[custom_adv] Children got their hair shaved by Buddhist monks during the annual 'Children Becoming Buddhist Monks' ceremony to celebrate the forthcoming birthday of Buddha. [custom_adv] Following the ceremony the children stay at the temple where they are taught about Buddhism, for two weeks, until Buddha's birthday on May 12. [custom_adv] Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. [custom_adv] South Korean child monks pray during the 'Children Becoming Buddhist Monks' ceremony forthcoming buddha's birthday at a Jogye temple on April 22, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Children got their hair shaved by Buddhist monks during the annual 'Children Becoming Buddhist Monks' ceremony to celebrate the forthcoming birthday of Buddha. [custom_adv] Buddhism originated in ancient India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. [custom_adv] Most Buddhist traditions share the goal of overcoming suffering and the cycle of death and rebirth, either by the attainment of Nirvana or through the path of Buddhahood. Buddhist schools vary in their interpretation of the path to liberation, the relative importance and canonicity assigned to the various Buddhist texts, and their specific teachings and practices. [custom_adv] Widely observed practices include taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, observance of moral precepts, monasticism, meditation, and the cultivation of the Paramitas (virtues).