Where is Buddhism today?
Buddhist Art today
Buddhist Celebrations today
Buddhist traditions and beliefs today
Buddhism miscellaneous today
100
Country with the highest population of Buddhists in 2025
What is China?
While China does have the highest population of Buddhists with 254.7 million followers, only a mere 18.3% of Chinese are Buddhists. Nevertheless Buddhism does play a vital role in China politics, rituals, and history. During the warring states period in China which took place between 475 BCE and 221 BCE, Buddhism allowed for the Chinese to unify into a community of believers. Today, Buddhism is one of the 5 recognized religions in China. However, the Chinese only prefer Han Buddhism, and are continuing their efforts in order to suppress Tibetan Buddhism.
100
Famous Buddhist sand art-style today
What is Mandala?
The word “Mandala” literally translates to circle, however in Buddhism, Mandala means much more. It signifies an imaginary palace or the cosmos as a whole that can only be reached through pure meditation. While mandalas can be used differently in different sects of Buddhism, they all convey the bigger message of the path to enlightenment. One particular mandala called a sand mandala is exactly what the name suggests. A mandala drawn in the sand. However, it represents the impermanence of life. The concept of nothing lasting forever is highlighted by creating meticulous and detailed mandalas in the sand only for it to be erased in a matter of seconds after.
100
True of False: The Buddhist calendar is the same across all sects and origin countries
What is false?
Multiple factors go into determining the Buddhist calendar. While most take into account the lunar movements - with the exception of Japanese Buddhism - in order to determine auspicious days for Buddhist holidays, each nuanced type of Buddhism has their own unique versions of festivals. For example, the two main schools of Buddhism, Theravada and Mahayana, celebrate the Buddhist new year on two different days. Most Theravadin countries celebrate the new year for 3 consecutive days on the first full moon in April, and most Mahayana countries celebrate on the first full moon in January. While the dates differ from country to country and region to region, Buddhist festivals aim to celebrate the life of Buddha and many other Bodhisattvas.
100
Number of Noble Truths in Buddhism
What is 4?
Even though the 4 Noble Truths are one of the pillars of Buddhism from the very beginning of its creation, it still holds significant importance in modern-day practices of Buddhism. The noble truths are as follows, life is full of suffering, cravings are the root of sufferings, suffering ends when craving ends, and it is possible to end cravings by following the 8-fold path. Not only does it provide Buddhists with the necessary knowledge to understand human life, but also acts as a unifying symbol that connects Buddhists no matter their sect or country.
100
4th largest religion in the world
What is Buddhism?
Originating in modern-day Nepal, Buddhism revolves around Buddha’s teachings on human suffering, salvation, and an overall personal well-being and social ethics. The reason it grew so much in the earlier Indian empires is because of its appeal to people of all social classes. It focused more on the self than a supernatural being like God. Not to mention, Buddhism also gained immense support from Emperor Ashoka, who not only converted into a Buddhist, but also created Buddhist architecture so the religion was available to all of his subjects.
200
The percentage of the world population following Buddhism in 2025
What is 7%?
Following Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, Buddhism is the 4th largest religion with over 500 million followers. However, unlike the other major world religions, Buddhism is expected to grow by a little until 2030 and then decline and fall to around 486 million by 2050. While it is expected to grow in North America, it’s also expected to decline around the rest of the world.
200
Number of types of Stupas
What is 8?
When Buddha died, his body was divided into 8 urns. Simple burial mounds were built over these urns which became called a stupa. While there are thousands of stupas all around the world consisting of important texts, relics, etc., there are 8 main types of stupas dedicated to the 8 great Stupas that actually contain the urns. In earlier times when Buddha was not represented with his statue, but rather symbols of his teachings like the Bodhi Tree, stupas became a symbol of worship representing the 8 most important teachings taught by Buddha.
200
Type of offering given to monks on Buddhist festivals
What is food?
While Buddhist traditions vary from region to region, some common practices conducted during joyful Buddhist holidays include visiting and praying at a local Buddhist temple or monastery. At the temple, followers can listen to religious talks, sing Buddhist prayer songs, and offer food to the monks residing there. They even distribute food to the poor. These practices allow for the people to have good karma and merit in order to help achieve enlightenment.
200
Two main schools of Buddhism
What is Mahayana and Theravada?
Theravada, the oldest of the two schools, focuses more on the teachings of elders. It prioritizes the importance of ancestors as moral guides to enlightenment. It is also the more dominant of the two schools in mainland southeast asia. Mahayana on the other hand, which also translates to “The Great Vehicle” emphasizes on the salvation and the road to salvation through its teachings. It is a larger sect compared to Theravada and is most prevalent in eastern Asia.
200
Meaning of Buddha in Sanskrit
What is enlightened one?
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, was born a prince, but he eventually rejected his luxurious life in order to understand human suffering and figure out a way to liberate himself and others from this suffering. After leading an ascetic life, he became the Buddha. Soon after he taught his friends what he had learned through his meditation, and they became his first disciples. Through them, Buddhism continued to spread throughout the land, and eventually became what it is now.
300
Percentage of Nepal's population following Buddhism in 2025
What is 10%?
Buddhism originated in modern-day Nepal, however only about 10% of Nepalis follow Buddhism. It is the second largest religion in the country with Hinduism being the first. Nevertheless, Buddhism is deeply engraved in Nepal’s culture, history and architecture. Nepal is known to be Buddha’s birthplace, making Lumbini and many other sacred places a must-see pilgrimage destination for Buddhists.
300
Largest Buddhist Temple in the world
What is Borobudur?
