Expert: Justin Choo - 12/6/2008

Question
Hi!

I've heard that the 3 buddhist schools [Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana] builds upon one another in their theories. What are their similarities and differences? Especially in their path of enlightenment?

Thanks!
Cammie

Answer
Hi Cammie,

Broadly speaking, there are actually two main schools of Buddhism.  Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism is from the Mahayana School.   

Being very practical teachings based on universal truths, Buddhism was able to be accepted by the different communities. They could practise Buddhism without having to change their cultures and customs. That is why we have Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhism, and who knows Western Buddhism!

The beauty of Buddhism is that although there are such varieties, the basic teachings of the Buddha are the same. The difference is actually in the rites and rituals, and some other minor subjects. However, most Mahayana sutras are not found in Theravada; and vice versa.

Both schools subscribe to the fundamental teachings of the Buddha namely, the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Noble Path, the Dependent Origination, the Three Characteristics of Existence and a number of other basic tenets. Above all, both the schools accept Gotama Buddha as their Teacher.

Mahayana emphasises on the compassion and Bodhisatva ideal to help all beings attain liberation.  Theravada emphasises on the individual effort to attain liberation for oneself.  All said, in the final analysis, isn't this the same?  Everyone is striving for the ultimate liberation.

A little historical background of Buddhism will be helpful to understand the development of the two main schools. During the Buddha's time, his teachings were all memorized by the learned monks and passed down as such. After a few hundred years, differences in interpretations began to appear. A lot of Brahmins from the Brahmin religion (modern day Hinduism) became Buddhists. During that time the emperor was a Buddhist. His name was King Asoka. Naturally, all would like to become Buddhists! Because of these differences, King Asoka called for a council of monks to confirm the authenticity of the Buddha's teachings. The council of learned monks recited and confirmed the full text of the teachings which had been handed down by verbal recitation. They referred to this confirmation as the text of the elders (senior monks). In the Pali language it is called Theravada, which is the tradition that I follow. The Brahmin group decided to have their own version and called themselves the Great Vehicle (Great Wheel), Mahayana. They then belittled the Theravada by calling them Lesser Vehicle which in Pali is Hinayana.

The Mahayana spread towards the north-west to Afghanistan, the Silk Route to China, Korea, and Japan. While the Theravada spread to the south to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and then up north-east to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The World Fellowship of Buddhists decided unanimously in Colombo in 1950 that the term Hinayana should not be used when referring to the Theravada School of Buddhism.

A good article related to this subject can be found here:
http://www.buddhivihara.org/article3.htm

Wikipedia has a comprehensive study on the different schools here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schools_of_buddhism

Justin Choo

[I like to invite you to visit my blog:]
http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/

[And these sites by Rev. Dhammika:]
http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/
http://www.buddhismatoz.com/