Final answer:
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, meaning it does not center around the worship of a god or gods. It emphasizes personal spiritual development, ethical conduct, and achieving enlightenment through practices like meditation, understanding karma, and working towards nirvana.
Step-by-step explanation:
Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, which means it does not involve a god or gods. Instead of worshiping deities, Buddhism focuses on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who was an ordinary human that achieved enlightenment. The core of Buddhism is about personal spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life.
There are several forms of Buddhism, such as Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, but most do not involve worship of a god. Instead, Buddhists practice meditation, follow the Eightfold Path, and seek to understand the Four Noble Truths, which are the foundational principles in Buddhism. This path aims to achieve wisdom, ethical conduct, and mental discipline, leading to nirvana, the ultimate release from suffering. Buddhists believe in karma and the continuous cycle of rebirth, emphasizing moral actions that can affect one's future existences.
While other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, and Shinto have concepts of deities, Buddhism stands out with its nontheistic framework. It has a strong egalitarian ethos, rejecting the idea of castes and significant distinctions between genders, contributing to its universal appeal and the expansion of its practitioners around the world.