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The purpose of this timeline is to give a detailed account of Buddhism from the birth ofGautama Buddha to the present.
Timeline: Development and propagation of Buddhist traditions(c. 450 BCE – c. 1300 CE) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Tiantai /Jìngtǔ |
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| Tendai |
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| 450 BCE | 250 BCE | 100 CE | 500 CE | 700 CE | 800 CE | 1200 CE | |||||||||||||||
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| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 563 BCE or c. 480 BCE | The Birth ofSiddhartha Gautama. The approximate date of Gautama Buddha's birth and death are uncertain. Most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE.[1][2] More recently his death is dated later, between 411 and 400 BCE, while at a symposium on this question held in 1988, the majority of those who presented definite opinions gave dates within 20 years either side of 400 BCE for the Buddha's death.[1][3] |
| c. 413–345 BCE | Shishunaga, a minister of the ruling Hiranyaka dynasty of Magadha, is placed on the throne and begins theShishunaga dynasty, after the sitting king is deposed by the people. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 383 BCE or c. 330 BCE[4] | TheSecond Buddhist council is convened by Kalasoka of theShishunaga dynasty and held inVaishali. The Sangha divides into theSthaviravadins and theMahasanghikas led by the monk Mahādeva, primarily over the question of addition or subtraction of rules from theVinaya.[5] |
| 345–321 BCE | TheNanda Empire briefly predominates in Magadha over the Shishunagas.[6] |
| 326 BCE | Alexander the Great reaches North West India. TheIndo-Greek Kingdom that arise in the aftermath has a large influence upon the development of Buddhism.[7] |
| c. 324 BCE | Pyrrho, a philosopher in Alexander the Great's court, may have learnt elements of Buddhist philosophy in India from thegymnosophists. Parts of Buddhism, most notably thethree marks of existence, may have influenced his new philosophy ofPyrrhonism which he introduces intoHellenistic philosophy.[8] |
| c. 321 – c. 297 BCE | The reign ofChandragupta Maurya, grandfather ofAshoka, who subdues theNanda Empire by c. 320 BCE, and gradually conquers much of northern India.[9] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 250 BCE | Third Buddhist council, convened byAshoka and chaired byMoggaliputta-Tissa, compiles theKathāvatthu to refute the heretical views and theories held by some Buddhist sects.Edicts of Ashoka in theMaurya Empire in support of Buddhism. |
| c. 250 BCE | Ashoka sends variousBuddhist missionaries to faraway countries, as far as China,mainland Southeast Asia and theMalay kingdoms in the east and theHellenistic kingdoms in the west, in order to make Buddhism known to them. |
| c. 250 BCE | First-fully developed examples ofKharosthi script in the inscriptions atShahbaz Garhi andMānsehrā inGandhara. |
| c. 250 BCE | Indian traders regularly visit ports in theArabian Peninsula, explaining the prevalence of place names in the region with Indian or Buddhist origin; e.g.,bahar (fromSanskritvihara (a Buddhist monastery). Ashokan emissary monks bring Buddhism toSuvarnabhumi, the location of which is disputed. TheDīpavaṃsa says it was a Mon seafaring settlement in present-dayMyanmar.[citation needed] |
| c. 220 BCE | Theravada is officially introduced toSri Lanka by theMahinda, son of Ashoka, during the reign ofDevanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 185 BCE | GeneralPushyamitra Shunga overthrows the Maurya Empire and establishes theShunga Empire, apparently starting a wave of persecution against Buddhism. |
| 180 BCE | Demetrius I of Bactria invades India as far asPataliputra and establishes theIndo-Greek Kingdom (180–10 BCE), under which Buddhism flourishes. |
| 165–130 BCE | Reign of the Indo-Greek kingMenander I, who converts to Buddhism under the sageNagasena according to the account of theMilinda Panha. |
| 121 BCE | The Chinese EmperorHan Wudi (156–87 BCE) receives two golden statues ofthe Buddha, according to inscriptions in theMogao Caves,Dunhuang. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 55 BCE | The Indo-Greek governorTheodorus enshrines relics of the Buddha, dedicating them to the deified "LordShakyamuni." |
| 29 BCE | According to the Sinhalese chronicles, the content of thePali Canon is written down in the reign of KingVaṭṭagamiṇi (29–17 BCE)[10] |
