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General
Buddhism |
Namo Dharmaya
Hail to the Teachings
TIMELINE
Please note that most of below dates are approximations only and inclusion of major developments has been very arbitrary by webmaster.
Pre-historic: Original Indus
Valley Civilization: meditation, asceticism.
1800 - 1500 BCE.: Invasion of Aryans in India: introduction of Vedas,
Brahma, priesthood, caste system, ritual offering.
1500 BCE onwards: development of (pre-) Hindu schools like Mimamsa,
Samkhya, Vedanta.
590-470 BCE: Mahavir - Founder of Jainism, contemporary of the Buddha.
560-480 BCE: Siddhartha Gautama - Life of the Buddha.
479 BCE: 1st Buddhist Council
380 BCE: 2nd Buddhist Council; split of the "Mahasanghika" and "Sarvastivadin"
schools.
297 BCE: King Asoka (274-236 BCE) converted to Buddhism; Buddhism developed
from small local group to state religion.
247 BCE : 3rd Buddhist Council to agree on authentic Buddhist scriptures:
establishment of the Theravada canon; more and separate schools within Buddhism
develop. Asoka sends missionaries to Sri Lanka, Kanara, Karnataka, Kashmir,
Himalaya region, Burma, Afghanistan and even Egypt, Macedon and Cyrene.
236 BCE India: After death of Asoka, period of persecution of Buddhism
under Pusyamitra Sunga
35 BCE Sri Lanka: King Vattagamani orders the Buddhist teachings (Theravada
canon) to be committed to writing. Division between Mahavira and Abhayagiri
vihara in Sri Lanka.
65 CE China: First historic proof of Buddhist community.
1st Cent CE Burma: monks from Sri Lanka establish Theravada.
2nd Century India: 4th Buddhist Council in India under royal patron
Kaniska.
499 India: Monks of the Sarvastivadin school decided on new canon.
2nd Century India: Appearance of Mahayana Buddhism as separate school.
2nd Century China: translators like An Shih-kao began translating Indian
Buddhist texts using mostly Taoist terminology, initially causing many Chinese
to believe that Buddhism was another version of Taoism.
2nd Century Vietnam: First introduction from China, followed by more
missions, both Mahayana and non-Mahayana in 3rd century.
2nd-3rd Century India: Master Nagarjuna; known for his profound teachings
on emptiness.
320 to 1000 India: Development of Vajrayana Buddhism, based on Mahayana.
4th Century India: Master Vasubandhu; known for his teachings on mind-only
(Cittamatrin) and worship of Amitabha, desire for rebirth in the Pure Land,
leading to the development of the later Pure Land schools.
4th Century Sri lanka: King Mahasena introduces Mahayana monks.
320 China: Invasion of Huns in China, after which many Buddhist monasteries
were established until 6th Century.
334-416 China: Master Hui: Founder of the White Lotus Movement and
of Pure Land Buddhism in China.
372 Korea: First arrival of Buddhism on the peninsula from China.
4th Century Nepal: from this time onwards, coexistence of Buddhism
and Hinduism, followed Indian traditions.
5th century China: Founding of Ching-t'u school of Pure Land Buddhism
by T'an Luan (476-542)
5th Century Indonesia: Mahayana was introduced, mainly by Indian immigrants.
480 China: Indian Master Bodhidharma travels as a Buddhist missionary
to China, as follower of the Lanka School he is considered the forefather
of Ch'an and Zen.
5th Century Cambodia: mixture of Hindu Shivaism and Mahayana, lasting
until the 11th century. Non-Mahayana schools were also present, but less prominent.
552 Japan: Buddhism enters from China (possibly via Korea?).
550-664 Korea: Buddhism is state religion.
6th Century China: Founding of T'ien T'ai by Chih-I (538-597), also
known as Fa-hua, or lotus school; syncretism of all Mahayana shools.
6th Century Kashmir: invasion of Huns with persecution of monks. After
their departure, slow restoration.
6th and 7th Century Korea: introduction of many Chinese schools.
7th Century Tibet: Buddhism introduced from India, helped by King Song
Tsen Gampo
7th century China: Founding of Hua-yen school by Fa-tsang (643-712)
- tantric Buddhism lasted only until about 1000 CE. Founding of Ch'an school
by 6th Patriarch Hui-neng (638-713)
7th Century Cambodia: repression of Buddhism, followed by later strong
support.
