DAMODARAM SANJIVAYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

HISTORY PROJECT

NAME: ANMOL GIRI

REGD. NO. : 2015010
TOPIC OF PROJECT: HISTORY OF BUDDHIST RELIGION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Doctrinal Research

Acknowledgement:
I would sincerely like to put forward my heartfelt appreciation to our respected Political
Science professor, Dr. VISWACHANDRA NATH M for giving me a golden opportunity to
take up this project regarding Freedom of the Press in India. I have tried my best to collect
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information about the project in various possible ways to depict clear picture about the given
project topic.

TABLE OF CONTENT
1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................2
2 LIFE OF BUDDHA..............................................................................................................3
3 FORMATION OF SANGHA...............................................................................................5
4 GAUTAMA BUDDHA LASTS DAYS................................................................................7
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5 BUDHHA TEACHINGS......................................................................................................7
6 NOBLE TRUTHS AND GREAT EIGHTFOLDS.............................................................8
7 TYPES OF BUDDHA.........................................................................................................12
8 BUDDHIST COUNCIL.....................................................................................................13
9 Propagation of Buddhist religion by kings .....................................................................15
10 KING ASHOKA AND ITS DHAMMA..........................................................................16
11 THE IMPACT OF BUDDHISM ON INDIAN SOCIETY ...........................................17
12 the DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM..............................18

Introduction
Buddhist religion was one of the oldest religion in history. Before the Buddhist religion their
was the supremacy of hindusism in Indian society .after the Gautama introduce the new
religion the Buddhist religion which impact on Indian society and help to reform the society.
Gautama was prince himself but he left all luxury and comfortable life in search of truth and
afer getting enlightenment he decided to spread knowledge not to keep within himself. He
give the philosophy of nirvana, karma , the four noble truth, the eight great fold and many
others teachings given Buddha.
Buddhism shows that knowledge ought to be created with empathy. At one great, you could
be a decent hearted fool and at the other compelling, you could achieve information with no
feeling. Buddhism utilizes the center way to create both. The most noteworthy intelligence is
seeing that actually, all wonders are inadequate, impermanent and don't constitute a settled
element. Genuine shrewdness is not just trusting what we are told but rather encountering and
understanding truth and reality. Astuteness requires an open, objective, unbigoted personality.
The Buddhist way requires valor, persistence, adaptability and insight.
The law of karma is given by Buddha, which means every action has a effect This simple
law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped and
some gifted, why some live only a short life. Karma underlines the importance of all
individuals being responsible for their past and present actions. How can we test the karmic
effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at the intention behind the action,
effects of the action on oneself, and the effects on others.e
After the death Buddha their are many reason in spread of Buddhism, sangha , the Buddhist
council, and the royal support king like the great ashoka and king kanishka .

