IMPORTANT POINTS OF BUDDHISM

1. The founder of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha was born at Lumbini located in present day Nepal.

2. Gautama Buddha's original namewas Siddhartha and he was the son of King Suddodhana of Kapilvastu.

3. He attained enlightenment at Bodhgayaand gave his first sermon at Sarnath. Bodhgaya is located in Bihar, while Sarnath is in Uttar Pradesh.

4.The state of Bihar is named after Buddhist 'Vihara' - the residential quarters of Buddhist monks.

5. The first day of the Buddhist calendar is Vaishakhi Purnima

6.Vesak or Buddha Purnima is the day which marks the birth, enlightenment and passing away of Buddha.

7. The Indian state with the maximum number of Buddhists is Maharashtra.

8. The country with the largest Buddhist population is China

9. Six Buddhist councils have been held so far as follows
*.Immediately after the death of Gautama Buddha.
*.After about 100 years after his death.
*.During the reign of Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century BC.
*.During the reign of King Kanishka around 100 AD
*.From 1888 to 1871 in Mandalay, Burma
*.From 1954 to 1956 at Rangoon, Burma.

10. The Leshan Giant Buddha in China is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world.

11. Jataka tales are about the Buddha’s previous lives in various forms before he was born as a human being.

12. Mahayana and Hinayana are the two sects in Buddhism.

13. Asoka,the great emperor, sent Sanghamitra to the foreign countries to preach Buddhism.

14. Buddha's preachings were concerned most with " Purity with thought and conduct"  .

15. First Buddhist Conference after the death of Buddha was presided over by Mahakashyapa