Followers of Buddhism, a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in ancient India. Practitioners seek enlightenment through meditation and ethical living.
From Buddha, Sanskrit for 'awakened one' or 'enlightened one,' from the root budh- meaning 'to wake up' or 'to know.' The suffix -ist indicates a follower or practitioner of the Buddha's teachings.
The word Buddhist literally means 'follower of the awakened one,' which beautifully captures the religion's central goal - spiritual awakening. It's remarkable that a Sanskrit word meaning 'to wake up' became the foundation for a global religion practiced by over 500 million people seeking their own awakening.
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