Mahayana vs Theravada: Difference and Comparison

Gautama Buddhaโ€™s teachings and principles are spread all over the world and are considered dharma. His followers are Buddhists, and the religion is Buddhism.

Key Takeaways

  1. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the Bodhisattva path and compassion, while Theravada focuses on individual enlightenment.
  2. Mahayana accepts a wider range of texts and teachings, whereas Theravada relies primarily on the Pali Canon.
  3. Geographically, Mahayana dominates East Asia, while Theravada prevails in Southeast Asia.

Mahayana vs Theravada

Mahayana is a branch of Buddhism and the largest Buddhist tradition that includes Buddhist practices, texts, traditions, and philosophies. It is also known as the Great Vehicle. Theravada is the oldest existing school of Buddhism that consists of seven stages of purification that all believers must follow.

Mahayana vs Theravada

Mahayana believes that enlightenment can be achieved by following the teachings of Buddha. Boddhisattvas have huge prominence in Mahayana.

While Theravada believes monks need to strive to gain freedom and need to become Arhats. It believes that freedom from samsaraโ€™s cycle is crucial.

/10

Religion Quiz

Test your knowledge about topics related to religion

1 / 10

What is the significance of Ramadan in Islam?

2 / 10

What is the main text of Sikhism?

3 / 10

What is the main belief in Jainism about non-violence?

4 / 10

What is the main belief of Hinduism?

5 / 10

What is the most important festival in Islam?

6 / 10

What is 'karma'?

7 / 10

What is the main belief of Sikhism?

8 / 10

Who is the final prophet of Islam?

9 / 10

The Sunday before Easter is called

10 / 10

What Does 'Dharma' mean?

Your score is

0%

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonMahayanaTheravada
OriginBelieved to be originated in the Hinayana schools Descends from Vibhajjavada (a division within the Sthavira Nikaya)
Buddhists FollowersOver 360 million Buddhists are followers Mahayana Over 150 million Buddhists are followers of Theravada
Earliest of evidenceTextual evidence from Sutras Textual evidence of gold plates found in Sri Ksetra in the Pฤli language
Promotion of beliefsBelieves in promotion of other monks too and not exclusively Buddha Believes in exclusive supremacy of Buddha
SpreadFrom China and India to different parts of Southeast Asia From Southern India to Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, Myanmar, and beyond

What is Mahayana?

Mahayana is a term used to refer to a branch of Buddhism which includes Buddhist traditions, practices, philosophies, and texts. It is also called the Great Vehicle.

Mahayana is the largest Buddhist tradition to date. There are various origin theories and hypotheses to explain the origin of

It focuses on inner motivation and vision regardless of the institutional position of the individual. Therefore, it is not considered a term but a religious tendency.

Mahayana has achieved growth since the fifth century. Some popular Buddhaโ€™s of Mahayana are Amitabha, Aksobhya, Bhaisajyaguru, and Vairocana.

mahayana

What is Theravada?

Theravada is a term used to refer to the oldest existing school of Buddhism. The Pail of Canon contains the main scriptures of Theravada.

Theravada does not promote the authenticity of Mahayana sutras. A part of the modern Theravada is derived from a tradition of the Sri Lankan branch called the Mahavihara order.

Theravada consists of seven stages of purification and considers it to be the path to be followed, which is orthodox, unlike Mahayana.

Theravada is extremely influential in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, India, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Mauryan kings like Ashoka helped Theravada reach different parts of Southeast Asia.

theravada

Main Differences Between Mahayana and Theravada

  1. Mahayana Buddhists believe in faith time to achieve salvation, while Theravada Buddhists believe one has to work out salvation with diligence.
  2. Mahayana believes in three words Bodhisattva-yana, Prateka-Buddha-yana, and Sravaka-yana while Theravada believes in Arahant-yana and promotes Arahantship.
Difference Between Mahayana and Theravada

One request?

Iโ€™ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. Itโ€™ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS โ™ฅ๏ธ

Want to save this article for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own articles box!

Ads Blocker Image Powered by Code Help Pro

Ads Blocker Detected!!!

We have detected that you are using extensions to block ads. Please support us by disabling these ads blocker.