Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism follows the teaching of the Buddha, a teacher of ancient northern India whose title means "awakened." Buddhists seek freedom from suffering by following the Buddha's path, which Theravada teachers describe as ethics, meditation, and wisdom, and the tradition teaches that beings are reborn until they are freed. About 324 million people identified as Buddhist in 2020.

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What do Buddhists believe?

Buddhists of every branch recognize the Four Noble Truths: life involves suffering, suffering arises from craving, it ends when craving ends, and a path leads to that end.1 In the discourse that Theravada Buddhists count as the Buddha's first sermon, that path is right view, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right immersion. (SN 56.11)2 Theravada teachers group these eight under moral virtue, meditation, and wisdom.1 In Theravada teaching, the goal is nirvana, the cessation of suffering. Mahayana teaching names the final goal as full Buddhahood.34

Until a being is freed, Buddhist scripture teaches, its actions, or karma, lead to rebirth after rebirth. Some East Asian Buddhists in the past, and not a few Western Buddhists today, have set rebirth aside.3 Buddhists also teach non-self: no permanent self lies behind body and mind. The Dalai Lama, a teacher of the Gelug school, describes the self as a label placed on the body and mind.354

The branches weigh the Four Noble Truths differently. Theravada Buddhists have treated them as their central teaching for at least two thousand years, while in Mahayana Buddhism, John Ross Carter writes, they became less central.1 In the Perfection of Wisdom sutras, which Mahayana tradition counts as the Buddha's second turning of the wheel of teaching, the compassionate bodhisattva, one who has set the mind on awakening, takes the leading role.6 The Dalai Lama calls the Four Noble Truths the foundation of the Buddha's teaching and places them beside later rounds of teaching on emptiness and Buddha nature.7 The Beliefs page gives each branch's answers.

Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy? Scholars have called it a religion, a philosophy, a civilization, and a culture, and the Encyclopedia of Religion says no single label covers all of it.4 The Dalai Lama speaks of Buddhism as one of the world's religions, and its thinkers built a philosophical tradition of their own.53

Do Buddhists believe in God?

Buddhists do not believe in a creator God, though teachers of each branch explain this in their own way. Nyanaponika Thera, a Theravada monk, wrote that an eternal, all-powerful creator is incompatible with the Buddha's teaching in the Pali texts.8 In a 2014 teaching, the Dalai Lama said that for Buddhists there is no creator, only the law of cause and effect.5

In the Shin tradition of Pure Land Buddhism, a Mahayana school, the minister and scholar Taitetsu Unno framed the question around Amida Buddha.9 To the question "Is there a God?", he answered: Yes, but a proper Buddhist answer requires some clarification.10 He described Amida as boundless compassion, a savior but not a creator or a judge who punishes, and his closing section begins: No, not a God of fear and mercy, who is creator and judge; but for me there is Amida Buddha.10

How did Buddhism begin?

Buddhism began in the Ganges basin of northern India, where the Buddha was one of many wandering ascetics who sought liberation from suffering. His title, Buddha, means "awakened."3 The History page gives both accounts in full.

The tradition's account

Buddhist scripture says the future Buddha was born at Lumbini, a village in the land of the Sakya clan.2 He found freedom from old age, sickness, and death at Uruvela, and gave his first teaching to five mendicants in the deer park near Varanasi.2 By the Theravada reckoning he was born in 624 BCE and died in his eightieth year, in 544 BCE, year 1 of the Buddhist Era.1112 Tibetan and East Asian Buddhists count their eras differently.13

The historians' view

Gautama came from a family of the Sakya clan, near the present border of India and Nepal.3 Historians date his death variously. Working from modern dates for Ashoka's reign, Heinz Bechert writes, most Western and Indian scholars calculate 487 or 486 BCE; at a 1988 symposium scholars proposed dates from 486 to 261 BCE; and Bechert himself favors about 420 to 350 BCE.12 Mark Siderits writes that the older dates held until recently, and that many scholars now hold that he died around 405 BCE.3 The emperor Ashoka, in the third century BCE, promoted a moral teaching he called dharma, not identical to the Buddhist dharma, and supported the Buddhist community.4

What are the Buddhist scriptures?

