There are about 20 million followers world wide. The main countries that practice Buddhism currently … Buddhism arose in the eastern part of Ancient India, in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (now in Bihar, India), and is based on the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama. Buddhism is a religion that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“The Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India. In fact, Buddhism is split into two major branches: Theravada and Mahayana. Hear me out. “So it … Diveristy of Buddhist practice. Buddhism Today, East and West ... professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told The Diplomat. 30,000 of the followers are North Americans.The Chinese government has tried to suppress Taoism but it's teachings and practices still thrive and remain strong. People who practice Buddhism, called Buddhists, seek to reach a state of Nirvana, which is a state of perfect peace and happiness. Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. Since 1956 millions of Dalits have responded to Dr. Ambedkar’s appeal to adopt Buddhism and escape the caste system. Approximately half are practitioners of Mahayana schools in China and it continues to flourish. Tibetan Buddhism (also Indo-Tibetan Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet where it is the dominant religion. It is also found in the regions surrounding the Himalayas (such as Bhutan , Ladakh , and Sikkim ), much of Chinese Central Asia , the Southern Siberian regions such as Tuva , as well as Mongolia . Most of Asia believes in the Buddhist religion. Theravada Buddhism. Buddhism in Vietnam (Đạo Phật or Phật Giáo in Vietnamese), as practised by the ethnic Vietnamese, is mainly of the Mahayana tradition. With over 500 million followers and being one of the oldest religions still practiced today, Buddhism has countless definitions, but there is a core set of values that can help stitch together a basic definition of what Buddhism stands for. Vipassanā is the Zen Buddhism of today. Buddhism Today. It began in the 6th century BCE in Nepal. While the Buddha’s message is alive in the East, in the West some say it has been scrambled. In the 21st century CE, it is estimated that 488 million (9-10% of the world population) people practice Buddhism. In its better manifestations, I call it Insight. South Korea C. Malaysia D. Cambodia – 217712. Buddhism Today, East and West . As Buddhism took root in different parts of Asia, it split into several sects. Today, Taoism is mainly practiced in China and Taiwan, it has also been spread throughout other parts of Asia and throughout the world. Nowadays, there are 376 million followers all over the world. Theravada Buddhism is the oldest and most conservative branch of Buddhism.