mountain monasteries to bustling urban temples, the influence of Buddhist philosophy can be found in art, architecture, and daily rituals across Asia and beyond.
Buddhism is considered the fourth-largest religion in the world that originated in ancient India between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. The religion is based on a series of teachings by Gautama Buddha. From India, Buddhism spread to major parts of Asia and the rest of the world. Currently, there are three major branches of Buddhism. These include Mahayana Buddhism, followed in China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam; Theravada Buddhism, practiced in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand; and Tibetan Buddhism, followed in Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, parts of Russia, and northern India.
There are also many subsects of Buddhism, such as Nichiren Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Tendai Buddhism. Followers of Buddhism are called Buddhists, and today, there are more than 535 million Buddhists worldwide.
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