Buddhism is a unique religion that imparts to its members that their actions accumulate karma and that too much bad karma leads to rebirth. A person achieves Nirvana (also known as heaven) when they achieve enlightenment and are no longer subject to rebirth. Buddhism also believes that there is not one all-powerful god, but rather multiple gods, which they call deities. Dharma is commonly known as the sacred teachings of a deity. The Buddha is only born in certain situations where members need to re-teach the Dharma. There are three schools of Buddhism, also called vehicles, and are taught in different geographic regions. The first is the oldest form known as Theravada and is generally found in Southeast Asia. The second is the most popular; Mahayana is commonly found in India, China, Tibet, Japan and Korea. It is also called the Great Vehicle. Within Mahayana there are separate schools, Pure Land and Zen Buddhism. Theravada and Pure Land share some of the same beliefs regarding sacred text and traditions; however, their views on the Buddha and Nirvana are markedly different. The third vehicle, the Vajrayana, is not as well known as the other two schools. It is commonly practiced in Japan, Tibet and Mongolia. The path to nirvana in the Pure Land focuses primarily on faith, whereas in Theravada the emphasis is on the actions of individuals. Theravada, reinforces the fact that one must follow the four noble truths to achieve nirvana. In a person's life, he accumulates both good and bad karma. Good karma will help a person break the cycle of rebirth, but if too much bad karma accumulates, the person will automatically reincarnate. Reincarnation takes various forms such as a deity, a man, an animal or a hungry ghost; however, the only solution that is paper allows people to believe that the unknown is not a threat as long as they follow a set of rules or guidelines. Overall, having three different ways of practicing Buddhism ensures that restrictive measures will not leave anyone without a religious option.BIBLIOGRAPHYBary, WM Theodore De. The Buddhist tradition in India, China, and Japan. New York: Random House Inc, 1969.CH'EN, Kenneth KS Buddhism, the light of Asia. Wodbury, New York: Barron's Educational Series INC, 1968. Eckel, Malcolm David. BUDDHISM, Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places. New York: Duncan Baird, 2002. Jr., Donald S. Lopez. A Modern Buddhist Bible: Essential Readings from the East and West. Boston: Beacon Press INC, 2002. Robinson, Richard H. The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction. Belmont, CA: Dickenson Publishing Company, INC., 1970.