| Mahinda introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka in | | | | survived, which makes it hard to tell how |
| the third century BCE. After this brief | | | | their traditions differed from those of the |
| introduction, Buddhism became the dominant | | | | Mahavihara. There appeared to be a rivalry |
| religion on the island, and Sri Lanka turned | | | | between them due to a Mahavihara opposition |
| into a center of religious learning. The new | | | | to their Mahayana sympathies, which is |
| religion substituted Hinduism and became | | | | simplistic and problematic.The schools of |
| well-accepted by the low/middle class.It | | | | Chinese Buddhism are divided into two |
| emerged three great divisions of the Sangha | | | | categories, those that have a more or less |
| on the island, each of which centered on a | | | | direct Indian counterpart and those which |
| monastery in the ancient capital of | | | | have a more or less direct Indian counterpart |
| Anuradhapura. Mahavihara, great monastery, is | | | | and those that are native to China. The |
| the oldest of the monasteries and was | | | | principal schools are the Vinaya, the Kosa, |
| established by Mahinda in the third century, | | | | the Madhyamaka, the Yogacara, and the |
| the Abhayagiri-vihara in the first century | | | | Mantrayana. Those schools in principal are |
| BCE, and the Jetavana in the third century | | | | also the schools of Korean and Japanese |
| CE. None of the writings of the monks of | | | | Buddhism. Some schools developed more |
| Abhayagiri and the Jetavana monasteries | | | | significant local traditions than others. |