Buddhist History Founded in India 2,500 years ago, Buddhism remains the dominant religion of the Far East and is increasingly popular in the West Over its long history Buddhism has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha, “.”1 The details of the Buddha’s life are not known for certain, but most scholars are in agreement that he was an actual historical figure who lived in northern India around the fifth century bc The (first century ad) says that Buddha himself selected the time, place, and caste of his birth He chose King Shudhodhana and his wife, Queen Mayadevi, rulers of the Shakya (Lion) clan, as his future parents This generous couple was well-known throughout the land for their just and noble bearing As the son of the king, Siddhartha (Buddha’s given name) was provided with the finest upbringing He received the finest education and mastered all lessons taught to him His father, having been told by astrologers that his son would give up the monarchy for a life of meditation, sheltered him from the outside world It was twenty-nine years later, after escaping from his father’s palace, that Buddha’s eyes witnessed for the first t ime t he r avages o f age, sickness, and death During this time, he also met a holy man and decided to follow his example in the search for truth Wandering in search of this peace and truth, he is said to have come upon a bodhi tree where he sat in meditation for six years, during which time, he achieved “true enlightenment” The first sermon after enlightenment he spoke was the and the ǡ which is the basis of all Buddhist beliefs, now called the The first council of Buddhism Sangha was organized a few months after Buddha attained (enlightenment) It was held 251