istoryworld
Events relating to buddhism
Siddartha Gautama, a prince in Nepal, leaves home to become a wandering ascetic
Gautama Buddha preaches his first sermon, at Sarnath, setting out the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
Gautama, after a night of meditation under a pipal tree at Buddh Gaya, is 'enlightened' and becomes the Buddha
Buddha introduces a vigorous tradition of monasticism, in the order of Buddhist monks known as Sangha
Asoka, a devotee of Buddhism, wins the Mauryan throne and establishes India's first empire
Asoka, extending his rule over much of India, proclaims his Buddhist faith on pillars and in rock inscriptions
Buddhism reaches Sri Lanka as a result of the missionary efforts of the Indian ruler, Asoka
The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the earliest surviving Buddhist stupa
The earliest surviving written text provides evidence of the Mahayana version of Buddhism, which today is the largest of the Buddhist sects
A naturalistic style of Buddhist sculpture develops in the Gandhara region, part of modern Pakistan
Theravada Buddhism, strong in south India and Sri Lanka, travels with traders through southeast Asia
Buddhism, arriving with trade along the Silk Road from India, puts down firm roots in China
A Buddhist image, sent as a gift from Korea, introduces the religion to Japan
Caves along the Silk Road are decorated with a profusion of carvings in the traditions of Mahayana Buddhism
The walls of caves at Ajanta are profusely decorated with Buddhist murals
Chan (later known as Zen) Buddhism, emphasizing personal enlightenment, is developed in China and soon spreads widely through the far East
Prince Shotoku Taishi, an enthusiastic patron of Buddhism, builds the Horyuji temple and pagoda at Nara
At Dunhuang, an oasis on the Silk Road, as many as 500 caves are decorated with Buddhist murals
Songtsen Gampo builds temples in Lhasa for his two Buddhist wives, thus introducing the religion to Tibet
The empress of Japan, in a remarkable start to the story of printing, commissions a million copies of a Buddhist charm
On the orders of the T'ang emperor, 4000 Buddhist monasteries are destroyed in China and 250,000 monks and nuns are forced into secular life
The world's first known printed book, a Diamond Sutra, is commissioned by a Buddhist monk in honour of his parents
The Diamand Sutra has as a frontispiece a printed woodcut depicting an enthroned Buddha
Buddhist, Hindu and Jain shrines are carved from the rock in the cave temples of Ellora, in India
Su Sung, a Buddhist monk, develops in China the principle of the escapement in his tower clock worked by a water wheel
