With approximately 300 million practitioners worldwide, Buddhism is generally considered the smallest of the five major religions -- the others being Christianity, Isalm, Hinduism, and Judaism. It was founded around 2,500 years ago by Sakyamuni Buddha, who was from a royal family that lived in an area which is now considered a part of Nepal. The Buddha, who renounced his noble heritage, sought an answer to the existence of suffering and the way to true happiness. The foundation of his philosophy can be found within his first sermon, which was given to his former followers soon after he attained Enlightenment. The content of this sermon is known as the Four Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path of Buddhism, which presents a path toward the elimination of suffering, is actually contained in the fourth truth.
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