Mahayana Buddhism is the largest Buddhist sect in the world, and its beliefs and practices are what most non-adherents recognize as "Buddhism" in the modern era. It developed as a school of thought sometime after 383 BCE, possibly from the earlier school known as Mahasanghika, though that claim has been challenged.
More about: Mahayana Buddhism10 days left
Server Costs Fundraiser 2026
It costs $20,000 a year to run our servers, and we need your help to pay for them!
$10897 / $20000
Definition
Timeline
-
c. 563 BCE - c. 483 BCEThe life of Siddhartha Gautama according to modern scholarly consensus.
-
383 BCESecond Council of Buddhism where different schools break away and form their own traditions.
-
283 BCEMahayana Buddhism already developed and operating alongside other schools, including Mahasanghika.
-
c. 268 BCE - 232 BCEReign of Ashoka the Great who spreads Buddhism throughout India and sends Buddhist missionaries to other nations.
-
c. 50 BCE - c. 600 CEThe sutras of The Perfection of Wisdom are written.
-
c. 200 CEThe Buddhist Lotus Sutra is written down in Pali language.
-
7 Feb 573 CE - 8 Apr 622 CEPrince Shotoku was the founder of Japanese Buddhism and of the Japanese nation. He is famous for his 17-article constitution, the first Buddhist constitution ever to be created.
