The American research center Pew Research conducted a social study on the theme of belonging of the population to a particular religion. It turned out that 8 out of 10 respondents consider themselves to be one or another denomination. One of the oldest and mysterious religions in the world is Buddhism.
About how many Buddhists in the world for 2017, statistics cite the following figures: more than 500 million people officially profess Buddhism. This represents about 7% of the world's population. This is not very much. But it should be noted that it is the Buddhists who most clearly follow the canons, have always been an example of humility and following religious traditions.
Religious map of the Earth. How many percent of Buddhists in the world
Most of the believers on the planet are Christians. In 2016, their number amounted to 32% of the world's population (about 2.2 billion inhabitants). Muslims - 23% (1.6 billion people). However, it is predicted that Islam will soon become the largest religion. Hindu people in the world - 15% (1 billion), Buddhists - 7% (500 million) and 0.2% (14 million) Jews.
It should be noted that only official figures are presented above. In fact, one cannot say for sure how many Buddhists are in the world. The population sometimes ignores the census and is not involved in compiling statistics. Following fashion trends, many carry out various Buddhist practices and share a Buddhist ideology.
About 400 million people practice relatively young denominations, such as Shintoism, Sikhism and others. 16% of the population do not rank themselves among any denominations, that is 1.1 billion people.
Buddhism is one of the oldest religions
Today, eastern religions have more and more followers. For some, this is a tribute to fashion, for others - a life journey. How many Buddhists in the world? This is an urgent issue related to the popularity of the teachings of Sidhartha.
Buddhism is called "bodhi," which means "the doctrine of awakening." It originated in the 1st millennium BC. e. In fact, Buddhism is a complex religious and philosophical teaching. The followers call it “Dharma,” which means “Law,” or “Buddhadharma,” referring to the founder, Prince Sidhartha Gautama, later to this day called Buddha Shakyamuni.
How many Buddhists in the world? How many branches and schools of Buddhism are there? There are 3 main areas: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
Theravada
The oldest school, preserved in its original form since the beginning of the preaching of the Buddha. Initially, Buddhism was not a religion, but a philosophical teaching.
The Theravada's main feature is the absence of an object of universal worship, with the exception of the Buddha. This determines the simplicity of the rituals and external attributes of religion. Primordial Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophical and ethical teaching. Buddha taught that worship of the gods is tantamount to denying one's own responsibility for the deed. According to adherents of Theravada, a person must independently be responsible for his actions, and therefore does not need a large number of controlling laws.
For the same reason, Theravada does not suggest its pantheon of gods, therefore, in places of distribution, religion exists in symbiosis with the local faith, in case of need, turning to the local gods for help.
Followers of Theravada live in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
Mahayana
The largest branch among all Buddhists in the world. No matter how many Buddhist schools, Mahayana remains the main one to this day. The teachings of the Great Chariot can be called a full religion. Her followers live in Vietnam, Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. How many Buddhists in the world can be judged by the population of these countries.
The Buddha is perceived by the followers of Mahayana as a divine figure and primary teacher, able to take various forms.
One of the main tenets of the Mahayana is the doctrine of bodhisattvas. This is the name of the saints who Nirvana preferred endless rebirth in the form of divine personalities or missions. So, for example, all Dalai Lamas are considered bodhisattvas . Catherine II patronized the Buddhists of Buryatia, for which she was ranked as a bodhisattva.
The pantheon of the Mahayana includes many deities and entities. It is about them that a large number of fairy tales and myths have been written.
Vajrayana or Tantrayana
The doctrine, called the Diamond Chariot, originated in Tibet under the influence of the Mahayana and Indian Tantrism. In fact, it is an independent religion. The direction contains complex tantric practices that can lead to enlightenment in one earthly life. In tantric Buddhism, fertility cults and erotic practices are worshiped. Vajrayana has a close relationship with esotericism. The fundamentals of the teaching are passed on by the teacher - Lama to the student.
Tantrayana is practiced in Mongolia, Bhutan and eastern Russia.
Buddhism in Russia
Traditional adherents of Buddhism in Russia live today in the eastern regions of the country, such as the Republic of Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva. In addition, Buddhist associations can be found in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. The percentage of Buddhists living in Russia is approximately 1% of the total population of Buddhists in the world. How many followers of the teachings of Sidhartha live in Russia, it is impossible to say for sure. This is because Buddhism is not an official religion, and many of its adherents have not officially declared their religious affiliation.
Buddhism is one of the most peaceful religions. The followers of the Bodhi call for peace and love. Recently, the number of adherents is slowly but surely growing. The statistics on how many Buddhists are in the world for 2017 indicate that their number is increasing by about 1.5% every year.