Buddhism

A question asked by many people is What is the difference between Theravada and Mahayana

Buddhism? To find the answer let us look at the history of Buddhism and compare and

contrast the beliefs and philosophies of the two.

The Buddah, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in the 6th century B.C.E. in Northwestern India.

The Buddah was the son of an aristocrat and grew up in a world of affluence and

privilege. His father, Suddhodana took every precaution to make sure Siddhartha didn't

experience anything that would hurt his happiness.

The Buddah attained enlightenment at the age of 35 and spent his life teaching. He taught

for 45 years and only slept for about two hours a day. What he taught was called Buddha

Vacana, i.e. the word of the Buddha.

Three months after the Buddha's death five hundred of his disciples convened the First

Council at Rajagaha. Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided the

council. Since members of the council were not able to agree on any changes, Maha Kassapa

ruled that no rules laid down by the Buddha should be changed and no new ones should be

introduced. Maha Kassapa also said If we changed the rules, people would say that Ven.

Gotama's disciples changed the rules even before his funeral fire ceased burning.

On hundred years later a Second Council was held and they made some changes to certain

minor rules. In the 3rd Century B.C.E., the Third Council was held to discuss the

difference between different sects. At the end of this Council, the President of the

Council, Moggaliputta Tissa, wrote a book called the Kathavatthu refuting the heretical,

false views and theories of some sects. The teaching approved by this council was known

as Theravada. There was nothing known as Mahayana at this time.

Between the 1st Century B.C.E. and the 1st Century A.D., the term Mahayana appeared in

the Saddharma Pundarike Sutra or Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law. About the 2nd

Century A.D., Mahayana became clearly defined.

Theravada and Mahayana have a lot of similarities:

n Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.

n The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.

n The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.

n The Paticca-samuppada or the Dependent Organization is the same in both schools.

n Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.

n Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.

There are also some differences. The Mahayanists did not see themselves as creating a new

start for Buddhism. They claimed that their canon of scriptures represented the final

teachings of Buddha. They accounted for the non-presence of these teachings in over 500

years by claiming that these were secret teachings entrusted only to the most faithful

followers.

Like the Protestant Reformation, the overall goal of Mahayana was to extend religious

authority to a greater number of people, rather