The History of Buddhism

Just as an understanding of the worldview of 1st century Judaism is essential for studying the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, learning about Buddhism requires a firm foundation in the Brahminical Hindu tradition of India from which Buddhism developed. Though the Buddha's teachings often challenge or offer alternatives to the teachings and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism and Hinduism share fundamental concepts, such as the search for an end to the cycle of death and rebirth that defines the human experience.

The activities below are intended to help students place Buddhism in its historical context, to understand its origins, its relationship with the Hindu tradition, and the path that Buddhism took as it traveled out of India along the Silk Routes and began to be impacted by the cultures it encountered.

Lesson 1: Buddhism on the Big Map. This activity orients students to the geography of Buddhism's origins and its spread along the Silk Routes into Asia. It is intended as an extension of the Big Map activity from the Hinduism unit.

Lesson 2: The Buddha's Response to Hindu Questions. This lesson asks students to examine the Buddha's response to common Hindu philosophical questions and concerns like those in "The Bhagavad Gita," by doing a close reading of the Buddhist scripture "Questions That Tend Not to Edification."