Buddhism is based on the teachings of GAUTAMA BUDDHA who lived from 563 B.C until 483 B.C in India. Buddha did not set out to start a new religion, he had an unusual experience "Enlightenment", after which he wandered in Northern India describing his own personal vision of reality, as revealed to him through his Enlightenment.

Buddha was born into a very wealthy Hindu family in Northern India. He married and had children. When he was in his 20's he often wandered out of his family compound. On these walks, he encountered sickness, old age & death. At 29 he renounce his former life, his wife & family. He sought wisdom in the forest and became an aesthetic for about 6 years.

This behavior would be entirely normal for a Hindu such as Buddha, but only later in life after his hair was white and skin wrinkled. For a man of Buddha's position and age to take up the life of a forest dwelling aesthetic was quite out of the ordinary.

Buddha and his message were a direct threat to Hinduism and the caste system. In its pure form, Buddhism counsels a person to seek enlightenment now, rather than through a long transmigratory process of castes, and stations of life. Buddha has shown everyone the way to release from the Karmic realm, and the way is open to all, now. If everyone followed Buddha's way, society as it was known would have simply collapsed.

Women were treated equally in early Buddhism and could even become monks. Within Buddhist society women could inherit money and the could remarry. The Hindu practice of Sutee - a woman throwing herself on her husbands funeral pyre - was renounced.

Buddha became suddenly Enlighted while sitting under a Bidhi tree. He described this state as arising through four trance-like stages.

1. DETACHMENT: Form sense experience, his passions were calmed

2. NON REASONING: Simple concentration

3.DISPASSIONATE: Mindfulness, consciousness, bodily bliss

4. PURE AWARENESS: Peace, painless, no elation, no depression

1. ALL LIFE IS SUFFERING: Existence is painful, there is sickness, old age and death

2. DESIRE CAUSES SUFFERING: Unhappiness is caused by selfish craving

3. TO STOP DESIRING IS TO STOP SUFFERING: Deliverance from pain is found in non attachment, the end of desire.

4. THE 8 FOLD PATH: is the way to stop desiring

There are three distinct forms or schools of Buddhism: Hinayana Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. They all arose in India after Buddha's death. They emerged and were vigorous in India during distinct time periods. They were each exported during their vigorous phases to different areas in the world.