| 2 BCE | TheHou Hanshu records the visit in 2 BCE ofYuezhi envoys to the Chinese capital, who give oral teachings onBuddhist sutras.[11] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 67 | Liu Ying's sponsorship of Buddhism is the first documented case of Buddhist practices in China. |
| 67 | Buddhism comes to China with the two monksKasyapa andDharmaraksha.[12] |
| 68 | Buddhism is officially established in China with the founding of theWhite Horse Temple.[13][14][15] |
| 78 | Ban Chao, a Chinese General, subdues the BuddhistKingdom of Khotan. |
| c. 78–101 | According toMahayana tradition, theFourth Buddhist council takes place underKushana kingKanishka's reign, nearJalandar, India. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 116 | The Kushans, underKanishka, establish a kingdom centered onKashgar, also taking control ofKhotan andYarkand in theTarim Basin. |
| 148 | An Shigao, aParthian prince and Buddhist monk, arrives in China and proceeds to make the first translations ofTheravada texts into Chinese. |
| c. 150–250 | Indian andCentral Asian Buddhists travel to Vietnam. |
| 178 | TheKushan monkLokaksema travels to the Chinese capital ofLoyang and becomes the first known translator ofMahayana texts into Chinese. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 250 | Use ofKharoṣṭhī script inGandhara stops. |
| c. 250–350 | Kharoṣṭhī script is used in the southernSilk Road cities ofKhotan andNiya. |
| 296 | The earliest surviving Chinese Buddhist manuscript dates from this year (Zhu Fo Yao Ji Jing, discovered inDalian, late 2005). |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 320–467 | The university atNalanda grows to support 3,000–10,000 monks. |
| 372 | The monkSundo (順道, or Shundao in Chinese) was sent byFu Jian (337–385) (苻堅) of Former Qin to the court of the KingSosurim of Goguryeo, in modern-day Korea.[16] Subsequently, paper making was established in Korea. |
| 384 | TheGandharan monkMarananta arrived inBaekje, in modern-day Korea, and the royal family received the strain of Buddhism he brought.King Asin of Baekje proclaimed, "people should believe in Buddhism and seek happiness."[16] |
| 399–414 | Faxian travels from China to India, then returns to translate Buddhist works into Chinese. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 5th century | The kingdom ofFunan (centered in modernCambodia) begins to advocate Buddhism in a departure fromHinduism. Earliest evidence of Buddhism inMyanmar (Pali inscriptions). Earliest evidence of Buddhism inIndonesian (statues). Earliest reinterpretations of Pali texts. The stupa atDambulla (Sri Lanka) is constructed. |
| 402 | At the request ofYao Xing,Kumārajīva travels toChang'an and translates many Buddhist texts intoChinese. |
| 403 | In China,Lushan Huiyuan argues that Buddhist monks should be exempt from bowing to the emperor. |
| 405 | Yao Xing honoursKumārajīva. |
| 425 | Buddhism reachesSumatra. |
| 464 | Buddhabhadra reaches China to preach Buddhism. |
| 485 | Five monks fromGandhara travel to the country ofFusang (Japan, or possibly theAmericas), where they introduce Buddhism. |
| 495 | TheShaolin Monastery is built in the name of Buddhabhadra, by edict of emperor Wei Xiao Wen.[17][18] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 527 | Bodhidharma settles into the Shaolin Monastery inHenan province of China.[19] |
| 531–579 | Reign of theZoroastrian king,Khosrow I, who orders the translation ofJataka tales intoPersian. |
| 538 or 552 | Buddhism is introduced to Japan viaBaekje (Korea), according toNihonshoki; some scholars place this event in 538. |
| c. 575 | Zen adherents enterVietnam from China. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 607 | A Japanese imperial envoy is dispatched toSui, China to obtain copies of sutras. |
| 616–634 | Jingwan begins carving sutras onto stone atFangshan,Yuzhou, 75km southwest of modern-dayBeijing.[20] |
| 617–649 | Reign ofSongtsen Gampo ofTibet, who is traditionally held to be the first Tibetan King to promote the bringing of Buddhism to Tibet.[21] |
| 627–645 | Xuanzang travels to India, noting the persecution of Buddhists bySasanka (king ofGauda, a state in northwestBengal) before returning toChang'an in China to translate Buddhist scriptures. |
| c. 650 | End of sporadic Buddhist rule in theSindh. |
| 671 | Chinese Buddhist pilgrimYijing visitsPalembang, capital of the partly Buddhist kingdom ofSrivijaya on the island ofSumatra,Indonesia, and reports over 1000 Buddhist monks in residence. |
| 671 | Uisang returns toKorea after studying ChineseHuayan Buddhism and founds theHwaeom school. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 8th century | BuddhistJataka tales are translated intoSyriac andArabic asKalilag and Damnag. An account of Buddha's life is translated intoGreek byJohn of Damascus and widely circulated amongChristians as the story ofBarlaam and Josaphat. By the 14th century, this story of Josaphat becomes so popular that he is made aCatholic Saint. |
