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Deep within India, Prince Siddhartha has cast away all his belongings, power, and family. Seeking the answers to the woes of mankind. Here he sits under the bodhi tree in deep meditation, on the cusp of enlightenment of 8-Fold Secret. When he awakes he is Buddha and conveys the four noble truths to the people. However, the Demon God of Desire, Mara has different plans for him. For a mortal is forbidden to know secrets of death, rebirth, and the wheel of the cosmos.
Buddhism teaches people to meditate, moderate behavior, live by ethical codes, and maintain love for their family and community. But why did Buddha's message appeal to so many people? Even with heavy competition from other religions, his words spread and endured over the centuries, continuing to foster spirituality in an ever-changing and chaotic world.
The Great King Ashoka's relentless quest for the revered relic - "The Ashes of the Buddha" - marked the genesis of his transformation and ignited the global spread of Buddhism. As he tirelessly wove religion, monasteries, and compassionate policies into the fabric of society, Ashoka also spurred infrastructural growth across his realm. Giving people access to a practical moral system to guide their lives under Buddhism.
The Great Ashoka changed the model for future monarchs. The righteous King's reign would show how power should be wielded to create a Buddhist society and future kings would even invite monks to be a part of their courts. Buddhism expanded across the world along with The Emerald Buddha and change with the cultures it reached.
Vajrayana, Mahayana, and Theravada are the most practiced forms of Buddhism today but there were a lot of changes within the Mahayaha practice when the expansion of Buddhism crossed the Silk Road. Buddhism was adopted by the Chinese and adapted to fit their beliefs and pantheons. Creating some of the Buddhist symbols we see today including Shaolin Monks, Guanyin, and the statues used for blessings of wealth.
