World Religions
Opening the Doors of Understanding
Welcome to the World Religion Convention
Buddhist History: Workshop 6B
The Buddhist religion started in India many years ago. It is now the primary religion in most of the southeastern regions of Asia. The Buddha is the main figure of the religion and serves as the role model for all Buddhists. Buddhists have set their goals to become as enlightened as the Buddha was.
The Buddha
In Buddhism, the Buddha is not just a name, but a title, meaning "the enlightened one." The teachings of the Buddha state that people need to try to pull away from their own desires and enter a “state of perfect bliss,” also known as nibbana.
Buddhism began in about 500 B.C. in India near where the Buddha lived. About 80 years after founding Buddhism, the Buddha died. The religion started to spread around India and later all around Asia. By 624 B.C., Buddhism had spread all through China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, as well as many other countries.
 Asia