What is Buddhism?

Buddhism is a major world religion with about 300 million devotees, mostly in Asia. The religion began with the teachings of an Indian prince, Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as “the Buddha” which means “the enlightened one.” The Buddha found that life was full of suffering but you could overcome suffering if you freed yourself from greed, hate, and ignorance. Then your soul could be at peace forever, which he called nirvana. To achieve nirvana, the Buddha recommended following the Eightfold Path — this is a gradual course of self-improvement through wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental development. Buddhism is the main religion in Tibet.