Buddhism has developed in a variety of different forms and it has also adapted to different environments.Compare and contrast buddhism in two different buddhist countries.Distinguish the forms of buddhism practiced in each country and the specific ways it

: Buddhism has developed in a variety of different forms and it has also adapted to different environments . Compare and contrast Buddhism in two different Buddhist countries . Distinguish the forms of Buddhism practiced in each country and the specific ways it

Introduction

Buddhism is one of the six major religions in the world . Like other religions it has a highly developed system of beliefs , a moral code and a transcendental dimension . In simple words , it looks beyond ordinary human experience to something deeply spiritual which can be realized through leading a good

moral life and religious practice . Buddhism takes its name from the Buddha , a human being whose teachings developed into what is now known as 'Buddhism . It has existed for about 2500 years even older than both Christianity and Islam . For some , Buddhism is a religion , for others it is a philosophy or a culture . This religion emerged in north-eastern India in the area along what is known as the `Ganges basin . At that time (fifth century BCE , this area running alongside the River Ganges had become a place of civilizations , with abundance of food , rising population and increasing urbanization . Note that Buddha was not a god but a flesh-and-blood human being

His family name was Siddhartha Gautama but later was referred to as the Buddha which means `Enlightened One ' or `Awakened One . Once someone asked the Buddha , `Are you a god ' His reply was `No , I 'm not a god , I 'm awake ' Although the Buddha didn 't claim to be a god , he did affirm that he was a fully realized human being , that he fully understood the nature of the human condition and that he had discovered a state of being known as Nirvana . This was a state in which all selfish desire and therefore all suffering had come to an end . He taught that by following his teachings , others too could realize once and for all this blissful state . Buddha taught that there are six realms of existence - gods humans , jealous gods , animals , ghosts and hell-beings . The realm of the gods is one of great pleasure but it is not a place that one should aspire to particularly . This is because this world is not eternal and eventually the gods themselves will fall into the lower realms . The best of all realms is said to be the human realm . This is because the suffering we inevitably experience in life doesn 't make us too complacent and consequently we are more likely to make the effort necessary for spiritual progress . The gods are too absorbed in pleasure to attempt this . Buddhism has been described as `a moral system without a god ' and `a faith without a god . The essential teachings of the Buddha can be summed up in the following quotation from a Buddhist scripture ' Not to do evil , to cultivate good , to purify one 's mind Buddhism is practiced worldwide . It started in India and from there spread to Sri Lanka , China , Korea , Japan , Tibet...