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Buddhist mythology is a mythology within the Buddhism belief system. It is a relatively broad mythology, as it was adopted and influenced by several diverse cultures. As such, it includes many aspects taken from other mythologies of those cultures (for instance, Japanese kami are considered to be local bodhisattvas by many Japanese Buddhists). Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world. With about 365 milliion followers, 6% of the world's population. It is exceeded in numbers only by Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Buddhism was founded in Northern India by the first known Buddha by the name of Siddhartha Gautama. In the sixth century BCE, he attained enlightenment and assumed the title Lord Buddha he also clamed that he is the one who has awakened.
[edit] Types of Buddhism
Buddhism later failed in India, but had become established in Sri Lanka. From there, it reached across Asia, becoming two or three main forms:
Theravada Buddhism (sometimes called Southern Buddhism; occasionally spelled Therevada) "has been the dominant school of Buddhism in most of Southeast Asia since the thirteenth century, with the establishment of the monarchies in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos."
Mahayana Buddhism (sometimes called Northern Buddhism) is expecialy found in China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Mongolia.
Vajrayāna Buddhism (a.k.a. Tantric Buddhism, Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism, or True Words Sect). Some consider this to be a part of Mahayana Buddhism; others view it as a third Buddhist path.
Some think that these are forms of buddhism also:
Tibetan Buddhism. This developed largely in isolation from Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism because of the remoteness of Tibet.
Zen Buddhism. This developed from within the Chinese Mahayana school known as Chan. Zen Buddhism is becoming increasingly popular in the West.
Since the late 19th century:
Modern Buddhism has emerged as a truly international movement. It started as an attempt to produce a single form of Buddhism, without local accretions, that all Buddhists could embrace. That didn't work out so well with everyone els. There are still at lesast 4 or 5 different forms of buddhism.
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[edit] See also Hindu mythology Chinese mythology Christian mythology Islamic mythology Japanese mythology Religion and mythology Theosophical Society Wrathful deities Yaksha List of Buddhist topics
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