129
out “Four Noble Truths”—the
central doctrine of Buddhism—to
explain the nature of suffering and
how it could be overcome: dukkha
(the truth of suffering), samudaya
(the truth of the origin of suffering),
nirodha (the truth of the ending
of suffering), and magga (the truth of
the path to the ending of suffering).
This last Noble Truth alludes to
the Middle Way—the lifestyle
advocated by the Buddha, which is
simple in concept but hard to attain.Spread and diversification
Buddhism spread rapidly from
northern India southward across
the subcontinent and northward
into China. Different traditions of
Buddhism began to emerge. The
two main branches, Theravada and
Mahayana, continue to the present
day, much along regional lines.Theravada, with its conservative
and austere approach, remained
closer to Buddha’s original
teachings, but became increasingly
localized to southern India and
especially Sri Lanka. Theravada
was revitalized in the 12th century
when trade took it into Burma,
Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
Mahayana Buddhism had a
more overtly religious following,
offering its adherents temples and
rituals, as well as rich symbolism
and images of the Buddha. Like
Theravada, Mahayana also
dwindled in India, but it was
enthusiastically adopted in Tibet,
China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.
A key element of Mahayana is the
concept of religious leaders known
as bodhisattvas, who have achieved
enlightenment but remain on earth
to show the way to others.Later divisions within these two
major traditions also occurred.
These gave rise to such contrasting
branches as Zen Buddhism, which
aims to clear the mind in order to
allow spontaneous enlightenment
without ritual, scripture, or
reasoning; and the various forms
of Tibetan Buddhism that are
characterized by colorful temples,
images, and rituals.
Today, Buddhism is estimated
to have more than 500 million
adherents, and is considered to be
the fourth largest religion in the
world (after Christianity, Islam,
and Hinduism). However, despite
growing Western interest in it as
both a religion and a philosophy,
it has been in decline since the
latter half of the 20th century, falling
from its position as the largest single
religion in the early 1950s. ■BUDDHISM
1 ST–5TH CENTURIES CE
3 RD CENTURY CE
4 TH–5TH CENTURIES 11 TH–13TH CENTURIES 12 TH–13TH CENTURIES
7 TH CENTURY 12 TH CENTURY 19 TH CENTURY
The Mahayana
Sutras are
composed.Buddhism begins to
flourish in China.Vajrayana,
or Tantric, Buddhism
develops in India, from
the Theravada tradition.Theravada Buddhism
spreads from Sri
Lanka into Burma,
Thailand, Laos,
and Cambodia.Zen Buddhism
emerges in Japan from
the Chinese tradition of
meditation Buddhism.Mahayana Buddhism
is adopted in Tibet,
with an emphasis on
imagery and ritual.The decline of
Buddhism accelerates
as the Indian
subcontinent is
invaded by Muslims.Western
philosophers such
as Schopenhauer
begin taking an
interest in Indian
religions.