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THE LIFE OF BUDDHA

The founder of Buddhism, was born1 about 566 bc at Lumbinivana in Nepal. His father
Sudddodhana, king of the Sakyas, a small tribe of the Himalayan foothills. The boy name
Siddharatha, and his GOTRA name was Gautama ( in Pali, gotama ) by which he is
commonly referred to in Buddhist literature.
After a hermit named Asita allegedly had a vision about the boy, he traveled to the
Suddhodana court where he was shown the baby, and prophesied This Prince, if he remains
in the palace, when grown up, will become a great King and subjugate the whole world.But if
he 2forsakes the court life to embrace a religious life, he will become , the Savior of the
world
To prevent this prophecy coming true king suddhodhana resolved that he should never know
the sorrows the worlds. He was reared in delightful palaces, form where every sign of deaths,
of death, disease and misery was removed. He learned all the arts that a prince should learn
and excelled as a student. He married his cousin Yasodhara, whom he won at a great contest
at which put to shame all other contestant, including his cousin Devadatta. But gods knew his
destiny, and it was they who placed the sings before him. The first day he saw a man bent
over as a result of age. The next day he saw a person with disease, the next time he saw a
dead person and finally he met an ascetic. On his way back to his palace he received news of
his sons birth who, he named Rhula, but it gave no pleasure to him though still surrounded
with pleasures and luxuries of all kinds . His heart knew no peace now, and he could never
forget that four signs
A. The great Renunciation
The young prince Siddhartha decided to make the Great Renunciation, to give up his royal
power and became an ascetic who wanders. In the middle of the night, he went to his
bedchamber to have a last look at his wife and son, and ordered his charioteer, Channa, to
saddle his favorite horse.He left his city, Kapilavatthu that night and by morning had crossed
the Anoma River. He gave Channa his garments and assumed the guise of an ascetic. Thus
Siddhartha performed his Great Going Forth ( mahabhiniskramana) and became a
wandering ascetic, owning nothing but the robe he wore.
B. The search for truth
At first Gautama begged hid food as a wanderer but soon he gave up this life for the forest
hermit. He studied meditation and philosophy his pilgrimage led him to two yogis (spiritual
teachers).The first, l ra Klma, who trained him to reach the sphere no- thing.
Siddhartha mastered Alaras system, and Alara declared him an equal. He then went to
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Uddaka Rmaputta, another great teacher, who taught him to attain the sphere of neitherperception-nor-nonperception, a higher mystical state than the sphere of no-thing. Gautama
however, was not satisfied with this either, and he continued his search for the truth.
He then met five yogi or ascetics who practiced different from of asceticism, he wore course
clothing, he refused to sit, and only crouched on his heals. He stopped washing his body,
allowing dirt to fall off from its own weight. He slept in yard where birds would eat rotting
human flesh. Through self-denial he hoped to understand life. His penances became so severe
3
that the five quickly recognised him as their leader. For six years he tortured himself until he
was nothing but a walking skeleton. One day, out of hunger he fainted and his follower
believed that he was dead but after a he recovered consciousness, and realized that his fasts
and penances had been useless. He again to beg food and his body regained its strength. The
five disciples left him in disgust and backslidings
Gautama then left for Gaya, a major northeastern city in India.In Gaya, underneath a full
moon in May, he spread a mat under a fig tree near the Meranja River and assumed a lotus
position. He swore to remain in that position until he understood lifes mysteries. He was 35
years old now
C. The Great Enlightenment
The Siddhartha Gautama was seated beneath a large pipal tree in the outskirts of the town of
gaya. For the 49 days he sat beneath the tree. At first he was surrounded by hosts of god and
spirits, awaiting the great moment of enlightenment but they soon fled for mara, the spirit of
the world and of sensual pleasure, the Buddhist devil approached . Mara disguised as a
messenger, brought news that cousin devadatta had revolted and put his father in jail but
Gautama not moved .Mara attack him with flood , wind, earthquake but he sat firm.
At last the demon gave up and left Gautama alone. After 49 days he knew the truth. He found
the secret of sorrow, and understood at last why the world is full of suffering and unhappiness
of all kind and what man must do to overcome them.
He was fully enlightened- a Buddha. Buddhist scriptures tell us that Siddhartha was under
the tree for seven weeks, facing his first dilemma: should he keep his knowledge to himself
or share it with others? It was common for monks in Gautamas to keep information to
themselves, He choose to spread the information he learned.
One hundred miles from where he was Enlightened and two months later, Gautama gave
his first sermon, Isipatana in the Deer Park near Varnasi .
D. Formation of the First 4Sangha Community

