ABSTRACT
Buddhism was founded by a historical figure referred to as the Buddha, who lived and taught 2500 years ago in India. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with about 350 million practitioners worldwide. Similar to founders of other world religions, Siddhartha’s birth was foretold by prophets. There is considerable myth concerning the conception and birth of Siddhartha. It is related that his mother conceived him in a dream of a six-tusked white elephant, which dissolved into her body. For 45 years, the Buddha traveled throughout India teaching what he learned under the bodhi tree, while a monastic community arose around him. He continued teaching until the age of 80, when it is said he died from food poisoning near the town of Kushinagar, India. The teachings of the Buddha are expansive. However, his teachings were not initially written down but, rather, were committed to memory and transmitted in an ongoing oral tradition for generations.
