Buddhism

c. 563 BCE or c. 480 BCE Birth of Siddhartha Gautama

563 BCE

It is unclear the exact date of when Siddhartha Gautama was born. Gauatama, also called Buddha, was a monk, philosopher, teacher and religious leader. His teachings are the foundation of Buddhism. Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buddha_in_Sarnath_Museum_(Dhammajak_Mutra).jpg

The Buddha's Enlightenment and First Sermon

533 BCE

Gautama was around the age of 30 when he gave his first sermon, at a deer park in Sarnath, outlining the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are (1) all life is suffering, (2) suffering arises from craving,(3) to stop suffering one must stop craving, (4) and one stops craving by the Eightfold Path of right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Picture: https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-of-meditation

Buddha Dies

483 BCE

Scholars are unsure of Buddha's exact date of death but approximate it around 483 BCE. One of my favorite quotes from the founder of Buddhism is as follows: "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." -Buddha

Buddhism Originates in the Himalayan Foothills

450 BCE

Buddhism as an organized religion began in the Himalayan foothills and what is now known as modern day Nepal.
Picture: https://cdn.britannica.com/71/2971-050-DFFEE9ED/Nepal-map-boundaries-cities-locator.jpg

The First Council

400 BCE

Shortly after Buddha's death, a council of monks gathered and created the sutras. The sutras are the teachings and rules that Buddha created.
Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutra#/media/File:A_Sanskrit_manuscript_of_Lotus_Sutra_in_South_Turkestan_Brahmi_script.jpg

Emperor Ashoka Adopts Buddhism

261 BCE

Emperor Ashoka made Buddhism the official religion of India. He encouraged Buddhist missionary activity, thus expanding Buddhism beyond the confines of India.
Picture: https://www.ancient.eu/image/8299/ashoka/

Buddhism is Introduced in Central Asia

68

In the 1st Century, Mahayana Buddhism spread to China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. Mahayana Buddhism is one of two major traditions that emphasizes altruism. They believe their journey is a group effort. This is in contrast to the more traditional sect of Buddhism, Therevada, which focuses on the individual.
Picture: https://cdn.britannica.com/71/2971-050-DFFEE9ED/Nepal-map-boundaries-cities-locator.jpg

Buddhism is Established in Tibet

685

Tibetan Buddhism, a branch of Vajrayana Buddhism developed during the 7th century. Vajrayana Buddhism focuses on compassion and the liberation of all living beings. Unique to Tibetan Buddhism is the belief in an "incarnate lama" who is a teacher that is reborn again and again. This leader is known as the Dalai Lama.
Picture: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-16689779

Demise of Buddhism in India

1199

The Nalanda University was destroyed and Buddhism was no longer practiced largely in India. This lead to Buddhism becoming virtually instinct in India.
Picture: https://www.thebetterindia.com/13918/ancient-nalanda-university-reopens-monday-know-lesser-known-facts-great-university/

Dalai Lama

1989

Prominent modern day Buddhist, the Dalai Lama, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent influence in the liberation of Tibet.
Picture: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/16/wikileaks-dalai-lama-climate-change

Buddhism Today

2019

Today, approximately 488 million practice Buddhism in the world. This represents about 7% of the total population.
Picture: http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/04/buddhism-in-china.html

Additional Information

2020

Due to the nature of oral history, all dates are approximate. Work Cited Sivers, Peter Von, et al. Patterns of World History. 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2018.