Buddhism
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The path taught by Gautama Buddha, who attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. From India it spread across Asia; in India it is followed widely in Maharashtra, the Himalayan regions and the North-East.
| Followers (Census 2011) | 84,42,972 (0.70%) |
|---|---|
| Origin | Founded in the Ganga plain by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, around the 6th–5th century BCE (scholarly estimate). In 1956 Dr B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism at Nagpur with a very large number of followers |
Sacred texts
- Tripitaka (Pali Canon)
- Dhammapada
- Mahayana sutras
- Kangyur and Tengyur (Tibetan canon)
Main festivals
- Buddha Purnima
- Dhammachakra Pravartan Din
- Losar
- Hemis Festival
- Saga Dawa
- Ullambana and Kathina
Underlined names open their own page.
Key beliefs and practices
- The Four Noble Truths: life involves suffering (dukkha), suffering has a cause (craving), it can end, and there is a path to its end.
- The Noble Eightfold Path: right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.
- The Middle Way between indulgence and harsh self-denial.
- Non-violence, compassion (karuna) and loving kindness (metta) towards all beings.
- Nirvana: freedom from craving and from the cycle of rebirth.
- Indian Buddhists follow Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana (Himalayan) and Navayana (Ambedkarite) traditions.