Hinduism gave birth to Jainism and Buddhism, and the three religions have much in common. Jainism emphasized that spiritual release or salvation was possible, no matter what caste you occupied. The teachings of the Buddha consisted of the Four Noble Truths and the belief that the supreme goal of life is nirvana.

Buddhism and Hinduism share some core beliefs while rejecting others. For instance, Buddhism does not accept the Vedic literature and rites or the caste system, though it does retain the concept of reincarnation. They also use many of the same words: atman (self or soul), yoga (union), karma (deed or task), and dharma (rule or law), to name a few.

Buddhism grew up in the sixth century B.C.E. Like Jainism, it was an alternative to Hinduism and resembled Jainism in several respects. Buddhism rejected the authority of the Vedas and the caste system and offered a vision of salvation based on the actions of the individual and fueled by effort. Whereas Jainism was extreme in its ascetic precepts, Buddhism prescribed a more moderate path or “middle way” between the desire for worldly indulgence and the extreme asceticism of Mahavira. Due to this middle path, Buddhism drew more followers and held great appeal in India for several centuries. It would also hold great appeal in China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia when Buddhist missionaries began traveling there.

In fact, three major traditions dominated Chinese culture up until the twentieth century: Confucianism, Daoism (Taoism), and Buddhism, and they coexisted — and often shared moral and social ideas — for about 2,500 years. But when Mao Zedong, better known as Chairman Mao, established China as a communist state, the regime destroyed long-established values. Traditional institutions, religions included, were closed and their adherents persecuted.

This trend of Buddhists residing mainly in Asia and Southeast Asia continues today. While Buddhism was spreading into foreign lands, it was losing ground to a resurgence in Hinduism in India, where Muslim conquest had also diminished the number of Buddhists.