Built in the 8th and 9th century, The Borobudur Buddhist Temple is not only the largest Buddhist temple, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists. Located in Java, Indonesia, the temple contains over 72 stupas. From the beginning or its creation, the place was used as a Buddhist temple, however, it was abandoned sometime between the 10th and 15th century. It was re-discovered in the 19th century and restored by the 20th century. Today the temple attracts over 2.5 million visitors annually.
300
Holiday that celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha
What is Vesak or Buddha Day?
As an article on buddhanet.net explains, Vesak or commonly known as Buddha day is one of the most celebrated Buddhist festivals. While there is no actual scripture or text that proves that Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death happened on the same day, Vesak celebrates all three occasions on the first full moon day in May. However during leap years, Buddha Day is celebrated in June instead.
300
Cycle of death and rebirth
What is Samsara?
The word samsara itself means “wandering” in Sanskrit. It refers to the eternal cycle of life which includes human life, death, rebirth, and enlightenment. While it is a prevalent philosophy in many Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, in Buddhism, samsara acts as a moral compass. It highlights the law of Karma, explains the reason behind suffering, and how every action and reaction a person has matters in the grand scheme of things.
300
Most common dietary restriction in Buddhism
What is vegetarian?
Although Buddhism does not prohibit consuming meat, many Buddhists choose to adhere to a vegetarian diet because it aligns with the idea of ahimsa, or doing no harm. Similar to Hinduism, many Buddhists believe that the unwarranted killing of an innocent animal goes against their teachings, and will negatively affect their karma. Another spiritual reason is that a vegetarian diet enables Buddhists to connect more freely with nature, and be compassionate towards their surroundings.
400
Country with the highest percentage of Buddhist population in 2025
What is Cambodia?
Over 15.7 million Cambodians practice Buddhism today which accounts for 95% of the country’s population. This ancient religion has been a part of Cambodia’s rich history since the 5th century. It has had a deep influence in the region resulting in Theravada Buddhism becoming the state religion in the 13th century CE.
400
Buddhist word for art
What is Upaya?
While art is not the perfect translation for Upaya, its essence represents art. The Buddhist concept of art consists of both arts and sciences, highlighting the concept of skill regardless of their respective fields. The most popular forms of Buddhist art are performance art, cultural art, fine art, and popular art. Regardless, Buddhism views any type of art as a necessary vehicle in the journey to enlightenment.
400
Another name for Magha Puja Day
What is Sangha Day or Fourthfold Assembly?
Magha Puja Day is another common Buddhist festival celebrated by many sects. Taking place on the first full moon day in March, the day commemorates the time when 1250 monks from all around came to Buddha in his temple without any prior planning. It is considered a miraculous and auspicious day for this reason. Another name for these monk travellers that came to gain knowledge from Buddha himself is the fourthfold assembly or a sangha, thus those are also two other names to call the holiday.
400
True or False: You can be a monk for just 1 day if you want
What is True?
In most Buddhist countries, there are no time restraints on how long you can be a monk. Some buddhists become a monk for the rest of their lives, however the monk himself has the freedom to choose his own duration of ascetic life. Being a monk is a sign of respect and reverence, and can easily increase the social and economic status of lower or middle class families.
400
God that Hindus believe was reincarnated as Buddha
What is Vishnu?
Since Hinduism and Buddhism both originated in the Indian sub-continent, it shares many similar features like karma, ahimsa, reincarnation, etc. Both of these religions acknowledge the other in their sacred texts in one way or another. Many teachings of Buddha acknowledge the existence of Brahmin which is the overarching god in Hinduism, and Hindus believe that Buddha is a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation and protection.
500
Number of countries that have Buddhism as the official state religion
What is 4?
Buddhism is the official state religion of Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, however it holds a special religious status in four other countries consisting of Thailand, Laos, Mongolia, and Japan. All of these countries have the highest percentage of Buddhist population with the actual population ranging from 600 thousand in Bhutan to 66 million in Thailand. Buddhism is also one of the 5 religions recognized in China. While Nepal is also a prevalent Buddhist country, its constitution states it is a secular state.
500
Oldest stupa in the world
What is Sanchi Stupa?
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India was built in the 3rd century BCE and commissioned by Ashoka the Mauryan emperor who later converted to Buddhism. Ashoka also commissioned the creation of many more stupas dedicated to Buddhism, and enabled the concept to spread throughout India as well as other neighboring Asian countries. Over time the Sanchi Stupa has become one of the most important Buddhist monuments.
500
Important moment honored on Dharma Day
What is teaching of Dharma and beginning of the first Buddhist Sangha?
Also known as Dhamma Day or Asalha Puja Day, Dharma Day celebrates Buddha’s first teaching. On this day, Buddha taught his followers about the eternal turning wheel of Dhamma. This event took place at Deer Park (Sarnath), India and is celebrated on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month. Buddhists pay homage to Buddha on this day by listening to lectures on Dharma, meditating and making offerings to monks in temples.
500
Age at which you can become a Buddhist monk
What is 20 years old?
While many children start leading a monastic life from very early on, with some even doing so from birth, they are regarded as a novice monk. A person can only become a fully ordained monk at the age of 20. However, there is no maximum age for when one can become a monk. The age limit is 20 because it follows Buddha’s understanding of maturity and discipline. Since leading a monastic life can be very difficult, it is important that when one chooses to do so they are mentally ready for the challenges that come along with it.
500
Number of Dalai Lama incarnations
What is 14?
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. They are known as the reincarnations of the Bodhisattvas. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th reincarnation of the Bodhisattva of compassion. The Dalai Lama acts as a global ambassador of peace and non-violence. Not only does he advocate for human rights, but also on preserving Tibetan Buddhism.