How Buddhism Started:
Most historians agree that Buddhism originated in northern India in the 5th century B.C.E. The tradition traces its origin to Siddhartha Gautama , who is typically referred to as the Buddha. Buddha observed the suffering in the world and set out to find an antidote. Through meditation and analysis, he attained an enlightened state of being that marked the end of attachments and ultimately, upon his death, release from the cycle of rebirth.
Stats: How Many Buddhist Today
Buddhism has grown into a variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and the worship of deities, to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. Yet all forms of Buddhism share respect for the teachings of the Buddha. The generally agreed number of Buddhists is estimated at around 350 million (6% of the world's population). This makes Buddhism the world's fourth largest (in terms of number of adherents) religion.
Location: Where Most Buddhist Live Today
Buddhism remains the dominant world religion in the East and is becoming increasingly popular in the West. Most Buddhists live in India, Tibet, Burma, Thailand, China, Japan and Sri Lanka. Here is a graph on the right to give you a better understanding.
Important Holy Sites For Buddhist
The four holy sites refer to those destinations that have been witness to some important event in the life of Buddha. Lord Buddha, himself, referred to these sites as most worthy of pilgrimage. The first of these is Lumbini, the place where Gautam Buddha was born. Finally, in Bodhgaya, the second of the four holy sites in Buddhism, He attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. the Buddha met His five friends/disciples and delivered His first sermon at Deer Park in Sarnath. Therefore Sarnath became the third holy site for Buddhist community. From here started a remarkable journey. The Buddha preached for the next 45 years and finally died at Kushinara, the last of the four holy sites in Buddhism. The death of Buddha is referred as Mahaparinirvana.
Location of the Four Holy Sites
Lumbini : Nepal Bodhgaya : Bihar, India Sarnath : Uttar Pradesh, India Kushinagar : Uttar Pradesh, India
Most historians agree that Buddhism originated in northern India in the 5th century B.C.E. The tradition traces its origin to Siddhartha Gautama , who is typically referred to as the Buddha. Buddha observed the suffering in the world and set out to find an antidote. Through meditation and analysis, he attained an enlightened state of being that marked the end of attachments and ultimately, upon his death, release from the cycle of rebirth.
Stats: How Many Buddhist Today
Buddhism has grown into a variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and the worship of deities, to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. Yet all forms of Buddhism share respect for the teachings of the Buddha. The generally agreed number of Buddhists is estimated at around 350 million (6% of the world's population). This makes Buddhism the world's fourth largest (in terms of number of adherents) religion.
Location: Where Most Buddhist Live Today
Buddhism remains the dominant world religion in the East and is becoming increasingly popular in the West. Most Buddhists live in India, Tibet, Burma, Thailand, China, Japan and Sri Lanka. Here is a graph on the right to give you a better understanding.
Important Holy Sites For Buddhist
The four holy sites refer to those destinations that have been witness to some important event in the life of Buddha. Lord Buddha, himself, referred to these sites as most worthy of pilgrimage. The first of these is Lumbini, the place where Gautam Buddha was born. Finally, in Bodhgaya, the second of the four holy sites in Buddhism, He attained enlightenment and became the Buddha. the Buddha met His five friends/disciples and delivered His first sermon at Deer Park in Sarnath. Therefore Sarnath became the third holy site for Buddhist community. From here started a remarkable journey. The Buddha preached for the next 45 years and finally died at Kushinara, the last of the four holy sites in Buddhism. The death of Buddha is referred as Mahaparinirvana.
Location of the Four Holy Sites
Lumbini : Nepal Bodhgaya : Bihar, India Sarnath : Uttar Pradesh, India Kushinagar : Uttar Pradesh, India
Writings, Documents, Scriptures and Books
There are a vast number of Buddhist scriptures and religious texts. Here are only a few. Suttas (Pali) are believed to be, either literally or metaphorically, the actual words of the Buddha. The Tripitaka (Tipitaka in Pali) is the earliest collection of Buddhist teachings and the only text recognized as canonical by Theravada Buddhists. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the Tibetan text that is most well known to the West. Written by a Tibetan monk, the Book of the Dead describes in detail the stages of death from the Tibetan point of view. It chronicles the experiences and religious opportunities a person encounters at various stages: while dying, at the moment of death, during the 49-day interval between death and rebirth, and at rebirth. These are just 2 examples but there is many more holy scriptures and texts.
There are a vast number of Buddhist scriptures and religious texts. Here are only a few. Suttas (Pali) are believed to be, either literally or metaphorically, the actual words of the Buddha. The Tripitaka (Tipitaka in Pali) is the earliest collection of Buddhist teachings and the only text recognized as canonical by Theravada Buddhists. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the Tibetan text that is most well known to the West. Written by a Tibetan monk, the Book of the Dead describes in detail the stages of death from the Tibetan point of view. It chronicles the experiences and religious opportunities a person encounters at various stages: while dying, at the moment of death, during the 49-day interval between death and rebirth, and at rebirth. These are just 2 examples but there is many more holy scriptures and texts.