Understanding of Religious Beliefs and Practices of Buddhism: A Study with Special reference to Tai Khamyung Community of Assam.

Abstract: Buddhism, one of the world’s oldest religions, is one of the newest humanistic approaches dedicated to the pursuit of human understanding. Buddhism is immensely hopeful about everyone's ability to overcome suffering, lead fulfilling lives, and create societies where people may live in peace and harmony. The teaching of unsurpassed compassion was conveyed through the Buddha's followers. Of course, the Buddha's followers taught certain key ideas, but the main point of Buddhism has always been—and still is—that it is a dynamic religion. The Tai Khamyangs or Khamjung popularly known as “Noras’ are one of the sections of Great Tai Race. They are also known as “Shyams’ because they feel a close affinity with the Great Tai community, who use the title Shyam. The Tai Khamyangs are followers of Theravada Buddhism and racially they belong to the Mongoloid stock. The present study is an attempt to analyze the religious beliefs and practices of Tai Khamyangs, a Buddhist community of Assam.