BUDDHISM
Buddhism began in India and is based on the teaching of the Buddha ˈbʊdə. The religion is 2,500 years old and is followed by 350 million Buddhists worldwide. Buddhism is the main religion in many Asian countries. A key concept of Buddhism is Nirvana, a state without suffering. The Holly book is Tripitaka. Buddhism is not centred on the relationship between humanity and god. The founder of Buddhism is Siddhartha Gautamasɪ ˈdɑːt ə ˈɡaʊt əm. He was born around the year 580 B. C. in Nepal. He was born into a royal family and for many years lived within the palace away from sufferings of life. One day he went outside the royal palace and saw what the real life was like. He was worried by what he saw. He stopped being a prince and became a homeless holy man. He found the path to Enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or awakened one. Statues of Buddha include a lot of symbols. Buddha is often seen with a round mark on his forehead which is his third eye. This is a symbol to show that he can see things ordinary people cannot see.
Buddhists worship at home or at a temple. They may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of Buddha and chanting. It is very important that their feet face away from the image of Buddha. All Buddhist temples contain an image of a statue of Buddha. Every month, most Buddhists have special religious days. These are often days when there is a full moon. Buddhists believe that there is a cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. This goes on and on. Thats why the symbol of Buddhism is a wheel of life. But if a person can gain Enlightenment, they can break out of this cycle. Breaking out of the cycle is called Nirvana. It is perfect peace, free of suffering. Buddhists try to reach Nirvana by following the Buddhas teaching and medi
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