Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion that originated in India more than 2,500 years ago when Siddhartha Gautama ("the Buddha") established it. Buddhism is considered one of the major world religions by scholars, with over 470 million adherents.

Its practice has traditionally been most popular in East and Southeast Asia, but it is gaining traction in the West. Many Buddhist beliefs and philosophies are similar to those of other religions.

Overview About Buddhism

According to estimates, the Buddhist population is recorded as many as 535 million people worldwide practise Buddhism, accounting for between 8% and 10% of the global population. 

Buddhism is a religion that originated in India and is based on a set of basic teachings credited to Gautama Buddha. It began in ancient India as a Sramana ritual and spread throughout Asia between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. It is the world's fourth most popular religion. The Buddhist population is also seen to be growing rapidly. 

The purpose of Buddhism, as stated in the Buddha's Four Noble Truths, is to eliminate suffering (dukkha) produced by desire and ignorance of reality's true nature, which includes impermanence (anicca) and the non-existence of the self (anatta). 

The attainment of Nirvana or following the path of Buddhahood, which ends the cycle of death and rebirth, is emphasised in most Buddhist traditions as a means of transcending the individual ego. 

Buddhist schools differ in their understanding of the path to enlightenment, the relative priority and canonicity accorded to various Buddhist texts, and their distinctive teachings and practises. Meditation, moral precept adherence, monasticism, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and the growth of the Paramitas are all widely observed practises.

There are two main branches of Buddhism namely, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. In Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, Theravada has a large following. 

Mahayana Buddhism is widely practised in Nepal, Malaysia, Bhutan, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan, and includes Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren Buddhism, Tiantai Buddhism (Tendai), and Shingon lineages.

Beliefs in Buddhism

Some of the key features or the beliefs that are followed in both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism are summarized below in the following points. 

• Buddhism rejects the notion of an ultimate god or divinity. Instead, they concentrate on obtaining enlightenment, which is defined as a condition of inner calm and insight. Followers are believed to have reached nirvana when they reach this spiritual level.

• Buddha, the religion's founder, is regarded as a remarkable individual, but not a god. The Sanskrit word "buddha" means "enlightened." Morality, meditation, and wisdom are all useful skills for achieving nirvana. Buddhists meditate on a regular basis because they believe it helps them awaken to the truth.

• The Four Noble Truths, which are among Buddha's most important teachings, are crucial to comprehending Buddhism. Buddhists believe in karma (the law of cause and consequence) as well as reincarnation (the continuous cycle of rebirth).

• There is no single Buddhist symbol, although the lotus flower, the eight-spoked dharma wheel, the Bodhi tree, and the swastika have all evolved to represent Buddhist teachings (an ancient symbol whose name means "well-being" or "good fortune" in Sanskrit).

• Bhikkhus, or Buddhist monks, adhere to a stringent rule of behaviour that includes celibacy.

What is Theravada Buddhism?

Theravada Buddhism is thought to be the first form of Buddhism. The phrase isn't used until later, but the Theravada school preserves the monastic way and adheres to the Pali canon, which contains the Buddha's oldest surviving recorded sayings.

In the first century C.E., monks in Sri Lanka compiled these original scriptures in the Pali language. Teachings had been passed down orally before this codification, and there was concern that original texts should be preserved in light of India's growing heterodoxy.

Theravada acknowledges the historical Buddha's primacy and humanity. The Buddha was a role model for everyone. Enlightenment is a difficult task that can only be accomplished by monks who follow Shakyamuni's way. 

In today's Sri Lanka, as well as Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, Theravada Buddhism is the most widely practised. The subject matter of Buddhist art from various traditions is centred on the Buddha's life events.

The Origin of the Theravada Buddhism

The term Theravada is derived from "Sath Virya" (Elders), an early Buddhist school from which Theravdins trace their lineage. The Sthvira nikya arose from the Buddhist sangha's first schism (literally "Community"). The issue was its adherents' desire, against the preferences of the majority Mahsghika, to establish new Vinaya rules tightening monastic discipline.

According to its proponents, the Theravada school sprang from the Vibhajjavda ("doctrine of analysis") group, which was a division of the Sthvira lineage that originated approximately 250 BCE under the patronage of Indian Emperor Ashoka during the alleged Third Buddhist council. Damien Keown, on the other hand, claims that the Theravada school did not exist until about two centuries after the initial schism.

