Siddhartha Gautama was known as Buddha. Those who follow Buddhism are simply following in the beliefs practices and teachings of this man. The term Buddha simply means “the awakened one”. Buddha lived and taught his ways during the 4-6th centuries, in India.
Today more than 900 million people are Buddhists. That is around 2% of the entire population. Unlike traditional religion, Buddhists do not accept a doctrine but rather a way of life. They focus on the aspects of Buddha’s teachings. Most that follow this doctrine today are “Chinese, Thai, Sri Lankan, Tibetan, Japanese, and Indian”. They have adapted a ‘Western Buddhism’ a more modern adaptation of the lifestyle and teachings.
While many people have different variations of how they practice Buddhism, the basic principals are the same. They use a great deal of devotion times, which includes meditation, chanting, prayers and bowing. Yoga is also a widely used Buddhist activity, which increases the bodies strength and the power of the mind and concentration. Prayer, like in any other religion, is still the most important aspect in a Buddhists life.