Religion is defined as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God." There are many recognized religions in the world, all of which teach their followers to live life "the right way", the definition of which varies depending on the religion itself. They have some beliefs and practices that are distinct from each other. Some examples are the differences and similarities between Buddhism and Islam. Buddhism originated in India and was founded by Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as Buddha, or the enlightened one. Born to a princely caste, he later renounced his comfortable life in search of nirvana. To do this, he joined a band of ascetics, which was a group of Hindu priests. In his teaching, the Buddha taught his followers to follow "the middle path", that is, not the path of extreme asceticism. He achieved full understanding of the nature of being through meditation, and after his success, he decided to impart his knowledge to those who followed him. Islam, on the other hand, began in Mecca, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born. He was believed to be the last nabi (messenger) that Allah will give to the world. The religion, however, was not well accepted in his city of origin, due to the opposition the Prophet faced as a nascent community. He was later invited to Medina and Islam expanded from there. Both of these religions have relatively different core beliefs from each other. Buddhists on the one hand believe in karma, rebirth, dharma and moksa. Karma is “cause, effect, and the law that balances the two.” They are the consequences of every action, whether good or bad. This action-reaction can take effect at any time, in the current life or not. Rebirth is interconnected with karma. If one has done more good than bad things in his life, his karma will lead him to a life in better conditions than the previous one. Dharma is the basic concept of religion; this is the Buddhist teaching, which also means the nature of existence. Finally, moksa refers to renunciation of the world, which parallels the Hindu belief in the importance of asceticism and meditation. Additionally, Buddhism emphasizes the Four Noble Truths, which are the teachings of the Buddha, a guide to enlightenment. It is a set of guidelines that basically teaches followers of the Buddha the essence of... middle of paper... Western Australian city, Perth.Dr. Yasmeen S. 2000, Islam in the International Relations, University of Western Australia, Perth.Esposito JL 1991, Islam, the Straight Path, Oxford University Press, New YorkHumphreys C. 1951, Buddhism, Penguin Books, Middlesex, England.Nigosian S. 1987, Islam: The Way of Submission, London, Crucible, pp. 21-27, 153-172. Pearsall, J. (ed.) 1999, The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Oxford University Press, New York, p. 1209.Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York..Robinson BA 1 March 2000 (last update), Islam, Hp. Online. Ontario Advisors on Religious Tolerance. Available: http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm. May 19, 2000.Robinson BA March 29, 2000 (last updated), Buddhism, Hp. Online. Ontario Advisors on Religious Tolerance. Available: http://www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm. 19 May 2000. Smith H. 1991, The World's Religions, San Francisco, Harper, pp. 231-235.Smith H. 1994, The Illustrated World religion, San Francisco, Harper, pp. 70-85.Tritton AS 1966, Islam, Hutchinson University Library, London.