Chitra’s religion

What will I be when I am born again? wonders Chitra. I’d hate to be a
pig, but I suppose that’s what I’ll be if I’m bad!

But I won’t be bad, she tells herself. I’ll do all the things the Buddha
said to do. I’ll be kind to everyone. I’ll give everything I have to
poor people. Maybe, if I’m very good, I won’t have to be born again at
all. Maybe I will achieve nirvana when I die. Then I will be in perfect
peace forever!

Chitra is in a temple in the city of Colombo,

Sri Lanka. She kneels before a big golden statue of the Buddha. Chitra
and others come to the temple to sit and think hard, for a long time,
about the things that the Buddha taught.

There is also a little statue of the Buddha in Chitra’s house. Each
evening, her family sits before it for a while to think about the
Buddha’s teachings.

Chitra knows that the Buddha was a rich prince who lived in India long
ago. This prince gave away all his riches and became a wanderer. One
day, as he sat under a banyan tree, the truth about all things came into
his mind and he became the Buddha.

The word “buddha” means “to be wise.” The Buddha taught his followers
that only if they stop wanting things can they achieve nirvana when they
die. They must also be helpful and kind to all people, especially their
enemies.

Chitra is a Buddhist. Buddhism began in northern India, but has since
spread to Tibet, China, Japan, and most of Southeast Asia.