| 736 | Huayan is transmitted to Japan viaKorea, whenRōben invites theKoreanHwaeom monkSimsang to lecture, and formally founds Japan'sKegon tradition in theTōdai-ji temple. |
| 743–754 | TheChinese monkJianzhen attempts to reach Japan eleven times, succeeding in 754 to establish the JapaneseRitsu school, which specialises in thevinaya (monastic rules). |
| 760–830 | Construction is begun onBorobudur, the famous Indonesian Buddhist structure. It is completed as a Buddhist monument in 830, after about 50 years of work.[22] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 804 | Under the reign ofEmperor Kanmu of Japan, a fleet of four ships sets sail for mainland China. Of the two ships that arrive, one carries the monkKūkai—recently ordained by the Japanese government as aBhikkhu—who absorbsVajrayana teachings inChang'an and returns to Japan to found the JapaneseShingon school. The other ship carries the monkSaichō, who returns to Japan to found the JapaneseTendai school, partly based upon the ChineseTiantai tradition. |
| 838 to 841 | Langdarma rules in Tibet, and persecutes Buddhism |
| 838–847 | Ennin, a priest of theTendai school, travels in China for nine years. He reaches both the famous Buddhist mountain ofWutaishan and the Chinese capital,Chang'an, keeping a detailed diary that is a primary source for this period of Chinese history, including the Buddhist persecution. |
| 841–846 | EmperorWuzong of theTang dynasty (given name:Li Yan) reigns in China; he is one of three Chinese emperors to prohibit Buddhism. From 843 to 845, Wuzong carries out theGreat Anti-Buddhist Persecution, permanently weakening the institutional structure of Buddhism in China. |
| 859 | TheCaodong school ofZen is founded byDongshan Liangjie and his disciples in southern China. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 10th century | Buddhist temple construction commences atBagan,Myanmar. |
| c. 10th century | In Tibet, a strong Buddhist revival is begun. |
| 971 | ChineseSong dynasty commissionsChengdu woodcarvers to carve the entire Buddhist canon for printing. Work is completed in 983; 130,000 blocks are produced, in total. |
| 911 | A printed copy of theSong dynasty Buddhist canon arrives inKorea, impressing the government. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 11th century | Marpa,Konchog Gyalpo,Atisha, and others introduce theSarma lineages into Tibet. |
| 1009 | Vietnam's Lý dynasty begins, which is partly brought about by an alliance with the Buddhist monkhood. Ly emperors patronizeMahayana Buddhism, in addition to traditional spirits. |
| 1010 | Korea begins carving its own woodblock print edition of the Buddhist canon. No completion date is known; the canon is continuously expanded, with the arrival of new texts from China. |
| 1017 | In Southeast Asia, and especially inSri Lanka, the Bhikkhuni (Buddhist nuns) Order dies out due to invasions. The bhikkhu line inSri Lanka is later revived with bhikkhus fromBurma. |
| 1025 | Srivijaya, a Buddhist kingdom based inSumatra, is raided by theChola empire of southern India; it survives, but declines in importance. Shortly after the raid, the centre of the kingdom moves northward fromPalembang toJambi-Melayu. |
| 1056 | KingAnawrahta ofPagan Kingdom converts toTheravada Buddhism. |
| 1057 | Anawrahta capturesThaton Lower Burma, strengtheningTheravada Buddhism in the country. |
| 1063 | A copy of theKhitans' printed canon arrives inKorea from mainland China. |
| 1070 | Bhikkhus from Pagan arrive inPolonnaruwa,Sri Lanka to reinstate the Theravada ordination line. |
| 1084–1112 | InMyanmar, KingKyansittha reigns. He completes the building of theShwezigon Pagoda, a shrine for relics of the Buddha, including a tooth brought fromSri Lanka. Various inscriptions refer to him as an incarnation ofVishnu, achakravartin, abodhisattva, anddharmaraja. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1100–1125 | Huizong reigns during the ChineseSong dynasty and outlaws Buddhism to promotethe Dao. He is one of three Chinese emperors to have prohibited Buddhism. |
| 1133–1212 | Hōnen establishesPure Land Buddhism as an independent sect in Japan. |
| 1164 | Polonnaruwa,Sri Lanka destroyed by foreign invasion. With the guidance of two forest monks – Ven.Mahākassapa Thera and Ven.Sāriputta Thera,Parakramabahu I reunites all bhikkhus in Sri Lanka into theMahavihara sect. |
