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The system of early Buddhism , sometimes referred to as ' Original Buddhism ', is one of the most original in the history of philosophy . It offers, at the same time, an answer to the problem of human suffering ; a very practical, down to earth religion showing a way towards salvation & a well-organised system of ethics the Arya Astanga Marg .
Today, Buddhism is regarded as major religion based on the teaching of Siddharth Gautama , who is known as the Buddha, the Enlightened one .

Originating as a monastic movement within the dominant Brahmin tradition of the day , Buddhism developed in a distinctive direction . The Buddha not only rejected significant aspects of Hindu philosophy , but also challenged the authority of the priesthood , derived the validity of the Vedic scripture & rejected the sacrificial cult based on them. He preached the ' Middle-Way ' or the ' Madhyam -Marg ' between the pursuit of pleasure as the one extreme & rigorous ascetic practices as the other . Moreover , he opened his movement to members of all castes denying that the spiritual worth of a person is a matter of birth .

No complete biography of the Buddha was compiled until centuries after his death . Only fragmentary accounts of his life are found in the earliest sources .It is however agreed that he was born in 563 BC.

The man who was to become "Buddha" , was born in Kapilavastu , a town in what is now the Nepalese Terai , & spent his life in what is now Bihar & Eastern Uttar Pradesh . His personal name was Siddhartha , "the one who has accomplished his aim". His father's name was Suddhodhana & mother's Maya . He belonged to the community called Sakyas & therefore he is also known as ' Sakyamuni ',' the sage of the Sakyas '.
According to legend , a hermit called Asita predicted at Siddhartha's birth " This prince, if he remains in the palace, when grown up will become a great king & subjugate the whole world . But if he forsakes the course of life to embrace a religious life , he will become Buddha , the savior of the world ".

The young prince was raised in sheltered luxury, until at the age of 29 he realised how empty his life had been . Renouncing earthly attachments , seeking release from the cycle of rebirths .For the next few years he went to different teachers & ascetics & under their guidance practiced severe asceticism .

Eventually he gave up this approach as fruitless & instead adopted a middle path between the life of indulgence & that of self-discipline . Sitting under a Banyan tree , he meditated , rising through a series of higher states of consciousness  until he attained the enlightenment for which he had been searching .

Soon afterwards , he started to preach , gathering a body of discipline & organising them into a monastic community known as the Sangha . In this way he spent the rest of his life , till his death at the age of 80 .

Buddha was an oral teacher .He did not leave behind any written body thought.

His teaching were codified afterwards by some of his followers. Immediately after attaining Enlightenment , he preached the four ' Arya satya 'the' four Noble Truths ' & ' the Arya Astanga Marg ' or the 'Noble eightfold path '.For his first pupils he selected the five ascetic friends of him . To them , he gave his first sermon which represents the "Dharma Chakra - Pravarthana" or " setting in motion the wheel of the law Arya- satya" or the four Noble Truths at the core of the Buddha's enlightenment was the realisation of the four Noble Truths . Therefore the fundamental truths on which Buddhism is founded are not metaphysical or theological , but rather psychological.

The four Noble Truths are

I ) There is suffering .

II ) All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality the craving attachment grasping that result from such ignorance .

Sila - morality , purity of actions :

(I) Right Speech
(II) Right actions
(III)Right Livelihood

Samadhi- concentration , control of one's mind.

The important doctrines peculiar to Buddhism are those of Anatman , Anitya & Dukkha. The ultimate goal of every Buddhist is Nirvana , an enlightened state in which the fires of greed , hatred & ignorance have been quenched .

As did most major faiths , Buddhism developed over many years. Shortly before his death , ' Buddha refused his disciples ' request to appoint a successor , telling his followers to work out their own salvation with diligence. At that time the Buddhist teaching existed only in oral tradition & it soon became apparent that a new basis for maintaining the community's unity & purity was needed .Thus , the monastic order met periodically to reach agreement on matters of doctrine & practice. Four such meeting have been focused on, in the tradition as major Councils .As Buddhism developed in its early years , conflicting interpretation of the Buddha'steaching appeared resulting in the various school of Buddhist thought .

As a result , today Buddhism is divided into two major branches known to their respective followers as Theravada , the way of the Elders , and Mahayana , the great vehicle . Followers of Mahayana refer to Theravada using the derogatory term Hinayana , the Lesser vehicle .

Buddhism spread & became a significant religion in Sri Lanka , Thailand , Cambodia , Burma & Laos , where Theravada has been dominant mahayana had its greatest impact in China , Japan ,Taiwan ,Tibet , Nepal Manyolia , Korea and Vietnam .Several important new sects of Buddhism developed in China & in Japan as well as elsewhere in East Asia . Among them Zen & Pure Land , or Amida were the most important .Buddha was one of the greatest human being , a man of noble character , penetrating vision , warm compression & profound thought . Buddha's teaching have influence the lives of millions of people for nearly 2500 years.

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