The real followers of the Buddha can practice this religion without adhering to any school or sect.
A few hundred years after the Buddha's passing away, there arose eighteen different schools or sects all of which claimed to represent the original Teachings of the Buddha. The differences between these schools were basically due to various interpretations of the Teachings of the Buddha. Over a period of time, these schools gradually merged into two main schools: Theravada and Mahayana. Today, a majority of followers of Buddhism are divided into these two schools.
Basically Mahayana Buddhism grew out of the Buddha's teaching that each individual carries within himself the potential for Buddhahood. Theravadins say that this potential can be realised through individual effort. Mahayanists, on the other hand, believe that they can seek salvation through the intervention of other superior beings called Bodhisattas. According to them, Bodhisattas are future Buddhas who, out of compassion for their fellow human beings, have delayed their own attainment of Buddhahood until they have helped others towards liberation. In spite of this basic difference, however, it must be stressed that doctrinally there is absolutely no disagreement concerning the Dhamma as contained in the sacred Tripitaka texts. Because Buddhists have been free to interpret the scriptures according to their understanding. But above all, both Mahayana and Theravada are one in their reverence for the Buddha.
The areas of agreement between the two schools are as follows:
- Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.
- The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.
- The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.
- The Pattica-Samuppada or teaching on Dependent Origination is the same in both schools.
- Both reject the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.
- Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.
Some people are of the view that Theravada is selfish because it teaches that people should seek their own salvation. But how can a selfish person gain Enlightenment? Both schools accept the three Yana or Bodhi and consider the Bodhisatta Ideal as the highest. The Mahayana has created many mystical Bodhisattas, while the Theravada believes that a Bodhisatta is a man amongst us who devotes his entire life for the attainment of perfection, and ultimately becomes a fully Enlightened Buddha for the well-being and happiness of the world.
The terms Hinayana (Small Vehicle) and Mahayana (Great Vehicle) are not known in the Theravada Pali literature. They are not found in the Pali Canon (Tripitaka) or in the Commentaries on the Tripitaka.
Theravada Buddhists follow orthodox religious traditions that had prevailed in India two thousand five hundred years ago. They perform their religious services in the Pali language. They also expect to attain the final goal (Nibbana) by becoming a Supreme Enlightened Buddha, Pacceka Buddha, or and Arahant (the highest stage of sainthood). The majority of them prefer the Arahantahood. Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand belong to this school. Mahayanists have changed the old religious customs. Their practices are in accordance with the customs and traditions of the countries where they live. Mahayanists perform their religious services in their mother tongue. They expect to attain the final goal (Nibbana) by becoming Buddhas. Hence, they honour both the Buddha and Bodhisatta (one who is destined to be a Buddha) with the same respect. Buddhists in China, Japan and Korea belong to this school. Most of those in Tibet and Mongolia follow another school of Buddhism which is known as Vajrayana. Buddhist scholars believe that this school inclines more towards the Mahayana sect.
It is universally accepted by scholars that the terms Hinayana and Mahayana are later invention. Historically speaking, the Theravada already existed long before these terms came into being. That Theravada, considered to be the original teaching of the Buddha, was introduced to Sri Lanka and established there in the 3rd century B.C., during the time of Emperor Asoka of India. At that time there was nothing called Mahayana. Mahayana as such appeared later, about the beginning of the Christian Era. Buddhism that went to Sri Lanka, with its Tripitaka and Commentaries, in the 3rd Century B.C., remained there intact as Theravada, and did not come into the scene of the Hinayana-Mahayana dispute that developed later in India. It seems therefore not legitimate to include Theravada in either of these two categories. However, after the inauguration of the World Fellowship of Buddhists in 1950, well-informed people, both in the East and in the West, use the term Theravada, and not the term Hinayana. In fact, the Samdhi Nirmorcana Sutra (a Mahayana Sutra) clearly says that the Sravakayana-Theravada and the Mahayana constitute one Yana (ekayana) and that they are not two different and distinct "vehicles". Although different schools of Buddhism held different opinions on the teaching of the Buddha, they never had any violence of blod shed for more than two thousands years. This is the uniqueness of Buddhist tolerance.