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After becoming enlightened, The Lord Buddha met two merchants named Tapussa and
Bhallika when they passed Him by and offered Him the bunch of hay they had as His seat.
They took the Lord Buddha and the Dhamma, the Double Gem, as a refuge and then became
the first lay disciples. They were given hair from the Buddhas head, and these are now
believed to be enshrined in the Great Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon, Burma. The Buddha
then intended to instruct his former teachers, Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, but He
knew by His insight knowledge that they had already died.
The Buddha then journeyed to Deer Park near Benares City in northern India where He set
into motion the Wheel of Dhamma by delivering His first sermon to a group of five
companions with whom He had previously sought enlightenment. They, together with the
Lord Buddha, formed the first Sangha or a company of Buddhist monks. Hence, the first
formation of the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha) was completed with Kondanna
becoming the first streamenterer, Sotapanna. All five monks became Arahants when the Lord
Buddha told them to further announce that Dhamma to the world. Then, the Lord Buddha
conversed with Yasa, the son of Sujata who was the woman who had offered the meal to the
great ascetic on His day of enlightenment. Yasa and fifty four of his friends took refuge in the
Triple Gem so the number of Arahants swelled to 60 within the first two months. The
conversion of the Jatila, three Kassapa brothers, and their disciples of 200, 300, and 500
respectively, swelled the Sanghas to over
1000 monks and they were dispatched throughout the region to explain the Dhamma
Gautama Buddhas Last days
Buddha died at the age of eighty. He had prepared his disciples for his death. He also told
them that he had preached the whole doctrine to them. Further no new leader was required to
lead the whole Buddhist order. In the very next season, he went to the house of one of his
followers named chanda, a smith, at pawa and ate a meal of pork which caused excessive
dysentery. He then moved to kushinara(indentified with kasia in the Gorakhpur district of
uttar Pradesh) and lay down under sal tree. The same night he left for his heavenly abode. His
final teaching were addressed to subhadda, a local ascetic. Buddha said all the compounded
or composite things are destined to decay, so one must work diligently and earnestly for
salvation. he also, while anada asked for his instruction for the order, Buddha said that he
was not the right person to leave any instruction for the order. Buddha than died. This event
took place in 486 BC and came to be known as his parinirvana(the final blowing out). His
body was cremated and the ashes were used by various kings and chiefs to enshrine them as
relics
Teachings of the Buddha
For 45 years the Buddha kept propagating his doctrine by moving form one town to another
with a team of disciples. As above mentioned, he delivered his first sermon at the sermon at
the deer park at sarnath which event is known as dharmachakra pravartana. Buddha
teachings revolves around some basic questions. These are the concept of suffering, the four
noble truths, the eightfold path ( arya ashtangamarga ) and finally the middle path
( madhyamarga).
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The collection of Buddhas beliefs is known as dhama, and they deal with one objective, how
to escape samsara. Samsara is the rebirth cycle, or the concept of reincarnation. Once you
escape samsara, you achieve nirvana, which represents heaven to the Buddhist, but means
escape, deliverance from
pain and sorrow a state of bliss. The dharma instructs the Buddhist how to
progress to nirvana. The journey is achieved by following the Buddhas Four Nobel Truths,
called Pativedhanana, which means The wisdom of realization These four truths they
centre around.
1. The universality of suffering.
2. The origin of suffering.
3. The overcoming of suffering.
4 .The way leading to the suppression of suffering
The first noble truth
Buddha proclaimed life is full of pain and sorrow. For anyone to believe otherwise is to
believe an illusion. This is the First Noble Truth or dukkha (meaning a bone twisted out of
joint).
People, according to Buddha, fool themselves to think life is also filled with happiness,
Because happiness can never compensate for all the suffering we experience.
The second noble truth
Tanha, (Attachment) is the Second Noble Truth, teaches suffering is due to false desires of
our senses that deceive us into clinging to a temporary world. This is at the heart of the
Buddhas revelation.
the cause of suffering is desire, craving due to igno5rance.
Tanha is related to the Buddhas claim that All things in life are insignificant and have no
meaning. Ignorance (avidya) of this reality is a hurdle that must be overcome to gain freedom
from Samsara (reincarnation). The dynamic pull between tanha (attachment to temporary
things) and avidya (ignorance of lifes temporary state) is a complex concept. Broken down
they fall into the following steps
Everything in life is temporal, fleeting, and passing. Nothing lasts forever. Possessions,
institutions, nations, languages, ideas, and feelings come and go like the wind. They are here
today and gone tomorrow.
All things (e.g., family, friends, desires, etc.) are subject to time and are in the process Of
passing away. The Buddha interpreted this to mean that nothing has any real meaning or
significance.
According to the Buddha, everything in life is ultimately unreal because it is fleeting. But
we ignorantly attribute reality to such things. By doing so, we give them a degree of on
going significance and permanence and subsequently attach ourselves to them, which in turn
causes suffering.

