China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population. They are mostly followers of Chinese schools of Mahayana, making this the largest body of Buddhist traditions.
Buddhism originated in northern India, where the Dalai Lama, the head of Tibetan Buddhism, is also based. In India itself, Buddhism is now barely widespread. Today, Thailand and the neighboring countries, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia as well as other Asian countries have the greatest spread.
Buddhism is the world's fourth largest religion with over 500 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists.
Chinese Buddhism is the largest institutionalized religion in Mainland China. Currently, there are an estimated 185 to 250 million Chinese Buddhists in the People's Republic of China. It is also a major religion in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, as well as among the Chinese Diaspora.
India is the birthplace of Buddhism, and the religion is part of India's spiritual heritage. When India was at the height of its power, Indian priests and scholars travelled abroad and spread Buddhism widely: across Tibet and China and then on to Japan, and throughout Southeast Asia via Sri Lanka.
The Buddha's origins are Chinese, but Buddhism has since made its way to Japan and, later, Korea. Gautama Buddha was an Indian prince born in modern day Nepal.
Seven countries have Buddhist majorities: Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Laos and Mongolia.
Large Buddhist populations live in North Korea, Nepal, India and South Korea. China is the country with the largest population of Buddhists, approximately 244 million or 18.2% of its total population.
The Japanese religious tradition is made up of several major components, including Shinto, Japan's earliest religion, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity has been only a minor movement in Japan.
Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world. The word Hindu is an exonym although many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit.
Total adherents exceeds 100% because many Japanese people practice both Shinto and Buddhism. Religion in Japan is manifested primarily in Shinto and in Buddhism, the two main faiths, which Japanese people often practice simultaneously.
Chinese Buddhism and Folk Religions
China has the world's largest Buddhist population, with an estimated 185–250 million practitioners, according to Freedom House. Though Buddhism originated in India, it has a long history and tradition in China and today is the country's largest institutionalized religion.
The only Buddhist nation in Europe is the Republic of Kalmykia in the European part of the Russian Federation, at the far Eastern edge of the continent.
Religious competition
The growth of new forms of Hinduism (and to a lesser extent Jainism) was a key element in the decline in Buddhism in India, particularly in terms of diminishing financial support to Buddhist monasteries from laity and royalty.
Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment.
Buddhism, founded in the late 6th century B.C.E. by Siddhartha Gautama (the "Buddha"), is an important religion in most of the countries of Asia.
The focus of Buddhist worship is not God, but the Buddha. The word usually used to describe this worship is puja. Puja helps Buddhists to develop positive attitudes such as determination and joy, which make practicing the Dhamma (way of life) easier.
Sri Lanka is officially a Buddhist country, while Sri Lankan's practices a variety of religions. As of the 2012 census, 70.2% of Sri Lankans were Buddhists, 12.6% were Hindus, 9.7% were Muslims (mainly Sunni), 7.4% were Christians (mostly Catholics).
Buddhism is the leading religion of the country, with 55% identifying as Buddhist. Confucianism and Taoism denote an ancient and profound Chinese influence. The first Portuguese missionaries arrived in Vietnam in the sixteenth century and today Catholics represent about 7% of the population.
Buddhism is the official religion in two countries, Bhutan and Cambodia.
The general trend of Buddhism in the latter half of the Goryeo was a decline due to corruption, and the rise of strong anti-Buddhist political and philosophical sentiment. However, this period of relative decadence would nevertheless produce some of Korea's most renowned Seon masters.
Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th and 7th century CE from Korea and China mostly for political and cultural reasons. The imported Buddhist traditions integrated native religious concepts. This led to numerous varieties of a Buddhist–Shinto blend.
The Symbol of Buddhism: The Dharma Wheel, or Dharmachakra
The Dharmachakra also called the Dharma Wheel, is the most important symbol of Buddhism.