Estimates of the number of Buddhists vary, but the most common figure today is between 350 and 400 million.

    * Theravada Buddhism, using Pali as its scriptural language, is the dominant form of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India.
    * Mahayana forms of Buddhism that use scriptures in Chinese are dominant in most of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam as well as the Chinese communities around the world, especially within Indochina and Southeast Asia as well as in the West.
    * Vajrayana Buddhism, using the Tibetan language, is found in Tibet and the surrounding area of India, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet/China, and the Russian Federation. Poland, Denmark, Greece and the Russian Federation are the first European countries to recognize Buddhism as an official religion.
    * The Indian Buddhist Movement is a revival of Buddhism in India. This movement was initiated by B. R. Ambedkar in 1956 with a mass conversion ceremony of Hindu Untouchables now known as Dalits. Their practice is general and they do not follow any particular Buddhist school of thought.

At the present time, the teachings of all three branches of Buddhism have spread throughout the world, and Buddhist texts are increasingly translated into local languages. While in the West, Buddhism is often seen as exotic and progressive, in the East, Buddhism is regarded as familiar and part of the establishment. Buddhists in Asia are frequently well organised and well funded. In a number of countries, it is recognised as an official religion and receives state support. In the West, Buddhism is recognised as one of the growing spiritual influences.  (Wikipedia.org)