Name _____________________________ Class _________________ Date __________________
Ancient India and China
Section 3
MAIN IDEA
Buddhism, which teaches people that they can escape the suffering of the world
through the Buddha’s teachings, developed in India and spread to other parts of
Asia and the world.
Key Terms and People
Buddhism religion whose followers seek enlightenment and an end to human suffering
Buddha founder of Buddhism; translated as Enlightened One
Four Noble Truths beliefs described by Buddha that explain the connections between
life, desire, and suffering
Eightfold Path the way to find the Middle Way: right view, attitude, speech, action,
livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration
nirvana a state of peaceful existence free from suffering
Middle Way a life lived in moderation, avoiding extremes of comfort and discomfort in
the search for enlightenment
Taking Notes
As you read the summary, use a graphic organizer like the one below to
take notes on the history of Buddhism.
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Ancient India and China
Section 3
Section Summary
THE LIFE OF BUDDHA
Buddhism, another of the world’s major religions,
originated in ancient India. It was founded by a single
person, called the Buddha. Buddhist writings tell of a
prince named Siddhartha Gautama who was born in
the 500s BC. His life was so sheltered that he did not
know suffering existed until he was almost 30. When
he did learn of sickness and death, he left his palace to
try to find a way to end human suffering.
For six years, Gautama sought enlightenment, or
spiritual understanding. He lived alone in the forest,
then with gurus who taught him meditation, and
finally with monks who denied themselves basic
necessities. Gautama decided that neither the gurus
nor the monks could teach him the way to
enlightenment. He decided to sit under a tree until he
found the way to end human suffering. After
meditating for a long time, he was transformed: he
had found enlightenment. He then became known as
the Buddha, which means “Enlightened One.”
THE TEACHINGS OF BUDDHISM
After he achieved enlightenment, the Buddha set out
to spread what he had learned to other people. His
lessons became the basic teachings of Buddhism.
Buddha is said to have learned the Four Noble
Truths while meditating. The Four Noble Truths are:
suffering is a part of human life, suffering comes from
desires for pleasure and material goods, overcoming
desire brings suffering to an end, and desires can be
overcome by following the Eightfold Path. The
Eightfold Path includes right view, right attitude, right
speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right concentration.
The Buddha taught that those who followed the
Eightfold Path could attain nirvana. Nirvana is a state
of peaceful existence free from suffering. Those who
do not reach nirvana will be reborn to live through the
cycle of suffering again. The Eightfold Path is also
called the Middle Way. It calls for living in
moderation, and avoiding extremes of comfort or
discomfort in the search for enlightenment.
Where and when did
Buddhism start?
_______________________
_______________________
Why did Buddha believe
that living according to the
Eightfold Path was
important?
_______________________
_______________________
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Ancient India and China
Section 3
After the Buddha died, three main Buddhist
traditions formed—Theravada, Mahayana, and
Tibetan Buddhism. Theravada is based on the oldest
known Buddhist writings. Theravada teaches that the
best way to attain nirvana is to become a monk or a
nun and spend all of one’s time in meditation.
Mahayana teaches that people can help each other find
enlightenment. Bodhisattvas, people who have found
enlightenment but have not yet passed on to nirvana,
are said to remain on Earth to help others find their
way to nirvana. The third Buddhist tradition, Tibetan
Buddhism, shares many teachings with Mahayana.
However, Tibetan Buddhists also believe that they can
use special techniques to harness spiritual energy and
achieve nirvana in a single lifetime.
THE SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
Unlike Hinduism, which largely remained an Indian
religion, Buddhism spread to other parts of the world.
Today, more than 350 million people are Buddhists,
most of them in Asia. Relatively few people in India
are Buddhists today.
After his death, the Buddha’s followers spread his
teachings. These teachings were not written down
until the first century BC. Buddhism reached its peak
in India in the 200s BC during the reign of the
emperor Ashoka. Ashoka helped spread Buddhism
into all parts of India. He encouraged missionaries to
carry the Buddha’s message to lands outside of India.
Trade also helped to spread Buddhism beyond India
into Central Asia and China. In China, Buddhism
slowly spread and blended with native Chinese
philosophies. From there, Buddhism went to Korea
and Japan, making it the leading religion in all of East
and Southeast Asia.
As Buddhism encountered other religious traditions
outside of India it continued to change and develop.
Because of this blending, various smaller traditions
developed within Theravada and Mahayana. For
example, a branch of Mahayana known as Zen
emphasizes self-discipline and meditation. Buddhism
today is a very diverse religion with a wide range of
adherents and practices.
Underline the names of the
three main Buddhist
traditions.
By what two means did
Buddhism spread
throughout India and into
the East and Southeast
Asia?
_______________________
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