The history of the religion of Buddhism dates back to the year 580 BC. It began with the birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama who was born in the Lumbini, north of India. At an early age, Siddhartha left his royal home, in pursuit of enlightenment. He then carried out a life of self –denial, obedience and meditation that helped him reach that enlightenment which enabled him to relieve all his pain and suffering. Later, he started teaching people the way to enlightenment that would enable them release from the cycle of life and death. The original Indian foundation was enlarged by the enclosure of Hellenistic, Central Asian, East Asian, and Southeast Asian cultural attributes. Further, the history of Buddhism witnessed the development of various movements and dissections, such as Theravada, Mahayana, etc. Over the years, Buddhism steadily spread out to almost all the countries in the world, which brought about the expansion of the religion. The population of Buddhists is estimated to be around 350 million; nearly half the number follows Mahayana tradition. According to relevant statistics, the largest population of Buddhists is in China, while, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar have the highest proportion of Buddhists in their population. Nowadays, Buddhism religion is also prevalent in America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. …show more content…
He lived and taught in India almost two and a half thousand years ago. Since ever, millions of people all over the world have chased the pure spiritual path he bared. The Buddhist way of life of peace, devoted kindness and acumen is just as pertinent today as it was in ancient India. Buddha, a term derived from the Sanskrit word “buddhi” meaning wisdom, literally means the awakened or enlightened one. It describes the aspiration of enlightenment to which Buddhist people seek. In fact, Buddha is not regarded as a god or embodiment of a divine being that has to be