ABSTRACT
Long established in Asia, Buddhism has become a fast-growing religion in Western countries today. The number of adherents worldwide in mid-1998 was estimated at around 357 million, and although it may not be easy to verify such estimates, these figures suggest that Buddhism ranks fourth amongst world religions. However, Buddhism has been affected by the impact of colonialism, capitalism, Marxism, and nationalism. Asian Buddhist countries have lost traditional systems of government and in some cases experienced communist rule or other political upheavals and social changes. Challenges have also resulted from new technology, different world views and transportation of Buddhism to different societies.