| 1171 | Anawrahta of Pagan upon request of KingVijayabahu I of Ceylon sends monks and scriptures to restart Buddhism in the island kingdom. |
| 1181 | The self-styledbodhisattvaJayavarman VII, a devout follower ofMahayana Buddhism (though he also patronisedHinduism), assumes control of theKhmer kingdom. He constructs theBayon, the most prominent Buddhist structure in theAngkor temple complex. This sets the stage for the later conversion of the Khmer people toTheravada Buddhism. |
| 1190 | KingSithu II of Pagan realigns Burmese Buddhism with theMahavihara school of Ceylon. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 1200 | The great Buddhist educational centre atNalanda, India, (the origin of Buddhism) where various subjects were taught subjects such asBuddhism,Logic,Philosophy,Law,Medicine,Grammar,Yoga,Mathematics,Alchemy, andAstrology, is sacked, looted and burnt byMuhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khilji. |
| 1222 | Birth ofNichiren Daishonin (1222–1282), the Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism. |
| 1227 | Dogen Zenji takes theCaodong school ofZen from China to Japan as theSōtō sect. |
| 1236 | Bhikkhus from Kañcipuram, India, arrive in Sri Lanka to revive the Theravada ordination line. |
| 1238 | TheThai Kingdom ofSukhothai is established, withTheravada Buddhism as the state religion. |
| 1244 | Eiheiji Soto Zen Temple and Monastery are established byDogen Zenji. |
| c. 1250 | Theravada overtakesMahayana—previously practised alongsideHinduism—as the dominant form of Buddhism inCambodia;Sri Lanka is an influence in this change. |
| 1260–1270 | Kublai Khan makes the Buddhism (especially the Tibetan Buddhism) thede factostate religion of theYuan dynasty, establishing theBureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs and appointingSakyaImperial Preceptors. |
| 1279–1298 | Sukhothai's third and most famous ruler,Ram Khamhaeng (Rama the Bold), reigns and makes vassals ofLaos, much of modernThailand,Pegu (Burma), and parts of theMalay Peninsula, thus giving rise to Sukhothai artistic tradition. After Ram Khamhaeng's death, Sukhothai loses control of its territories as its vassals become independent. |
| 1285 | Arghun makes theIlkhanate a Buddhist state. |
| 1287 | ThePagan Empire, the largest Theravada kingdom of Southeast Asia, falls due toMongol invasions. |
| 1295 | Mongol leaderGhazan Khan is converted toIslam, ending a line ofTantric Buddhist leaders. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 1300 | InPersia, the historianRashid-al-Din Hamadani records some eleven Buddhist texts circulating inArabic translation, amongst which the Sukhavati-vyuha and Karanda-vyuha Sutras are recognizable. Portions of the Samyutta and Anguttara-Nikayas, along with parts of the Maitreya-vyakarana, are identified in this collection. |
| 1305–1316 | Buddhists inPersia attempt to convertUldjaitu Khan. |
| 1312 | In theMahayana tradition during the 13th century, theJapaneseMugai Nyodai became the first female abbess and thus the first ordained femaleZen master.[23] |
| 1321 | Sojiji Soto Zen Temple and Monastery established byKeizan Zenji. |
| 1351 | InThailand, U Thong, possibly the son of aChinese merchant family, establishesAyutthaya as his capital and takes the name ofRamathibodi. |
| 1391–1474 | Gyalwa Gendun Drubpa, firstDalai Lama ofTibet. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1405–1431 | The Chinese eunuch admiralZheng He makesseven voyages in this period, throughsoutheast Asia, India, thePersian Gulf, East Africa, andEgypt. At the time, Buddhism is well-established in China, so visited peoples may have had exposure to Chinese Buddhism. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1578 | Altan Khan of theTümed gives the title ofDalai Lama toSonam Gyatso (later known as the third Dalai Lama). |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 1600-1700s | WhenVietnam divides during this period, the Nguyễn rulers of the south choose to supportMahayana Buddhism as an integrative ideology for the ethnically plural society of their kingdom, which is also populated byChams and other minorities. |
| 1614 | TheToyotomi family rebuilds a great image of Buddha at theTemple of Hōkōji inKyōtō. |
| 1615 | TheOirat Mongols convert to theGeluk school of Tibetan Buddhism. |
| 1635 | In Zanabazar, the firstJebtsundamba Khutughtu is born as a great-grandson ofAbadai Khan of theKhalkha. |
