Expansion of Buddhism in the South and South Eastern Asia
In the early centuries of the Common Era, the people in various parts of South and South East Asia came to know of Buddhism as a result of increased contact with the Indian merchants who had come to the region to trade. These merchants not only established trading stations in Southeast Asia, but also brought their religions and cultures with them. Buddhism the path to enlightenment is one of the oldest surviving religions. From its ancestral roots originated in the North Eastern India above the Ganges, Buddhism has grown into a great principle of philosophies followed by many faithful devotees to this day. Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of the path to enlightenment originated in the axis age period in Lumbini and his principles on deliverance has widespread around the globe. After the death of Gautama, his disciples convened the first Buddhist council and formulated the “Tipitaka”, the principles of Buddhism, after which a second council met after a period of one hundred years and split into two sects as Theravada and Mahayana due to their differences in their monastic rules and regulations. Buddhism spread in all directions, all around the world. Special significance is given to Buddhism spreading in the South and South East Asian region. Countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia are greatly influenced by the philosophy of Theravada Buddhism.
Theravada Buddhism also referred to as the way of the elders’ dates back to the second Buddhist council after Buddhism split into two sects. The third council held in Pataliputra under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka saw Buddhism spreading all around the world, especially Theravada in the South and South East Asian countries. Emperor Ashoka from the lineage of the Maurya Dynasty waged war with the intention of unifying India under the same banner. The war with the Kalinga on the Bay of Bengal made him realise the adverse...