The Different Sects of Buddhism ANDREW CRANE
Theravada Means the School of the Elders Is found in Southern Asia areas like Cambodia, Loas, and Thailand. Is the oldest line of decent of Buddhism, and tries to maintain the original teachings. The teachings are preserved in the Pali Canon, the record of the Buddha's words over forty-five years of teaching, and in the living transmission of teacher to student, represented by the Order of Bhikkhus (one of the oldest institutions on this planet.) They focus on the three jewels, Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. These are simple principles of life which Buddhist must live. The goal of the Theravada sect is to become a arhat, which is a perfect saint that has achieved nirvana. Thus the Theravada sect of Buddhism is strict compared to the other groups.
Becoming An Arhat There Are 4 Stages Sotapanna Someone who converts to Buddhism and overcomes life's false beliefs. Sakadagamin One who will be reborn once more. Anagamin One who will be reborn to heaven. Arhat One who will never be born again.
Mahayana Buddhism Also Known as the Great Vehicle subdivided into several diverse schools, such as Zen, Pure Land and Nichiren, many of which flourish today in East Asia All of these promote different ways in which the goal of life can be obtained, but agree on one common thing and that is that it can be obtained in a single lifetime by anyone. Is considered a More Liberal form of Buddhism, because it is available to all walks of life not just monks and ascetics. The goal of Mahayana Buddhists is to become a boddhisatvas, a saint who has become enlightened but who unselfishly delay nirvana to help others attain it as well. It often using the reverse form of spiritual beings, example being buddhas, ceremonies, religious rituals, magical rites, and the use of icons, images, and other sacred objects. Is the primary form of Buddhism in China, Japan, Tibet, and Mongolia.
Vajrayana Also Known as Diamond Vehicle This is the Tibetan Buddhism The unique thing about this sect of Buddhism are its system of reincarnating lamas and the vast number of deities in its pantheon. Tibetan Buddhism is vast in its practices, and has many unique traditions. For example chanting mantras and meditation. This Sect has four major schools Nyingmapa ("School of the Ancients"), Kagyüpa ("Oral Transmission School“), Sakyapa (“Grey Earth), and Gelugpa ("School of the Virtuous") An very important part of Vajrayana and associates it to modern culture is the Dali Lama. The Dali Lama is the head of the most dominant school in Buddhism being the Gelugpa giving him the greatest influence.
How and When They Formed Therevada formed during the 4th century BCE out of divisions and disunions within the Buddhist communities of India, and made its way south developing as its own denomination of Buddhism in areas of Southern Asia like Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Mahayana was created during the first century CE as a more liberal form of Buddhism. It was considered more accessible for the average people of Northern Asia and the Far East. The development of the Mahayana sect emerged as a movement to bring Buddhism to the common people of Asia, because in the Theravada sect only the enlightened men were truly able to participate in the religion. They were the only ones who were able to obtain nirvana, and if you were not enlightened then Buddhism had very little to offer you. The Mahayana split from the Theravada in the first century and rapidly gained popularity, because of its attraction to the common man and woman. The Vajrayana sect of Buddhism emerged out of the teachings of the Mahayana in India in 6th and 7th centuries CE and quickly spread out to Tibet. Vajrayana originally formed as a reaction to the philosophical and scholastic teachings of Indian Buddhism, and rapidly developed into a complex philosophical and ritual system
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