Buddhism is one of the world s major religious traditions, with the majority of its influence in south and southeastern Asia. The history of Buddhism is the story of one man s spiritual journey to Enlightenment, and of the teachings and ways of living that developed from it. Siddhartha Gautama - The Buddha. During its roughly 2.5 millennia of history, Buddhism has shown a flexible approach, adapting itself to different conditions and local ideas while maintaining its core teachings. The founder of Buddhism in this world is Buddha Shakyamuni. He was born as a royal prince in 624 BC in a place called Lumbini, which was originally in northern India but is now part of Nepal. Shakya is the name of the royal family into which he was born, and Muni means Able One . The history of Buddhism also witnessed the development of numerous movements and divisions, such as Theravada, Mahayana, etc. This valuable book on Buddhism will be an important resource guide for students of theology and general public.