Introduction

Buddhism also known as Buddha Dharma is based on teachings attributed to Lord Buddha (Gautama Buddha) who lived in present-day North India in the 5th century BCE. The teachings gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists).

Lord Buddha taught the Middle Way, a path of spiritual development that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism. It aims at liberation from attachment or clinging to that which is impermanent (anitya), incapable of satisfying (duḥkha), and without a lasting essence (anātman). This path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind through observance of Buddhist ethics and meditation, with the intention of ending the cycle of death and rebirth (saṃsāra). Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; "taking refuge" in the Buddha, the dharma, and the saṅgha; and the cultivation of perfections (pāramitā).

Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravāda (lit. 'School of the Elders') and Mahāyāna (lit. 'Great Vehicle'). 

Theravāda /ˌtɛrəˈvɑːdə/ - ථේරවාදය  ('School of the Elders') is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins, have preserved their version of Gautama Buddha's teaching (Buddha Dhamma) in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia.