The History of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. Throughout this period, the religion evolved as it encountered various countries and cultures, adding to its original Indian foundation Hellenistic as well as Central Asian, East Asian, and Southeast Asian cultural elements. The history of Buddhism is also characterized by the development of numerous movements and schisms, foremost among them the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, punctuated by contrasting periods of expansion and retreat. The doctrine of Karman is more than the belief in the reward of good actions and the punishment of bad ones, here below or in another life; such a belief is a very common one and has nothing specifically Indian. This book contains the fundamental and basic information of subject and the selection of contents makes it an appropriate book for the students.
