BUDDHISM

The symbol is
The Dharma Wheel

The geographic origin is in
India.

The founding leader is
Siddhartha Gautama.

MAJOR HOLIDAYS

• Vesak: The celebration of Siddhartha Gautama's birthday.
• Buddhist new year: the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April.
• Magha Puja: This holy day is observed to show respect with an important event in the life of the Buddha.
• Kathina ceremony: This robe offering ceremony is held on any date within the end of the Vassa Retreat.
• Uposatha: This day is known as observance day, there are four holy days on the New Moon, Full Moon, and quarter moon days every month.

MAJOR TRADITIONS

• Meditate: Buddhist people meditate and only for the means to enlighten for some.
• Pray: Tibetans have developed ‘machinery’ to magnify the quantity of prayers. Prayer wheels can contain a prayer written down many thousands of times -turning a wheel causes a mental effect.
• Vegetarianism: Many Buddhists are vegetarian, however it must be said that the Buddha himself did not prohibit the eating of meat.
• Chanting: Chanting enabled important texts to be passed from person to person. Later, the ritual of chanting was found to be a useful way to focus the mind, and remember and internalize key Buddhist ideas.
• Bowing: When worshippers enter a room in which there is a Buddha statue, they put their palms together and bow, to show their highest respect for the Buddha and His teachings.

The date created is
The late 6th century B.C.E.

The scared book is
The Tripitaka

Places of worship are
Temples and shrines

Explanation of Buddhism:
Buddhism is a religion to about 300 million people around the world. Buddhism does not teach belief in one God, and in some forms teaches there is no god. Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in Lumbini. He realized that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation he finally found 'the middle path' and was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism — called the Dhamma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80.

INTERESTING FACTS

• Buddha means the enlightened one.
• Shoes are removed before entering a temple for respect for Buddha.
• Siddhartha is not a god.
• Buddha means awakened one.
• Some believe that reincarnation happens regularly.