About the Book
Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 72. Chapters: Early Buddhist Schools, Early Buddhist texts, Family of Gautama Buddha, Theravada, Ananda, Sarvastivada, Sthaviravada, Pre-sectarian Buddhism, Ashokan Edicts in Delhi, Edicts of Ashoka, Gaya, India, Sarnath, Devadatta, Gandh ran Buddhist Texts, Pillars of Ashoka, Caitika, Dharmaguptaka, Third Buddhist council, Yasodhar, Lokottaravada, Mahisasaka, Second Buddhist council, Mahavibhasa, R hula, Bahusrutiya, Maya, First Buddhist council, Prajnaptivada, Vaibhashika, Vibhajyav da, Sautr ntika, Mahapajapati Gotami, Fourth Buddhist council, uddhodana, Udanavarga, Mulasarvastivada, K yap ya, Flower Sermon, Divyavadana, Ekavy vah rika, Ashokavadana, Gokulika, Pudgalavada, Sammitiya, Sundari. Excerpt: Theravada (Pali: therav da, Sanskrit: sthavirav da); literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching," is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India. It is relatively conservative, and generally closest to early Buddhism, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (now about 70% of the population) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). Theravada is also practiced by minorities in parts of southwest China (by the Shan and Tai ethnic groups), Vietnam (by the Khmer Krom), Bangladesh (by the ethnic groups of Baruas, Chakma, and Magh), Malaysia and Indonesia, while recently gaining popularity in Singapore and the Western world. Today Theravada Buddhists, otherwise known as Theravadins, number over 100 million worldwide, and in recent decades Theravada has begun to take root in the West and in the Buddhist revival in India. The Therav da school is fundamentally derived from the Vibhajjav da (or "doctrine of analysis") grouping which was a continuation of the older Sthavira (or "teaching of the Elders") group at the time of the Third B...