The different forms of Buddhism can be understood by becoming familiar with the two major schools that arose out of the Buddha's basic teachings:
The two major schools of Buddhism, Theravada and the Mahayana, are to be understood as different expressions of the same teaching of the historical Buddha. Because, in fact, they agree upon and practice the core teachings of the Buddha’s Dharma. And while there was a schism after the first council on the death of the Buddha, it was largely over the monastic rules and academic points such as whether an enlightened person could lapse or not. Time, culture and customs in the countries in Asia which adopted the Buddha-dharma have more to do with the apparent differences, as you will not find any animosity between the two major schools, other than that created by healthy debate on the expression of and the implementation of the Buddha's Teachings.
Theravada (The Teachings of the Elders)
In the Buddhist countries of southern Asia, there never arose any serious differences on the fundamentals of Buddhism. All these countries - Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, have accepted the principles of the Theravada school and any differences there might be between the various schools is restricted to minor matters.
The earliest available teachings of the Buddha are to be found in Pali literature and belongs to the school of the Theravadins, who may be called the most orthodox school of Buddhism. This school admits the human characteristics of the Buddha, and is characterised by a psychological understanding of human nature; and emphasises a meditative approach to the transformation of consciousness.
The teaching of the Buddha according to this school is very plain. He asks us to ‘abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify our mind’. These can be accomplished by The Three Trainings: the development of ethical conduct, meditation and insight-wisdom.
The philosophy of this school is straight forward. All worldly phenomena are subject to three characteristics - they are impermanent and transient; unsatisfactory and that there is nothing in them which can be called one's own, nothing substantial, nothing permanent. All compounded things are made up of two elements - the non-material part, the material part. They are further described as consisting of nothing but five constituent groups, namely the material quality, and the four non-material qualities - sensations, perception, mental formatives and lastly consciousness.
When an individual thus understands the true nature of things, she/he finds nothing substantial in the world. Through this understanding, there is neither indulgence in the pleasures of senses or self-mortification, following the Middle Path the practitioner lives according to the Noble Eightfold Path which consist of Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Occupation, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. She/he realises that all worldly suffering is caused by craving and that it is possible to bring suffering to an end by following the Noble Eight Fold Path. When that perfected state of insight is reached, i.e.Nibanna, that person is a ‘worthy person’ an Arhat. The life of the Arhat is the ideal of the followers of this school, ‘a life where all (future) birth is at an end, where the holy life is fully achieved, where all that has to be done has been done, and there is no more returning to the worldly life’.
Mahayana (The Great Vehicle)
The Mahayana is more of an umbrella body for a great variety of schools, from the Tantra school (the secret teaching of Yoga) well represented in Tibet and Nepal to the Pure Land sect, whose essential teaching is that salvation can be attained only through absolute trust in the saving power of Amitabha, longing to be reborn in his paradise through his grace, which are found in China, Korea and Japan. Ch’an and Zen Buddhism, of China and Japan, are meditation schools. According to these schools, to look inward and not to look outwards is the only way to achieve enlightenment, which to the human mind is ultimately the same as Buddhahood. In this system, the emphasis is upon ‘intuition’, its peculiarity being that it has no words in which to express itself at all, so it does this in symbols and images. In the course of time this system developed its philosophy of intuition to such a degree that it remains unique to this day.
It is generally accepted, that what we know today as the Mahayana arose from the Mahasanghikas sect who were the earliest seceders, and the forerunners of the Mahayana. They took up the cause of their new sect with zeal and enthusiasm and in a few decades grew remarkably in power and popularity. They adapted the existing monastic rules and thus revolutionised the Buddhist Order of Monks. Moreover, they made alterations in the arrangements and interpretation of the Sutra (Discourses) and the Vinaya (Rules) texts. And they rejected certain portions of the canon which had been accepted in the First Council.
