Buddhism is a philosophical idea and as such can be interpreted in many different ways. As we have seen, after Lord Buddha passed away there arose certain developments within the Buddhist order that finally led to the formation of different sects. The Mahasanghikas (later to be known as the Mahayana) came into existence toward  the end of the first century after Buddha’s death. The   other   major   school,     which  claimed  to   be   orthodox  and
 
conservative, became known as the Theravada. Out of these two sects, eighteen schools had evolved by the time that Ashoka was crowned emperor of Magadha. Most of these were short-lived, and finally only the two schools Theravada and Mahayana survived and prospered, although they were again divided into numerous sub-sects in later times.

                Theravada Buddhism stems from the fourth great council that was held in Sri Lanka, in the first century BC. During this time as well, and for the first time, the entire set of Sutras were recorded in the Pali language on palm leaves. This became Theravada’s Pali Canon, from which so much of our knowledge of Buddhism stems. In every real sense, Sri Lanka’s monks may be credited with saving the Theravada tradition: Although it had spread once from India all over Southeast Asia, it had nearly died out due to competition from Hinduism and Islam, as well as war and colonialism. Theravada monks spread their tradition from Sri Lanka to Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

                It is these Sri Lankan monks that have led to Theravada Buddhism being practiced in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. It is often called ‘Southern Buddhism’ because of the path it took through Southern India to Southeast Asia.    The basic  doctrines of Theravada Buddhism correspond fairly exactly
 
with the teachings of the Buddha that are found in the Pali canon. Theravada Buddhism is therefore based on the ‘Four Noble Truths’ and the idea that all of physical reality is a chain of causation; this includes the cycle of birth and rebirth. Through the practice of the ‘Eightfold Noble Path’ and the ‘Five Basic Precepts’, an individual can attain Nirvana. Theravada Buddhism, however, focuses primarily on meditation and concentration, the eighth of the Eightfold Noble Path; as a result, it emphasizes a monastic life removed from the hustle and bustle of society and requires an extreme expenditure of time in meditating.

                Theravada Buddhists believe that Buddha was a man who liberated himself through meditation and contemplation. They look upon him as a teacher as opposed to a deity, and so images of Buddha in these lands are revered or venerated, not worshipped. In this system, each individual must strive to liberate oneself through enlightened actions. Neither gods nor magic spells can assist the process.
 
 

                The Mahayana school is known as the Greater Vehicle because it incorporates many of the concepts found in Hinduism and in the original Tibetan religious beliefs. It is practiced in East Asia, especially in Tibet, China and Japan. It reached these lands via Central Asia and is often called Eastern Buddhism due to the path it took.
 

                Mahayana began in the first century BC, as a development of the Mahasangha rebellion. Their more liberal attitudes toward monastic tradition allowed the lay community to have a greater voice in the nature of Buddhism. For better or worse, the simpler needs of the common folk were easier for the Mahayanists to meet. For example, the people were used to gods and heroes. So the Trikaya (three bodies) doctrine came into being; Not only was Buddha a man who became enlightened, he was also represented by various god-like Buddhas in various appealing heavens, as well as by the Dharma itself, or Shunyata (emptiness), or Buddha-mind, depending on which interpretation we look at – sort of a Buddhist Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

                More important, however, is the increased importance of the Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is someone who has attained enlightenment, but who chooses to remain in this world in order to bring others to enlightenment. He is a lot like a saint for the people to admire and appeal to.   People no longer had to take up difficult vows
  
 
in order to attain ‘nirvana’; they could simply earn merits and liberate themselves by worshipping Bodhisattvas who, in their infinite compassion, worked for human welfare.

                Questions are often asked as to the differences between the two major traditions. To be sure, most of the differences are rather superficial, and can be observed in the way monks put on their monastic garments, the way ceremonies are conducted, the languages used to record the Buddha’s teachings (Theravada adheres to the
 
original Pali, while Mahayana uses Sanskrit), and all those cultural elements that have come to be associated with each denomination.     On a deeper level, there are differences in the emphasis being placed on certain aspects ofthe Buddha’s teachings and in the methods of religious training. Thus, while Theravada stresses the importance of monastic discipline as the preliminary requisite for higher spiritual development, Mahayana saw the need to modify and adapt in accordance with the changing circumstances. The Bodhisattva ideals, though accepted and taught in the Theravada tradition, are much more strongly emphasized in the Mahayana system and are considered central to their religious practice.

                But generally speaking, both Theravada and Mahayana traditions have more things in common than meets the eye, especially from a doctrinal perspective. Both agree on the teachings that are fundamental in the Buddhist system such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold path. Both accept other teachings and doctrines like ‘Karma’ and ‘Rebirth’. In both traditions the roles of compassion and wisdom are crucial in any aspiration to enlightenment. Both uphold the cultivation of such virtues as kindness, gratitude, respect to elders, humility, altruism, generosity, morality, mindfulness, non-attachment, universal compassion and so forth. It is therefore proper to conclude that all the different schools of Buddhism uniformly correspond with one another in essential doctrines, objectives, practice and goals.