Buddhism is the world’s fourth-largest religion, with over 500 million followers or 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. There are over 360 million followers of Buddhism worldwide and over a million American Buddhists today. Buddhist concepts have also been influential on western culture in general, particularly in the areas of meditation and nonviolence. Buddhism is a path of practice and spiritual development leading to Insight into the true nature of reality. Buddhist practices like meditation are means of changing yourself in order to develop the qualities of awareness, kindness, and wisdom. The experience developed within the Buddhist tradition over thousands of years has created an incomparable resource for all those who wish to follow a path which ultimately culminates in Enlightenment or Buddhahood. An enlightened being sees the nature of reality absolutely clearly, just as it is, and lives fully and naturally in accordance with that vision. This is the goal of the Buddhist spiritual life, representing the end of suffering for anyone who attains it.

This Book ‘The Buddhist World’ covers an array of key facets of Buddhism(s), and a good balance between topics and thinkers/schools. It also contains studies about different Buddhist regions. Buddhism inspires us to take responsibility for our own lives, without moralizing, by understanding cause and effect (karma). Just like gravity, the law of karma functions, everywhere and all the time. Buddhists develop inner peace, kindness and wisdom through their daily practice; and then share their experience with others bringing real benefit to this world. They try not to harm others and to live peacefully and gently, working towards the ultimate goal of pure and lasting happiness for all living beings. This Monograph brings together many of the world’s best Buddhism scholars to create a volume that approaches the tradition from several key aspects: historical, geographical, religious, philosophical, social, and biographical. The Book will be of a comprehensive source of information for general readers and an important tool for researchers and scholars also.