According to it, the Buddhas are lokottara (supramundane) and are connected only externally with the worldly life. This conception of the Buddha contributed much to the growth of the Mahayana philosophy.
Mahayana Buddhism is divided into two systems of thought: the Madhyamika and the Yogacara. The Madhyamikas were so called on account of the emphasis they laid on the middle view. Here, the middle path, stands for the non-acceptance of the two views concerning existence and nonexistence, eternity and non eternity, self and non-self. In short, it advocates neither the theory of reality nor that of the unreality of the world, but merely of relativity. It is, however, to be noted that the Middle Path propounded at Sarnath by the Buddha had an ethical meaning, while that of the Madhyamikas is a metaphysical concept.
Why is Zen different from Tibetan Buddhism, why is PureLand different from Nichiren. I am interested to hear your individual take on the differences, and do these differences matter. To start I have listed all the major schools with a small outline of what each school stands for. Hope you will all contribute to turning this into a very enlightening thread (excuse the pun). I have already added to the NichirenSchool which is the school I follow. Please all feel free to do the same to your own School. It would be great if when all is done we could make a sticky explaining all these schools. Thanks in advance.
Group 1. Theravada
This is the earliest form of Buddhism. Thera means 'old' and 'vada' means school, which is also translated as 'The Teaching of the Elders'. It draws its main scriptures from the Pali canon, which was written down in the first century BCE. This contains the essential teachings of the Buddha, rules for monastic life and philosophical and psychological analyses. Through the sangha (the Buddhist community of monks and nuns), the basic doctrines and practices are preserved. Both 'calm' meditation (samatha) and 'insight' meditation (vipassana) are practiced within this school but there is more emphasis on meditation.
The goal in Theravada Buddhism is to attain enlightenment.
Group 2. Mahayana
This school of Buddhism developed out of the Theravada practice between 100 BCE and 100 CE. It regarded the Theravada school as 'the lesser vehicle' (Hinayana) and themselves as 'the Great Vehicle' (Mahayana). They regarded striving to win enlightenment for oneself was a selfish act and replaced it with the 'Bodhisattva ideal'. In this is the idea that one's primary objective is not to win enlightenment for oneself but to help all sentient beings first. Although compassion is a key virtue in all schools of Buddhism, in the Mahayana tradition it gains particular prominence. Out of compassion, the Bodhisattva finds the best means possible to capture the hearts of people and lead them to nirvana, postponing ones own entry time and time again. The role of the Bodhisattva then became more and more significant as Mahayana developed. Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, became a particular focus for veneration.
The following schools - although they are quite different - all come under the broad umbrella of Mahayana.
Pure Land
This school of Buddhism arose in China in about the fifth century CE, later spreading to Japan. The starting point were the Sukhavativyuha scriptures which described a Western Paradise (Sukhavati) or PureLand. The aspiration of Pure Land Buddhists is to obtain rebirth in the PureLand, presided over by Amitabha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Light). Faith in Amitabha is demonstrated through the recitation of the following mantra: Namu Amida Butsu ('Hail to Amitabha Buddha'). It is believed that recitation of this mantra ten times with genuine faith will guarantee entry into the PureLand on death.
Ch'an/Zen
The words Ch'an in China and Zen in Japanese derive from the Sanskrit word dhyana meaning meditation. It's not surprising that meditation is a prime characteristic of this school of Buddhism. The founder of Zen was Bodhidharma, an Indian monk who traveled to China in the sixth century CE. For Bodhidharma, the experiential dimension was the most important so we find in Zen Buddhism a rejection of the scriptures for more direct methods of gaining insight. This included giving much more emphasis to the master and disciple relationship. Traditionally, zen masters have used koans (riddles that have no logical answer; for example, What was your face before your parents were born?) and mondos (questions and answers) which, as with koans, defy logic. The idea behind these is to jolt the mind out of its habitual thought processes into satori (a flash of insight in to the true nature of reality). The idea is to let the pure mind, the Buddha nature within, reveal itself. The practice of sitting meditation (zazen) is seen as crucial to this process. It is often referred to as 'just sitting'. The goal in Chan/ZenBuddhism is to reveal the Buddha nature within.
