A travel feature by Aatish Taseer begins in Nepal, tracing the geographical and philosophical journey of Buddhism from its origins across Asia. The initial chapter starts in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, where Taseer met retired archaeologist Basanta Kumar Bidari near the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment under a peepul tree around 563 B.C. The Buddha spent his entire 80 years in the region straddling modern Nepal and northeastern India.

Bidari drew attention to the inscription on the pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka two centuries after the Buddha’s death. The unique phrase, “atana agācha mahīyte,” meaning “I myself came here,” marks Lumbini as a site consecrated by both the Buddha and the powerful Indian emperor whose conversion dramatically accelerated the new doctrine's spread.

This exploration contrasts the sacred history with the present-day landscape, including views from the Swayambhunath Stupa in the Kathmandu Valley, which serves as a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. Taseer reflects on the core narrative of Prince Siddhartha Gautama abandoning his royal life to seek an end to suffering, a story he first heard in Delhi.

This article is the first installment of a three-part series covering Buddhism’s propagation into Thailand and Taiwan.