Buddhism has no single canon, or fixed list of scriptures. It has several canons, among them the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism, the Chinese canon, and the Tibetan canon, and they differ widely, with few texts found in all of them.14 Theravada tradition holds that a council in Sri Lanka first wrote down the Pali canon. Lewis Lancaster gives the tradition's date as 29 BCE, and Charles Prebish gives 25 BCE.1415

Mahayana tradition holds that the Buddha taught the Perfection of Wisdom sutras on Vulture Peak; historians date their first appearance in writing to the first centuries BCE and CE.6 Other early schools did not accept such sutras.4 The Sacred Texts page explains how the canons formed.

How do Buddhists practice?

In the early discourses, a person becomes a lay follower by going for refuge to the Buddha, to his teaching (the Dharma), and to the community of monks and nuns (the Sangha).2 In one discourse to a lay follower, the Buddha names five things to give up: Killing living creatures, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxicants of beer, wine, and liquor. (AN 5.174)2

Practice varies by school. Chan and Zen schools in China and Japan stress meditation, while Pure Land schools are devotional, and Shin Buddhists rely on Amida Buddha.416 In Southeast Asia a temple compound can include a hall with a Buddha image, a stupa, and monks' housing.17 In the Theravada tradition, Vesak marks the Buddha's birth, awakening, and death on one full-moon day, and the United Nations calls it the most sacred day for millions of Buddhists. Japanese and other Mahayana Buddhists generally keep the three events on separate dates, such as the Buddha's birthday, Hanamatsuri, on April 8.1819 The Practices page covers the Buddhist year.

What are the main branches?

The three main branches are Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana.20 Theravada is concentrated in Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Cambodia. Mahayana prevails in China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, and includes Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren schools. Vajrayana, sometimes described as Tibetan Buddhism, is concentrated in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia.20

Vajrayana shares the Mahayana goal of full Buddhahood, but adds practices from texts called tantras, which it teaches can reach that goal faster, in some cases in this life. Some scholars count it as part of Mahayana.420 Most censuses do not ask about branch, so exact sizes are not known, though Mahayana is widely believed to be the largest.20 The Branches page describes each one.

How many Buddhists are there?

Pew Research Center estimates that about 324 million people identified as Buddhist in 2020, or 4.1 percent of the world's population.2122 Buddhists were the only major group to shrink from 2010, mostly because of declines in China and Japan. Thailand had the most Buddhists, about 68 million, and China the second most, about 53 million.23 Pew notes that its count leaves out East Asians who may take part in Buddhist beliefs or practices without formally calling themselves Buddhist.23 The Today page has more, and the book Christianity vs Buddhism sets the two faiths side by side.

Common questions

Do Buddhists believe in God?

Buddhists do not believe in a creator God, though teachers of each branch put it differently. Nyanaponika Thera, a Theravada monk, wrote that an eternal creator is incompatible with the Buddha's teaching. The Dalai Lama, a teacher of the Gelug school, says that for Buddhists there is no creator, only the law of cause and effect. Taitetsu Unno, a Shin Buddhist minister, answered "Yes, but" with a clarification: Amida Buddha is boundless compassion, but not a creator or judge.

What do Buddhists believe?

Buddhists of all branches recognize the Four Noble Truths: life involves suffering, suffering arises from craving, it ends when craving ends, and the noble eightfold path leads there. Theravada Buddhists hold these truths at the center of their teaching. In Mahayana Buddhism, the scholar John Ross Carter writes, they became less central, and the aim is full Buddhahood; the Perfection of Wisdom sutras give the compassionate bodhisattva, whose mind is set on awakening, the leading role. The Dalai Lama, a teacher of the Gelug school, links the truths to teachings on emptiness.

When and where did Buddhism begin?

Buddhism began in the Ganges basin of northern India, with the teaching of a wandering teacher remembered as the Buddha. Buddhist scripture places his first teaching in the deer park near Varanasi. By the Theravada reckoning he died in 544 BCE, and other Buddhist traditions count differently. Historians date it variously: most Western and Indian scholars calculate 487 or 486 BCE, Heinz Bechert reports, and scholars at a 1988 symposium proposed dates from 486 to 261 BCE. The History page gives both accounts.

Do Buddhists believe in reincarnation?

Buddhists traditionally teach rebirth: beings are born again and again, in conditions shaped by their past actions, or karma, until they are freed. Nyanaponika Thera, a Theravada monk, wrote that a person who leads a moral life may expect a favorable rebirth. Buddhism also teaches that no permanent self passes from life to life, and the Dalai Lama, a teacher of the Gelug school, describes the self as a label placed on body and mind. Some East Asian Buddhists in the past, and not a few Western Buddhists today, have set rebirth aside.

