"One thing I teach:

suffering and the end of

suffering. It is just ill
and the ceasing of ill
that I proclaim." 
-- The Buddha -- 

Buddhism is the fourth largest religion of the

world:

Founded by Gautam Buddha, it is a path of spiritual

development that helps a person in finding the true
nature of life. Buddhism emphasizes on
experiencing, rather than teaching or learning. It
considers meditation as the means to
enlightenment and is based on a number of
principles. The followers of Buddhism do not
worship any God and follow the noble eightfold
path to lead a meaningful existence. 

Date founded:
c. 520 BCE

Place founded:
Northeastern India
Adherents:
380 million
Main Locations:

China Japan

Korea Southeast Asia

Major Divisions:
Theravada means "The Way of the Elders" in Pali,
reflecting the Theravadins' belief that they most
closely follow the original beliefs and practices of the
Buddha and the early monastic Elders.

HISM
Experience is analyzed into five aggregates
(skandhas). The first, form (rupa), refers to
material existence; the following four,
sensations (vedana), perceptions (samjna),
psychic constructs (samskara), and
consciousness (vijnana), refer to
psychological processes. The central
Buddhist teaching of non-self (anatman)
asserts that in the five aggregates no
independently existent, immutable self, or
soul, can be found. All phenomena arise
N
interrelation and in dependence on causes
and conditions, and thus are subject to
inevitable decay and cessation. The casual
conditions are defined in a 12-membered
chain called dependent origination
(pratityasamutpada) whose links are:
ignorance, predisposition, consciousness,
name-form, the senses, contact, craving,
grasping, becoming, birth, old age, and death,
whence again ignorance.

Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right Knowledge
Understand the Four Noble Truths 
2. Right Thinking
Decide to set a life on the correct path 
3. Right Speech
Don't lie
Don't criticize others unjustly
Don't use harsh language
Don't gossip 
4. Right Conduct
Follow the Five Precepts 
5. Right Livelihood
Earn a living that does not harm living things 
6. Right Effort
Conquer all evil thoughts
Strive to maintain good thoughts 
7. Right Mindfulness
Become intensely aware of all the states in
body, feeling, and mind.  BUDD
8. Right Concentration
Deep meditation to lead to a higher state of
consciousness (enlightenment)