Today the religion is primarily dominate in Southeast Asia and East Asia through three different sects. The three sects are Theravada, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayana Buddhists (Shown in map).

Buddhism and Hinduism are similar because their architecture is vibrant and colorful. They both have dharma and believe in reincarnation. Both of them also believe in karma. Due to Buddhism’s connection and origination within the Silk Road, merchants carried philosophies and faiths along the journey.

Buddhism and Hinduism agree on karma, dharma, moksha and reincarnation. They are different in that Buddhism rejects the priests of Hinduism, the formal rituals, and the caste system. Buddha urged people to seek enlightenment through meditation.

Buddhism and Hinduism which had a great influence on the Southeast Asia civilization, spread more successfully when Indian merchants as well as Brahmans and Buddhists monks settled down throughout this region bringing with them their religious beliefs around 530 BC.

At present, there are about 1.4 million Thai Muslims in the three provinces, which accounts for 18% of the Thai Muslim population….1. THE THAI MUSLIM COMMUNITY.

Islam is the second largest practised religion in Kerala (26.56%) next to Hinduism. The calculated Muslim population (Indian Census, 2011) in Kerala state is 8,873,472. Most of the Muslims in Kerala follow the Shāfiʿī School (Sunni Islam), followed by Salafi movement.

The “nakhudas”, merchant magnates owning ships, spread their shipping and trading business interests across the Indian Ocean. The arrival of the Portuguese explorers in the late 15th century checked the then well-established and wealthy Muslim community’s progress.