| 1642 | Güüshi Khan of theKhoshuud donates the sovereignty of Tibet to the fifth Dalai Lama. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1753 | Sri Lanka reinstatement of monks ordination fromThailand – the Siyam Nikaya lineage. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1802–1820 | Nguyễn Ánh comes to the throne of the first unitedVietnam; he succeeds by quelling theTayson rebellion in south Vietnam with help fromRama I in Bangkok, then takes over the north from the remaining Trinh. After coming to power, he creates aConfucianist orthodox state and is eager to limit the competing influence of Buddhism. He forbids adult men to attend Buddhist ceremonies. |
| 1820–1841 | Minh Mạng reigns inVietnam, further restricting Buddhism. He insists that all monks be assigned tocloisters and carry identification documents. He also places new restrictions on printed material and begins the persecution ofCatholic missionaries and converts that his successors (not without provocation) continue. |
| 1844 | Elizabeth Peabody became the first person to translate any Buddhist scripture into English, translating a chapter of theLotus Sutra from its French translation.[24][25] |
| 1851–1868 | In Thailand, KingMongkut—himself a former monk—conducts a campaign to reform and modernise the monkhood, a movement that has continued in the present century under the inspiration of several great ascetic monks from the northeast part of the country. |
| 1860 | InSri Lanka, against all expectations, the monastic and lay communities bring about a major revival in Buddhism, a movement that goes hand in hand with growing nationalism; the revival follows a period of persecution by foreign powers. Since then, Buddhism has flourished, and Sri Lankan monks and expatriate lay people have been prominent in spreading Theravada Buddhism in Asia, the West, and even in Africa. |
| 1879 | A council is convened under the patronage of KingMindon of Burma to re-edit thePali canon. The king has the texts engraved on729 stones, which are then set upright on the grounds of a monastery nearMandalay. |
| 1880 | Madame Blavatsky andColonel Olcott became the first Westerners to receive the refuges and precepts, the ceremony by which one traditionally becomes a Buddhist; thus Blavatsky was the first Western woman to do so.[26] |
| 1882 | Jade Buddha Temple is founded inShanghai, China, with two Jade Buddha statues imported from Burma. |
| 1884 | Irish-bornU Dhammaloka ordained inBurma; first named but not first known westernbhikkhu. |
| 1893 | TheWorld Parliament of Religions meets inChicago,Illinois;Anagarika Dharmapala andSoyen Shaku attend. |
| 1896 | UsingFa Xian's records,Nepalese archaeologists rediscover the great stone pillar ofAshoka atLumbini. |
| 1899 | Gordon Douglas is ordained inMyanmar; until recently thought to be the first Westerner to be ordained in theTheravada tradition. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1902 | Charles Henry Allan Bennett a British national ordains as a Theravada monk in Ceylon as BhikkhuAnanda Metteyya. |
| 1903 | Formation of theInternational Buddhist Society known as Buddhasāsana Samāgama which went on to gain official representatives in Austria, Burma, Ceylon, China, Germany, Italy, America, and England. |
| 1903 | First publication of periodicalBuddhism: An Illustrated Review, goes on to appear on 500 to 600 reading tables of libraries across Europe. |
| 1904 | First continental European, Anton Walther Florus Gueth, was accepted into the Sangha asÑāṇatiloka Bhikkhu. Ñāṇatiloka went on to become the father of western monks in Ceylon. |
| 1907 | The Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland forms. |
| 1908 | Charles Henry Allan Bennett a British national previously ordained as a Theravada monk as Bhikkhu Ananda Metteyya in Burma leads theFirst Buddhist Mission to the West. |
| 1909 | Release of the periodicalThe Buddhist Review (1909 to 1922) byThe Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland. |
| 1911 | U Dhammaloka tried for sedition for opposition to Christian missionaries inBurma. |
| 1912 | The German monkNyanatiloka founded the first monastery for Western Theravada monks, theIsland Hermitage, in Sri Lanka. |
| 1922 | Zenshuji Soto Mission is founded as the first Soto Zen temple in North America. |
| 1926 | OfficiallyThe Buddhist Society of Great Britain and Ireland dissolved in 1925 and superseded by the Buddhist Lodge in London, in 1926. |
| 1930 | Soka Gakkai is founded in Japan. |
| 1949 | Mahabodhi Temple inBodh Gaya is returned to partial Buddhist control. |
| 1950 | World Fellowship of Buddhists is founded in Colombo, Sri Lanka. |
| 1952 | German Dharmaduta Society founded byAsoka Weeraratna in Colombo, Sri Lanka on September 21, 1952, to spread Buddhism in Germany and other western countries.It was originally known as Lanka Dhammaduta Society. |
