HISTORY OF BUDDHISM

The Buddha preached many things over the course of his lifetime, but basic to his message was self-liberation from the source of suffering.

After his death, Buddhist disciples carried the Buddha's teachings and concepts throughout the world. This is how Buddhism gradually came to be formulated. Countless approaches arose to becoming awakened, reflecting the wide variety of cultural viewpoints, varying social circumstances, and changing needs.

Indian Buddhism
The teachings spread from their birthplace in eastern India, and many schools of thought branched off from the original lineage started by Shakyamuni. In the 3rd century B.C., King Ashoka's promotion of Buddhism helped it to expand throughout India. In coexisting with other religious traditions, Buddhism also acquired elements of Tantra (Tantrism).* This gave more concrete form to doctrinal principles and opened up a new avenue of practice-esoteric Buddhism. After co-existing and mingling with Hinduism for over a thousand years, Buddhism eventually became so interwoven in the greater religious fabric of India. By the 13th century, for various reasons, it had either died out or ceased being a distinct belief system in most places. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, there was a revival of interest in specifically Buddhist practice. Presently there are around 5 million Buddhists in India.

*Tantra (a weave, continuum, context): a term to describe the basic activities of esoteric Buddhism and its system of meditation and practice. It is oriented to people's experiential potential and mystical union with the divine, through which spiritual power flows.

Southern Buddhism
Buddhism took a "southern route" in the course of its spread when it was carried to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Eventually, the Buddhism that became predominant there was the monastic style, one in which emphasis is placed on adhering strictly to precepts, study, and training based on the early Pali canon (the first teachings to be written down were in the ancient Pali language).

Chinese Buddhism
By the 1st century A.D., Buddhism was arriving in China via the Silk Road. In China, the "northern" and "southern" routes of Buddhist transmission crossed, with many masters and monks devoting themselves to systemizing Buddhism in new ways. One example: although its lineage of masters can be traced to India and early Buddhist meditative traditions, it was in China where Zen developed further and from where it was transmitted to other countries, transforming forms we know it today.

Japanese Buddhism
Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the middle of the 6th century through China and Korea. Japanese Buddhist masters in subsequent centuries visited China to study Buddhism more widely. They took back esoteric Buddhism (still a major part of mainstream Japanese Buddhism) and further traditions and developments of both the northern and southern routes of transmission. Many masters were nurtured over time as new training and practicing methods continued to reach Japan until the 13th century, leading to the establishment of numerous denominations.

Tibetan Buddhism
Around the 7th century, Buddhism also arrived in Tibet and other Himalayan regions. Combined with local folk beliefs and customs, Buddhism in Tibet is known for its rich mix of different traditions, most notably the esoteric teachings, through which it has developed its own unique strand and training methods.

Buddhism Outside Asia
Since the 19th century, Buddhism has slowly been spreading outside of its traditional homes in Asia. Today, there are many Buddhist centers throughout the world, and, as in previous centuries, Buddhism continues to evolve as it spreads out further from its Indian roots.