§1. The idea of Buddhism

Grade 8 History of Religions topic: '§1. The idea of Buddhism' (pp. 5–10, A. K. Bektemirova et al.). Buddhism is a world religion alongside Islam and Christianity. With more than 520 million followers today it stands fourth among the largest religions of the world and makes up over 7 per cent of the world's population. The great majority of Buddhists (87 per cent, or 408 million) live in Asia. In Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Bhutan Buddhism is the state religion. Of the three world religions Buddhism is the oldest: it arose in the 6th century BC in India. Its founder is Siddhartha Gautama. At the age of 35 he sat in meditation under the Bodhgaya tree and after 49 days reached the state of 'awakening', and he gave the next 45 years of his life to spreading his teaching. 'Buddha' is the name his followers gave him. The Buddha himself did not call on people to believe in God, and so Buddhism is held to be not a 'theological' but a truly humanist religion.