Theravada Buddhism
"The Teaching of the Elders"
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Theravada is the dominant form of Buddhism in southeast Asia, and for this reason it is sometimes called the "Southern
School." It claims about 100 million adherents worldwide. Its doctrines are taken from the Tripitaka , and its basic teachings begin with the Four Noble Truths.
Above all, Theravada emphasizes insight gained through critical analysis and personal experience rather than blind faith.
Theravada is distinctive from the other major school of Buddhism, Mahayana, in several ways.
Individual Enlightenment Theravada emphasizes individual enlightenment; the ideal is to become an arhat (sometimes arahant), which means "worthy one" in Pali. An arhat is a person who has realized enlightenment and freed himself from the cycle of birth and death.
Beneath the arhat ideal is an understanding of the doctrine of anatman -- the nature of the self -- that differs from that of the Mahayana. Very basically, Theravada considers anatman to mean that an individual's ego or personality is a fetter and delusion. Once freed of this delusion, the individual may enjoy the bliss of Nirvana.
Mahayana, on the other hand, considers all physical forms to be void of intrinsic self and individual autonomy to be a delusion. Therefore, according to Mahayana, "individual enlightenment" is an oxymoron. The ideal in Mahayana is to enable all beings to be enlightened together.
Self-Power Theravada teaches that enlightenment comes entirely through one's own efforts, without help from gods or other outside forces. Some schools of Mahayana emphasize this also, but others (for example, Pure Land) are more devotional.
Literature All schools of Buddhism recognize the Tripitaka as scripture. However, there are several sutras (sometimes collectively called the "Northern Canon" or "Mahayana Canon") that are essential to Mahayana but not considered legitimate by Theravada.
Pali Versus Sanskrit Theravada Buddhism uses the Pali rather than the Sanskrit form of common terms; for example, sutta instead of sutra; dhamma instead of dharma.
Meditation The primary means of realizing enlightenment in the Theravada tradition is through Vipassana meditation. Vipassana emphasizes disciplined self-observation of body and thoughts and how they interconnect. Some schools of Mahayana also emphasize meditation, but other schools of Mahayana do not meditate.
Origins of Theravada Buddhism
The "Teachings of the Elders"
The patronage of the Emperor Ashoka helped to establish Buddhism as one of the major religions of Asia. However, the Emperor's largess also enticed opportunists and poseurs. A third Buddhist Council was convened about 244 BCE to clarify Buddhist doctrine and stop the spread of heresies.
The body of doctrine agreed upon by the council came to be called Vibhajjavada, the "doctrine of analysis," because of an emphasis on critical analysis and reason rather than blind faith. Vibhajjavada was not intended to be a departure from the older school of Buddhism, but rather considered itself to represent original Buddhist orthodoxy.
The monk Mahinda, thought to be a son of Ashoka, took Vibhajjavada Buddhism into Sri Lanka ca. 246 BCE, where it was propagated by monks of the Mahavihara monastery. This branch of Vibhajjavada came to be called Tamraparniya, "the Sri Lankan lineage." Other branches of Vibhajjavada Buddhism died out, but Tamraparniya survived and came to be called Theravada, "teachings of the elders of the order."
Today Theravada is widespread throughout Southeast Asia and is the oldest surviving school of Buddhism.
The patronage of the Emperor Ashoka helped to establish Buddhism as one of the major religions of Asia. However, the Emperor's largess also enticed opportunists and poseurs. A third Buddhist Council was convened about 244 BCE to clarify Buddhist doctrine and stop the spread of heresies.
The body of doctrine agreed upon by the council came to be called Vibhajjavada, the "doctrine of analysis," because of an emphasis on critical analysis and reason rather than blind faith. Vibhajjavada was not intended to be a departure from the older school of Buddhism, but rather considered itself to represent original Buddhist orthodoxy.
The monk Mahinda, thought to be a son of Ashoka, took Vibhajjavada Buddhism into Sri Lanka ca. 246 BCE, where it was propagated by monks of the Mahavihara monastery. This branch of Vibhajjavada came to be called Tamraparniya, "the Sri Lankan lineage." Other branches of Vibhajjavada Buddhism died out, but Tamraparniya survived and came to be called Theravada, "teachings of the elders of the order."
Today Theravada is widespread throughout Southeast Asia and is the oldest surviving school of Buddhism.
