Buddhism is a spiritual tradition that focuses on the spiritual development of the individual towards attaining a deep insight into the true essence of life. The aim of Buddhists is to reach a state of nirvana, following the path of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama who they believe attained enlightenment on his journeys around 600BCE.
The path to Enlightenment can be found through the practice and development of morality, meditation and wisdom.
Buddhists believe that life is both endless and not permanent. Existence is endless because individuals are reincarnated over and over again, experiencing suffering throughout many lives.
Schools of Buddhism
There are many different schools or sects of Buddhism. The two largest are Theravada Buddhism, which is most popular in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Burma (Myanmar), and Mahayana Buddhism, which is strongest in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia.
The majority of Buddhist sects do not have any obligations to preach and convert others.