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The third noble truth

The Third Noble Truth is Nirodha (cessation), teaches the way out of suffering is separate
yourself from false desires of the temporary self, to give up physical, emotional, and mental
cravings because these are all delusions of permanence. All desire is the cause of suffering.
By this abandonment of Temporary helps the Self come to the realization of the
temporary state of all things. When this is done in addition to living a Righteous life this
one is on the can attain nirvana.
The Buddhas teachings on rejection of desire and suppression of emotional attachment is
seen perhaps best in the story of a monk named Sangamaji. Like Siddhartha, Sangamaji had
left his wife and family to search for truth as a homeless wanderer. While sitting in meditation
beneath a tree, his wife approached him and lay their child before him. She asked her
husband to nourish her and their child. Sangamaji remained silent until finally the woman
took the child and left.
Siddhartha, after observing the incident, reportedly commented, He [Sangamaji] feels no
pleasure when she comes, no sorrow when she goes: a true Brahman released from passion.
Buddha says o monks this is noble truth of cessation of pain, the cessation without a
remainder, of that craving, abandonment, forsaking release, non attachment.
The fourth noble truth
The elimination of desires is possible by following the eightfold path. Buddha says o monk,
is the noble truth of the way that leads to the eightfold path
Though Buddha looked at all kinds of selfish desires as the root cause of sorrows and
specially about sexual desire, he said that it leads to reproduction which causes a new chain
of life and new sufferings, aimlessly. When somebody advised suicide as a method to end
sorrows because man will be born again and so will sorrows. It was through the purification
of soul by followings the eightfold path that a man could get rid of sorrows. It was through
the purification of soul by followings the eightfold path that a man could get rid of sorrows.
The great noble 6eightfold path
According to Buddhism ever thing in this universe is composite and subject to constant
changes. Nothing persist to eternity including the mental and physical personality of man.
Every being in this world is momentary, changing and unstable. Although nothing remains
constant but there is a perpetual continuity or similarity between the present, past and future
moments that gives rise to an illusion that human life is continuous and stable which in fact is
not true and there is no eternal self soul.
Buddhism has affirm belief in the law of karma, which operates not just in this world but
even in the next according to law of karma, every action has a cause and its effect. Buddha
said there is a chain of causation (cause and effect), which has twelve interlinked aspects.
These are, ignorance, rollover of the past actions, consciousness, psychophysical organism
objects, mind and other sense organs, contact with the objects, sensation, thirst for desires,
clinging on to the enjoyment, will to be born, birth and rebirth and old age and death
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The chain of causation is the real cause of suffering and death being a part of this chain, is not
the remedy. To get rid of this chain of causation and ultimately of suffering, one must srive
hard to attain nirvana, cessation of birth and death and of suffering which is consequent upon
them.
Right Views (understanding): Belief that the Four Noble Truths are true, accurate, and
reliable.
(2) Right Aspirations (ambition): A total commitment of body, mind, and will to the
training and discipline required to extricate oneself from the human predicament. One must
resolve to maintain thoughts free from lust, ill will, cruelty, or untruthfulness and
renounce the selfish self and sensual pleasures.
(3) Right Speech (communication): Ones words must be not only charitable but also free
from egocentricity.One must abstain from gossiping, lying, tattling harsh language, vain talk,
or revealing and speak kindly, open, and truthful.
(4) Right Conduct (action): A beneficent behaviour extended universally to all living things
coupled with an abstinence from alcohol and drugs, for a person must have complete control
over his mind to accomplish the difficult task of redemption. One should abstain from
killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct and practice actions that are peaceful, honest, and
pure.
(5) Right Livelihood (vocation): A proper means of support in which a person does not
inflict pain on other people or creatures.9-46 A butcher, soldier, fisherman, or exterminator
would not fit this path.
(6) Right Effort (endeavour): A willingness to reach deep inside oneself to draw upon all the
energy a person possesses. Showing such effort involves self-training and self-control, self
discipline The disciple puts forth will, he makes effort, he stirs up energy, he grips and
forces his mind.
(7) Right Mindfulness (mind control): Involves paying close attention to ones mood,
emotions, and feelings, because all we are is the result of what we have thought. Right
mindfulness also means examining every state of feeling in body or mind.
(8) Right Concentration (deep meditation): A special practice of meditation in which
thought itself [is] annihilated and the mind rests.This trance-like state of consciousness
is induced through practicing intense concentration on one single object. It progresses
through four stages, the end result being rapture of utter purity of mindfulness wherein
neither ease is felt or any ill.
Following this Noble Eightfold Path allows someone to eliminate desires the keep a person
from reaching nirvana. Once a person reaches Purity of thought and life they become an
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arahat (someone who is freed from the need of Samsara (rebirth) and is ready for nirvana).
The word, Nirvana comes from Sanskrit, and means Blowing Out.
The middle path
Buddhism preached the madhyamarga. According to Buddha there are two extremes neither
of which is appropriate for a man to follow. A habitual devotion to material prosperity for
man to follow. A habitual devotion to material prosperity, pleasures of sensual things fit only
to the worldly minded people. This is one extreme penances, self mortification, which is also
unprofitable. These extremes are no answer to the suffering of men. Buddhist tradition says
that a new path was discovered by tathagata which opened the mind of people

