History

of
Buddhism
By: Mia Cain & Elena Lents

Siddhartha Gautama
Born in 563 BCE
Known as Buddha or the awakened one
Born into wealth, royalty, and high caste in present-day Nepal
His privileged life kept him from the sufferings of life

Cruel Reality
At 29, Siddhartha fled after seeing suffering for the first time.
He decided to leave his royal life to become a homeless holy man
He lived on bare necessities for six years
He searched for an escape from the inevitability of suffering, but he
was unsuccessful

The Middle Way

An Indian ascetic encouraged him to follow a life of extreme selfdenial
Siddhartha followed this life of extreme asceticism, but he still had
not escaped from suffering.
He abandoned asceticism, and pursued the Middle Way: neither
luxury nor poverty.

Awakening of the Religion

Siddhartha sought enlightenment through forty days of meditation.
He achieved nirvana and became the Enlightened One or the
Buddha
He stressed the timeless importance of teaching, or the dharma
Taught for 40 years until his death in 483 BCE.

Ashoka - Expansion of Buddhism

Ashoka was
Chandraguptas
grandson.
Ashoka committed many
cruel actions.
He was filled with remorse
(suffering) and looked
He sent out officials of
to teachings of the
righteousness.
Buddha.
Ashoka spread Buddhism
to Sri Lanka as well as far
away Syria with
missionaries.

Early Buddhism
200 BCE Mahayana sect of Buddhism is formed
_________
First Century - Buddhism established in Cambodia
Buddhism established in Vietnam
Third Century- Expansion of Buddhism to Burma, Laos, and Indonesia.
Fourth Century- Vajrayana sect of Buddhism is formed
Sixth Century - Buddhism entered Japan and later becomes it state religion.
Eighth Century- Great debate between Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist schools. Ch'an declared
heretical in Tibet.

Modern Buddhism
Ninth Century - Khmer kings built Angkor Wat, the world's
largest religious monument.
Tenth Century - Buddhism in Thailand
Islam replaces Buddhism in Central Asia
Fifteenth Century - Beginning of Dalai Lama lineage in
Tibetan Buddhism
Nineteenth Century - First Chinese Temple in US (San
Francisco) 1853
Twentieth Century Buddha Jayanti Year, commemorating 2,500 years of Buddhism
(1956).
Dalai Lama flees Tibet to India (1959)
H.H. Dalai Lama receives Nobel Peace Prize (1989).

Buddhism Today
There are 550 million people
practicing Buddhism today.
The majority of Buddhism is in
Asia. (90%).
Buddhists have a lower fertility
than the rest of the world. This will
lead to a future dip in Buddhist
religion.

Enmanji Temple
Temple began on April 4, 1934.
The Enmanji Temple practices
Shin Buddism a form of
Mahayana.
Shin buddhism originates from
Japan.
They specifically worship the
Amidha Buddha.
During World War II, the temple
was forced to close due to
Japanese Internment camps.

The name translates to mean

'Garden Fulfillment Temple.' At that
time, Enmanji was the only temple
in North America permitted to use
the title of ji in its name.

Works Cited
"About Buddhism." History of Buddhism. International Buddhist Union, n.d. Web. 25 Mar.ch
2016.
Edicts of Ashoka. PBS. 2008 Mayavision International, n.d. Web. 23 March 2016.
Largest Buddhist Populations. Buddhist Studies. BDEA/ BuddhaNet, n.d. Web. 27 March
2016.
Maurya Empire during Ashoka. Maps of India. N.p. March 2016. Web. 26 March 2016.
The Birth and Spread of Buddhism." US History. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web.
22 March 2016.
"The Buddha: History." BBC. N.p, 2 Oct. 2002. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.