Nichiren (my practise )
In the thirteenth century a Japanese monk named Nichiren (1222-1282) was responsible for bringing a new perspective to the practice of Buddhism. The focus for this practice came to rest on reciting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which can be roughly translated as 'Honor to the Lotus Sutra of the True Teaching'. Nichiren believed that the essence of the Buddha's teachings resided in the Lotus Sutra, a key text of Mahayana Buddhism. Today, Traditionally, mornings and evenings, adherents will recite the Hoben and Juryo chapters of the Lotus Sutra and chant in front of a scroll known as the Gohonzon on which the Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is inscribed. This practice is known as Gongyo ('diligent practice') and chanting. There are a number of different schools of Nichiren Buddhism, each with their own distinctive flavor. These include Nichiren Shu, Soka Gakkai and Nichiren Shoshu. The goal in Nichiren Buddhism is to attain enlightenment through faith, practise and study in this lifetime. Chanting is a meditation method that enables one to gain insight and reveal the Buddha nature. A Nichiren Buddhist believes him/herself to be following in the path of 'Bodhisattva and is sworn to help to ease the suffering of his fellow man. He respects the rights of all people to practice what ever religion they like. This does not mean that he/she supports that religion; Nichiren Buddhism is not a religion and does not support religions. Nichiren would appear to very clossly related to the the New Kadampa Tradition. (I need to check this out more)
Group 3. Vajrayan (Vajrayan contains 5 schools)
The Nyingma-pa ('Old School')
This school stems from Padmasambhava, a Tibetan master, and relies on very early esoteric scriptures known as tantras. In this school there is a good deal of emphasis placed on meditation.
The Kagyu-pa ('SpeechSchool')
As its translation suggests, this is an oral tradition which is very much concerned with the experiential dimension of meditation. Its most famous exponent was Milarepa, an eleventh century mystic who meditated for many years in ice-cold Tibetan mountain caves before eventually reaching enlightenment.
The Sakya-pa ('TawnyEarthSchool')
This school very much represents the scholarly tradition. It was founded in 1073 CE by a layman named Konchol Gyelpo.
The Gelug-pa ('VirtuousOnesSchool')
The Dalai Lama heads the Gelug school and is regarded as the embodiment of Chenrezig, The Bodhisattva of Compassion (the equivalent of Avalokitesvara). He is therefore regarded as the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. However, he also has a political role which has become even more significant since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 and the Dalai Lama's subsequent exile since 1959.
The New Kadampa Tradition
The 'New Kadampa Tradition' is a western break-away group started by one Tibetan monk, Kelsang Gyatso, in the late 70s. Unlike the historical Tibetan lineages, they do not follow the Dalai Lama. The teachings of the NKT are very much in line with traditional Vajrayana teachings but have their own distinctive flavor that emphasis on integrating the Buddha's teachings into one's daily life gives it a very real, practical advantage for developing your spirituality. In accordance with the Bodhisattva ideal (winning enlightenment so that you can ultimately be of benefit to others) is highlighted, along with cherishing others and the significance of compassion. It also explains the importance of the human rebirth, and the opportunities it affords for spiritual progress and fulfillment, something denied rebirth in the other realms of samsara.
Group 4. Tien-ts'ai (Tendai, in Japanese) school which was founded by Chi-i, one of the greatest Chinese Buddhist masters, its doctrine was based on the Lotus-sutra and its main is samatha and samadhi, one of the Buddhist meditation methods. "
And, by the way, it seems also to be a close connection between the Gelug-pa and the Kadampa direction:
The Geluk or Gelug (Wylie transliteration: Dge-lugs, Tibetan: དགེ་ལུགས་པ་) school of Buddhism was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader. (...)
