| ism spread also to countries to the north and northeast | | | | Generally speaking, the fundamental principles of the |
| of its homeland. But there it developed into a separate | | | | Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the |
| form quite different from that practised in the south. To | | | | Dependent Origination, the Law of Karma, Nirvana and |
| get an idea of it, let us turn back to India. the country of | | | | the like remain the focal points of both schools. The |
| its origin. | | | | spirit of non-violence, tolerance, liberality and friendliness |
| The division of Buddhism can be traced back to the | | | | are also retained. But their difference is in the emphasis |
| time of the Second Council, a century after the | | | | and interpretation. While the Theravada keeps faithfully |
| Buddha, when the Sangha began to split into two | | | | to the original teachings as preserved in the Pali Canon |
| groups of monks. One came to be called Theravadins | | | | and holds together in a single unified tradition, the |
| and the other, Mahasanghikas. By the time of King | | | | Mahayana has made free and varied interpretations of |
| Asoka in the third century B.E. there had arisen out of | | | | the Doctrine and the Discipline under differing |
| the two eighteen different sects : eleven out of the | | | | circumstances, turned the original scriptures into |
| Theravada and seven out of the Mahasanghikas. | | | | Sanskrit incorporating in them later texts by later |
| None of these sects, however, survived long except | | | | teachers, and continued to divide into many new sects |
| the two major sects which, about two or three | | | | and subsects. |
| centuries later, were found advancing along different | | | | While the Theravada is an intellectual religion that |
| courses of development, quite apart from each other. | | | | requires personal self-effort, the Mahayana believes in |
| The form of Buddhism which flourished under King | | | | salvation through faith and devotion. In the Theravada |
| Asoka was the Theravada. As this form spread to | | | | the Buddha is a discoverer who points out the Path, |
| the south, it is also called the Southern School of | | | | but in the Mahayana he becomes a saviour by whose |
| Buddhism. The other, the Mahasanghikas, later | | | | grace beings can hope to be redeemed. The |
| developed into the Mahayana, the term the later | | | | emphasis of the Theravada is on wisdom and |
| Mahasanghikas call themselves. The Mahayana | | | | practical insight as the key virtue on the path of |
| prevails in northern countries: Nepal, Tibet, China, Korea, | | | | self-reliance towards the ideal state of being an |
| Mongolia and Japan, and is, therefore, known also as | | | | Arahant. The Mahayana stress is on compassion, the |
| the Northern School. The Mahayanists call the | | | | key virtue of the Bodhisattvas, the ideal persons who |
| Theravada the Hinayana, meaning the lesser vehicle of | | | | vow to save all beings and work for the good of |
| salvation in contrast to their own Mahayana, which | | | | suffering beings. Moreover, the Mahayana takes much |
| means the greater vehicle. But the Southern School | | | | interest in philosophical speculation and ritualism, while |
| prefers to be known as the Theravada, the | | | | the original doctrine of the Theravada regards these |
| “Teaching of the Elders,” which is a | | | | as useless. |
| more accurate and nonprejudicial term. | | | | |