The way of the elders, which keeps the Pali Canon as its scripture and the arahant as its goal, and carries the Buddhism of Sri Lanka and mainland Southeast Asia.
Theravada is the Buddhism of the Pali Canon, the earliest complete canon to survive. Its monks keep the Vinaya in its Pali form, its laity support the sangha and make merit, and its meditation traditions were carried worldwide in the modern centuries.
Produced by Mahayana-Theravada Divergence
1st century BCE and after · The goal of the path: the arahant's release against the bodhisattva's vow, and the authority of the later sutras.
Current status of that division: In dialogue.
Theravada across the site
History of Worldviews (10) · News (1)
Sources
Primary
- The Pali Canon.
Secondary
- Richard Gombrich, Theravada Buddhism (2006).