Buddhism



"Ah! Buddhism. I worshipped this religion. As a proud and devout Buddhist, I would ignore the days that it's nearly the end of the world as I know it. Buddha told me so about that. I must think about ignoring nearing the end days before I get into Guam soon."

--Su Ji-Hoon, Home Sweet Home

Buddhism ( /ˈbʊdɪzəm/ or /ˈbuːdɪzəm/) is a religion and dharma that encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. Buddhism originated in Ancient India sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, from where it spread through much of Asia, whereafter it declined in India during the Middle Ages. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada (Pali: "The School of the Elders") and Mahayana (Sanskrit: "The Great Vehicle"). Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.