Buddhism

Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world. It was founded by Siddhartha Gautam, who is also known as Gautama Buddha. He was born in 563 B.C. at Lumbini, in Kapilbastu district of our country. Gautam Buddha struggled throughout his life to find solution to suffering in life. At last, meditating under ‘bodhi’ tree in Gaya (in India), he realized that the root of all sufferings caused by change is desire and ignorance. Knowing this truth of life he was enlightened and began to be called the ‘Buddha’. Since then, he started teaching the people the four noble truths and the noble eightfold paths. The teachings of Gautam Buddha formed a new religion called Buddhism. Buddhism, thus, originated in Nepal, spread all over India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam. Through the Himilayan mountain passes it spread over to Tibet, China, Korea and Japan. During the 20^th century, it spread to Europe, the United States of America and Australia.