BUDDHISM
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Religion of the Eightfold Path.
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| Buddhists follow the
teaching of Siddhartha Gautama, Given the
title the Buddha - "the enlightened,
or awakened, one." |
The Buddha lived in
northern India in the fifth and sixth
centuries BCE. He spent many years trying
to understand the cause of suffering and
find the way to end it, before he reached
enlightenment.
Buddhists believe that we
are tied to the cycles of death and birth
through desire and can be born again in
many different forms. but they believe
they can find a way to escape this cycle,
to be finally released from reincarnation
to reach nirvana. As the Buddha
taught: "If you walk towards
knowledge you leave these rebirths
behind. You do not go on becoming."
The Buddha's teachings are a guide for
all Buddhists, who try to perfect the
qualities of wisdom, compassion and
harmlessness. Eventually, they can be
"awakened" to obtain the
highest peace and freedom, which is
nirvana.
The Buddha spoke of an Eightfold Path to
enlightenment. This is traditionally
represented as an eight-spoken wheel. The
path is a guide to living life
compassionately and nonviolently. |
| There
are over 3 million Buddhists worldwide.
Most of them living in Asia. More than
85% of the population of Myanmar (Burma)
and Thailand is Buddhist, as is more than
70% of that in Cambodia, Laos, and Japan.
Buddhism is the state religion in
Thailand and Bhutan. |
| Each
Buddhist country has its own pilgrimage
sites. However, the sites in northern
India associated with Siddhsrtha Gotama's
life are significant for almost all
Buddhists. |
| The
teachings of the Buddha have been handed
down in a collection of writings called
the Tripitaka in the Theravada tradition.
These and the writings of sages and
scholars are included in the scriptures
of the Mahayana tradition. |
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Buddhism
Plain and Simple 
