ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Buddhism in Asia

Buddhism is a religion that started in India about 2500 years ago. It was founded by a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as Buddha, which means "enlightened one".

When Buddhism first started, it was mostly practiced in India, but over time it spread to other countries in Asia, like China, Japan, and Thailand.

In these countries, people practice Buddhism in different ways, but the basic idea is that they try to live a good life by following the Buddha's teachings.

One of the main things that Buddhists believe is that everything in the world is always changing. They call this impermanence. They also believe that suffering is caused by wanting things to be different than they are. They call this desire.

So, Buddhists try to overcome their desires by meditating and practicing kindness and compassion. They believe that by doing this, they can eventually reach enlightenment, which is a state of knowledge and peace.

In Asia, you can see a lot of beautiful temples and statues that were built to honor the Buddha and his teachings. People often light incense and offer food and flowers at these places as a way of showing their devotion.

Overall, Buddhism is a fascinating and complex religion that has had a big impact on many cultures around the world.