Life of the Buddha and Early Communities, 5th century BCE to 1st century CE

• Teachings of the Buddha: Dharma
  • sutras: sermons of the Buddha
  • vinaya: monastic rules, ritual texts, and stories of Buddha
  • abhidharma: doctrinal system, based on sutras
• Buddhist Communities: Sangha

Spread of Buddhism, 3rd century BCE to 7th century CE.

• Unification of India under King Ashoka and the spread of Buddhism
• Spread of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia
• Buddhism in China, first century CE: “silk route” trade and Buddhist scriptures
• Buddhism in Japan, sixth century; and Tibet, eighth century

Reinterpreting Teachings of Buddhism: 100 BCE – 800 CE

• Mahāyāna Buddhism in East Asia
• Vajrayāna Buddhism in Tibet

Buddhism spreads to Western countries: 19th – 21st centuries

• Southeast Asian teachings of Mindfulness
• Zen Buddhism in America