How many Buddhists are there in the world?

Pew Research Center estimates that about 324 million people identified as Buddhist in 2020, or 4.1 percent of the world's population. That was 19 million fewer than in 2010, the only major religious group to shrink, mostly because of declines in China and Japan. Pew notes that its count leaves out East Asians who may take part in Buddhist practices without formally calling themselves Buddhist. The Today page has the details.

What are the three main branches of Buddhism?

The three main branches are Theravada, found mainly in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia; Mahayana, found mainly in China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam; and Vajrayana, found mainly in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia. Some scholars count Vajrayana as part of Mahayana. Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren are schools within Mahayana. The Branches page describes each one.

Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?

Scholars have called Buddhism a religion, a philosophy, a civilization, and a culture, and the Encyclopedia of Religion says no single label covers all of it. The Dalai Lama, a teacher of the Gelug school, speaks of Buddhism as one of the world's many religions, and Pew Research Center counts Buddhists as a religious group. Buddhist thinkers also built a philosophical tradition, with detailed theories of reality and knowledge.

Sources

  1. John Ross Carter. Four Noble Truths. Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 1987, opening section and "Theravada Interpretations". Accessed 2026-10-28.
  2. Bhikkhu Sujato. Translations of the early Buddhist discourses. SuttaCentral, 2026. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  3. Mark Siderits. Buddha. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2023, sections 1, 3, and 4. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  4. Frank E. Reynolds and Charles Hallisey. Buddhism: An Overview. Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 1987, introduction; "Buddhism as Pan-Asian Civilization"; "Buddhism as Cultural Religion". Accessed 2026-10-28.
  5. Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Empowerment and Teaching at Shillong Polo Ground. dalailama.com, 2014. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  6. 84000 Translating the Words of the Buddha. Perfection of Wisdom (Kangyur section overview). 84000, Overview; Themes, Narratives, Style, and Significance; history of the texts. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  7. Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Four Noble Truths and the Two Truths. dalailama.com, 2021. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  8. Nyanaponika Thera. Buddhism and the God-idea. Buddhist Publication Society, via Access to Insight, 1994, opening paragraphs. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  9. Institute of Buddhist Studies. In memoriam: Rev. Dr. Taitetsu Unno. Institute of Buddhist Studies, Berkeley, 2014. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  10. Taitetsu Unno. Is There a God? A Buddhist Answer. Digital Library and Museum of Buddhist Studies, National Taiwan University, 1 to 3. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  11. Access to Insight. Theravada Buddhism: A Chronology. Access to Insight (Barre Center for Buddhist Studies), 2013, notes to the timeline. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  12. Heinz Bechert. Buddha, Life of the. Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 2004. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  13. International Network of Engaged Buddhists. Seeds of Peace, Vol. 28 No. 1 (January to April 2012). International Network of Engaged Buddhists, 2012. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  14. Lewis R. Lancaster. Buddhist Books and Texts: Canon and Canonization. Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 2005, opening section; "Writing It Down". Accessed 2026-10-28.
  15. Charles S. Prebish. Councils, Buddhist. Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 2004. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  16. Taitetsu Unno. Is There a God? A Buddhist Answer. Digital Library and Museum of Buddhist Studies, National Taiwan University, 1 and 3. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  17. Hiram Woodward. Temple: Buddhist Temple Compounds in Southeast Asia. Encyclopedia of Religion (Macmillan Reference USA), via Encyclopedia.com, 2005, opening section. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  18. United Nations. International Day of Vesak. United Nations, 2026. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  19. Midwest Buddhist Temple. Buddhist Holidays. Midwest Buddhist Temple, Chicago, 2026. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  20. Pew Research Center. The Global Religious Landscape: Buddhists. Pew Research Center, 2012. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  21. Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi, and Dalia Fahmy. How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020. Pew Research Center, 2025, Overview. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  22. Pew Research Center. How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020, Appendix B: Religious composition table. Pew Research Center, 2025, rows for each region and country, 2020. Accessed 2026-10-28.
  23. Conrad Hackett, Marcin Stonawski, Yunping Tong, Stephanie Kramer, Anne Shi, and Dalia Fahmy. How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020, chapter 6: Buddhist population change. Pew Research Center, 2025, Chapter 6. Accessed 2026-10-28.