Karma
Karma is directly related to Samsara or (rebirth), Karma determines the circumstances into
which someone will be reborn. Buddhas teaching differed from the Hindu concept in that he
taught rather then the soul being reborn, only Karmic matter was reborn. Thus at rebirth
these elements are rearranged rather then the whole soul being reborn as an identity into a
new body.
Buddha taught that there is no personal Soul that continues to exist after someone dies.
What is reborn is just karmic matter that was once a distinct individual. Finally, because of
endless combinations of karma, these elements will be extinguished forever. This is nirvana
to the Buddhist.
The only way of reaching nirvana in this present life is by becoming a Buddhist monk. This
means leaving family, friends and joining a Buddhist monastery (sangha)15, which Buddha
started for those seeking nirvana. Therefore a person who is not a monk must be reincarnated
until they become a monk. The oldest Buddhist tradition, excludes women from reaching
nirvana from this life, she must be reborn a male, who then becomes a monk. This includes
Buddhist nuns also who must die and be reborn as male monks
Buddha had faith in it had laid emphasis on the theory of karma. He believed that condition
of people in this life and the next rests on his karmas. No sacrifices or prayer can wash sin
away. Every individual is the maker of destiny and that no god or goddess could change it.
We can never escape the consequence of our deeds. In order to reap the fruits of karma we are
born again and again. In equality in our society is due to karma. Some are both rich, other
poor, some are beautiful, others witless. According to Buddha this anomaly was due to the
karma. According to Buddha, doctrine of karma one is not always compelled by an iron
necessity to go through worldly joys and sorrows form one life to another. Karma is not
predestination imposed on us by some mysterious creator to which we must helplessly submit
overselves. Gautama himself has said dont ask the caste the deeds whosoever does the right
deeds attains Nirvana.
The moral doctrines of Buddha were simple. He preached that every individual is the arbiter
of his own destiny. Good deeds lead to higher life till salvation is achieved while evil deeds
retard the progress. An individual should avoid pursuing both the extremes. The common
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man was asked not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, not to get drunk and not to keep sexual
relation outside marriage and for monk and nuns it was necessary to observe complete
celibacy and to posses nothing except a yellow-dress, a rice bowl, a razor, a needle and a
stainer. Buddha preached a high system of ethics, the central idea of his teachings was living
holy life.
Buddhas and different doctrine
As per Buddhist conventions a Buddha is a completely stirred being who has totally cleansed
his psyche of the three toxins of craving, repugnance and obliviousness. A Buddha is no more
bound by Samsara and has finished the agony which unawakened individuals involvement in
life.
Theravada Buddhism
In Theravada regulation, a man may stir from the "rest of lack of awareness" by
specifically understanding the genuine way of reality; such individuals are called arahants
and once in a while buddhas. After various lifetimes of profound endeavoring, they have
come to the end of the cycle of resurrection, no more resurrecting as human, creature,
phantom, or other being. The critiques to the Pali Canon arrange these stirred creatures
into three types
Sammasambuddha
usually just called the Buddha, who discovers the truth by himself and teaches the path
to awakening to others
Paccekabuddha
who discovers the truth by himself but lacks the skill to teach others
Savakabuddha
who receive the truth directly or indirectly from a Sammasambuddha

Mahayana Buddhism
the Mahayana, the Buddha tends not to be seen as only human, but
rather as the natural projection of a beginningless and interminable,
ubiquitous being (see Dharmakaya) past the extent and compass of
thought. In addition, in certain Mahayana sutras, the Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha are seen basically as One: every one of the three are seen as the
everlasting Buddha himself.
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The Buddha's passing is seen as a figment, he is living on in different

planes of presence, and friars are consequently allowed to offer "new
truths" in view of his information. Mahayana likewise varies from
Theravada in its idea of nyat (that at last nothing has presence), and in
its faith in bodhisattvas (illuminated individuals who promise to keep
being reawakened until all creatures can be enlighten

