Chapter 1, The Buddha, The Story of the Awakened One Summary and Analysis

Much of what scholars know about ancient Buddhism comes from excavating ruined Buddhist stupas, or monumental burial mounds, enshrine relics of the Buddha and Buddhist "saints", or arhats. Buddhism was originally an Indian religion, starting in the fifty century BCE, and was deeply influential in India for another fifteen centuries. Buddhism then spread through old Asian trade routes. By the twelfth century, Buddhist institutions had almost disappeared from India and Buddhism flourishes in the countries beyond Buddhism today. Many of these traditions still look back to the historical figure of the Buddha, someone who belongs to a people calls the Sakyas. He was the Sakya-muni or "the sage of the Sakyas", or "the Lord Buddha".

Buddhism has spent much time focusing on who and what...