Theravada     Countries Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 448 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (985 × 1317 pixel, file size: 601 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Theravada Pali Canon Sutta Pitaka Mahavamsa...   Sri Lanka Cambodia • Laos Burma • Thailand   Texts Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is one the earliest existing scripture collections of the Buddhist tradition. ...   Pali Canon Commentaries Subcommentaries Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Atthakatha (Pali for explanation, commentary)[1] refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. ... The subcommentaries (tika, á¹­Ä«kā) are commentaries on the commentaries on the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. ...   History   Pre-sectarian Buddhism Early schools • Sthavira Asoka • Third Council Vibhajjavada Mahinda • Sanghamitta Dipavamsa • Mahavamsa Buddhaghosa The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. ... Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... Sthaviravāda (Sanskrit; Chinese 上座部) literally means Teaching Of The Elders. It was one of the two main movements in early Buddhism, the other being that of the Mahāsāṅghika. ... Ashoka redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka. ... Sanghamitta was the daughter of Emperor Ashoka and sister of Venerable Mahinda. ... The Dipavamsa (Island Chronicle in Pali) is the oldest historical record of Sri Lanka, believed to be compiled in the 4th century. ... The Mahavansha, also Mahawansha, (Pāli: great chronicle) is a historical record, often thought to be the oldest written record oh history, written in the Pāli language, of the Buddhist kings as well as Dravidian kings of Sri Lanka. ... Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. ...   Doctrine   Saṃsāra • Nibbāṇa Middle Way Noble Eightfold Path Four Noble Truths Enlightenment Stages Precepts • 3 Jewels For other uses, see Samsara (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Buddhist concept. ... The Middle Way or Middle Path (Sanskrit Madhyama Marga, Pali Majjhima Magga) is the Buddhist philosophy expounded by Gautama Buddha. ... Eightfold Path redirects here. ... The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: อริยสัจสี่, Ariyasaj Sii) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life. ... Śīla (Sanskrit) or sÄ«la (Pāli) is usually rendered into English as behavioral discipline, morality, or ethics. ... Symbol of the triratna, as seen in the Sanchi stupa, 1st century BCE. The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures, Three Refuges or Triple Gem are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. ...   view • talk • edit

Part of a series on Buddhism Buddhism is a variety of teachings, sometimes described as a religion[1] or way of life that attempts to identify the causes of human suffering and offer various ways that are claimed to end, or ease suffering. ... Image File history File links Lotus-buddha. ... History The History of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. ... Timeline· Buddhist councils 563 BCE: Siddhārtha Gautama, Buddha-to-be, is born in Lumbini, Ancient India. ... // Main article: First Buddhist council Ananda reciting the Sutta Pitaka According to the scriptures of all Buddhist schools, the first Buddhist Council was held soon after the nirvana of the Buddha under the patronage of king Ajatasatru, and presided by the monk Mahakasyapa, at Rajagaha (todays Rajgir). ... Foundations Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Buddhist Precepts Nirvana · Three Jewels The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: อริยสัจสี่, Ariyasaj Sii) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ... Eightfold Path redirects here. ... Śīla (Sanskrit) or sÄ«la (Pāli) is usually rendered into English as behavioral discipline, morality, or ethics. ... Symbol of the triratna, as seen in the Sanchi stupa, 1st century BCE. The Three Jewels, also rendered as Three Treasures, Three Refuges or Triple Gem are the three things that Buddhists give themselves to, and in return look toward for guidance, in the process known as taking refuge. ... Key Concepts Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma Dependent Origination · Karma According to the Buddhist tradition, all phenomena (dharmas) are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals, that is dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence), and anatta (non-Self). ... The skandhas (Sanskrit: Pāli: Khandha; literally: heap or bundle) are the five constituents or aggregates through which the functioning and experience of an individual is created according to Buddhist phenomenology. ... Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. ... For other uses, see Samsara (disambiguation). ... Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the consciousness of a person (as conventionally regarded), upon the death or dissolution of the aggregates (skandhas) which make up that person, becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new group of skandhas which may again be conventionally considered... Dharma (Sanskrit: धर्म) or Dhamma (Pāli: धम्म) in Buddhism has two primary meanings: the teachings of the Buddha which lead to enlightenment the constituent factors of the experienced world In East Asia, the character for Dharma is 法, pronounced fÇŽ in Mandarin and hō in Japanese. ... The doctrine of PratÄ«tyasamutpāda (Sanskrit: ) or Paticcasamuppāda, Pali: ; Tibetan: ; Chinese: ) Dependent Arising is an important part of Buddhist metaphysics. ... Karma (Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means action or doing; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. ... Major Figures A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. ... Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. ... Practices and Attainment Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramitas · Meditation · Laity Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ... Lands Bhutan â€¢ China â€¢ Korea Japan â€¢ Tibet â€¢ Vietnam Taiwan â€¢ Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva â€¢ Bodhicitta Karuna â€¢ Prajna Sunyata â€¢ Buddha Nature Trikaya â€¢ Eternal Buddha Scriptures Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra VimalakÄ«rti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History 4th Buddhist Council Silk Road â€¢ Nagarjuna Asanga â€¢ Vasubandhu Bodhidharma      A statue of a Bodhisattva, Akasagarbha. ... The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life. ... Pāramitā or PāramÄ« (Sanskrit and Pāli respectively): Perfection or Transcendent. In Buddhism & Jainism, the Paramitas refer to the perfection or culmination of certain practices. ... Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. ... In canonical Buddhism, householder refers to a particular strata of society whose individuals are typified by having a home life and family. ... Countries/Regions Buddhism - Percentage by country The percentage of Buddhist population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1]. Other sources used were CIA Factbook [2] and adherents. ... Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ... Bhutan · Cambodia · China India · Indonesia · Japan Korea · Laos · Malaysia Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal Singapore · Sri Lanka Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam Western countries The grounds of Koreas Buryeongsa Temple. ... Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada tradition or the southern school. ... Tibetan Buddhism[1] is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan regions, which include northern Nepal, Bhutan, India (Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim), Mongolia, Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia and Tuva) and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... The Indo-Greek king Menander (155-130 BCE) is the first Western historical figure documented to have converted to Buddhism. ... Branches Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna Early and Pre-sectarian Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... Vajrayāna Buddhism (Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle, or 金剛乘 Jingangcheng in Chinese; however, these terms are not always regarded as equivalent: one scholar[1] speaks of the tantra divisions of some editions of the Kangyur as including Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana texts) is... Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. ... Texts Chinese Song Period Maha-prajna-paramita Sutra Page The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. ... Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras Tibetan Canon Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Lands Bhutan â€¢ China â€¢ Korea Japan â€¢ Tibet â€¢ Vietnam Taiwan â€¢ Mongolia Doctrine Bodhisattva â€¢ Bodhicitta Karuna â€¢ Prajna Sunyata â€¢ Buddha Nature Trikaya â€¢ Eternal Buddha Mahayana Sutras Prajnaparamita Sutra Avatamsaka Sutra Lotus Sutra Nirvana Sutra VimalakÄ«rti Sutra Lankavatara Sutra History Silk Road â€¢ Nagarjuna Asanga â€¢ Vasubandhu Bodhidharma      Mahayana sutras are a very broad genre of... The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Comparative Studies Culture · List of topics Portal: Buddhism The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ... Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel... Image File history File links Dharma_wheel. ... This box: view • talk • edit