| 1953 | The Buddhist Lodge had changed its name and was known as theBuddhist Society. It had relocated to its current address in Eccleston Square. Notably its journals have beenBuddhism andThe Middle Way andChristmas Humphreys was its president from 1926 until his death 1983. |
| 1954 | TheSixth Buddhist Council is held in Rangoon, Burma, organized byU Nu. It ends in time for the 2500th anniversary of the passing of the Buddha according to the Burmese reckoning. |
| 1955 | TheBuddhist Society of India is founded inMumbai,Maharashtra, India. |
| 1956 | the father of theIndian Constitution anduntouchable leaderB. R. Ambedkar converts toNavayana Buddhism, with more than 650,000 followers—beginning the modernNeo-Buddhist movement. |
| 1956 | TheZen Studies Society is founded inNew York City to support the work ofD.T. Suzuki. |
| 1957 | First Theravada Buddhist Mission to Germany from Sri Lanka sponsored by the German Dharmaduta Society founded by Asoka Weeraratna. The Mission comprised Ven.Soma, Ven. Kheminde and Ven. Vinitha of the Vajiraramaya Temple in Colombo, and was accompanied by Asoka Weeraratna. |
| 1957 | Establishment of the Berlin Buddhist Vihara in Berlin – Frohnau, Germany with residential monks from Sri Lanka, by theGerman Dharmaduta Society upon purchase ofDas Buddhistische Haus founded byDr. Paul Dahlke in 1924. This is the first Theravada Buddhist Vihara in continental Europe. |
| 1957 | Caves near the summit of Pai-tai mountain,Fangshan district, 75 km southwest ofBeijing, are reopened, revealing thousands of Buddhist sutras that had been carved onto stone since the 7th century. Seven sets of rubbings are made, and the stones are numbered, in work that continues until 1959. |
| 1959 | The14th Dalai Lama fleesTibet amidstunrest and establishes an exile community in India. Monasteries that participated in or sheltered agents of partisan violence were damaged, burned, or destroyed in the fighting. |
| 1962 | TheDharma Realm Buddhist Association is founded byTripitaka MasterShramanaHsuan Hua, who later founds theCity of Ten Thousand Buddhas and ordains the first five fully ordained American Buddhistmonks andnuns. |
| 1962 | TheSan Francisco Zen Center is founded byShunryu Suzuki. |
| 1963 | Thích Quảng Đức immolates himself to protest the oppression of the Buddhist religion byNgo Dinh Diem. |
| 1965 | The Burmese government arrests over 700 monks inHmawbi, nearRangoon, for refusing to accept government rule. |
| 1965 | The Johnstone House Trust was formed with the objectives "to make available to the public facilities for study and meditation based on Buddhist and other religious teaching leading to mental and spiritual well-being, and to provide guidance for those in need of such help and in particular the utilisation of the property known as Johnstone House, Eskdalemuir, for such purposes." In 1967, the Johnstone House facilities were offered to Tibetan Buddhist lamas led byAkong Rinpoché, under whose guidance and direction theKagyu Samyé Ling Tibetan Buddhist monastery became the first, and swiftly grew to become the largest, Tibetan Buddhist centre in Europe. |
| 1966 | TheWorld Buddhist Sangha Council is convened byTheravadins inSri Lanka with the hope of bridging differences and working together. The first convention is attended by leading monks from many countries and sects,Mahayana as well asTheravada. NineBasic Points Unifying the Theravada and Mahayana are written by Ven.Walpola Rahula are approved unanimously. |
| 1966 | Freda Bedi, a British woman, becomes the first Western woman to take ordination inTibetan Buddhism.[27] |
| 1967 | Friends of the Western Sangha (laterFriends of the Western Buddhist Order) founded by UrgyenSangharakshita |
| 1968 | August. First ordinations into theWestern Buddhist Order (Founder: UrgyenSangharakshita) |
| 1968 | TheShurangama Sutra andShurangama Mantra are lectured for the first time in the West (San Francisco) byTripitaka MasterShramanaHsuan Hua during a 90-day retreat. The first five AmericanBhikshus andBhikshunis are ordained in the Chinese tradition including the oldest still-in-robes American Bhikshuni nunHeng Chr. |
| 1970s | Indonesian Archaeological Service andUNESCO restoreBorobodur. |
| 1974 | Wat Pah Nanachat, the first monastery dedicated to providing training and support for western Buddhist monks in theThai Forest Tradition is founded by VenerableAjahn Chah inThailand. The monks trained here would later establish branch monasteries throughout the world. |
| 1974 | The Naropa Institute (nowNaropa University) is founded inBoulder, Colorado. |
| 1974 | InBurma, during demonstrations atU Thant's funeral, 600 monks are arrested and several are bayoneted by government forces. |
