Two Branches Of Buddhism

Paper Summary:

Compares and contrasts two different Buddhist paths to enlightenment. The Mahayana and the Theravada. Geographical location of each branch. Ciety belief of the Mayayana present in the three Bodies (Forms) of Buddha. Theravada notion of revering the "Awakened one" as a supreme sage and model. Approaches to salvation.

From the Paper:

"Buddhism is a belief system that has been around since around the 6th century B.C. and most Buddhists today still hold to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path that the Buddha is said to have taught back then, along with his concept of the middle path, or moderation in all things. Several different branches of Buddhism have developed since then, however, with Buddhists primarily following two different paths to enlightenment. The two main branches of Buddhism currently in existence are the Mahayana and the Theravada.

The Mahayana sect is otherwise known as the Greater Vehicle or Northern Buddhism. The Mahayana Buddhists are based mostly in China, Korea, Japan and Tibet. The Theravada, the other main path, is also known as the Smaller ..."

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