The greatest branch of Buddhism, known as Mahayana, is what most non-followers today refer to as "Buddhism" because of its practices and beliefs. Though that assertion has been contested,
Conventional dates for the historical Buddha's life are 566-486 B.C.E. it emerged as a school of thought some time after 383 BCE, possibly from the earlier Mahasanghika school. After the Second Buddhist Council in 383 BCE, when the Sthaviravada school also known as the "Sect of the Elders" or "Teaching of the Elders" split from the Buddhist community due to doctrinal disagreements, the Mahasanghika ("Great Congregation") emerged. The Mahasanghika school of Buddhism was just one of many various Buddhist schisms that resulted from this first split. According to its name, Mahasanghika claimed to speak for the majority of Buddhists.
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