The Buddhist 7councils

After the death of Buddha, the sangha or the order of monks took up the responsibility of
resolving the major issues regarding religion and of maintaining its purity . For such issues, a
provision of convening a general assembly of all the monks were made . As has already been
mentioned four general councils of Buddhism were Convened from time to time to resolve
contentious issues pertaining to dhamma and sangha.
The first council:
The first council or general assembly was convened only a few weeks after the death of
Buddha to classify and law down his teachings. This council was held uder the auspices of
king Ajatashatru and under the president-ship of Mahakassapa. It was attended by most 500
monks. Prominent guests of this council were Uplai, the oldest bhikshu, Kasapa , the learned
and Ananda , the chief disciple of Buddha . The venue of the council was the Suttapanni cave
near Rajagriha . The most important business conducted here was to classify the sermons of
the Buddha . His teachings were classified into two parts , the Sutta-Pitaka, which contained
Buddhas expositions on the doctrines of the religion and the Vinaya-Pitaka, which was
relatedto the rules regarding the administration of sangha . Ananda and Upali were the
authorities on the sangha and the vinaya respectively. Pitaka litteraly means casket, because
the original texts were written on palm leaves and kept in a casket. In any case, the attempt
made in this council of Rajagriha , of compiling the scriptures did not succeed fully and more
and more additions wereb made in the later times.
Second Council:
The second Buddhist council was convened at Vaishali after hundred years od passing away
of the master. In these hundred years, because of the independence given to local sanghas in
their internal administration , there erupted some unorthodox practices which were not in line
with what was agreed upon by the monks in the first council. The council , which was held
under the auspices of Kalahoka and under the president-ship of Sabakami, discussed the
aberrations brought about by the conduct of the Vaishali monks regarding the rules of vinaya.
This created a great deal od resentment for the monks of Kaushambi and Avanti who
protestedthe unorthodox conduct of the Vaishali monks, but the latter declined to accept the
conditions imposed and so the council failed to reach at any compromise between the two
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opposite camps. The sagha thus got divied into twofactios and this resulted in the first clear
schism in Buddhism. The orthodox faction was called Sthaviravada or Theravada and the
unorthodoxone was called Mahasanghika.
The third council
The third general assembly was convened at Pataliputra , 236 years after the death of
Buddha(in c.250 BC), under the auspices of king Ashoka and under the president-ship of
Moggaliputta Tissa (also known as Upagupta). After the second council failed in resolving
issues between the orthodox and the unorthodox camps, the differences kept on increasing
unbated. A number of sects emerged like mushrooms in various parts of the country .R.C.
Majumdar writes..... the history of Buddhism in the second century after Gautamas death as
no longer a history of a single monastic organization, but of quite a large number growing
independently of one another in different parts of India. Various factors, like the factions in
the sangha, the emergence of new concept of imparting divinity to Buddha complled Ashoka
to convene the third council to find answers to all these problems. The assembly was though
unsuccessful once again in resolving the differences between the orthodox and the
unorthodox campus but still it was able to solve some the questions. The council accepted
and established Sthavviravada as the true Budddhism and branded all others as heretics. The
second important decision taken here was the formal compilation of the Tripitakas. The two
earlier Pitakas reclassified and a third, called the Abhidhamma pitaka was added to them. The
Latter contained the philosophical interpretations of both, the dhamma and the vinaya, the
former. Another important decision taken here was to send missionaries too various parts of
the world, especially to the neighbouring countries . It was probably afte the council that
Ashoka issued the edicts of Kaushambi (now in Allahabad), Sar Nath and Sanchi, which
were engraved on pillers, to make the people aware of the new deliberations made in relation
with the Sangha.
The fourth council
In the three centuries after the thrd Buddhist council , as many as eighteen sects, emerged
from the two main sects, the Sthaviravada and the Mahasanghika. The reason for covening
the forth council was to settle the differences between the Sarvastivadabhikshus of Kashmir
and Gandhara . This council was held under the auspices of the great Kushana emperor
Kanishka and under the presidentship of Vasumitra and Ashvaghosha . Th venue of the
council was the Kundalavana monastery at Srinagar . Though the conflict was not resolved
but the commentaries were engraved on copper plates and then kept in a stone case for a long
preservation but these plates have remained untraced since then. The most important result of
this council was a major schism in the sangha . All Buddhist monks were now divided into
two major sects. The Mahasanghikas and the Sarvastivadins joined together to form the
Mahayana and other remaining sects including the Sthaviravada combined to form the
Hinayana . In the subsequent history of Buddhism , the Mahayana gained tremendous
popularity over the Hinayana . The former penetrated in countries like modern Afghanistan,

