THE AFTERLIFE Buddhists believe that consciousness continues after death and finds expression in a future life. MEANING OF LIFE Buddhism does not demand faith or belief but instead says that people should test its teachings against their experience. Parinirvana Day is a Mahayana Buddhist festival that marks the death of the Buddha.Losar, celebrates the Tibetan New Year. Second is the exchange of gifts known as Theravada, a tradition of giving to one another and to good causes. MAJOR FESTIVALS Wesak is the most significant festival and is celebrated on the full moon in May. CUSTOMS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP There are many different customs in different parts of the world but there are two that are common to all First is mediation This is intended to promote wisdom and compassion. The mind and the five senses create the world for each human being.

CREATION STORY Buddhism does not have a creation story similar to other religions Instead, the world is timeless, undergoing constant change. BUDDHISM Age: 2,500 years oldBased: South Asia SUPREME BEING Buddhism is different from many other faiths, in that it is not centred on a relationship between humanity and a god or gods Instead it focuses on spiritual growth. In the 2001 census, 558,342 people identified themselves as Hindu in England and Wales One of the most noted Hindus was Mahatma Gandhi. FAMOUS FOLLOWERS Hinduism is the third most popular religion in the world with 877,126,000 followers. It is based in India where about 80 percent of the population are Hindus.

These are exclusive social groups defined by birth, marriage and occupation THE AFTERLIFE Karma is one of the central Hindu beliefs. Hindus believe the soul has successive lives and the next incarnation is dependent on how the previous life was lived. Therefore, if you behave badly in one life, the next life is likely to be more unpleasant. The more significant ones are: Diwali, the festival of light that celebrates New Year between late October and early November and Navaratri (nine nights), which symbolises the triumph of good over evil.