This paper shall discuss the historic context and culture of the origins of Buddhism. It discusses, without value judgment or editorial view, the general origins of Buddhism beginning with Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism is one of the younger of the widely practiced world religions, having started about 500 years before Christianity. Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, was an Indian who discovered what he called, the middle way in which extremes of sensual indulgence were avoided and self-mortification was practiced, resulting in enlightenment. Buddhism as a spiritual practice spread quickly throughout South-eastern Asia; and while it is no longer a dominant force in India, it remains the primary religion throughout that area of the Asian continent.
