Buddhism. One of the oldest and most philosophical of the great world religions, which literally turned the worldview of Western and Russian intellectuals in the 20th century and firmly entered our modern cultural codes. Religion, the origin, formation and development of which this book is devoted to on the basis of a course of lectures given by E. A. Torchinov in 1994–1999 at the Faculty of Philosophy of St. Petersburg State University.What is this religion of self-deepening and denial of passions, created by , according to legend, in the VI century BC. e. a sad prince from the ancient Indian Shakya family, who dreamed of saving humanity from suffering? What was its basis, into what schools and directions did it subsequently divide, in its triumphal march through the Far East? And what, finally, was its influence on the culture of the West and Russia?..The publisher's layout has been saved in PDF A4 format.