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Budhism

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How did Buddhism change over the century in India?
Introduction
Even though there are numerous traditional religions in the Middle East and specifically in India, Buddhism has stood out as the most popular of all. This religion is recorded as having a history of approximately two thousand five hundred years. There are numerous attributes associated with this religion. One of these attributed, as stated by Duiker and Spielvogel, is that it is flexible and adapts freely to numerous local perceptions, practices and beliefs while at the same time upholding the core teachings of Buddha (p. 556). Buddhism is believed to have grown from a very humble beginning to become one of the internationally recognized religions. This religion enjoys a huge geographical coverage which is largely attributed to its tolerant spirit, incorporation of a myriad of beliefs, practices and traditions. The popularity of Buddhism has been growing significantly ever since it was established. Currently the religion is believed o have a global following totaling to over 400 million people. This implies that Buddhism is no longer a preserve of beliefs and practices for some local people in Asia. It has turned out to be a means of fulfillment to the concerns and spiritual needs of the people as well as a way of attaining trans-local objectives. Most of the studies carried out on the subject of Buddhism have revealed that this religion has undergone numerous transformations to become a powerful force not only in India, but also across other nations and cultures. A closer look at various aspects of life in India reveals that they are all based on Buddhist ideologies. This religion is believed to influence all social and cultural aspects in all geographical localities in India. This paper is going to look at some of the factors associated with this religion

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