1, primitive Buddhism period 2, sectarian Buddhism period

3. Mahayana Buddhism period 4. Late Buddhism

Primitive Buddhism period:

Buddhism in the period when Sakyamuni founded religion and its disciples successively spread Buddhism is called primitive Buddhism period. Over the past 50 years, Buddhism has spread to China and seven Indian countries, covering an area of129,500 square kilometers. If you consider that Sakyamuni and his disciples are all preaching on foot, this is an amazing record!

Buddhist period:

After the death of Sakyamuni, with the spread of Buddhism to all parts of ancient India, Buddhist monk groups emerged everywhere. Due to different understandings of precepts and doctrines, many sects eventually formed. With the intensification of these sectarian contradictions, Buddhism experienced its first great split a hundred years after Sakyamuni's death, which is called "fundamental split" in history. On the basis of the fundamental division of Buddhism, there have been more small divisions, forming many sects, which are called "continuous branches" in history. These divisions lasted from the 4th century BC to the 2nd century AD, and Buddhism in this period was called "ministerial Buddhism".

Mahayana Buddhism period:

Around 1 century, a group of practitioners began to appear in Indian Buddhist groups at that time. They were not in a hurry to extricate themselves, but for the benefit of all sentient beings. They believe that the purpose of practice is not only to get self-liberation, but more importantly, to save all sentient beings and make them realize. In Buddhism, the carriage is a tool to attach all beings to the other side, which means riding by cart.

Therefore, they practiced and preached according to the Mahayana Sutra, the Vimalakīrti Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, and Mahayana Buddhism rose in India. The so-called "Mahayana" is a big means of transportation, that is, "a big way and a big method to gain true knowledge and achieve liberation."

After the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana practitioners demoted some schools of primitive Buddhism and sectarian Buddhism as "Mahayana", which means riding tools and paths.

Late Buddhism:

In the middle of the 7th century, Brahmanism in India merged with other sects, and a new sect, Hinduism, was born. With the revival of Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhists absorbed the practice mode of Hinduism and formed tantric Buddhism, which is the last important form of Indian Buddhism. Tantric Buddhism, as a kind of Mahayana Buddhism, is taught secretly between master and apprentice, with mysterious content, so it is also called Tantric Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism, Yoga Tantric Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism.