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c. 485 BCE
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Birth of the Buddha
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c. 450 BCE
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The Buddha's enlightenment and first sermon
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c. 405 BCE
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Death of the Buddha
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c. 400 BCE
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First Buddhist Council
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c. 400 BCE
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Monks spread Buddhism in northern India
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c. 350 BCE
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Second Buddhist Council
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322 BCE
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Buddhist empire under Chandragupta Maurya
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c. 300 BCE
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Buddhism arrives in SE Asia
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c. 300 BCE
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Notable Buddhist community founded at Nagpur
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c. 263 BCE
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Emperor Asoka converts to Buddhism
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c. 260 BCE
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Asoka declares Buddhism the official religion of the Mauryan Empire
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250 BCE
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Third Buddhist Council overseen by Asoka; Great Schism; Theravada Buddhism defined
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247 BCE
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Emperor Asoka's son Mahinda converts king of Sri Lanka to Buddhism
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c. 220 BCE
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Lo Yang monastery becomes Buddhist center
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c. 200 BCE
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Buddhist cave dwellings built at Bhaja
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189 BCE
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Chinese refugees bring Buddhism to Vietnam
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c. 185 BCE
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Beginning of Sunga Empire; Buddhism suppressed
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c. 100 BCE
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Fourth Buddhist Council; compiliation of Mahavibhasa
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25 BCE
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Buddhist scriptures first written down
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17 BCE
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Schism among Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka
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17 BCE
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Tripitaka (Theravada Buddhist Canon) completed in Sri Lanka
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Indian Buddhists settle in Southeast Asia
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Rise of Vajrayana Buddhism
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Burma adopts Theravada Buddhism
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68 CE
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Buddhist White Horse Temple constructed
