| Buddhism as a religious tradition started during the life | | | | Buddhist faith into Tibet. Buddhism today is practiced |
| of Buddha who was known as Siddhartha Gautama, | | | | by people in many countries the world over. |
| also known as Shakyamuni. | | | | Although we believe THE Buddha to be Siddhartha |
| Buddha was born in India around the end of the sixth | | | | Gautama, Ancient texts known as Jataka show that |
| century. | | | | he was also taught by previous Buddhas. Buddhists |
| The teachings of Buddha were an inspiration to many | | | | believe that the Buddhism tradition did not begin in |
| and soon started to spread. | | | | the sixth century but in the far distant past, perhaps |
| Buddhism spread from India on to Sri Lanka, from | | | | even at the beginning of time. |
| their, it soon covered most of Southeast Asia. | | | | After the death or Nirvana of Siddhartha Gautama, A |
| Sometime during the first or second century as more | | | | group of followers followed his instructions and had |
| and more people embraced the teachings of Buddha, | | | | his body cremated, they then distributed his ashes as |
| it was brought north and into China. From here it was | | | | relics, which were enshrined in funerary mounds also |
| not to long before it spread to Korea, Japan and | | | | known as stupas. Veneration of his remains is what |
| Vietnam. | | | | gave rise to the tradition of Buddhism as we know it |
| In the seventh century, teachers of Buddhism | | | | today. |
| travelled North across the Himalayas and brought the | | | | |