Buddhism

1. Buddhism has about three hundred and seventy six million followers around the world.

2. Buddhism started in India two thousand five hundred years ago.

3. Buddhists have no supreme God or deity.

4. Buddhists believe in a life that avoids self indulgence and self denial.

5. Buddha means enlightened.

6. Siddhatta Gautama (Buddha) was a prince who lived in the fifth century BC.

7. He was born to a rich family and had an easy life, but renounced it having seen sickness and suffering.

8. He went to live among holy men for six years in search of truth and enlightenment.

9. He was enlightened whilst sitting meditating under a Bodhi tree and dedicated his life to spreading teachings.

10. Buddhism is about suffering and the need to get rid of it.

11. The Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths.

(1) Suffering exists

(2) Suffering has a cause

(3) That there can be an end to suffering

(4) That in order to avoid it you should follow the Eightfold Path

12. The Eightfold Path shows the way a Buddhist should live.

13. Eightfold Path is: right understanding; right thought; right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration

14. Buddhists live by five moral precepts.

15. These are to refrain from, harming things, taking what is not given; sexual misconduct, lying or gossip, taking intoxicating substances.

16. Buddhists believe that nothing in the world is perfect and that the Buddha found the answer as to why this was so.

17. A key concept in Buddhism is Nirvana, which is the end of re-birth.

18. Nirvana can be achieved by meditating and following the Four Noble Truths.

19. Buddhists worship in a temple, they remove their shoes before entering, put their hands together and bow.

20. There are two types of temple, a pagoda, and a stupa or upside-down dome.

21. They may have shrines at home which include a statue of Buddha, candles and an incense burner.

22. Buddhists chant when at worship and make offerings of flowers, candles and incense.

23. Meditation is very important when they worship alone.

24. The sacred text is the Tripitaka which is written in an Indian language known as Pali.

25. It is a written version of the teachings of the Buddha.