The Life of the Buddha
By Barbara O'Brien, About.com Guide
Siddhartha Gautama's Early Life
Siddhartha Gautama was born about 583 BCE, in or near what is now Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, was leader of a large clan called the Shakya. His mother, Queen Maya, died shortly after his birth.
When Prince Siddhartha was a few days old, a holy man prophesied the Prince would be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. King Suddhodana preferred the first outcome and prepared his son accordingly. He raised the boy in great luxury and shielded him from knowledge of religion and human suffering. The Prince reached the age of 29 with little experience of the world outside the walls of his opulent palaces.
The Four Passing Sights One day, overcome with curiosity, Prince Siddhartha asked a charioteer to take him on a series of rides through the countryside. On these journeys he was shocked by the sight of an aged man, then a sick man, and then a corpse. The stark realities of old age, disease, and death seized and sickened the Prince.
Finally, he saw a wandering ascetic. The charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering.
The Renunciation For a time the Prince returned to palace life, but he took no pleasure in it. Even the news that his wife Yasodhara had given birth to a son did not please him. The child was called Rahula, which means "fetter."
One night he wandered the palace alone. The luxuries that had once pleased him now seemed grotesque. Musicians and dancing girls had fallen asleep and were sprawled about, snoring and sputtering. Prince Siddhartha reflected on the old age, disease, and death that would overtake them all and turn their bodies to dust.
He realized then that he could no longer be content living the life of a prince. That very night he left the palace, shaved his head, and changed his prince's clothes for a beggar's robe. Then he began his quest for enlightenment.
The Search Siddhartha began by seeking out renowned teachers, who taught him about the many religious philosophies of his day as well as how to meditate. But after he had learned all they had to teach, his doubts and questions remained. so he and five disciples left to find enlightenment by themselves.
The six companions attempted to find release from suffering through physical discipline--enduring pain, holding their breath, fasting nearly to starvation. Yet Siddhartha was still unsatisfied. It occurred to him that in renouncing pleasure he had grasped pleasure's opposite--pain and self-mortification. Now Siddhartha considered a Middle Way between those two extremes.
He remembered an experience from his childhood, when his mind had settled into a state of deep peace. The path of liberation was through discipline of mind. He realized that instead of starvation, he needed nourishment to build up his strength for the effort. But when he accepted a bowl of rice milk from a young girl, his companions assumed he had given up the quest and abandoned him.
The Enlightenment of the Buddha Siddhartha sat beneath a sacred fig (Ficus religiosa), known ever after as the Bodhi Tree, and settled into meditation.
The work of Siddhartha's mind came to be mythologized as a great battle with Mara, a demon whose name means "destruction' and who represents the passions that snare and delude us. Mara brought vast armies of monsters to attack Siddhartha, who sat still and untouched. Mara's most beautiful daughter tried to seduce Siddhartha, but this effort also failed.
Finally, Mara claimed the seat of enlightenment rightfully belonged to him. Mara's spiritual accomplishments were greater than Siddhartha's, the demon said. Mara's monstrous soldiers cried out together, "I am his witness!" Mara challenged Siddhartha--who will speak for you?
Then Siddhartha reached out his right hand to touch the earth, and the earth itself roared, "I bear you witness!" Mara disappeared. And as the morning star rose in the sky, Siddhartha Gautama realized enlightenment and became a Buddha.
The Teacher At first, the Buddha was reluctant to teach, because what he had realized could not be communicated in words. Only through discipline and clarity of mind would delusions fall away and the Great Reality could be directly experienced. Listeners without that direct experience would be stuck in conceptualizations and would surely misunderstand everything he said. But compassion persuaded him to make the attempt.
After his enlightenment, he went to the Deer Park in Isipatana, located in what is now the province of Uttar Pradesh, India. There he found the five companions who had abandoned him, and to them he preached his first sermon. This sermon has been preserved as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta and centers on the Four Noble Truths. Instead of teaching doctrines about enlightenment, the Buddha chose to prescribe a path of practice through which people can realize enlightenment for themselves.
The Buddha devoted himself to teaching, attracting hundreds of followers. Eventually he became reconciled with his father, King Suddhodana. His wife, the devoted Yasodhara, became a nun and disciple. Rahula, his son, became a novice monk at the age of 7 and spent the rest of his life with his father.
Last Words - The Buddha tirelessly traveled and taught until his death at age 80. His last words to his followers:
"Behold, O monks, this is my last advice to you. All component things in the world are changeable. They are not lasting. Work hard to gain your own salvation."
