Buddhists are followers of a variety of practices and beliefs known as Buddhism. Whether Buddhism is a religion or philosophy is controversial. Some sources say that to be a religion, there must be a belief and worship of a supernatural entity, which Buddhists do not have. Other sources describe religion as an organization that practices beliefs based on a higher power or ultimate truth. Buddhism is based on the latter.
Buddhism can be traced back to circa 563 to 460 BCE (or BC) in what is now called Nepal. Siddhartha Gautama, who is more commonly referred to as the Buddha, is said to have had a significant enlightenment (or awakening) about life and existence. After his own enlightenment, the Buddha spent his life teaching others how they too can be enlightened.
Buddhism is based on the fundamentals of the four noble truths: dukkha (the truth of suffering), samudaya (the truth of the cause of suffering), nirhodha (the truth of the end of suffering), and magga (the truth of the path that frees us from suffering). It also encompasses three trainings: sila (good conduct and morality), samadhi (meditation and mental development), and prajna (wisdom and enlightenment).
Beginning during the eighth century, genealogists have worked to determine how Buddhist traditions have been passed down through the generations. These genealogical charts are called dharma lineages. They often begin with the Buddha and work to present day Buddhist Masters.
While Buddhists do get married, Buddhism beliefs do not put an emphasis on the need for marriage. Because of this, you may find that your Buddhist ancestors were never married, although they may have lived with each other and bore children together.
Buddhist death registers can usually be obtained at the Buddhist temple where your ancestors worshipped. These registers, called kakocho, are a chronological list ordered by the date of death. Information listed includes the name of the deceased, date of death, age at death, next of kin, and gender.