Siddhartha Gautama
- Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama in a part of India that is in present-day Nepal (Northeastern border of India)
- Siddhartha Gautama reached enlightenment and became known as The Buddha
Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths are the basic tenants of Buddhism's central idea: escaping the cycle of rebirth and ending suffering. These four truths about life state the following:
- Life is suffering
- Suffering is caused by desire
- Suffering can be overcome
- The way to overcome desire and suffering is to follow the Eightfold Path
Eightfold Path
- A set of practices that will enable a person to become enlightened and escape the cycle of rebirth
- No individual step comes first or last, but must all be practices in harmony with one another
Spread of Buddhism
- Started in the part of India now known as Nepal
- First embraced by Asoka of the Mauryan Empire of India
- Spread by Asoka's missionaries to other areas of Asia
- Spread throughout Asia to China and Japan
- Spread northward in the first century AD to China during the Han Dynasty along the Silk Road