Five interesting facts about Buddhism: what you need to know
SSPDaily has prepared five interesting facts about Buddhism. Learn about the interesting aspects of this spiritual path.
The concept of "Buddha"
Translated from Sanskrit, "awakened" means "one who has awakened," and the term "buddha" includes different meanings. It means the highest state of spiritual perfection and refers not only to the historical Indian spiritual teacher Shakya Muni Buddha, but also to countless beings who have attained enlightenment.
Universal Buddhism
Although Buddhism is usually associated with Asian cultures, it has no geographical boundaries. Surprisingly, more than seven million Buddhists live outside of Asia, which shows the global influence of this ancient religion.
The positive swastika
The swastika, a powerful symbol of Buddhism, carries positive connotations that are interpreted very differently in the Western context. It symbolizes the sun, life, light, wisdom, and prosperity, and its name comes from the Sanskrit words su, meaning "good," and asti, meaning "being."
Diverse textual sources
Unlike other religions that have central religious texts, Buddhism contains many written sources. Different Buddhist schools use many texts, some of which are attributed to the founder of the Buddha, Shakya Muni.
Widespread distribution of Buddha statues
The world is decorated with a large number of Buddha statues. Located in temples and homes, these images are symbols of veneration. In Myanmar alone, there are more than 580 thousand statues, and the three tallest statues in the world are of Buddha.