| 1975 | LaoCommunist rulers attempt to change attitudes to religion—in particular, calling on monks to work, not beg. This causes many to return to lay life, but Buddhism remains popular. |
| 1975 | TheInsight Meditation Society is established inBarre,Massachusetts. |
| 1975–1979 | Cambodian Communists underPol Pot try to completely destroy Buddhism, and very nearly succeed. By the time of theVietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978, nearly every monk and religious intellectual has been either murdered or driven into exile, and nearly every temple and Buddhist library has been destroyed. |
| 1976 | Bhikshus Rev.Heng Sure and Rev. Heng Chau, the AmericanBuddhist Monk disciples of Ven.Tripitaka MasterHsuan Hua, for the sake ofworld peace, undertook an over six hundred milethree steps one bowpilgrimage from Los Angeles area toCity of Ten Thousand Buddhas inMendocino area, repeatedly taking three steps and one bow to cover the entire journey. In the entire 2.5 years taken to make the pilgrimage,Shramana Heng Sure observed apractice of total silence. |
| 1976 | Following a demonstration inBurma, the government seeks to discredit the critical monkLa Ba by claiming that he is a cannibal and a murderer. |
| 1978 | In Burma, more monks and novices are arrested, disrobed, and imprisoned by the government. Monasteries are closed and property seized. The critical monkU Nayaka is arrested and dies, the government claiming it is suicide. |
| 1980 | The Burmese military government asserts authority over thesangha, and violence against monks continues through the decade. |
| 1982 | ThePlum Village Monastery was founded byThich Nhat Hanh andChan Khong, two Vietnamese monastics, under thePlum Village Tradition. |
| 1983 | TheShanghai Institute of Buddhism is established atJade Buddha Temple, under theShanghai Buddhist Association. |
| 1988 | During the 1988 uprising,SPDC troops gun down monks. After the uprising,U Nyanissara, a senior monk, records a tape that discusses democracy in Buddhist precepts; the tape is banned. In Estonia, the first political opposition party,Estonian National Independence Party was founded by the head of Estonian Buddhist Brotherhood, Vello Vaartnou. |
| 1990 | August 27 – Over 7000 monks meet inMandalay, inBurma, to call for a boycott of the military. They refuse to accept alms from military families or perform services for them. The military government seizes monasteries and arrests hundreds of monks, including senior monksU Sumangala andU Yewata. The monks face long-term imprisonment, and all boycotting monks are disrobed; some monks are tortured during interrogation. |
| 1992 | TheBuddha Statue of Hyderabad,India is installed, a work of former Chief Minister ofAndhra Pradesh, Late SriN.T. Rama Rao. The 16-meter tall, 350-tonmonolithic colossus rises high from the placid waters of picturesqueHusain Sagar Lake. It is made of white granite, finely sculptured and stands majestically amidst the shimmering waters of the lake. It is later consecrated byDalai Lama. |
| 1996 | Subhana Barzagi Roshi became the Diamond Sangha's first female roshi (Zen teacher) when she received transmission on March 9, 1996, in Australia. In the ceremony Subhanna also became the first female roshi in the lineage ofRobert Aitken Roshi.[28] |
| 1996 | A Bhikkhuni (Buddhist nuns) Order and lineage is revived in Sarnath, India through the efforts ofSakyadhita, an International Buddhist Women Association. The revival is done with some resistance from some of the more literal interpreters of the Buddhist Vinaya (monastic code) and lauded by others in the community. |
| 1998 | January 25 – Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists commit a deadly suicide attack on Sri Lanka's most sacred Buddhist site and aUNESCO World Heritage centre: theTemple of the Tooth, where Buddha's tooth relic is enshrined. Eight civilians are killed and 25 others are injured and significant damage is done to the temple structure, which was first constructed in 1592. |
| 1998 | Sherry Chayat, born in Brooklyn, became the first American woman to receive transmission in the Rinzai school of Buddhism.[29] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2001 | May – Two of the world's tallest ancient Buddha statues, theBuddhas of Bamiyan, are completely destroyed by theTaliban inBamyan,Afghanistan. |
| 2002 | Khenmo Drolma, an American woman, became the first bhikkhuni in theDrikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, getting ordained in Taiwan in 2002.[30][31] |
