1. The term ‘Buddhism’ was coined by Western scholars in the 1830s.

Buddhists
don’t actually refer to their religion as “Buddhism”.

2. Buddhism originated from around 400BC with the historical individual known as
the Buddha.

3. The first mention of the Buddha in Western writing is in the writings of Clement of
Alexandria, 2 AD.

4. The Buddha founded an order of monks and nuns known as the Sangha who
have preserved his teachings down to the present day.

5. Buddhism is an extensive and internally diverse tradition with two main branches.

6. With 360 million followers, Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world.

7. In Buddhism, there is no single holy book. Extensive scriptures have been

preserved in many Asian languages.

8. Buddhists don’t believe in a supreme being or creator god.

9. Because of its emphasis on meditation and mindfulness, Buddhism is often

considered to be a form of psychology rather than a religion.

10. Many traditional Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. Modern Buddhists
believe this idea can be jettisoned without losing any central value.