Theravada (Pāli: theravāda (cf Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda); literally, "the Teaching of the Elders", or "the Ancient Teaching") is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population^[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). It is also practised 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, Philippines and Indonesia, whilst recently gaining popularity in Singapore and Australia. Today Theravada Buddhists 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. Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... For other uses, see Shan (disambiguation). ... The Tai languages are a subgroup of the Tai Kadai language family. ... The Khmer Krom (Khmer: ) are the indigenous ethnic Khmer minority living in southern Vietnam, especially in the Mekong River delta. ... Baruas are a community in Bangladesh who are Buddhist. ... The Chakma, who are also known as the Changma, is a Mongoloid tribe inhabiting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. ... The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment. ...

History

Origin of the school

The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda grouping^[2] which emerged amongst the older Sthavira group at the time of the Third Buddhist Council (around 250 BCE), during the reign of Emperor Asoka in India. After the Third Council, due to geographical distance the Vibhajjavādins gradually evolve into four groups: the Mahīśāsaka, Kāśyapīya, Dharmaguptaka and the Tāmraparnīya. Theravada is descended from the Tāmraparnīya, which means 'the Sri Lankan lineage'. On the other hand, some sources claimed that Mahīśāsaka, Kāśyapīya and Dharmaguptaka did not evolve directly from Vibhajjavādins. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Sthaviravāda (Sanskrit; Chinese 上座部) literally means Teaching Of The Elders. It was one of the two main movements in early Buddhism, the other being that of the Mahāsāṅghika. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... (Redirected from 250 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC Years: 255 BC 254 BC 253 BC 252 BC 251 BC - 250 BC... This article is about Ashoka, the emperor. ... Mahisasaka is one of the twenty schools of early Buddhism according to a Mahayana record. ... The Dharmaguptaka are one of the eighteen schools of early Buddhism. ... Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ...

The name of Tamraparniya was given to the Sri Lankan lineage in India, and there is no indication that this referred to any change in doctrine or scripture, since the name points only to geographical location. The Theravadin accounts of its origins mention that it received the teachings that were agreed upon during the Third Buddhist Council, and these teachings were known as the Vibhajjavada.

