Buddhist traditions

An editorial selection for comparing processes, events, and lives. The interval and counts describe selected records, not the historical boundaries or importance of the subject.

Canonical records: 100
Events: 52
People: 1
Processes and periods: 47

Compare in the atlas Selection criteria and limits

Topics represented

Religion (99) · Buddhist traditions (97) · Korean Buddhist traditions (7) · State (7) · Theravāda (6) · Japanese Buddhist traditions (5) · Mahāyāna (5) · Art and monasticism (3) · Chinese Buddhist traditions (3) · Tibetan Buddhist traditions (3) · Chan (3) · Vajrayāna (3)

View distribution by region and period

Canonical records by regional label and start date. These are numerical analysis bins, not universal historical periods. A multi-region record appears in multiple rows; do not add rows as a unique-record total.
Region	3000–1 BCE	1–1499	1500–1799	1800–1899	1900–1999	Since 2000
Africa	0	0	0	0	0	0
Americas	0	0	0	1	4	0
Asia	20	54	2	4	8	5
Europe	0	0	0	0	0	0
Oceania	0	0	0	0	0	0
Global / no specific region	0	0	0	2	8	2

Records and sources

Ordered by start date. Long lives and processes may begin before the period you want to study.

1979
MBSR and clinical mindfulness adaptation
The MBSR program is founded at a Massachusetts medical center in 1979; it relates to mindfulness practices but is a specific clinical adaptation, distinct from a complete Buddhist tradition.
1998
International bhikkhuni ordination
An international ordination at Bodh Gaya brings together women from several countries in the contemporary Theravada revival of full ordination; its institutional recognition remains uneven.
1999
UN recognizes Vesak
The General Assembly recognizes Vesak at UN offices; it does not standardize calendars or interpretations.
Mar 2001
Destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas
Destruction of the monumental sculptures shows the vulnerability and global significance of Afghanistan’s Buddhist heritage.
2002
Mahabodhi inscribed by UNESCO
The inscription links Bodh Gaya’s living complex with pilgrimage history and contemporary conservation.
2007
Monastic protests in Myanmar
Buddhist monks visibly participate in the 2007 demonstrations and the subsequent repression; that participation does not assign one political position to all of Myanmar’s sangha.
2010
Estimate of Buddhist communities outside Asia
Pew estimated about 3.9 million Buddhists in North America and 1.3 million in Europe in 2010. These are affiliation estimates for that year, not a current census or a measure of individual practice.
2016
Nalanda inscribed by UNESCO
The inscription preserves archaeological remains of a monastic-scholastic tradition, not an uninterrupted modern institution.
2023
Songkran inscribed by UNESCO
UNESCO inscribed Songkran, Thailand’s traditional New Year festival, in 2023. Its practices include bathing Buddha images and expressing respect for elders and ancestors.
May 20, 2024
25 years of Vesak at the UN
The missions of Sri Lanka and Thailand hosted a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of resolution 54/115 in the ECOSOC Chamber at UN Headquarters. The General Assembly president’s speech documents the event.