INDIA

Buddhist Traditions of South Asia Timeline

THERAVDA

500420 BCE +/- 60 years, Life of

kyamuni Buddha
Soon after Parinirva, the 1st Council is
convened at Rjagha
th
4 3rd c. BCE Sutra/Sutta discourse
canon formation
~100 years after the Parinirva, the 2nd
Council at Vail
272236 Reign of King Aoka
~250 BCE 3rd Council at Paliputra
3rd c. BCE1st c. CE Abhidharma
Canonical collections formed
nd
2 1st c. BCE Advent of Mahyna

TIBET

~327247 BCE Moggaliputta-Tissa

(Kathvatthu)
~240 BCE Theravda to Sri Lanka,
founding of Mahvihra
nd
2 c. Ngasena (Milindapah)
1st c. BCE Abhayagiri founded
1st c. BCE Buddhist canon written

down for first time

BCE
1st10th c. Various forms of
CE
Buddhism enter Southeast Asia 233 Legendary arrival of Buddhism in
~1st-2nd c. Upatissa (Vimuttimagga)
Tibet (sutra & relics fall on palace)

1st c. Buddhism enters China

~150250 Ngrjuna (Madhyamaka)
~1st3rd c. Lotus Sutra assembled
~4th c. Asaga (Yogcra)
th
th
~4th5th c. Vasubandhu (Kosa,Yogcra) ~4 5 c. Buddhaghoa
(Visuddhimagga: Path of
414 Faxian (Chinese pilgrim) to India
Purification)
5th c. Nland monastery founded
6th c. Dignga (epistemology)
5th10th c. Important Theravda
~600650 Chandrakrti (Madhyamaka)
scholarship maintained in Sri
7th c. Dharmakrti (epistemology)
Lanka by Buddhadatta, Mahath
th
nama, Upasena, Dhammapla I
7 10 c. Development of Tantric
and Dhammapla II
Buddhism:
th
- 7 c. Kriy (Action) Tantras
- 7th8th c. Cary (Performance) Tantras
- 8th c. Yoga (Practice) Tantras
- 8th9th c. Mahyoga Tantras
~10th12th c. Anuruddha
- 9th10th c. Yogin (Seer) Tantras
(Abhidhammattha Sangaha)
th
10 11th c. Theravda in Burma.
11th c. Theravda revived in Sri
11th13th c. Buddhist monasteries sacked
Lanka through contacts with
Burma. Mahvihra and
Abhayagiri officially reconciled
th
th
13 c. Buddhism effectively ends in
11 14th c. Theravda spreads
India.
from Burma to Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

618650 Songtsen Gampo, first of Tibets

religious kings
760 ntarakita and Padmasabhava:
first dissemination (Nyingma origins)
767 Samye, first monastery in Tibet

10th c. Revival of monastic Buddhism

10th c. Rinchen Sangpo (9581055) and
others return from studying in India:
second dissemination
11th c. Founding of orders:
- Kadam by Atia & Dromdon (100864)
- Sakya by Gonchok Gyelpo (10341102)
- Kagyu by Marpa (10121096), Milarepa
(~10521135) & Gampopa (10791153)
th
13 c. Pakpa (12351280): priest-patron
relationship with Qubilai Khan.
1244 Sakya Pandita travels to Mongolia
and conversion of Mongols begins.
14th15th c. Theravda re-imported 13571419 Life of Tsongkhapa, founder of
into Burma from Sri Lanka.
the Gelug order
15431588 Sonam Gyatso, 3rd Dalai Lama
18th c. New purifications revive
initiating the Dalai Lama lineage
monastic Buddhism in Sri Lanka 16171682 Ngawang Losang Gyatso, 5th
1791 Official unification of
Dalai Lama and 1st Dalai Lama ruler
Burmese Buddhism
19th c. Beginning of Rim movement