Schools of Buddhism


The schools of Buddhism are the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism, which are based on various differences, such as geography, historical schisms and sectarianism, and the differing teachings and interpretations of Buddhist texts.
The branching of Buddhism into separate schools has been occurring from ancient times up to the present, beginning with the first schism. The classification and nature of the various doctrinal, philosophical, practical, or cultural facets of the schools of Buddhism is complex and has been interpreted in many different ways. This complexity is partly due to the sheer number of different sects, sub-sects, movements, worldviews, etc. that make up the whole of the Buddhist tradition. The study of the sectarian and conceptual divisions of Buddhist thought are part of the modern framework of Buddhist studies, as well as comparative religion in Asia. Some factors in Buddhist doctrine, such as the four noble truths, and karma and rebirth, appear to be relatively consistent across different schools. Others views vary considerably, such as the understanding of the nature of the Buddha and the canons of Buddhist scriptures.
From a largely English-language standpoint, and to some extent in most of Western academia, Buddhism is separated into two groups: Theravāda, and Mahāyāna. The most common classification among scholars is threefold: Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna. Another common division is cultural-geographical, dividing Buddhism into: Southern Buddhism, Northern or Himalayan Buddhism, and East Asian Buddhism.
Apart from these major categories, there are many Buddhist new religious movements that developed in the modern era, including the Indian Dalit Buddhist movement and many of the Japanese new religions.

Classifications

In contemporary Buddhist studies, modern Buddhism is often divided into three major branches, traditions or categories:
Another way of classifying the different forms of Buddhism is through the different monastic ordination traditions. There are three main traditions of monastic law each corresponding to the first three categories outlined above:
The terminology for the major divisions of Buddhism can be confusing, as Buddhism is variously divided by scholars and practitioners according to geographic, historical, and philosophical criteria rather than criteria of the adherents themselves, with different terms often being used in different contexts. The following terms may be encountered in descriptions of the major Buddhist divisions:
;Conservative Buddhism: an alternative name for the early Buddhist schools.
;Early Buddhist schools: the schools into which Buddhism became divided in its first few centuries; according to some scholars only one of these, Theravāda, survives as an independent school, although others would claim the various Mahāyāna branches all derived mainly from the early Caitika school.
;East Asian Buddhism: a term used by scholars to cover the Buddhist traditions of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and most of China and Southeast Asia
;Eastern Buddhism: an alternative name used by some scholars for East Asian Buddhism; also sometimes used to refer to all traditional forms of Buddhism, as distinct from Western forms.
;Ekayāna : Mahayana texts such as the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra sought to unite all the different teachings into a single great way. These texts serve as the inspiration for using the term Ekayāna in the sense of "one vehicle." This "one vehicle" became a key aspect of the doctrines and practices of Tiantai and Tendai Buddhist sects, which subsequently influenced Chán and Zen doctrines and practices. In Japan, the one-vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra is also a main doctrine of Nichiren Buddhist sects. The Lotus Sutra is so central to these sects that meditation was replaced by chanting the Japanese words Namu Myoho Renge Kyo in religious practice.
;Esoteric Buddhism: usually considered synonymous with "Vajrayāna". Some scholars have applied the term to certain practices found within the Theravāda, particularly in Cambodia.
;Hīnayāna: literally meaning "lesser vehicle." It is considered a controversial term when applied by Mahāyānists to refer to the Theravāda schools, and as such is widely viewed as condescending and pejorative. Moreover, Hīnayāna refers to now non-extant schools with limited sets of views, practices, and results, which emerged prior to the development of Mahāyāna traditions. The term is currently most often used as a way of describing a stage on the path in Tibetan Buddhism, but is often mistakenly confused with the contemporary Theravāda tradition, which is a far more complex, diversified, and profound phenomenon than the literal and limiting definition attributed to the word Hīnayāna in the aforementioned context. Its use in scholarly publications is now also considered controversial.
;Lamaism: synonymous with Tibetan Buddhism; an old term, sometimes still used, but widely considered derogatory.
;Mahāyāna: a movement that emerged from early Buddhist schools, together with its later descendants, East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism. Vajrayāna traditions are sometimes listed separately. The main use of the term in East Asian and Tibetan traditions is in reference to spiritual levels, regardless of school.
;Mainstream Buddhism: a term used by some scholars for the early Buddhist schools.
;Mantrayāna: usually considered synonymous with Vajrayāna. The Tendai and Shingon schools in Japan have been described as influenced by Mantrayana.
;Navayāna: refers to the re-interpretation of Buddhism by modern Indian jurist and social reformer B. R. Ambedkar.
;Newar Buddhism: a non-monastic, caste-based Buddhism with patrilineal descent and Sanskrit texts.
;Nikāya Buddhism: a non-derogatory substitute term for Hinayana or the early Buddhist schools.
;Non-Mahāyāna: an alternative term for the early Buddhist schools.
;Northern Buddhism: an alternative term used by some scholars for Tibetan Buddhism. Also, an older term still sometimes used to encompass both East Asian and Tibetan traditions. It has even been used to refer to East Asian Buddhism alone, without Tibetan Buddhism.
;Secret Mantra: an alternative rendering of Mantrayāna, a more literal translation of the term used by schools in Tibetan Buddhism when referring to themselves.
;Sectarian Buddhism: an alternative name for the early Buddhist schools.
;Southeast Asian Buddhism: an alternative name used by some scholars for Theravāda.
;Southern Buddhism: an alternative name used by some scholars for Theravāda.
;Śrāvakayāna: an alternative term sometimes used for the early Buddhist schools.
;Tantrayāna or Tantric Buddhism: usually considered synonymous with "Vajrayāna". However, one scholar describes the tantra divisions of some editions of the Tibetan scriptures as including Śravakayāna, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna texts. Some scholars, particularly François Bizot, have used the term Tantric Theravada to refer to certain practices found particularly in Cambodia.
;Theravāda: the Buddhism of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and parts of Vietnam, China, India, and Malaysia. It is considered by some scholars to be the only surviving representative of the historical early Buddhist schools. The term Theravāda is also sometimes used to refer to all of the early Buddhist schools.
;Tibetan Buddhism: usually understood as including the Buddhism of Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, and parts of China, India, and Russia, which follow the Tibetan tradition.
;Vajrayāna: a movement that developed out of Indian Mahāyāna, together with its later descendants. There is some disagreement on exactly which traditions fall into this category. Tibetan Buddhism is universally recognized as falling under this heading; many also include the Japanese Shingon school. Some scholars also apply the term to the Korean milgyo tradition, which is not a separate school. One scholar says, "Despite the efforts of generations of Buddhist thinkers, it remains exceedingly difficult to identify precisely what it is that sets the Vajrayana apart."
File:SectarianBuddhistschools.png|270px|thumb|right|upright|Map of the major geographical centers of major Buddhist schools in South Asia, at around the time of Xuanzang's visit in the seventh century.
Note the red and grey schools already gave some original ideas of Mahayana Buddhism and the Sri Lankan section of the orange school is the origin of modern Theravada Buddhism.