"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity" Albert Einstein (Robison 1)
Who knew that the fourth largest religion in the world would begin its story with a young and beautiful queen named Maya. She had a dream of a six-tusked elephant with a head the color of rubies coming down from the heavens and entered her right side (Rawding 7). The Brahmins (intelligent men who were skilled at interpreting dreams) told the king that the dream was a sign that the child that his wife would give birth to was a holy child and would achieve perfect wisdom (Rawding 7).
Siddharta Guatama (the Buddha, as he is more commonly known) was born into orthodox Hinduism. His father, in fear that his son would not follow in his footsteps and become king, raised him in a wealthy and pleasure-filled palace to shield his son from any experience of human misery and suffering (Hooker 1). He married Yasodhara, who was the daughter of the court minister (Rawding 11). When he went

May they be inseparable from the happiness, which is without suffering,

“Theravada Buddhism (sometimes-called Southern Buddhism; occasionally spelled Therevada) "has been the dominant school of Buddhism in most of Southeast Asia since the thirteenth century, with the establishment of the monarchies in Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and Laos."

The ways that Buddhism is contrasts from Christianity are the facts that Buddhists do not have:

Dukkha, which is the reality and universality of suffering. Suffering has many causes, such as loss, sickness, pain, failure, or impermanence of pleasure.

Samma samadhi-right concentration (Robison 2)

It’s hard to believe that the first collected teachings and oral traditions were put into written form two and a half centuries after Siddharta died. These first writings are known as the Tripitaka. It contained sutras (discourses) or commentaries or traditions. Before they had the teachings in the written form, they would recite them and pass them down through the years by mouth (Robison 2). Most people misinterpret Buddhism and think it is a religion. However, it is just a way of life. (Gard 19)