| 2003 | Ayya Sudhamma Bhikkhuni became the first American-born woman to gain bhikkhuni ordination in theTheravada school in Sri Lanka.[32][33][34] |
| 2004 | Khenmo Drolma became the first westerner, male or female, to be installed as an abbot in theDrikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism. She was installed as the abbot of the Vajra Dakini Nunnery in 2004.[30] The Vajra Dakini Nunnery does not follow theEight Garudhammas.[35] |
| 2004 | April – InSri Lanka, Buddhist monks acting as candidates for theJathika Hela Urumaya party win nine seats in elections. |
| 2006 | March –Merle Kodo Boyd, born in Texas, became the first African–American woman ever to receive Dharma transmission in Zen Buddhism.[36][37] |
| 2006 | April – The Government of the People's Republic of China sponsors the First World Buddhist Forum in Mount Putuo, Zhejiang Province. Notably absent was the Dalai Lama. |
| 2006 | For the first time in American history, a Buddhist ordination was held where an American woman (Sister Khanti-Khema) took theSamaneri (novice) vows with an American monk (Bhante Vimalaramsi) presiding. This was done for the Buddhist American Forest Tradition at the Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center in Missouri.[38] |
| 2007 | Myokei Caine-Barrett, born and ordained in Japan, became the first female Nichiren priest in her affiliated Nichiren Order of North America.[39] |
| 2008 | After a 10-year process of advanced training culminating in a ceremony called shitsugo (literally "room-name"),Sherry Chayat received the title of roshi and the name Shinge ("Heart/Mind Flowering") from Eido Roshi, which was the first time that this ceremony was held in the United States.[40] |
| 2010 | Western Buddhist Order (Founder: UrgyenSangharakshita) changes name to Triratna Buddhist Order and Friends of the Western Buddhist Order toTriratna Buddhist Community. |
| 2010 | The first Tibetan Buddhist nunnery in America (Vajra Dakini Nunnery in Vermont) was officially consecrated. It offers novice ordination and follows theDrikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism. The abbot of the Vajra Dakini nunnery isKhenmo Drolma, an American woman, who is the first bhikkhuni in theDrikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, having been ordained in Taiwan in 2002.[30][31] She is also the first westerner, male or female, to be installed as an abbot in theDrikung Kagyu lineage of Buddhism, having been installed as the abbot of the Vajra Dakini Nunnery in 2004.[30] The Vajra Dakini Nunnery does not followThe Eight Garudhammas.[35] |
| 2010 | In Northern California, 4 novice nuns were given the full bhikkhuni ordination in the ThaiTheravada tradition, which included the double ordination ceremony.Bhante Gunaratana and other monks and nuns were in attendance. It was the first such ordination ever in the Western hemisphere.[41] The following month, more bhikkhuni ordinations were completed in Southern California, led byWalpola Piyananda and other monks and nuns. The bhikkhunis ordained in Southern California were Lakshapathiye Samadhi (born in Sri Lanka), Cariyapanna, Susila, Sammasati (all three born in Vietnam), and Uttamanyana (born in Myanmar).[42] |
| 2010 | TheSoto Zen Buddhist Association (SZBA) approves a document honoring the women ancestors in the Zen tradition at its biannual meeting on October 8, 2010. Female ancestors, dating back 2,500 years from India, China, and Japan, may now be included in the curriculum, ritual, and training offered to Western Zen students.[43] |
| 2011 | TheInstitute for Buddhist Dialectical Studies (IBD) in Dharamsala, India, conferred the degree ofgeshe onVenerable Kelsang Wangmo, a German nun, thus making her the world's first femalegeshe.[44][45] |
| 2013 | Tibetan women were able to take the geshe exams for the first time.[46] |
| 2014 | Nalanda University (also known as Nalanda International University) is a newly established university located inRajgir, nearNalanda,Bihar, India. It has been established in a bid to revive the ancient seat of learning. The university has acquired 455 acres of land for its campus and has been allotted ₹2727 crores (around $454M) by the Indian government.[47] It is also being funded by the governments ofChina,Singapore,Australia,Thailand, and others.[48] |
| 2016 | Twenty Tibetan Buddhist nuns became the first Tibetan women to earn geshe degrees.[49][50] |
| 2018 | Sumedhārāma Buddhist Monastery[51] is established in Portugal, a branch monastery of theThai Forest Tradition in the lineage of VenerableAjahn Chah, being the first Theravāda monastery on theIberian Peninsula. |
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