The Spread of Buddhism

Siddhartha Guatama (The Buddha)

566 BCE

He was born a prince but after sneaking out of his palace to see the tragic situations of life, he decided he wanted to change. He submitted himself to ascetic practices, studying different methods of meditation with various religious teachers. One day, he realized that physical austerities were not the means to achieve liberation. That night, he sat under the Bodhi tree, and meditated until dawn. He purified his mind and attained enlightenment at 35, giving him the name Budha.
He died in 486.

First Buddhist Council

486 BCE

The Buddhist Canon as it still exists today was settled at this Council and preserved as an oral tradition.

Separation of Schools

385 BCE

First schism of the Sangha occurs in which the Mahasanghika school parts ways with the Sthaviravadins and the Theravadins

Rise of Vajrayana Buddhism

300 BCE

It is a form of Tantric Buddhism that arouse in India and neighbouring countries, largely Tibet.

Spread to Sri Lanka

247 BCE

Emperor Asoka's (of India) son and missionary Mahinda established Buddhism in Sri Lanka

Third Council

205 BCE

Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Asoka about 200 years after the Parinirvana. (The modern Pali Tipitaka now complete)

Rise of Mahayana Buddhism

100

Mahayana Buddhism is the type that accepts all kinds of people into the religion. They spread to the far east and north of Asia

Vietnam

200

Vietnam started as major regional Mahayana Buddhist center centering on Luy Lâu in modern Bắc Ninh Province, northeast of the present day capital city of Hanoi.

Monks travel to Korea

372

In 372, Buddhism is introduced to the Goguryeo Kingdom.
In 374, the influential Chinese monk "Ado" arrived in the kingdom and inspired the King Sosurim to embrace the religion. A year later the first two temples Seongmunsa and Ilbullansa were built in 375 on the order of the king.
Buddhism soon became the national religion of the Goguryeo.

Schools In China

420

Schools of Tiantai, Huayan, Chan, an Jingtu are founded

Burma (Myanmar)

501

Burma adopts Thervada Buddhism

Tibet

Sep 19, 600

The First diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet. Life of Songtsen Gampo

Japan

Apr 6, 700

Zen Buddhism becomes state religion. Zen is the branch that spread to China, Japan and Korea. It is a mix of Mahayana and Taosim.

The Great Samye Debate

Apr 6, 792

The Great Samye Debate decides on Indian Mahayan Buddhism as the form for Tibet

King of Burma and the Decline in India

Apr 6, 1100

The King restores Theravadin monasticism. Mahayan Buddhism declines and by 1150 it is nearly extinct in India

Koryo Dynasty

Apr 6, 1140

Buddhism in Korea flourishes under the Koryo dynasty.
"The Tripitaka Koreana", one of the most complete editions of the Buddhist canon, was published in the first part of the Koryŏ period.

Buddhism get wiped out of India

Apr 6, 1199

Nalanda University destroyed; demise of Buddhism in India

Japanese Schools

Apr 6, 1200

During the Kamakura period, schools of Rinzai, Jodo Shu (Pure Land) and Nichiren. Nichiren is just like Mahayana Buddhism but specific to Japan.

The Invade of the Mongols

Apr 6, 1231

From 1231-39 The Mongols invaded Korea and destroyed all Buddhist scriptures. But in 1253, the Mongolian leader Kublai Khan accepted Tibetan Buddhism

Cambodia and Laos

Apr 6, 1350

Theravada Buddhism adopted in Cambodia and Laos.

State of religion in Thailand

Apr 6, 1360

Thervada Buddhism becomes the state religion in Thailand

The First Dalai Lama

Apr 6, 1450

This was the beginning of Dalai Lama lineage in Tibetan Buddhism.

The Fifth Council

Apr 6, 1870

5th Buddhist Council in Mandalay, Burma where the text of the Pali Canon was revised and inscribed on 729 marble slabs.

Pali Text Society founded.

Sep 6, 1881

Pāli is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved. The Pāli texts are the oldest collection of Buddhist scriptures preserved in the language in which they were originally written down. The society was founded in 1881 to translate the scripts for the religion to grow.

Reformation and Repression

Feb 1, 1910

From 1910-45 the reformations of Korean and Chinese Buddhism took place. Sadly, in 1949 the communist Chinese government repressed it.

The Dalai Lama goes into Exile

Mar 30, 1959

At the outset of the 1959 Tibetan uprising, fearing for their lives, the Dalai Lama and his retinue fled Tibet. The CIA's Special Activities Division helped them cross into India on March 30th 1959.

UK

Apr 6, 1995

The UK Association of Buddhist Studies is founded The association aims to act as a focus for Buddhist Studies in the UK. The "UKABS" is open to academics, post-graduates, and unaffiliated Buddhist scholars, as well as interested Buddhist practitioners.

Destruction

Mar 1, 2001

The Taliban destroys the Standing Buddha statues at Bamiyan

First World Buddhist Forum

Apr 16, 2006

The first major religious conference in China. Over 1,000 monks and expert from 37 countries attended. The point of the forum was to open dialgue about equality for those who love the world, care for living beings and respect & wish to protect Buddhism. The forum was open to all, meaning non-buddhists could attended.