- "It originated in the eastern Gangetic plain as a śramaṇa–movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road."
A religion that focuses on the teachings of the Buddha and achieving enlightenment through meditation and non-attachment.
Four Noble Truths: The four basic principles of Buddhism: suffering (dukkha), the cause of suffering (samudaya), the cessation of suffering (nirodha), and the path to the cessation of suffering (magga).
Eightfold Path: The set of ethical and mental guidelines that lead to enlightenment, consisting of right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Karma: The concept of cause and effect in Buddhism, where one's actions and intentions have consequences that affect their present and future lives.
Reincarnation: The belief in Buddhism that after death, a person's soul is reborn into a new body to continue their journey towards enlightenment.
Samsara: The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Buddhism. By breaking the cycle of samsara, one can achieve enlightenment and liberation from suffering.
Bodhisattva: An individual who has attained enlightenment but chooses to remain in the cycle of rebirth to help others achieve enlightenment. The ultimate goal of a bodhisattva is to help all beings reach enlightenment.
Meditation: The practice of calming the mind and focusing on one's breath or a specific object to achieve clarity, insight, and inner peace. Meditation is an important tool in Buddhism for achieving enlightenment and developing mindfulness.
Nirvana: The ultimate goal in Buddhism, where one achieves liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth. Nirvana is a state of peace, happiness, and enlightenment that can be achieved through the practice of the Eightfold Path.
- "It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who comprise seven percent of the global population."
- "The Buddha's central teachings emphasize the aim of attaining liberation from, or release of, the fetters and hindrances, which cause attachment or clinging and mental unstableness or unease (dukkha)."
- "He endorsed the Middle Way, a path of mental development that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism."
- "A summary of this path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a cultivation of the mind through observance of meditation and Buddhist ethics."
- "Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; 'taking refuge' in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the dharma, and the saṅgha; and the cultivation of perfections (pāramitā)."
- "Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravāda (lit. 'School of the Elders') and Mahāyāna (lit. 'Great Vehicle')."
- "The Theravada tradition emphasizes the attainment of nirvāṇa (lit. 'extinguishing') as a means of transcending the individual self and ending the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra)."
- "The Mahayana tradition emphasizes the Bodhisattva-ideal, in which one works for the liberation of all beings."
- "The Buddhist canon is vast, with many different textual collections in different languages (such as Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, and Chinese)."
- "The Theravāda branch has a widespread following in Sri Lanka as well as in Southeast Asia, namely Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia."
- "The Mahāyāna branch—which includes the traditions of Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, Tiantai, Tendai, and Shingon—is predominantly practiced in Nepal, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan."
- "Additionally, Vajrayāna (lit. 'Indestructible Vehicle'), a body of teachings attributed to Indian adepts, may be viewed as a separate branch or tradition within Mahāyāna."
- "Tibetan Buddhism, which preserves the Vajrayāna teachings of eighth-century India, is practiced in the Himalayan states as well as in Mongolia and Russian Kalmykia."
- "Historically, until the early 2nd millennium, Buddhism was widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent."
- "It also had a foothold to some extent elsewhere in Asia, namely Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan." Please note that the quotes provided are paraphrased summaries of the answers found in the text, rather than direct quotes.