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central Asia China abd Japan while the Hinayana founf its way in Ceylon , Burma and southeast Asia
The 8growth of Buddhism
The Buddhism was one the most popular religion of ancient India. It flourished not only in
India But also in countries aboard.
The chief reason for the prominence of Buddhism was the ideal life of Buddha. A sybol of
truth and non violence Gautama made people understand the power of love and mercy. His
religion was religion in practice. The factor contributed its growth that Buddhism is based on
reason. Buddha prescribed middle path for the attainment of salvation. A common man could
make a beginning to attain nirvana by observing certain simple rules of morality this facility
did not exist in Hinduism and was not provided even by Jainism.
By the time of Buddha, Hinduism had lost its simplicity and public appeal. It suffered from
certain defects. The common people shared the desire to pursue emancipation of life with
leaders of society and religion but failed to understand and pursue the way dictated by the
then Hinduism.
The Buddha teachings are very simple. It was quite easy for the masses to understand them
Buddha made his religion accessible to the people, by freeing religion fall complicated.
Gautama laid stress on practical morality which was easy for the people to follow. It avoided
both Hinduism and Jainism.
Buddha give teaching in very easy language that means language of people that is magadhi.
Therefore, his message was followed and accepted easily by whole society even by lower
strata of society.
Buddhism emphasized more on character than on philosophy. Its principles was based on
morality and humanity. Thus one of the main reason for the rapid spread of this religion was
its stress on the need and necessity of the character which had hitherto been neglected.
The Buddhist sanghas proved the best instrument in the propagation of Buddhism. Each local
sanghas worked as place of assembly for the followers of Buddhism were teaching of the
Buddha were imparted to follower. The sanghas were also the centres of learning, spiritual
exercise for the monks, exchange of ideas and living examples of the practice of Buddhism,.
They also prepared religious preaches or monks who worked for the propagation of
Buddhism in India and in foreign countries.
Buddhism is very simply religion based on principles of equality. It had no faith in caste
system. It recognised the dignity of man as man according to lord Buddha, caste was not an