A great admirer of the Kadampa (Bka'-gdams-pa) teachings, Tsongkhapa was an enthusiastic promoter of the Kadam School's emphasis on the Mahayana principles of universal compassion as the fundamental spiritual orientation. He combined this with a strong emphasis on the cultivation of in-depth insight into the doctrine of emptiness as propounded by the Indian masters Nagarjuna (2nd century) and Candrakirti (7th century). Tsongkhapa said that these two aspects of the spiritual path, compassion and insight into wisdom, must be rooted in a wholehearted wish for liberation, all impelled by a genuine sense of renunciation. He called these the "Three Principal Aspects of the Path", and suggested that it is on the basis of these three that one must embark on the profound path of Vajrayana Buddhism. The Geluk sect is the only Tibetan sect that insists on the celibacy of its clergy.
Nara Buddhism
Nara Buddhism' broadly refers to the six schools of Buddhism officially sponsored while the capital was at Nara (710-794). Three of these schools have survived, though they had little influence in Japan in later centuries compared with far more popular and powerful denominations such as Shingon, Tendai, Pure Land, Nichiren or Zen. Many of the monks and nuns connected with the early Nara schools of Buddhism were Korean or Chinese. The city of Nara grew around the imperial palace, major shrines connected with the ancestors of the ruling families and Buddhist temples connected with the Nara schools. These early Buddhist monastic institutions were supported by the ruling Yamato clan in return for prayers and rituals for the protection of the state, in conformity with the Chinese idea of the Buddha as guardian of the empire. The Nara schools together comprise around 400 temples and other meeting places, 1400 clergy and 2.5 million adherents. (Source: Hori (ed.) Japanese Religions 1972)
The six schools of Nara Buddhism , introduced into Japan during the seventh and eighth centuries CE were
Hosso (Mind-Only, Yogacara)
Sanron (Three Treatises, Madhyamika)
Kegon (Flower-Garland, Avatamsaka)
Ritsu (Rules of Discipline, Vinaya)
Jojitsu (Establishment of truth, Satyasiddhi)
Kusha (study of the Abhidharma-kosha texts).
The Nara schools have been well described a 'islands of Buddhism' in early Japan. They were simply extensions into Japan of well-established Korean or Chinese Buddhist institutions and their text-based philosophical doctrines were derived directly from Chinese or Korean parent denominations. For example, the Sanron school was led in Nara by a Korean monk and took as its basic scriptures the same three Madhyamaka texts (Middle Treatise, Hundred Treatise, Twelve-Topic Treatise) as the 'Three Treatises' school in China and Korea of which it formed a part. (For more details of the various schools, see INDIAN BUDDHISM or CHINESE BUDDHISM.) Descendants of the Ritsu, Hosso and Kegon sects survive today.
| The Buddha | Only the historical Gautama (Sakyamuni) Buddha and past buddhas are accepted. | Besides Sakyamuni Buddha, other contemporary buddhas like Amitabha and Medicine Buddha are also very popular. | |
| 2 | Bodhisattvas | Only Maitreya bodhisattva is accepted. | Avalokitesvara, Mansjuri, Ksitigarbha and Samanthabadra are four very well known bodhisattvas besides Maitreya. |
| 3 | Objective of training | Arahant or pacceka-buddha. | Buddhahood (via bodhisattva path). |
| 4 | Organisation of Buddhist scriptures
| The Pali Canon is divided into 3 baskets (Tipitaka): Vinaya Pitaka of 5 books, Sutta Pitaka of 5 collections (many suttas) and Abhidhamma Pitaka of 7 books.
