Branches of Buddhism

Buddhism as a global religion is an ancient doctrine, predating the birth of Christ, spreading across hundreds of countries over millennia. It has been encountered by thousands of different cultures and people groups and translated into dozens of languages and dialects. Over the centuries however, different doctrines within Buddhism have branched off and developed into their own branches. From the inception of the teachings of the Gautama Buddha to the present day, there have been many different interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings, but there are 3 prevailing schools: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. 

Before delving into each specific branch, it is important to understand where they agree and where they differ. These sects arose for a variety of different reasons. Some resulted from schisms within the original doctrine, based on their differing interpretations of the Buddha’s teachings, or their level of understanding of the dharma. Others were established by adapting to local beliefs and cultures as Buddhism spread around the world. 

As different interpretations on what they consider the best path to enlightenment, each offers their respective methods and draws upon specific Buddhist canonical texts, traditions, and values. However, at the end of the day, all schools proclaim the virtues of loving kindness and mindfulness, as well as acknowledging the concepts of anicca, or impermanence, and anatta, the non-self, in perpetuating the cycle of birth and death, otherwise known as samsara. Through this, all schools are valid vehicles in overcoming duhkha, or suffering, and to attain Nirvana.

Theravada Buddhism is the oldest school of Buddhism, and the most conservative in the sense that there is little difference between the present form and the original teachings of Gautama Buddha. Known in Pali as the “Doctrine of the Elders,” Theravada serves as the fundamental basis of modern Buddhism as a whole, even for practitioners of the Mahayana and Vajrayana denominations. The school derives the teachings of the Buddha that are preserved in the most authentic early Buddhist scripture, the Pali Canon, written in Sri Lanka in the 1st Century BCE. The Canon is the original Tripitaka, or three baskets, referring to the baskets used to collect manuscripts, and is divided into three pitaka. These are the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka, and the Abhidharmma Pitaka, the baskets that held the rules and discipline of the Sangha, the overarching teachings of the Buddha's sermons and discourses, and Buddhist philosophical doctrines, respectively. Theravada places an emphasis on the individual, in their ability to recognise anatta, in recognising one’s inherent selflessness, reflected in the 4 stages of awakening. Sotapanna, Sakadagamin, and Anagamin, are the key steps in breaking the ‘fetters’ of Samsara, with the ultimate goal of achieving Nirvana by breaking the cycle of rebirth and becoming an arahant, someone who has become enlightened by following the teachings of the Buddha. Modern Theravada is descended from the Mahavihara Order, the Sri Lankan branch of the Vibhajjavada tradition, themselves a sect of Sthavira Nikaya, one of the earliest Buddhist schools that arose from a schism in the Sangha at the Second Buddhist Council, around 300 BCE. It is most prevalent in South and South-East Asian countries, notably Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Mahayana Buddhism is what most people in Western countries associate with the idea of Buddhism, having the largest number of adherents, with more than half of the world’s Buddhists adhering to this school. Mahayana, meaning “great vehicle” in Sanskrit, shares the same origin as Theravada from the Second Buddhist Council, where the Sangha split into two factions: the conservative Sthavira Nikaya, who were ancestors to Theravada, and the reformist Mahasamghika, of whom Mahayana are descendants. As previously mentioned, it uses the traditions of Theravada as a fundamental, as it is the closest to the original scriptures. However, Mahayana views itself as an expansion upon the pre-existing notions of Buddhism, adding new scriptures such as the Mahayana Sutras, and placing emphasis on more cosmic concepts such as Trikaya. Whereas Theravada Buddhists strove to reach enlightenment to become an arahant, the path of a Mahayana is to become a Bodhisattva, a spiritual being who compassionately vows to achieve Buddhahood, but have deferred their aspirations in order to liberate all beings in the universe from suffering and to help them achieve Nirvana. This is a valid and complex interpretation of anatta, of selfless actions to help guide others in the same direction, with the key difference of teaching others rather than following existing teachings. Further versions of Mahayana introduce the concept of celestial beings who are there to help guide would-be Bodhisattvas in achieving their goals. Indeed, Mahayana depicts the Buddha as being omnipotent and divine, who remains active in helping sentient beings even after attaining Nirvana. Like Theravada, Gautama Buddha is seen as the most recent in a line of Buddhas that constantly appeared throughout history. However, a core belief in Mahayana is the Trikaya doctrine, or the 3 bodies of Buddha: The Dharmakaya, or Dharma body, the embodiment of the ultimate truth; Sambhogakaya, or Enjoyment body, a reward for a Bodhisattva finally achieving Nirvana; Nirmanakaya, or Transformation body, the physical manifestation body. Mahayana encompasses further complex theories, concepts, and traditions that delve deeper into Buddhist cosmology and theology. Mahayana is most prevalent throughout Eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Vajrayana Buddhism itself is a subset of the Mahayana traditions, but with further emphasis on the Tantras, or esoteric traditions of Buddhism, which are believed to help accelerate the path to enlightenment. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word vajra, a ritualistic weapon symbolising the indestructibility of a diamond and the power of a thunderbolt, hence translating to “indestructible vehicle.”  The Buddhist tantras upon which Vajrayana are based upon were created as a reaction to feudalism in Medieval India around 6th Century CE, where kings were seen as physical manifestations of divine beings. One common factor within tantric Buddhist traditions is the accumulation of rituals and concepts from many different sources, including mantras, mandalas, pagan rituals, yogic tradition, deities, and parts of Indian philosophy. A great deal of importance is placed in the importance of a guru, a religious teacher who has mastered the philosophical and ritual traditions; in Tibet, they are known as a “Lama.” While meditation is the primary ritual practiced in Theravada and Mahayana, Vajrayana traditions include more transgressive elements such as the use of skulls, mandalas and other symbolic imagery, singing prideful hymns or stava, ritual sacrifice, or the consumption of taboo substances such as drugs and alcohol. The driving theory behind these acts of transgression is that all humans have a fundamental impurity or mala that binds them to the cycle of samsara. By conducting these actions as outlined by the tantras, the impurity can be removed by expanding one’s consciousness. This initial act is known as diksa, initiating the process of liberation with death. According to the Hevajra Tantra, “By passion the world is bound, by passion it is too released,” so by partaking in immoral actions considered unknown by “heretical Buddhists,” one may dispel their own immorality with it, and by doing so show reverence to the seeds of enlightenment which all beings possess. Vajrayana Buddhism is prevalent in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Mongolia, and pockets throughout Central Asia.

All main denominations share many similar traits but differ in how they seek to achieve Nirvana. In Theravada, this is attained by recognising the inherent selflessness of all beings as opposed to Mahayana, where selflessness is used to aid others on their path, while Vajrayana sees the importance of transgressive rituals to achieve this sense of selflessness. Thus, these are the main branches of Buddhism and their traditions.