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| - 120* | 6th Century B.C.E. * | • Life of Siddhartha Guatama, the historical Buddha: conventional dates: 566-486 B.C.E. (According to more recent research, revised dates are: 490-410 BCE). | • Persian Empire founded by Cyrus the Great (550 B.C.E.) • Confucius (551-479) • Zarathustra (630-553) • Birth of Mahavira (550) |
| - 20 | 5th Century | • First Buddhist Council at Rajagaha (486) after the Parinirvana*, under the patronage of King Ajatasattu. • The Buddhist Canon as it exist today was settled at this Council and preserved as an oral tradition. | • Socrates (469-399) • Plato (427-347) • Battle of Marathon (490) • Greek-Persian Wars (490-479) • Partheon Built (438) |
| 144 | 4th Century | • Second Buddhist Council at Vesali (386) about 100 year after the Parinirvana. • First schism of the Sangha occurs in which the Mahasanghika school parts ways with the Sthaviravadins and the Theravadins. • Non-canonical Buddhist Council at Pataliputra (367) | • Aristotle (384-322) • Alexander the Great (356-323) invaded India (327) |
| 244 | 3rd Century | • Reign of Indian Emperor Asoka (272-231) who converts and establishes the Buddha's Dharma on a national level for the first time. • Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra (250) under the patronage of Emperor Asoka about 200 years after the Parinirvana. • The modern Pali Tipitaka now essentially complete. • Asoka's son and missionary Mahinda established Buddhism in Sri Lanka (247) | • Great Wall of China (250) • Hadrian's Wall circa 3rd Century AD • Hannibal Barca (247?-183?) |
| 344 | 2nd Century | • Beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism (20O). • Composition of Prajnaparamita literature. • Historical record has it that two Buddhist missionaries from India in 68 AD, arrived at the court of Emperor Ming (58-75) of Han Dynasty. They enjoyed imperial favour and stayed on to translate various Buddhist Texts, one of which, The 'Sutra of Forty-two Sections' continues to be popular even today. | • Buddhist monuments: Sanchi, Amaravati, Bodhi Gaya, India. (185-175) • Han Dynasty in China (206-220) |
| 444 | 1st Century | • Entire scriptural canon of Theravada School was committed to writing on palm leaves in Pali at the Aloka Cave, near Matale, Sri Lanka (35-32) • Milinda-pañha or Questions of King Milinda to Venerble Nagasena. | • 01BCE Mar 1, Start of the revised Julian calendar in Rome. • Julius Caesar (100-44) • Virgil, Latin poet (70-19) |
| 544 | 1st Century C.E.* | • King Kaniska (78-101) convened the Fourth Buddhist Council at Jalandhar or in Kashmir around 100 C.E. (This is not recognized by the Theravadins). • Buddhism established in Cambodia 100 C.E and in Vietnam 150 C.E. • Composition of Lotus Sutra and other Mahayana Buddhist texts. • Buddhism enters Central Asia and China. | • Jesus of Nazareth (0-33 C.E.) • Destruction of Jerusalem and the second Temple: (70 C.E.) • The Buddha first represented in art as human form. |
| 644 | 2nd Century | • The Age of Indian Buddhist philosopher Nargarjuna (150) founder of the school of Madhyamika ('the Middle Way'). | • Roman Empire reaches the height of its power. • In 185 C.E, Shunga a Brahman general became the ruler and the Shunga dynasty ruled for 112 years in India. |
| 744 | 3rd Century | • Expansion of Buddhism to Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The Yogacara (meditation) school was founded by Maitreyanatha (3rd century). • Buddhist influence in Persia spreads through trade. | • Three Kingdoms dynasty (220–265) Division into three states: Wei, Shu, Wu. Many scientific advances adopted from India. • The Emperor Constantine converts to Christianity (312) |
| 844 | 4th Century | • Asanga (310-390) and his brother Vasubandhu (420-500) prominent teachers of the Yogacara school of Buddhism. • Development of Vajrayana Buddhism in India. • Translation of Buddhist texts into Chinese by Kumarajiva (344-413) and Hui-yüan (334-416). • Buddhism enters Korea (372). | • Gupta dynasty exemplified by Chandra Gupta II (375-415) dominated North Central India. • Saint Augustine (354-430) |
