Top ten facts about Buddhism
Damien Keown September 25th 2015 OUPblog
Damien Keown, author of Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction, tells us ten things we need to know about Buddhism. From the Sangha to reincarnation, discover fascinating facts about Buddhism below:
1. The term ‘Buddhism’ was coined by Western scholars in the 1830s. Buddhists don’t actually refer to their religion as “Buddhism”.
2. Buddhism originated from around 400BC with the historical individual known as the Buddha.
3. The first mention of the Buddha in Western writing is in the writings of Clement of Alexandria, 2 AD.
4. The Buddha founded an order of monks and nuns known as the Sangha who have preserved his teachings down to the present day.
5. Buddhism is an extensive and internally diverse tradition with two main branches.
6. With 360 million followers, Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world.
7. In Buddhism, there is no single holy book. Extensive scriptures have been preserved in many Asian languages.
8. Buddhists don’t believe in a supreme being or creator god.
9. Because of its emphasis on meditation and mindfulness, Buddhism is often considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.
10. Many traditional Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. Modern Buddhists believe this idea can be jettisoned without losing any central value.