～教
～きょう · ～kyou · JLPT N2 · noun
religion
📿 教 = teaching; a religion is a teaching: 仏教 = Buddha + teaching
The same 教 appears in 教える (oshieru, to teach). As a suffix it turns a founder or idea into a faith: 仏教 (bukkyou) is Buddhism and キリスト教 (kirisutokyou) is Christianity, each one literally a teaching.
教 — 老 (filial son being taught) + 攵 (hand with stick)
教 originally depicted an adult holding a stick or rod (攵) instructing a child, often shown with the element 爻 (lessons/counting) above 子 (child). It is a classic associative compound meaning 'to teach' or 'to instruct,' with the right side suggesting discipline and guidance. The modern meanings 'teach, religion, doctrine' all extend from this image of formal instruction.