Theravada Buddhism vs Mahayana Buddhism

This is a map of Asia. It shows where Mahayana and Theravada are taught.

Available at: http://goo.gl/YiVu5

Today, we will be looking at two different types of Buddhism; Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. During this post I will  compare and contrast the two.

If you only know of Buddhism as a whole, there are different types. Theravada and Mahayana are two different types of Buddhism. To start off here is a little background info on each type.

Theravada Buddhism

This type of buddhism is more in the southern region of Asia. Their main goal is through meditation, in which, they would train your mind and encourage freedom of suffering through meditation. This type of buddhism also originated a language known as Pali. Which is known as “the Doctrine of the Elders”. This type of buddhism is probably the oldest and has one of the oldest remaining schools of Buddhism.

Mahayana Buddhism

This type of buddhism lies in the eastern part of Asia. This type of buddhism only teaches from the Tripitakas, they’re religious text in Theravada buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism believes that a person has to practice universal compassion in order to attain the “Awakened mind” of Buddhism.

After your brief intro on Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, I will discuss their differences and similarities.

Between these two the differences are in great number. In general, what they teach about Buddhism is different.

Theravada schools are very strict, plain, and orthodox. They are one of the oldest schools and they teach the old way. There is only one school left like this that teaches the Theravada way.  Mahayana schools are quite different, they have variety and are everywhere.

The scriptures that Theravada uses the Pali Canon and Tripitakas only while Mahayana uses those plus other sutras.  Also, the Buddha that they use are different. Theravada use the original buddha Gautama only, while Mahayana uses Gautama, Amitabha, and medicine buddhas.

The language that their teachings are taught are very different, Theravada only teaches in Pali. On the other hand with Mahayana their teachings are translated into local languages.

Even though these two seem very different, a lot of their difference surfaces similarity in some kind of way. For example, one only uses Gautama while the other uses Gautama plus more. Therefore, they are different but similar.

Speaking of similar, these two types of buddhism are alike in the matter of that they both use the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and reject the idea that a supreme being created and governs the world. There isnt many similarities, but  they aren’t completely different.

Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism are highly different in the way they teach from how they teach, what they teach, and where they teach, but despite the differences they are surprisingly similar to certain aspects.