Buddhism was founded around the 6th century BC by a Hindu priest named Shakyamuni. He was born in present-day Nepal, but grew up and preached in the Kapila kingdom of northern India (now part of Nepal). Buddhism developed in India for centuries and gradually spread to other Asian countries and around the world. In India, Buddhism used to be one of the main religions, but in later times, Buddhism gradually declined in India due to various reasons, including religious disputes and political factors, but there are still many Indians who believe in Buddhism.
In India, the current state of Buddhism is relatively small. At present, the proportion of Buddhists in India's population is very low, about 0.7%. Buddhism is less influential in India than other religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, etc. However, Buddhism still has some important temples and sites in India that attract Buddhist believers from all over the world to come to worship and study.
The main concentrations of Buddhism in India include the central states of northern India, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. These areas are home to important Buddhist temples and sites, such as Bodha Gaya and Bodh Gaya, the birthplace of the Buddha, and the stupa built by the ancient Indian master Ashoka.
In addition, some Indians have begun to pay renewed attention to Buddhism, because the teachings of Buddhism provide some useful reflections on some issues of modern society, such as environmental protection and stress management. Therefore, Buddhism is still a religion with some influence in India.
Around the 4th century BC, a new school of thought emerged in Hinduism, the complex "Brahmanism", which became the mainstream school of Hinduism and a competitor to Buddhism. In addition, another school of Hinduism, Jainism (also known as Kushan Buddhism), also competed with Buddhism, which gradually caused Buddhism to lose its status and influence in India.
Second, Buddhism itself also has some internal problems, such as too many doctrinal branches and internal strife within the sangha. In the process of the development of Buddhism, there were often divisions and conflicts between different branches, which made it difficult to maintain and develop Buddhism without unity and stability within it.
Political and social factors also influenced the development of Buddhism in India. At certain times in Indian history, political and social upheaval, religious disputes continued. In such an environment, it is difficult for Buddhism to gain widespread support and development in India.
Finally, Buddhism was introduced to other countries and became more widely developed and spread, such as China, Japan, South Korea, etc., and the degree of acceptance and development of Buddhism in these countries was higher than that of India. In these countries, Buddhism blends with local cultures to form unique Buddhist cultures and traditions. This led to the gradual transplantation of Buddhism from India to other countries, where it developed and spread more widely.
Buddhism was developed in China because around the 1st century AD, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Buddhism was introduced to China through the Silk Road, and was influenced by the political, cultural and social environment at that time, gradually integrated into Chinese culture, and supported by some intellectuals and the imperial family at that time.
When Buddhism was introduced to China, it happened that China's Han culture reached a peak, foreign exchanges were also more frequent, and the society was in a relatively relaxed period, coupled with the Buddhist teachings integrating Confucianism, Taoism, Moism and other ideas, so Buddhism was widely accepted and spread in China.
In addition, in the middle and late Han Dynasty, Buddhism was supported by some important royal families and intellectuals, such as Emperor Hanming, Emperor Wudi of Han, Ban Gu, Zhu Fashu, etc., who played an important role in the promotion of Buddhism. With the passage of time, Buddhism in China has grown stronger and stronger, forming its own unique style, such as Zen Buddhism, Huayan Buddhism, Tendai Buddhism, etc., and gradually becoming one of the mainstream religions in China.
In short, Buddhism was developed in China because in a specific historical period, Buddhism was introduced in China and integrated with Chinese culture, and at the same time received political, cultural and social support and influence.