| The Mahayana Buddhist Canon also consists of Tripitaka of disciplines, discourses (sutras) and dharma analysis. It is usually organised in 12 divisions of topics like Cause and Conditions and Verses. It contains virtually all the Theravada Tipikata and many sutras that the latter does not have. |
| 5 | Concept of Bodhicitta | Main emphasis is self liberation. There is total reliance on one-self to eradicate all defilements. | Besides self liberation, it is important for Mahayana followers to help other sentient beings. |
| 6 | Trikaya concept | Very limited emphasis on the 3 bodies of a buddha. References are mainly on nirmana-kaya and dharma-kaya. | Very well mentioned in Mahayana buddhism. Samboga-kaya or reward/enjoyment body completes the Trikaya concept. |
| 7 | Transmission route | Southern transmission: Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos and Cambodia and parts of Southeast Asia. | Northern transmission: Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and parts of Southeast Asia. |
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8 | Language of dharma teaching | Tipitaka is strictly in Pali. Dharma teaching in Pali supplemented by local language. | Buddhist canon is translated into the local language (except for the 5 untranslatables), e.g. Tibetan, Chinese and Japanese. Original language of transmission is Sanskrit. |
| 9 | Nirvana (Nibbana in Pali) | No distinction is made between nirvana attained by a buddha and that of an arahat or pacceka buddha. | Also known as 'liberation from Samsara,' there are subtle distinctions in the level of attainment for the three situations. |
| 10 | Sakyamuni Buddha's disciples | Basically historical disciples, whether arahats or commoners. | A lot of bodhisattvas are introduced by Sakyamuni Buddha. Most of these are not historical figures. |
| 11 | Rituals and liturgy | There are some rituals but not heavily emphasized as in Mahayana schools. | Owing to local cultural influences, there is much more emphais on the use of rituals; e.g. Rituals for the deceased, feeding of Petas, tantric formalities (in Vajrayana). |
| 12 | Use of Mantras and Mudras | Some equivalent in the use of Parittas. | Heavily practised in the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism. Other schools also have included some mantras in their daily lithurgy. |
| 13 | Dying and death aspects | Very little research and knowledge on the process of dying and death. Usually, the dying persons are advised to meditate on impermanence, suffering and emptiness. | The Vajrayana school is particularly meticulous in these areas. There are many inner and external signs manifested by people before they die. There is heavy stress in doing transference of merit practices in the immediate few weeks following death to assist in the deceased's next rebirth. |
| 14 |
Bardo | This in-between stage after death and before rebirth is ignored in Theravada school. | All Mahayana schools teach this after death aspect. |
| 15 | One meal a day practice | This the norm among Theravada sanghas. | This is a highly respected practice but it is left to the disposition of each individual in the various sanghas. |
| 16 | Vegetarianism | This aspect is not necessary. In places like Thailand where daily morning rounds are still practised, it is very difficult to insist on the type of food to be donated | Very well observed in all Mahayana schools (except the Tibetans due to the geographical circumstances). However, this aspect is not compulsory. |
| 17 | Focus of worship in the temple | Simple layout with the image of Sakyamuni Buddha the focus of worship. | Can be quite elaborate; with a chamber/hall for Sakyamuni Buddha and two disciples, one hall for the 3 Buddhas (including Amitabha and Medicine Buddha) and one hall for the 3 key bodhisattvas; besides the protectors, etc. |
| 18 | Schools/Sects of the tradition | One surviving major school following years of attrition reducing the number from as high as 18. | 8 major (Chinese) schools based on the partial doctrines (sutras, sastras or vinaya) of the teachings. The four schools inclined towards practices like Pure Land/Amitabha, Ch'an, Vajrayana and Vinaya (not for lay people) are more popular than the philosophy based schools like Tien Tai, Avamtasaka, Yogacara and Madhyamika. |
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19 | Non Buddhist influences | Mainly pre-Buddhism Indian/Brahmin influences. Many terms like karma, sangha, etc were prevailing terms during Sakyamuni Buddha's life time. References were made from the Vedas and Upanishads. | In the course of integration and adoption by the people in other civilizations, there were heavy mutual influences. In China, both Confucianism and Taoism exerted some influence on Buddhism which in turn had an impact on the indigenous beliefs. This scenario was repeated in Japan and Tibet. |
| 20 | Buddha nature | Absent from the teachings of Theravada tradition. | Heavily stressed, particularly by schools inclined practices. |