Emperor Ashoka is said to have aided in the purification of the sangha by removing monks who refused to accept the Third Council's requirements. The third council, according to the Theravada version, also caused a schism between the Sarvastivada and Vibhajjavda schools over the existence of the three times.

The early Theravada school extended "from Avanti into Maharashtra and Andhra and down to the Chola area," according to Buddhist historian A. K. Warder. The Great Vihara (Mahavihara) at Anuradhapura (the ancient Sri Lankan capital) and (Kanchi) became their principal centres over time (in Tamil Nadu).

What is Mahayana Buddhism?

Mahayana is a philosophical tradition that preaches universal salvation and offers practitioners help in the form of loving beings known as bodhisattvas.

The purpose was to make Buddhahood (becoming a Buddha) available to all sentient beings. The Buddha was no longer seen as merely a historical character, but as a transcendent figure to which all could aspire.

The addition of new sutras (texts) to the Buddhist canon caused schisms among the various sects. The reformers dubbed themselves the "greater vehicle" (Mahayana), whereas traditionalists were dubbed the "lesser vehicle" (Theravada). The bodhisattva is an enlightened being who puts his own salvation on hold in order to serve others.

Bodhisattvas are spiritual beings who compassionately promise to acquire Buddhahood but have deferred this ambition in order to free all creatures in the cosmos from suffering. They were originally thought to be Buddha's associates. Avalokiteshvara (bodhisattva of mercy and compassion), Maitreya (the future Buddha), and Manjushri are among the most common bodhisattvas shown in sculpture and painting (bodhisattva of wisdom).

Mahayana Buddhist populations have spread throughout Southeast Asia, but their biggest impact is felt in East Asian countries like China, Korea, and Japan. Mahayana expanded its pantheon of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other heavenly and semi-divine entities as it evolved, drawing on and integrating regional and local traditions.

Origins of Mahayana Buddhism

Mahayana Buddhism is the world's largest Buddhist denomination, and most non-adherents now recognise its doctrines and practises as "Buddhism." It arose as a school of thought after 383 BCE, most likely descended from the Mahasanghika school, but this claim is debatable.

After the Second Buddhist Council in 383 BCE, when the Sthaviravada school ("Sect of the Elders" or "Teaching of the Elders") split away from the Buddhist community over theological disputes, Mahasanghika ("Great Congregation") arose. This early rift spawned a slew of others, resulting in the formation of a slew of Buddhist schools, Mahasanghika being just one of them.

Mahasanghika, which claimed to represent the majority of Buddhists (as its name suggests), was regarded by 19th-century scholars to have evolved into Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"), yet evidence reveals that Mahayana coexisted with Mahasanghika and was supported and fostered by that school. Scholars and Buddhist theologians continue to discuss how and why Mahayana Buddhism emerged.

Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

Enlightenment comes in the shape of the Four Noble Truths, which Buddha taught. The four noble truths are as follows:

1. The ultimate truth of sufferings (dukkha)

2. The truth about what causes pain (samudaya)

3. The truth about suffering's end (nirhodha)

4. The truth about the path that leads to happiness (magga)

The Eightfold Path of Buddhism 

After understanding the four noble truths, he transformed into the Buddha ("Enlightened One") and recognised the path to living a life free of suffering in the Four Noble Truths. The Eightfold Path, often known as "the middle route" between extreme asceticism and enslavement to sense attachments, was coined by him.

The eightfold path of Buddhism is summarized below. 

1. Correct understanding (Samma ditthi)

2. Right intentions or thoughts (Samma sankappa)

3. Right deed (Samma vaca)

4. Right speech (Samma kammanta)

5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva)

6. Making the right effort (Samma Vayama)

7. Mindfulness is essential (Samma Sati)

8. Right concentration (Samma samadhi)

Following this road allowed you to enjoy what you had without being attached to it; you could appreciate it without being attached. This vision was expressed in Buddha's first sermon, which drew followers who became the first Buddhists.

Conclusion

To conclude we have drawn an overall summary of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. In India, where Hinduism, which was already well-established, Buddhism did not originally find a huge audience. Buddhism was not disseminated over the Indian subcontinent until Ashoka the Great (r. 268-232 BCE) of the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE) accepted it, and it was exported to other lands such as China, Sri Lanka, Korea, and Thailand.

All schools acknowledge the importance of Buddha's core teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, but they interpret and convey that value differently in order to heal suffering and promote compassionate enlightenment around the world.