| 944 | 5th Century | • Buddhist monastic university founded at Nalanda, India. • Buddhaghosa composes the Visuddhimagga and major commentaries in Sri Lanka. • Buddhism established in Burma and Korea. • Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien visits India (399-414). • Amitabha (Amida) Pure Land sect emerges in China. • Sri lankan Theravadin nuns introduce full ordination lineage into China (433). • Mahayana Buddhism was introduced into Java, Sumatra, Borneo, mainly by Indian immigrants. | • 5th Century Anglo-Saxon Invasion of England • Earliest hospital in Sri Lanka (437) • Fall of the Western Roman Empire (476) |
| 1044 | 6th Century | • Bodhidharma founder of Ch'an (Zen) arrives in China from India. (526) • Sui Dynasty in Chinese History (589-617) beginning of Golden Age of Chinese Buddhism. • Development of T'ien-tai, Hua-yen, Pure Land, and Ch'an schools of Chinese Buddhism. • Buddhism enters Japan (538) becomes state religion (594). • Buddhism flourishing in Indonesia. • Jataka Tales translated into Persian by King Khusru (531-579). | • Prophet Mohammed (570-632) • The Age of Islamic Expansion (630-725) • First pagoda built in China (600) |
| 1144 | 7th Century | • Construction of Potala Palace, Jokang and Ramoche temples to house Buddha images (641-650) • Harsa-vardhana ruler of a large empire in northern India from 606 to 647. He was a Buddhist convert in a Hindu era. • Chinese pilgrim Hsuan-Tsang (602-664) visits India. | • Islam sweeps across North Africa (700-800) • Tang dynasty, China (618-906) |
| 1244 | 8th Century | • Academic schools (Jöjitsu, Kusha, Sanron, Hossö, Ritsu, and Kegon) proliferate in Japan. • Great debate between Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist schools. • Ch'an declared heretical in Tibet. • Nyingma School of Tibet Buddhism established. • Borobudur Temple complex built in Java. • Jataka Tales translated into Syrian and Arabic under title: Kalilag and Damnag. | • Nara Period in Japanese history (710-784) • First monastery built in Tibet (Sam-ye) (749) • Moslem invasion of Central Asia (760) • Charlemagne (742-814) |
| 1344 | 9th Century | • Khmer kings build Angkor Wat, the world's largest religious monument. • Tendai School (founded by Saichö (767-822) and Shingon School (founded by Kukai: (774-835) appear in Japan. • Great Buddhist persecution in China (845) • Biography of Buddha translated into Greek by Saint John of Damascus and distributed in Christianity as "Balaam" and "Josaphat". | • Heian Period in Japanese history (794-1185) • First printed book, Diamond Sutra, China (868) |
| 1444 | 10th Century | • First complete printing of Chinese Buddhist Canon (983), known as the Szechuan edition. • Buddhism in Thailand (900-1000) • Islam replaces Buddhism in Central Asia (900-1000). | • Sung Dynasty in Chinese History (960-1279) • 1000 C.E The population at this time was about 200 million people in the world. |
| 1544 | 11th Century | • Conversion of King Anawrahta of Pagan (Burma) (1044-1077) by Shin Arahan. • Atisha (982-1054) arrives in Tibet from India (1042). • Marpa (1012-1097) begins Kargyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. • Milarepa (1040-1123) becomes greatest poet and most popular saint in Tibetan Buddhism. •The bhikkhu and bhikkhuni (monk and nun) communities at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, die out following invasions from South India. • Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism established. • Revival of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Burma. • Decline of Buddhism in India. | • 1000-1100 There was a Confucian revival in China. • Edward the Confessor, English king (1042-1066) • Great Schism between Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches (1054) • 1st Crusades (1096-1099) |
| 1644 | 12th Century | • Theravada Buddhism established in Burma. • Hönen (1133-1212) founded the Pure Land School of Japanese Buddhism. • Eisai (1141-1215) founds the Rinzai Zen School of Japanese Buddhism. • In 1193 the Moslems attacked and conquered Magadha, the heartland of Buddhism in India, and with the destruction of the Buddhist Monasteries and Universities (Valabhi and Nalanda) - in that area Buddhism was wiped out. • Buddhism in Korea flourishes under the Koryo dynasty (1140-1390). | • Omar Khayyam, Persian poet and mathematician (1044-1123) • 1119 Bologna University founded in Italy; Paris University, in France, is founded in 1150. • Kamakura Period in Japanese history (1192-1338) |
