What is Buddhism? Well you probably know it’s a religion, but what do they believe in and how do they follow this religion? Read the facts.

1. Buddhism is derived from  Buddha, which refers to Buddha Sakyamuni which means “Sage of Sakya”.
2. The followers of this religion are better known as Buddhists.
3. Buddhist do not believe in a god or gods. Neither do they worship the Buddha; they do however, follow the teachings of the Buddha.
4. An Indian Prince by the name of Siddhartha Gautam is considered to be the founder of this religion. It was started around 520BC.
5. The prince belonged to a very rich family, and at the age of 29, he left his family and kingdom in the quest for peace and enlightenment.
6. The prince attained enlightenment under a fig tree or bodhi tree which is situated in Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
7. With over 360 million followers, it is considered to be the fourth largest religion in the world.
8. The word Buddha means the one who has awakened. This word comes from the language Pali, one of the most ancient languages in the world.
9. The three basic teachings of this religion, also known as the “Three Jewels” are Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.
10. Buddha refers to Sakyamuni, Dharma refers to the teachings of Sakyamuni and the Sangha are monks who follow Dharma.
11. This religion was found in the north-eastern part of India which is now called as Nepal.
12. The parts of the world in which Buddhism is largely followed are China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.
13. The sacred scriptures of this language are collectively known as Pali Canon and they consist of different Mahayana Sutras.
14. The place of worshipping for this religion is known as a monastery which is a type of meditation hall.
15. According to the teachings of Buddhism, nothing in this world is permanent, everything is only temporary.
16. The three basic teachings of this religion are wisdom, concentration and discipline.
17. The major day for celebration among the followers is the birthday of “Gautam Buddha”.
18. The mantra for Buddhist monks is Om Mani Padme Hum.
19. Buddhism is divided into three main categories: Theravada, Vajrayana and Mahayana.
20. The three delusions according to Buddhism are ignorance, desire and anger.

Written By Jamie Ward

Jamie Ward is a part-time web developer and blogger. He enjoys writing about religion, technology and space. He is currently studying both computing and religion in his spare time.