7th and 8th Century Kashmir: revival of Buddhism, strong influence
of tantric schools.
710 Japan: capital moved to Nara; development of the 6 Nara-schools
which were highly politisized, leaving them open to corruption.
730 Japan: introduction of Chinese Hua-yen school, known as Kegon in
Japanese.
713-741 China: The T'ang Dynasty Esoteric School was introduced by
the three Mahasattvas Subhakarasimha, Vajrabodhi and Amoghavajra.
713 onwards China: sub-division in Ch'an schools; most important Lin-Ch'i
with sudden awakening and use of koans, and Tsao-t'ung school of "just sitting"
and gradual enlightenment. Notably, Ch'an only became an independent school
with own monastic rules at the time of Pochang Huai-hai (720-814).
8th Century Tibet, Sikkhim, Bhutan: Master Padmasambhava establishes
tantric Buddhism.
805 Japan: The Tendai School (from the Chinese T'ien T'ai) officially
founded by Master Saicho (Dengyo Daishi).
845 China: Persecution of Buddhism started by Taoist emperor Wu-Tsung.
T'ien T'ai and Huy Neng do not survive. Ch'an and Ching t'u survived and slowly
recuperated.
9th Century Japan: Shingon ("True Word") Buddhism (tantric) established
by Master Kukai (Kobo Daishi) derived from Chinese Chen-yen. A fusion of tantric
Buddhism and indigenous Shinto became known as Ryobu-Shinto, which was remarkably
separated again some 1000 years later into Buddhism and Shinto.
9th Century Tibet: Decline of Buddhism, persecution by King Langdharma
10th Century Tibet: Strong Buddhist revival.
10th and 11th Century Sri Lanka: disruption of Sri Lankan sangha by
Tamil Nadu invaders. Lineage of nuns ordination dies out.
11th and 12th Century Thailand: introduction of Mahayana due to Cambodian
rule.
11-13th Centuries India: Encounter withIslam, iconoclasm, decline of
(mainly Mahayana) Buddhism in Northern India. Sacking of Nalanda university
in 1197, and Vikramasila University in 1203 by Muslims.
12th Century Sri Lanka: King Parrakama Bahu abolishes schools other
than Mahavira.
12th Century Cambodia: revival of Mahayana, but later mainly Theravada
influence.
13th Century Japan: Founding of Jodo (Pure Land) school in Japan by
Honen (1133-1212).
Founding of Zen sub-schools: Master Dogen (1200-1235) founds the Soto-shu
(Chinese Ts'ao-tung) school. Master Eisai (1141-1251) founds the Rinzai-shu
(Chinese Lin-Ch'I) school.
Master Nichiren Daishi (1222-1282) founds Nichiren Buddhism.
13th Century Mongolia: Introduction of Tibetan Buddhism under rulers
like Kublai Khan (1260-94)
14th Century Korea: Decline of Buddhism with the assumption to the
throne of the Chosun or Yi Dynasty and their adoption of Neo-Confucianism.
15th Century India: Final decline of Buddhism in Southern India, due
to influence of various Hindu schools.
15th Century Indonesia: Eradication of Budhism by Islamic rebellion.
15th Century Thailand: monks were sent to Sri Lanka to establish a
new ordination lineage.
16th Century Mongolia: after some decline, second introduction of Tibetan
Buddhism under Altan Khan (1507-83)
16th Century: Sri Lanka; persecution and virtual eradication of Buddhism.
16th Century Japan: Master Ingen (1592-1673) founds the Obaku-shu zen
school.
17th Century Sri Lanka: reintroduction of Dharma twice from Burma (same
as original tradition).
17th -19th Century inner Mongolia: The Ch'ing emperors of China (1662-
1911) encouraged Buddhism to keep control over the area. Buddhism first spread
to outer Mongolia end 18th cent, which had remained fully shamanistic.
1851-64 China: Great peace rebellion; strong persecution in South.
Late 19th Century China: gradual revival of Buddhism
1871 Burma: 5th Buddhist Council in Mandalay.
1905 North America: First Zen teachers arrive in North America.
1920 Soviet Union: Communist attack on Buddhism in Mongolia
1950 China: Beginning of communist attack on Buddhism
1954-56 Burma: 6th Buddhist Council in Rangoon, Burma.
1959 Tibet: Exodus of many Tibetans (including His Holiness the Dalai
Lama) from Tibet.
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Last updated: January 26, 2001
