Directions: Read the following paragraph and answer the questions below.
Buddhism is a widespread Asian religion or philosophy, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, otherwise known as Buddha, in Northeast India in the 5th Century BC. Central to Buddhism are the teachings of the Four Noble Truths – that life involves suffering, that desire is the cause of suffering, that suffering can be ended, and that the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the end of suffering. In Buddhism, following the Middle Way or Noble Eightfold Path, encompassing understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration, can lead to enlightenment or Nirvana, a state of liberation and freedom from suffering. It can be argued that Buddhism is not merely a religion, as it does not worship a deity, but is more so a way of life or philosophy with deep insights into the nature of life, suffering, and consciousness.