Buddhism is a religion of kindness, humanity and equality and was founded by Gautama; afterwards called Buddha towards the end of the 16th century B.C. It is one of the three great world religions. However like Christianity and Islam, it made its appearance in historical time. No one today will deny that Buddhism and its founder lived in India some centuries before the begining of the Christian era. Buddha lived for eighty years and entered into Mahaprinirvana at Kusinara or presently known as Kusinagra. At the time of Buddha's Mahaprinirvana his most famous disciple Ananda was working along with him, but the oldest and most revered among his followers, Mahakassapa was not present there. When Mahakassapa was proceeding from Pava to Kushinagra with his associates, the news about the demise of Buddha was brought to him by a naked ascetic of the Ajivika sect. This news also reached the Mahakassapa's associates, one of them Thera (a monk or nun of ten year's standing from his Apasampada is called Thera (Bhikkhus) or Theri (Bhikkusni). A monk or nun of twenty year's standing is known as Mahathera or Mahatheri respectively) named Subhadda who was recorded to have exhorted the monks. Mahakassapa stated how this Subhadda rejoices at the death of the master, saying, "Now we shall be able to do all that pleases us, and that which does not please us, we will shall no longer be forced to do." The irreverent words of Subhadda filled the Mahakassapa with alarm for the future safety and purity of Dhamma.
