Similar to other prominent religions of the world, Buddhism too, is no exception to various schools of thought that tend to interpret the founding principles of Buddhism in their own unique way. This has lead to the birth of different traditions of this faith, all encapsulated under the head of Buddhism. This ‘branching out’ can be traced back to the death of Lord Buddha, in around 380 B.C. After Lord Buddha, his disciples took his teachings to all the corners of the world. As a result, today, there are over 500 million followers of Buddhism in the world.
However, even while the religion spread its wings across the world and was interpreted differently all over, it still had only three main schools of thought that followed different Buddhist traditions. These three separate Buddhist schools of thought include Hinayana sect or the ‘Lesser Vehicle’, Mahayana sect or the ‘Greater Vehicle’, and Vajrayna or the ‘Indestructible Vehicle’. A careful study of Buddhism will reveal that all the differing Buddhist traditions in the world actually originated from one of these three traditions only.
Hinayana or Lesser Vehicle:
The term Hinayana came into being in the 1st or the 2nd century. The Hinayana form of Buddhism is mainly practiced in countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand. Hinayana form of Buddhism is also often referred to as the Theravada school of Buddhism. The Hinayana school of thought gives more credence to the attainment of Nirvana or enlightenment of the soul. Religious experts say that Hinayana school of thought includes those sutras where Lord Buddha admonishes the practitioner of Buddhism to follow the sravaka path.
According to them, the Hinayana teachings do not emphasize on the importance of the soul detaching itself from the worldly emotions of pain and suffering. Instead, this tradition focuses more on the liberation of the self. According to the beliefs of this school of though, any practitioner of Hinayana who successfully rids himself of suffering, is called ‘Arahant’. The Mahayana school of thought describes ‘Arahant’ of the Hinayana sect as someone who can never become a Buddha or even go back to the material world to help others get rid of emotional sufferings.
Mahayana or Greater Vehicle:
The followers of Mahayana first inculcate the teachings of the Hinayana tradition of Buddhism. It is only after the followers of the Mahayana sect comprehend the traditions and beliefs of Hinayana that they are allowed to move on to the principles of the Mahayana school of thought. Under the practices of the Mahayana sect, the practitioners of Buddhism develop their mental faculties with the help of Six Practices or Paramitas. These include the following beliefs:
i. Giving
ii. Morality
iii. Patience
iv. Effort
v. Concentration
vi. Wisdom
Under this Buddhist school of thought, the term Mahayana refers to the attainment of a spiritual level by the practitioner of Buddhism. This spiritual state or level is also known as Bodhisattvayana. Historians say that the Mahayana school of thought actually took root while Lord Buddha was alive. But this is a contentious point, since there are scholars who believe that Mahayana tradition of Buddhism was born in the 5th century in India. Over the course of time, it was the Mahayana sect of Buddhism that spread rapidly through the world. Today, countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam follow this particular Buddhist school of thought.
The principles of Mahayana are an assortment of teachings of Lord Buddha. This is perhaps the reason why many ideas under this school of thought often contradict one another. Even then, the truth is that Mahayana covers a broad area of Buddhist principles. It includes the practice of Buddhism as prescribed by the Mahayana sutras along with the principles mentioned in the Agama texts. It also takes into account the various transformations that have come about, in the due course of time, in the basic concept of Buddhism.
This form of Buddhism has three major characteristics:
i. Universalism: This means that according to the beliefs of Mahayana school of Buddhism, every follower can attain the state of Buddha.
ii. Bodhisitta: This suggests the realization of the ultimate spiritual state.
iii. Transcendental immanence: This refers to the belief of Mahayana sect that an immortal Buddha is present inside all human beings.
iv. Compassion: Compassion in Mahayana sect comes with the transfer of merit in the course of realization of the spiritual state.
Vajrayana or Indestructible Vehicle:
It is said that Vajrayana or the Indestructible Vehicle was a special form of Mahayana school of Buddhism that took birth in India. In the present times, the Vajrayana form of Buddhism is mainly practiced by the Tibetan Buddhists. The Tibetan Buddhists follow all the traditions of and practice all the rituals of this form of Buddhism. Their traditions also consist of various forms of religious ceremonies as well as prayer and mantra recitals. It is imperative for the followers of the Vajrayana form of Buddhism to have an understanding of both the Hinayana and Mahayana schools of Buddhism. Experienced Tibetan Buddhists are of the view that without a deep insight into the principles of both Hinayana and Mahayana sects of Buddhism, the practice of Vajrayana school of Buddhism is incomplete.
Religious experts are still in the process of making a comprehensive study of Vajrayana. But this is taking time because the Vajrayana scriptures are not in order. Due to the fact that this school of thought borrows a lot of concepts from Hinduism, it has made further research into Hinduism necessary. The religious scholars will need to analyze both the rituals doctrines that make up the Vajrayana school of Buddhism. Today, Buddhism is one of the rare religions that have managed to provide peace to the mind, and healing to the soul. Practitioners of Buddhism are now located in western countries including Europe and America. With its root still intact in the heart of India, Buddhism has attained a list of international followers, who continue to retain its traditions and core values.
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