| 1744 | 13th Century | • Shinran (1173-1263 ) founds True Pure Land School of Japanese Buddhism. • Dogen (1200-1253) founds Soto Zen School of Japanese Buddhism. • Nichiren (1222-1282) founds school of Japanese Buddhism named after him. • Mongols converted to Vajrayana Buddhism. • Theravada Buddhism spreads to Laos. • Some Buddhist texts still being translated into Arabic, in Persia. | • Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) • Magna Carta (1215) • Genghis Khan invades China (1215) • Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) • Mongol conquest of China complete (1279) |
| 1844 | 14th Century | • Bu-ston collects and edits Tibetan Buddhist Canon. • Rulers of the north (Chieng-mai) and northeast (Sukhothai) Thailand adopt Theravada Buddhism (becomes state religion in 1360). • Theravada Buddhism adopted in Cambodia and Laos. • Tsong-kha-pa (1357-1419) Tibetan Buddhist reformer and founder of Dge-lugs-pa (or Gelugpa, or 'Yellow Hat') order. | • John Wycliffe (1328-1384) English theologian and biblical translator. • China regains its independence from the Mongols under the Ming dynasty (1368) |
| 1944 | 15th Century | • Beginning of Dalai Lama lineage in Tibetan Buddhism. • In Cambodia, the Vishnuite temple, Angkor Wat, founded in the 12th century, becomes a Buddhist centre. | • Development of printing in Europe • Leonardo DaVinci (1452-1519) • Columbus "finds" the new world (1492) |
| 2044 |
16th Century |
• Tibet's Gelugpa leader receives the title of "Dalai" from Altan Khan (1578). • "Great Fifth" Dalai Lama meets Qing Emperor Shunzhi near Beijing. | • Martin Luther (1483-1546) • Protestant Reformation • Shakespeare, (1564-1616) • Galileo (1564-1642) |
| 2144 | 17th Century | • Control of Japanese Buddhism by Tokugawa Shögunate (the ruling feudal government) (I603-1867) • Hakuin (1686-1769) monk, writer and artist who helped revive the Rinzai Zen Sect in Japanese Buddhism. | • Japan closes the door to foreigners (1639) • Pilgrims reach America (1620) • Galileo recants (1633) • English Civil War (1642) |
| 2244 | 18th Century | • Colonial occupation of Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. • King Kirti Sri Rajasinha obtains bhikkhus from the Thai court to reinstate the bhikkhu ordination line which has died out in Sri Lanka. | • 1700s Age of Enlightenment introduces revolutionary new ideas to Europe. • American independence (1776) • French revolution (1789-1802) |
| 2344 | 19th Century | • New sects begin to emerge in Japanese Buddhism. • Sri Lankan forest monks go to Burma for reordination (1862). • First Western translation of the Dhammapada. (German-1862). • German translation of Lotus Sutra, 1852 and pioneer Buddhist scholars: - Neumann and Odlenburg, first German monk, Nyanatiloka. • First Chinese Temple in USA (San Francisco) (1853) • 5th Buddhist Council in Mandalay, Burma (1868-1871) where the text of the Pali Canon was revised and inscribed on 729 marble slabs. | • Meiji Restoration in Japanese history 1868, marking end of military rule. • 1833 Abolition of slavery in British empire. • American Civil War (1861-1865) |
| 2444-2544 | 20th Century | • Buddhist Society of Great Britain, founded (1907). • Buddhist Mission Society in Germany, founded (1903). • Taishö Shinshü Daizokyö edition of Chinese Buddhist Canon printed in Tokyo (1924-1929). • Chinese control of Tibetan Buddhism (1950). • Founding of World Fellowship of Buddhists (1952). • Buddha Jayanti Year, commemorating 2,500 years of Buddhism (1956). • 6th Buddhist Council held at Rangoon, Myanmar (Burma) (1954-1956). • Dalai Lama fleesTibet to India (1959). • Tibetan Buddhism spreads to western countries. • First Theravada Monastery established in USA (1966). • First Tibetan (Sakya) Centre founded in USA (1971). • Tibetan texts collected, translated and disseminated by Buddhist publishers 1960's. • H.H. Dalai Lama receives Nobel Peace Prize (1989). | • Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) • WW I (1914-1918) • Russian revolution (1917-1922) • 1919 Ernest Rutherford splits atom for first time. • WW II (1939-1945) • Cultural Revolution (China) (1966) • Pope John Paul II pardons Galileo (1995) • The Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Cold War ends. (1989) |
* The Buddhist calendar starts (year 1) from the Buddha's Parinirvana (death and final release) which occured in his eightieth year.
* B.C.E. = Before Common Era (Equivalent to B.C.) * C.E. = Common Era (Equivalent to A.D.)
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