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Is Theravada Buddhism different from Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism?
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Theravada is the only remaining school of Hinayana ('small vehicle') Buddhism which only follows the original Pali Canon of Buddhist teachings. These teachings are the closest we have to the actual words of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. It is mostly practiced in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand and Laos.
Mahayana ('big vehicle') Buddhism comprises several different traditions including Tibetan Buddhism Tibat, Nepal, Bhutan and India), Zen/Ch'an Buddhism (China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam) and Pure Land Buddhism (Japan). It follows both the Pali Canon of teachings and a number of other teachings that have arisen since which may or may not be attributed to the historical Buddha such as The Lotus Sutra, The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (including The Heart Sutra and The Diamond Sutra), the Lankavatara Sutra and many others.
Mahayana Buddhist teachings first arose in India in the first century AD and it is thought that these began in both monastic and lay settings. The main differences are twofold:
1. Mahayana Buddhism rests on the idea of the bodhisattva who will not achieve enlightenment until ALL beings are enlightened. This is said to be in contrast to Hinayana/Theravada teachings which emphasise personal liberation.
2. Mahayana Buddhism teaches the idea of inherent Buddha nature (tathāgatagarbha in Sanskrit) in which we are fundamentally pure from the beginning. In this it is also often taught that the historical Buddha was already enlightened when he was born and only manifested to teach the dharma (truth) to others.
The teachings on sunyata ('emptiness') are also taught far more deeply in Mahayana Buddhism whereas Theravada Buddhism concentrates more on ethical behaviour. In Mahayana Buddhism it is perfectly allowable to break religious rules if the end result is beneficial (the notion of skillful means or upaya).
Both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism do share the same basic beliefs of Buddhism such as the four noble truths and eightfold path set out by the Buddha himself and the aspiration to become free from suffering and help others. Mahayana Buddhism (of which Tibetan Buddhism is a part) currently forms the majority of Buddhist practice in the world although there are still strong areas of Theravadin practice in South Asia.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
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What are the three main groups of Buddhism?
Theravada, Mahayana, and Tibetan.
What are some of the religion's of Buddhism?
Some of the SECTS of Buddhism are Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan, and Zen Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion, and therefor it has no "religions".
Is there more than one type of Buddhism?
Yes. They include Tibetan, Theravada, and Mahayana, among others.
The main sects of buddhism?
Theravada, Mahayana, & Vajyana. The 2 most well known Buddhist sects are Zen & Tibetan. Zen falls under the Mahayana denomination, & Tibetan falls under the Vajyana denomination.
The names of 2 different kinds of Buddhism and where they are found?
Theravada is the earliest teachings of Buddha without any revisions. Mahayana is a very broad scope of Buddhism, under its umbrella are tantra, Tibetan, and pure land sect.
Sacred texts of Buddhism?
The primary sacred texts of Buddhism are the Tripitaka, which is the foundational scripture for Theravada Buddhism, and the Mahayana Sutras, which are central to Mahayana Buddhism. These texts contain the teachings of the Buddha and form the basis of Buddhist philosophy and practice.
What is the Dalai lama's role in Buddhism?
The Dalai Lama is the temporal head of Gelug(pa), "Way of Virtue" school of Tibetan Buddhism. He has also assumed the role of the Panchan lama while his latest reincarnation is sought. Gelug is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is a part of Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) tradition of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is one of the two major divisions of Buddhism, the other is Theravada (The School of the Elders)
Zen is part of the Mahayana and Tibetian Buddhism?
If I understand your question correctly, Zen developed out of the Mahayana tradition. Tibetan tradition is different from both Mahayana and Zen.
What is the religion of Sherpa?
The Tibetan form of Mahayana Buddhism.
Mahayana Buddhism and Tibetian Buddhism are the same?
Tibetan, or Vajrayana, Buddhism is one of the four major schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The other three are Zen, Nichiren and Pure Land.The term Mahayana has two distinct usages. Firstly, it refers to one of the two branches of Buddhism, the other being the Theravada. Mahayana Buddhism in this sense includes Tibetan Buddhism. Secondly, within Tibetan Buddhism, Mahayana refers to the second of the three levels of teachings, the other two being Hinayana and Vajrayana.In some of the other schools of Mahayana Buddhism, the studying of sutras plays a crucial role in understanding reality. In Tibetan Buddhism, more emphasis is placed on studying the texts of the Prasangika-Madyamaka school (supposedly derived from Nagarjuna's teachings). Also some schools of Tibetan Buddhism constantly engage in philosophical debates on Buddhist principles to cultivate their wisdom. However, it must be noted that both the the Mahayana sutras and Prasangika-Madyamaka schools study the emptiness philosophy of Nagarjuna. So, in essence, they should be the same (differences only arising in the conceptual dimension).The most famous book in Tibetan Buddhism is the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which can be seen not only literally as dealing with the states after death, but also with the consciousness states.Another difference betwen Tibetan Buddhism and other Mahayana schools is that Tibetan Buddhists will often practice tantra, which they believe is higher than the highest practices of the other Mahayana schools.
What are the 3 sects of Buddhism?
This is too complex to answer in full here, but please refer to this excellent website which has a detailed discussion of the schools and lineages:http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/schools.htmThe three branches of Buddhism are Mahayana Buddhism, Vajrayana Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism.
How many members of Buddhism are there?
Well there are two branches of Buddhism: Theravada and Mahayana.They are further divided into several sects or schools of Buddhism. Tibetan, Nichiren, Pure Land, Zen, Singon, and Tendai are all Mahayana Buddhist sects.
