Influential People

Influential People
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher and the founder of Buddhism.
Mahākāśyapa was one of the principal disciples of Gautama and convened and directed the first council after his leader's death.
Ashoka the Great was the Mauryan Emperor between 273-232 BCE and who finally had the empire converted to Buddhism after his conquest in the Kalinga War.
Mahinda was a Buddhist monk who brought buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the son of Ashoka. Kanishka was the emperor of the Kushan empire who convened the fourth and final council and gathered 500 monks to attend it around 100 CE.
Important Articles
Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka which represent the first tangible evidence of Buddhism.

Buddhism History

Buddha Siddharta Gautama was born at the beginning of the Magadha period in Nepal. The first Buddhist council was held soon after the death of the Buddha under the patronage of King Ajatsatru in Rajgir. The point of the council was to record the Buddha’s sayings and codify monastic rules.
The second Buddhist council was convened by King Kalasoka and held at Vaisali. It occured because of the conflict between the traditional schools who considered the Buddha as a human being who reached enlightenment, and the secessionist Mahasangikas who looked at this as being individualistic and selfish.
King Ashoka convened the third Buddhist council around 250 BCE at Patna. The objective of the council was to reconcile the different schools of Buddhism, to purify the Buddhist movement, and to organize the dispatch of Buddhist missionaries throughout the known world.
Buddhism was expanding quickly into Asia and starting with Sri Lanka, then moving on to central Asia.
The Sunga Dynasty was established in 185 BCE, about 50 years after Ashoka died. The rise of Mahayana Buddhism from the 1st century BCE was accompanied by complex political changes in northwestern India. The new form of Buddhism was characterized by an almost God-like treatment of the Buddha, by the idea that all beings have a Buddha-nature and should aspire to Buddhahood.
The Fourth Council was convened by Kanishka around 100 CE at Kashmir. Theravada Buddhism had its own Fourth Council in Sri Lanka. Therefore there are two Fourth Councils. From that point on, and in the space of a few centuries, Mahayana was to flourish and spread in the East from India to South East Asia, and towards China, Korea, and lastly Japan in 538 CE. After the end of the Kushans, Buddhism flourished in India during the dynasty of the Guptas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Buddhism
http://www.ahistoryofbuddhism.com/History-of-Siddhartha-Gautama.html
http://www.ahistoryofbuddhism.com/Buddhism-Outside-Asia.html
http://www.ahistoryofbuddhism.com/Buddhist-Councils.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Buddhism

Devotional Buddhist Art

Founding Figure: Shakyamuni Buddha

Much of Buddha’s life is understood as a myth, though it is based to some degree on actual occurrences. Certain elements have been exaggerated and emphasized in order to make specific points. Gautama’s father was the ruler of the Shakya clan; he was disturbed by a prophecy made by fortune tellers that his child possessed a strong inclination to become a religious leader. His father tried to prevent the prophecy by shielding his son from the cruelties of life by keeping him inside the castle walls. After Gautama was married and had a son he convinced his father to allow him to go outside the castle walls to see the town. His father, in an effort to preserve Gautama’s innocence, sent out retainers in advance to clear away any disturbing sights. Despite his father’s efforts his was unable to prevent Gautama from witnessing, on three trips, three successive surprises: a crippled person, an aged person, and a funerary corpse. Shocked by these sights Gautama questioned his father’s men, and they explained to him the realities of sickness, aging, and death. Gautama had one more experience that would guide the way to his path, he saw a wandering monk who was striving to attain liberation. After this Gautama became more and more restless, until finally one evening Gautama left his wife and son to begin his quest for enlightenment.
Source: Patterns of Religion

Modern Day Buddhism

In today’s world, stress is so prevalent that more and more people are beginning to turn to the peaceful philosophic beliefs of Buddhism. People are interested in learning how to rid themselves of stress and anxiety, and finding a better way to live through meditation and deepening their spiritual foundation.

While Buddhism in some parts of China seems to be erasing, it is booming in many large cities. It is practiced across the world. Today, there are over 400,000 monks and about 10,000 nuns. The Buddhists feel that this number is increasing. In the U.S. currently, there are over 100 Buddhist centers. Buddhism is constantly growing and becoming more popular by the day.


http://www.meditateinla.org/buddhism-america.php

-Tommy C.