Buddhism: everything you've always wanted to know - Buddhism is the fifth largest religion in the world and seen by many as a philosophy of life. Science points to this doctrine as the most ethically correct and developed religion of the contemporary world.

Click on the gallery and discover amazing facts about Buddhism!

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Buddha - Buddha is not a given name but an honorific title which means 'the awakened one'. The real name of Buddha was Siddhartha Gautama.

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Practitioners - It is estimated that about 500 million people around the world practice Buddhism. This equates to about 10% of the entire world population.

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Texts - Unlike many other religions, there is no main book that should be read and followed.

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Legend - According to the legend, Buddha was born in Nepal, before a full moon in a beautiful garden where it rained petals and the earth trembled.

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The origin of Siddhartha Gautama - Siddhartha Gautama came from a Hindu family. In fact, Hinduism and Buddhism are quite similar.

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Hinduism and Buddhism - The great difference between these two religions is that Hinduism is a theistic religion (believes in the existence of one or more gods) and Buddhism is non-theistic.

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Different from other religions - Buddhism does not believe in the existence of a creator God or gods. Instead, it focuses mainly on three concepts: 1) Nothing is permanent; 2) All actions have consequences; 3) it is possible to change.

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Uncertainty - Because the earliest Buddhist teachings were initially transmitted orally and only later written - hundreds of years after Buddha's death - it is impossible to be sure of everything he actually taught.

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Einstein - Albert Einstein claimed that if there was any religion that could meet the needs of modern science, it was Buddhism.

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The secret of happiness - According to Buddha, the secret to achieving happiness is simple: wish for what you already have and do not wish for what you don't.

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It's not Buddha - The fat representation of Buddha which is often found in Chinese restaurants or people's homes, is not the true Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, but rather a Chinese folklore character called Budai.

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Catholic church - Buddha is a saint canonized by the Catholic and Orthodox Church.

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Divergent theories - Although some theories of Buddhism claim that women can not attain Nirvana (the state of liberation from suffering), the Buddha himself said that there was no reason why a woman could not attain enlightenment.

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Portrayals of Buddha - The Buddha is often depicted with large ears lobes, which symbolizes wisdom and understanding. However, some scholars believe that it is also a reference to his past as a rich person.

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Teachings - The Buddha's teachings are called Dharma, which means doctrine, truth, or law.

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A Buddhist monk's brain - When scientists analyzed the brains of some Buddhist monks, they came to the conclusion that the monks were able to modify the brain through meditation in order to increase feelings of happiness and resilience.

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The tooth - According to legend, when Buddha was cremated, only one tooth remained. Whoever is in possession of that tooth is the leader of Buddhism. Currently, the tooth is housed in a $62 million temple in Sri Lanka.

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Umbrella - The Buddha is sometimes symbolized as an umbrella. This is because members of royalty at the time of the Buddha were protected from the sun and the rain by these objects and hence Buddha is also seen as a symbol of protection.

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Steve Jobs - Biographers who have studied the life of Steve Jobs stated that he had a great connection with some Buddhist teachings, particularly those that focused on simplicity and perfection. Jobs tried to apply these principles in Apple.

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Uma Thurman - The father of this famous actress was the first western man to become a Buddhist monk of Tibet. He is a professor of Tibetan Buddhism studies.

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The largest in the world - The largest statues of Buddha were located in Afghanistan. However, in 2001 the Taliban destroyed them.

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The Devil in Buddhism - There is no Devil in Buddhism. What exists is the concept of evil - the evil that causes suffering and is propagated by the human ego. According to Buddhism, when humans leave ego aside, happiness begins.

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Not worshiped - Buddha is not seen by Buddhists as a god, but rather as a human and a 'way' that everyone can attain.

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Lotus - The Lotus flower is an important Buddhist symbol because it represents the journey of an enlightened person. This is because the beautiful flower grows in muddy waters, from simply being exposed to light - a metaphor for Buddhism.

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The focus of Buddhism - While most religions are concerned with creation and the afterlife, Buddhism is more concerned with teaching people to leave the past and the future and to focus only on the present.

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Reincarnation - Reincarnation is one of the beliefs of Buddhism. The soul reincarnates in other forms of life, and 'bad' people come back to life as inferior animals.

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Beliefs - Although many Buddhists believe in reincarnation, some do not. Buddhism gives practitioners the freedom to choose to believe in what they want while practicing Buddhist philosophy.

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Science - Several scientists throughout history have described Buddhism as the most rational and ethically developed religion in the world.

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The name in Asia - Buddhists in Asia do not refer to their religion as 'Buddhism' but rather Dharma (law) or Buddha-sasana (Buddha's teachings).

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Dalai Lama - This name is a title given to the one who is the reincarnation of Buddha. When the Dalai Lama dies, the monks go looking for a child who is identified as the reincarnation of Buddha.

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Forbidden - Buddhist monks are forbidden to kill any animal, even if it is an insect.

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