Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana

In Buddhism, communities of monks or nuns (religious orders) are described as schools. They differ in their interpretation of the Buddha’s teachings, in their religious practice, and in their monastic rules.

Early forms of Buddhism would come to be called “Small Vehicle” (Skt. Hinayana) by followers of the Mahayana School of Buddhism, a later development. “Small Vehicle” was a disparaging term that referred to the perceived narrow-mindedness of the older form.

According to Mahayana Buddhists, followers of the early schools were devoted to the self-interested pursuit of personal awakening.

Theravada is one of the earliest manifestations of Buddhism. The name is a Pali word meaning “Way of the Elders”; it is often used as an alternative name for Hinayana (“Small Vehicle”) Buddhism.

Today, Theravada schools closely follow the Pali canon and highlight the monastic life as an ideal. The Theravada tradition took root and became influential above all in Sri Lanka and South East Asia.

Followers of Mahayana referred to their interpretation of Buddhism as the “Great Vehicle”.

This school gave rise to the bodhisattva ideal. That is, believers no longer focused only on their own awakening, but rather offered compassionate support to others striving towards that end. A bodhisattva is an “awakened being”, but out of great compassion for others, he or she remains within the cycle of death and rebirth until all other beings also achieve awakening.

Mahayana does not emphasize life as a monk or nun as an ideal. Its view is that significant progress along the Buddhist path can also be made in day-to-day life.

Vajrayana (“Diamond Vehicle”) Buddhism is practised above all in Tibet and Mongolia, although it is found elsewhere in Asia.

It builds on many of the assumptions of Mahayana Buddhism, and its followers seek to achieve awakening to spiritual knowledge within a single lifetime.

Vajrayana is characterized by complex rituals that involve the body, mind, and emotions.

This tradition has known many exceptional teachers who led lives unconstrained by conformity or monastic rules.

Milarepa (1040–1123) was a distinguished teacher of the Tibetan Vajrayana School. His life involved hardship and sorcery, and reads like a Buddhist horror story!

Go to the next slide to hear his story.

The three main branches of Buddhism – Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana – differ fundamentally in their formulation of the lifestyle Buddhists should lead in order to achieve awakening.

Within these main currents, there are many further distinctions. In the local traditions of Asia’s Buddhist countries, the branches are subdivided into numerous specific schools.

Zen Buddhism and the Pure Land School, for instance, build on the thinking of Mahayana Buddhism.