Some Key Things About Buddhism

Key facts

• Buddhism is 2,500 years old
• There are currently 376 million followers worldwide
• There are over 150,000 Buddhists in Britain
• Buddhism arose as a result of Siddhartha Gautama's quest for Enlightenment in around the 6th Century BC
• There is no belief in a personal God. It is not centred on the relationship between humanity and God
• Buddhists believe that nothing is fixed or permanent - change is always possible
• The two main Buddhist sects are Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, but there are many more
• Buddhists can worship both at home or at a temple
• The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom.