School

Theravada

Overview

Theravāda (Pali: 𑀣𑁂𑀭𑀯𑀸𑀤, Theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद, Sthaviravāda) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed Theravādins (anglicized from Pali theravādī, 𑀣𑁂𑀭𑀯𑀸𑀤𑀻), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or Dhamma in the Pāli Canon for over two millennia. As of 2010, Theravāda is the second largest branch of Buddhism, with 36% of Buddhists belonging to Theravāda, compared to 53% to Mahāyāna.

The Pāli Canon is the most complete Buddhist canon surviving in a classical Indian language, Pāli, which serves as the school's sacred language and lingua franca. In contrast to Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna, Theravāda tends to be conservative in matters of the theoretical study (pariyatti) of the doctrine (Dhamma) and monastic discipline (Vinaya). One element of this conservatism is the fact that Theravāda rejects the authenticity of the Mahayana sutras (which appeared c. 1st century BCE onwards). Consequently, Theravāda generally does not recognize the existence of many Buddhas/bodhisattvas believed by the Mahāyāna school, such as Amitābha and Vairocana, because they are not found in their scriptures. At the same time, however, the idea of the co-existence of multiple Buddhas living in different Buddhafields is recognized in a canonical Pāli work, the Apadāna (1.20 and 1.64).

Theravāda derives from Indian Sthavira nikāya (an early Buddhist school). This tradition developed significantly in India from the 3rd century BCE onward, particularly with the writing down of the Pāli Canon and the growth of its commentarial literature. From both India, as its historical origin, and Sri Lanka, as its principal center of development, the Theravāda tradition subsequently spread to Southeast Asia, where it became the dominant form of Buddhism. Theravāda is the official religion of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and the main dominant Buddhist variant found in Laos and Thailand. It is practiced by minorities in India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as by diaspora from all these groups and converts from around the world.

During the modern era, new developments have included Buddhist modernism, the Vipassana movement which reinvigorated Theravāda meditation practice, the growth of the Thai Forest Tradition which reemphasized forest monasticism and the spread of Theravāda westward to places such as India and Nepal, along with Buddhist immigrants and converts in the European Union, in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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But by sacred things one must not understand simply those personal beings which are called gods or spirits; a rock, a tree, a spring, a pebble, a piece of wood, a house, in a word, anything can be sacred. A rite can have this character; in fact, the rite does not exist which does not have it to a certain degree. There are words, expressions and formulæ which can be pronounced only by the mouths of consecrated…
Émile Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life
States what Theravada is.
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Even Buddha's return in the endless sequence of ages is not to be regarded as an exception to this rule, for the hope of salvation here merely keeps projecting into the future the traditional Buddha legend. The redeeming activity of the one who is exalted into a god is to be repeated in essentially the same manner as the saga reports it to have occurred in the past.
Wilhelm Max Wundt, Elements of Folk Psychology Outline of a Psychological History of the Development of Mankind
Close in meaning to Theravada; the term itself is not named.
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For which reason the progress of this religion has always been marked by that of letters. There were two other circumstances at this time, that contributed no less to the revival of learning.
Edmund Burke, Selections from the Speeches and Writings of Edmund Burke
Close in meaning to Theravada; the term itself is not named.
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Theravada

Overview

Possible passages

Philosophers who discussed Theravada

Related ideas

Place in the tradition