Buddhas and Buddhisms

In the middle of the first millennium BCE in India, there were a number of movements of ascetics who sought th liberate the self or soul from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth through various combinations of meditation and physical regimens designed to eliminate attachment to the world. Siddhartha Gautama - referred to by Buddhists as 'Buddha', meaning 'Awakened One', began to teach others and created an order of monks and nuns, and following his death his monastic and lay followers spread his messaged beyond India to surrounding countries. At some point in the past 2,500 years, Buddhism has been a major religion in most areas of Asia, and today millions of people in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Africa identify themselves as Buddhists.