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impediment in realisation of the highest truth. The door of his religion was open to all high
and low, the literate and illiterate, the Brahmans and sudras.
The another main cause of the popularity of Buddhism was that it always respected popular
will, Gautama disciple Ananda when insisted for introduction of women in sangha the
Buddha agreed to his proposal
Ahimsa was the pivot of the Buddhist religion. Gautama was not prepare to injure anybody
by speech, thought or deeds. He opposed animal sacrifice. The people already had no liking
towards it and the preaching of Buddha aggravated their contempt.
After the death of Gautama, the four Buddhist council which were convened form time to
time always tried to make Buddhism up to date. This immensely contributed to the popularity
of Buddhism.
At the time of rise of Buddhism their was no religion in position to stand in opposition to it.
Bharmanism had lost its hold and popularity because of many loop holes in it. Moreover,
Jainism was not a missionary religion. so Buddhist while preaching had not to face any
opposition.
Without royal support Buddhism might have remained a petty religion. Gautama Buddha
himself was a prince and his father had embraced the religion of his son, bimbisara, and
prasenjit, pradyota, udayana etc also accepted this religion and declared it as rajdharma
Later on, Ashoka, kaniska, and harsh too made important contribution to development of
Buddhism. They sent mission abroad to preach the gospel of lord Buddha.
Propagation of Buddhist religion by kings
As Buddhist religion was declared rajdarma by royals get immense popularity. Among the
masses. The most famous kings who propaganda the Buddhist religion are the king Ashoka,
king Kanishka and king harsha. The played very important role in spreading the teachings
and religion of Buddha.
King Ashoka
Head Ashoka (304-232 BCE) was the third ruler of the Maurya Dynasty. He led a really
gigantic kingdom that extended from the Hindu Kush to the Bay of Bengal. It was India's first
incredible realm. It is not simply that Ashoka capably controlled this immense domain
however the nature of social equity that he conveyed to his effectively solid organization.
Repentant after his grisly crusade and success of Kalinga, Ashoka grasped Buddhism. From
that point veneration forever, resilience, empathy and serene concurrence were the
foundations of his organization. Under him the most punctual know bans on subjection and
the death penalty and ecological regulations came into spot.
king kanishka and Buddhism
Kanishka's notoriety in Buddhist convention viewed with most extreme significance as he
had faith in Buddhism as well as energized its teachings as well,as a proof of it, he organised
the Councils (4th Buddhist Council) in Kashmir as the leader of the council
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He empowered both Gandhara school of Greco-Buddhist Art and the Mathura school of
Hindu craftsmanship (An unpreventable religious syncretism plagues Kushana standard).
Kanishka by and by appears to have grasped both Buddhism and the Persian properties
however he supported Buddhism more as it can be demonstrated by his commitment to the
Buddhist teachings and petition to God styles delineated in different books identified with
kushan realm.
His most prominent commitment to Buddhist structural planning was the Kanishka stupa at
Peshawar, Pakistan. Archeologists who rediscovered the base of it in 19081909 discovered
that this stupa had a measurement of 286 feet (87 meters)..
Kanishka is said to have been especially near the Buddhist researcher Ashvaghosha, who
turned into his religious counselor in his later years. At the season of Kanishka's crowning
liturgy and when India's first gold coin was printed, Yuz Asaf was the adviser to the king.
Buddhist coins by kanishka
Buddhist coins of Kanishka are relatively uncommon (well under one percent of every single
known coin of Kanishka). A few show Kanishka on the front and the Buddha remaining on
the converse, in Hellenistic style. A couple additionally demonstrate the Shakyamuni Buddha
and Maitreya. Like all coins of Kanishka, the outline is fairly unpleasant and extents have a
tendency to be loose in light of the fact that instruments utilized then were not exactly made
and utilized ; the picture of the Buddha is frequently marginally exaggerated , with oversize
ears and feet spread separated in the same manner as the Kushan lord, showing impersonation
of Hellenistic sorts.
Impact of Buddhism on Indian society
It has been said that Buddhism came as a response to the debasement of the Vedic goals that
were representing the Indian culture. The Vedic beliefs which were representing society till
then had ended up routine and lost their internal power. As we have found in the before part,
the rank framework had a high and respectable objective; yet now it had a tendency to wind
up inherited, unbending and inelastic. In the meantime the teachings of the Vedic Rishis were
being connected in a more formal and mechanical way.
the differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.
1. Hinduism is based on the Veda while Buddhism rejects the Veda. Veda means revealed
knowledge, which one accepts in order to grow in knowledge. Buddhism accepts nothing on
trust, but asks to test everything by ones reason and experience.
2. The first principle that Vedic Knowledge posits is Sat, Being, Pure Existence, Reality. The
first principle Buddhism posits is Asat, Non-Being, Non-Reality.
3.This metaphysical position is faithfully translated in the respective logical positions of the
two. Buddhist logic considers negation as a simple contrary to affirmation. It is not an entity;
it is the lack of entity. Hindu logic makes of negation a positive statement but on the minus

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side, just as Hindu mathematics did not consider zero as valueless but gave a special position
to it.
4. The Vedic Rishis declared that all existence is built upon delight, all things are born out of
delight and move from delight to delight, and delight is their final culmination. Buddhism
said misery is the hallmark of things created; sorrow is the marrow and pith and the great
secret of existence.
In sum, while Buddha was a great spiritual personality, an embodiment of compassion, the
religion of Buddhism could not take complete hold of the Indian people. Indian religion was
too synthetic and many sided to embrace Buddhism into its fold.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

THE WONDER THAT WAS INDIA, AL BASHAM

THE INDIAN HISTORY, MATA PRASAD
ANCIENT INDIA, MANJU PUBLICATION
sumitsarrkar, writing social history

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