Hinduism

When: 2000 bceMain religious figure: BrahmaText: Vedas and Upanishads; "acquiring knowledge"Number of followers: 500 millionTeachings: Freedom from ignorance;

Simply complex (6,000,000 and 1);

Reincarnation;Yoga;Meditation;Dharma, karma and moksha

Judaism

When: 1800 bceMain religious figure: Yahweh, Abraham and MosesText: Torah (1st five books of the Old Testament)Number of followers: 15 millionTeachings: Ethical monotheism - 1 God – morality;

10 Commandments (no other God's, no idols, lord's name in vain, Sabbath, honor mother/father, no murder, no commit adultery, no steal, no false witness, no covet);

Covenant - agreement with God;Persecutions

Buddhism

When: 533 bceMain religious figure: Siddhartha Guatama (known as Buddha, "the Enlightened One")Text: DhammapadaNumber of followers: 300 millionTeachings: Gentleness and peacefulness;

Achieve enlightenment;"Know thyself“;Rejected strict Hinduism;Avoid illusions, which are the weaknesses in life;Follow the 4 Noble Truths (life is full of suffering, suffering has origin, suffering can cease and

path to end suffering);8-fold Path (right...view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration)

Christianity

When: "0" (2012 years ago)Main religious figure: God, JesusText: BibleNumber of followers: 1.5 billionTeachings: Jewish origins;

Covenant - relationship with God;Inner commitment;Messiah;Old and New Testament;Persecutions

Islam

When: 622 ceMain religious figure: Allah, MohammedText: Koran (Quran)Number of followers: 840 millionTeachings: Based on the teachings of Abraham;

Means "to submit to God's will“;Religious and political;Believes Jews and Christians strayed from and distorted God's teachings;Follows the "Five Pillars of Islam"

(one God - Allah/one messenger - Muhammed, daily prayers, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca)