its not a religion in the sense of what most think, Buddha is not a god and the Buddhist "hell" isn't eternal, it is where you may end up from the karma you have acquired or built up upon yourself, after the karma has been shed you would be reborn to try again. it is a belief system that is more philosophical than religious. it doesn't follow a dogma of set rules or beliefs of heaven or hell as you would think, if from, or comparing to other belief systems..... it is simply at its core following the teachings of the "way"......but the question "is Buddhism a religion" is one that has been argued by many for many years......lol...... like so many other teachings and beliefs, Buddhism has also been targeted by the new age crowd and muddied up, but the true path put forth by the Buddha and the early teachings is more philosophy based, and quite enlightening if understood and studied properly.Sorry to have to disagree with the above.
Buddhism is a religion, with some philosophical thoughts as well. Look up the Buddhist "Hell". Notice how many different levels of hell, and the punishments in each level.
People pray to the numerous different gods for specific help.
Buddhist Temples are so numerous and you would be surprised at the amount of worshipping that takes place.
Ancestor worship is also a major part of Buddhism.
A person needs to have spent many years living there and speaking the language fluently to even get a grasp of both Buddhism and Taoism. Most Chinese believe in a combination of the two religions.
and most Buddhist don't "pray" in the traditional sense...(comparison issue again)...the "prayer" for most is the belief of whats best as a collective whole, or the power of energy manipulation. or sending energy for purposes....hence the thought of everyone being a spiritual being and a vessel for the spiritual side....if we are all the source, the one, etc... then who would you pray to? kinda question.
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