In the third century B.C., the Mauryan emperor Asoka became a follower of Buddhism and, as the patron of missionaries, laid the foundations for the propagation of Indian Buddhism throughout the world.  Buddhism entered Afghanistan and Iran via northwestern India and made its way as far west as Syria, Egypt, and Greece.  It reached Burma to the east and was transmitted to Sri Lanka in the south. Sri Lankan Theravada prospered mightily and from there was taken to Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, where it flourishes today as Theravada, or Pali, Buddhism. Buddhism also flourished in northwestern India, whence it was transmitted to China in the first century A.D. by way of Central Asia. For the next thousand years, via both the Silk Road and the southern sea route, Indian scriptures were taken to China and there translated. Chinese Buddhism was transmitted to Korea and Japan, where it continues to prosper.  Various sects arose in China, where both Abhidharma and Mahayana doctrines were received from India and further elaborated.  Japanese Buddhism then received Chinese Buddhist doctrines and developed them further. A number of the sects that emerged in China and Japan survive to this day. Beginning in the seventh century many Buddhist scriptures, chiefly Mahayana works but also the Vinayaand Abhidharma of the Sarvastivada, a pre-Mahayana school, were also transmitted to Tibet from India.
      Today living Buddhism is centered on Theravada Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism. There are followers of Buddhism in China, Korea, and Tibet, as well as in Southeast Asia, where Buddhism was taken by Chinese immigrants.  Buddhism continues to be disseminated throughout the world by the Zen and Pure Land sects.  Modern Buddhism thus encompasses the doctrines of every period of the religion's history, including those teachings developed in China and Japan.
      In the Theravada Buddhist societies of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, it is believed that ordinary people can attain the Buddhahood through the blessing of Buddhist monks.  People in those countries make donations and offerings to monks who are deemed highly respected in the societies.  The Buddhist monks go around the society in early morning to beg food. People believe that they can accumulate their merits by means of practicing the offerings.  In Burma they offer not only food. But they donate a large amount of money to build pagodas.  It is their lifelong dream to make a pagoda.  On the other hand, Buddhist monks offer a spiritual guidance to the ordinary people.  By the way, it is sometimes mistaken that Theravada Buddhism is practiced in Vietnam.  Unlike its neighboring countries, Vietnam is a Mahayana Buddhist country.  It was introduced from China. Faith in Kwan-in Boddhisatva is prevailing in Vietnam.
      At any rate, Buddhism is not merely a field of academic inquiry; it is a living religion of faith and practice whose way is personal experience and whose goal is supreme enlightenment.  The connotations of experience and enlightenment cannot be fully understood through words, but only through experience.  Comprehension even of logical explanations must be grounded inexperience.  A person can read about experience, but without personal experience will be unable to understand it fully.  However many words are used to describe a religious concept, it can be understood completely only through religious practice.