History of Buddhism

The Buddhist religion began with the birth of Siddartha Guatama.  Guatama was born in Lumbini, in Souther Nepal.  Siddartha was a prince in ancient Nepal, and was born around the year 560 B.C.E.  Shortly after the birth of Siddartha, it is said that a hermit came to the castle and predicted that the child would either become a Great King, or would reject his royal life in search of a more meaningful one, as a spiritual leader or Buddha.  King Guatama tried to shelter young Siddartha and prevented him from being exposed to any of the gruesome realities of the world.  At nineteen years of age Siddartha was married to Princess Yasodhara, and when the prince was twenty-nine his wife had his one and only child, Rahula.  Shortly afterwards Siddartha ventured outside the castle and was soon exposed to illness, old age, and death.  Horrified, Siddartha fled his sheltered and comfortable life and sought the guidance and teaching of a hermit.  He learned and practiced asceticism, but found the self-mortification was almost as unsatisfying as living in luxury.  Guatama resolved to mediate the two by living in moderate comfort, the Middle Way.  It is said that the Buddha sat beneath a tree, determined to remain there until he found truth.  Soon after he becomes a Buddha, or ‘enlightened/awakened one’.  He begins to teach the road to Enlightenment, encouraging those who seek him to practice Buddhism as he teaches it and to then see if it is something that they find to be true for themselves.  

The Buddha’s teachings are often summarized in the Four Noble Truths, which were the basis of his first sermon after attaining enlightenment.  The Eightfold path is a guide about how to live in the world and the path towards enlightenment and the end of suffering.  Buddhism was an exclusively oral tradition for about 200-years, passed on from person to person.  In 3rd century B. C. E. King Asoka enthusiastically supported Buddhism and thus the first written records of the religion were created in the form of pillars and rocks inscribed with the teachings of the Buddha.  Due in large part to the contribution and passion of Asoka for Buddhism, the religion began to spread- particularly into southern India and Sri Lanka.  To this day Sri Lanka is a stronghold for the earliest form of Buddhism, known as Theravada (school of elders).  By this time there was a gap forming in Buddhism forming different sects.  The main sect that was forming outside of Theravada was called Mahayana (the great vehicle).  

In Theravada the Buddha is a great teacher and leader, but a mortal human.  This group of Buddhists believe in self-discipline as a path to enlightenment without the help or guidance of any supernatural beings.  In Mahayana there is no god, however there are Buddhas who exist beyond this world who can offer support and guidance.  

By 1st century A. D. Buddhism had expanded throughout southeast Asia, as direct result of the extension of Indian trade.   The majority of merchants and sailers were either Buddhist or Hindu.  Buddhism is well established in China by the 2nd century A. D. and coexists with the indigenous religions of Daoism and Confucianism.  

From the first written record of Buddhism to modern day, documentation of the religion has exploded and there are now millions of texts about Buddhism.  Many sects of Buddhism have different ideas of the religion but the core remains the same.  Buddhism today is the most widespread of the ancient religions in Eastern Asia.