Buddhist Schools: A Comparative Study of the Schools
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1. Sakayamuni Buddha is the original and historical founder of Buddhism.
2. The Three Universal Seals, Four Noble Truths, Eight Fold Paths and Twelve Links of Dependent Origination are the basic foundation to all schools of Buddhism including the Tibetan schools of Vajrayana. 3. Threefold training of Precepts, Meditation and Wisdom is universal to all schools. 4. Organisation of the Buddhist teachings / Dharma into three classifications (Sutra, Vinaya and Sastra) is practised among the Buddhist Canons of various countries. 5. Mind over matter concept. Mind as the principal area of taming and control is fundamental to all schools.
# TOPIC THERAVADA BUDDHISM MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
Only the historical Gautama Besides Sakyamuni Buddha, other contemporary
1 The Buddha (Sakyamuni) Buddha and past Buddhas like Amitabha and Medicine Buddha are Buddhas are accepted. also very popular. Avalokitesvara, Mansjuri, Ksitigarbha and Only Maitreya Bodhisattva is 2 Bodhisattvas Samanthabadra are four very well known accepted. Bodhisattvas besides Maitreya. 3 Objective of training Arahant or Pacceka Buddha. Buddhahood (via the Bodhisattva path). The Pali Canon is divided into The Mahayana Buddhist Canon also consists of three baskets (Tipitaka): Vinaya Tripitaka of disciplines, discourses (sutras) and Organisation of Pitaka of 5 books, Sutta Pitaka of Dharma analysis. It is usually organised in 12 Buddhist scriptures 4 5 collections (many suttas) and divisions of topics like Cause and Conditions and Abhidhamma Pitaka of 7 books. Verses. It contains virtually all the Theravada Tipikata and many sutras that the latter does not have. Main emphasis is self liberation. Concept of Besides self liberation, it is important for Mahayana 5 There is total reliance on oneself Bodhicitta followers to help other sentient beings. to eradicate all defilements. Very limited emphasis on the 3 Very well mentioned in Mahayana Buddhism. bodies of a Buddha. References 6 Trikaya concept Samboga-kaya or reward/enjoyment body completes are mainly on Nirmana-kaya and the Trikaya concept. Dharma-kaya. Southern transmission: Sri Lanka, Northern transmission: Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, 7 Transmission route Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia Korea, Mongolia and parts of Southeast Asia. and parts of Southeast Asia. Buddhist canon is translated into the local language Tipitaka is strictly in Pali. Dharma Language of (except for the 5 untranslatables), e.g. Tibetan, 8 teaching in Pali supplemented by Dharma teaching Chinese and Japanese. Original language of local language. transmission is Sanskrit. No distinction is made between Also known as 'liberation from Samsara,' there are Nirvana nirvana attained by a Buddha and 9 subtle distinctions in the level of attainment for the (Nibbana in Pali) that of an arahat or Pacceka three situations. Buddha. Sakyamuni Buddha's Basically historical disciples, A lot of Bodhisattvas are introduced by Sakyamuni 10 disciples whether Arahats or commoners. Buddha. Most of these are not historical figures. Owing to local cultural influences, there is much There are some rituals but not
http://buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/comparative.htm[08-Dec-17 23:43:00] Buddhist Schools: A Comparative Study of the Schools
more emphasis on the use of rituals; e.g. Rituals for
11 Rituals and liturgy heavily emphasized as in the deceased, feeding of Petas, tantric formalities (in Mahayana schools. Vajrayana). Heavily practised in the Vajrayana school of Use of Mantras and Some equivalent in the use of 12 Mahayana Buddhism. Other schools also have Mudras Parittas. included some mantras in their daily liturgy. Very little research and knowledge The Vajrayana school is particularly meticulous in on the process of dying and these areas. There are many inner and external Dying and death death. Usually, the dying persons signs manifested by people before they die. There is 13 aspects are advised to meditate on heavy stress in doing transference of merit practices impermanence, suffering and in the immediate few weeks following death to assist emptiness. in the deceased's next rebirth. This in-between stage after death 14 Bardo and before rebirth is ignored in All Mahayana schools teach this after death aspect. Theravada school. One meal a day This the norm among the This is a highly respected practice but it is left to the 15 practice Theravada Sangha. disposition of each individual in the various Sangha. This aspect is not necessary. In Very well observed in all Mahayana schools (except places like Thailand where daily the Tibetans due to the geographical 16 Vegetarianism morning rounds are still practised, circumstances). However, this aspect is not it is very difficult to insist on the compulsory. type of food to be donated Can be quite elaborate; with a chamber/hall for Simple layout with the image of Sakyamuni Buddha and two disciples, one hall for Focus of worship in 17 Sakyamuni Buddha the focus of the 3 Buddhas (including Amitabha and Medicine the temple worship. Buddha) and one hall for the 3 key Bodhisattvas; besides the protectors, etc. 8 major (Chinese) schools based on the partial doctrines (sutras, sastras or vinaya) of the teachings. One surviving major school The four schools inclined towards practices like Pure Schools/Sects of the following years of attrition 18 Land/Amitabha, Ch'an, Vajrayana and Vinaya (not tradition reducing the number from as high for lay people) are more popular than the philosophy as 18. based schools like Tien Tai, Avamtasaka, Yogacara and Madhyamika. Mainly pre-Buddhism In the course of integration and adoption by the Indian/Brahmin influences. Many people in other civilizations, there were heavy mutual terms like Karma, Sangha, etc Non Buddhist influences. In China, both Confucianism and Taoism 19 were prevailing terms during influences exerted some influence on Buddhism which in turn Sakyamuni Buddha's life time. had an impact on the indigenous beliefs. This References were made from the scenario was repeated in Japan and Tibet. Vedas and Upanishads. Absent from the teachings of the Heavily stressed, particularly by schools inclined 20 Buddha nature Theravada tradition. practices.