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Orthodox vs. Heterodox Buddhism derived from the preaching’s of Siddhartha Gautama “ the Buddha”, who is said to have reached the state of enlightenment at the young age of thirty-five. Siddhartha Gautama spent most of his life teaching his beliefs that focused mainly on his goal to rid himself and others from suffering in an attempt to ultimately attain inner peace. “The Buddha’s teachings are like the Buddha himself-practical. Surrounded in India of his day by every kind of speculation about the afterlife, the nature of the divine, and other difficult questions, the Buddha concentrated on what was useful” (Molloy 111). Among his ideals was the belief in the eightfold path and the four noble truths as methods to reach the ultimate state of enlightenment. Meanwhile, he gained many followers and began an order of monks. A few months after his death, five hundred of his most devout disciples made up the first Buddhist council, led by the eldest monk Maha Kassapa. Their lack of agreement on any changes to be made to their new system of belief helped Maha Kassapa decide that none of the original teachings of the Buddha should be altered in any way. About one hundred years later a second council was held and some minor