ABSTRACT
“Buddha Dhamma” outlines the development of Buddhism from a small renunciant community in northern India to a diverse and influential array of philosophies, institutions, and practices that now span the globe. The chapter recounts the life story of Buddhism’s founder, Siddhatta Gotama, and introduces the major doctrines and practices that comprise Buddhist life, including topics such as meditation, vows, relics, pilgrimage, and women’s ordination. The chapter also considers some of the diverse adaptations that Buddhists have made to cultural contexts beyond India.