Vibhajjavadins see themselves as the continuation of orthodox Sthaviras and after the Third Council continued to refer to their school as the Sthaviras/Theras ('The Elders'), although their doctrines are probably similar with the older Sthaviras but it is likely not identical. In the 7th century, Chinese pilgrims Xuanzang and Yi Jing refer to the Buddhist school in Sri Lanka as ‘Sthavira’.^[3][4] In ancient India, those schools that use Sanskrit as their religious language will refer to this school as the 'Sthaviras', but those that use Pali as their religious language will refer to this school as the 'Theras'. Sthaviras (Sanskrit) and Theras (Pali) both literally mean 'The Elders'. The school used the name Theravada for itself in a written form at least from the fourth century.^[5] A portrait of Xuanzang Xuanzang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang; CantoneseIPA: jyn4tsɔŋ1; CantoneseJyutping: jyun4zong1) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler and translator that brought up the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. ... I Ching (monk) or Yi Jing (Yijing, Yiqing, I-Tsing or YiChing) (義淨, 三藏法師義淨 635-713) is Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk, original name was Zhang Wen Ming (张文明). He contributed to the world the information of ancient Srivijaya (written in Chinese), large numbers of Buddhist scriptures, his adventure stories en route to Nalanda...

History of the tradition

According to Sinhalese tradition, Buddhism was first brought to Sri Lanka by Mahinda, who is believed to have been the son of the Mauryan emperor Asoka, in the third century BCE, as a part of the missionary activities of the Asokan era. In Sri Lanka, Mahinda established the Mahavihara Monastery of Anuradhapura. Later it became divided into three subgroups, known after their monastic centers as the Mahavihara, the Abhayagirivihara, and the Jetavanavihara. In 1164, with the guidance of two monks from a forest branch of the Mahavihara, Sri Lanka King reunited all bhikkhus in Sri Lanka into the orthodox Mahavihara school. Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... This article is about Ashoka, the emperor. ... Anuradhapura, ( in Sinhala), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. ... The Mahavihara (Pali for Great Monastery) was for several centuries the center of Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. ... Events Count Henry I of Champagne marries Marie de Champagne. ...

A few years after the arrival of Mahinda, Sanghamitta, who is also believed to be the daughter of Emperor Asoka, came to Sri Lanka. She started the first nun order in Sri Lanka, but the nun order died out around the middle of first millennium CE. In 429 CE, on the request of China Han Dynasty emperor the nun from Anuradhapura was sent to China to establish the Nun Order. The order was then spread to Korea. In 1996, 11 selected Sri Lanka nuns were ordained fully as Bhikkhunis by a team of Theravada monks in concert with a team of Korean Nuns in India. There is disagreement among Theravada vinaya authorities as to whether such ordinations are valid. In the last few years the head of the Dambulla chapter of the Siyam Nikaya in Sri Lanka has carried out ordination ceremonies for hundreds of nuns. This has been criticized by some other leading figures in the Siyam Nikaya and Amarapura Nikaya, and the governing council of Burmese Buddhism has declared that there can be no valid ordination of nuns in modern times, though some Burmese monks disagree with this.^[6] Sanghamitta was the daughter of Emperor Ashoka and sister of Venerable Mahinda. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (206 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–220 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication... Anuradhapura, ( in Sinhala), is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri Lankan Civilization. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... High-ranking Chinese bhikkunis in an alms round. ... The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... The city of Dambulla is situated in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, the city is situated 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy. ... The Siam Nikaya (also Siyam Nikaya) is a monastic order within Sri Lanka, located most predominantly around the city of Kandy. ... The Amarapura Nikaya is a Sri Lankan monastic fraternity (a lineage of ordained monks) founded in 1800. ... Burmese Buddhism is largely of the Theravada sect, with the exception of mostly Burmese-Chinese adherents, who typically practice Mahayana Buddhism. ...

During the Asoka reign period, a missionary was also sent to Suvannabhumi where two monks Sona and Uttara, are said to have proceeded. Scholar opinions differ as to where exactly this land of Suvannabhumi is located, but Suvannabhumi is believed to be located somewhere in the area which now includes lower Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Malay peninsula. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gestures as she stresses a point during her 2006 State of the Nation Address, with Senate President Manuel Villar and House Speaker Jose De Venecia, Jr. ... Uttara in Hindu mythology is the name of the son of King Virata who went into battle with Arjuna, in disguise, as his charioteer. ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule... Look up Malay in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The Mon were one of the earliest people to inhabit lower Myanmar and are believed to have been Theravadin since 3rd century BCE. Archaeological findings have shown that the Mon had close contact with South India and Sri Lanka. The Burmese adopted the Mon religion and writing script (which is also used there as Pali script) when they conquered Thaton the Mon Kingdom in 1057. According to the local traditions, this was the area of Suvarnabhumi that was visited by missionaries from the Asokan court. The Mon were also one of the earliest people to inhabit Thailand. The Thai adopted the Mon religion when they conquered Hariphunchai, the Mon Kingdom in 1292. The Mon (Burmese: ) are an ethnic group in Southeast Asia. ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule... Hariphunchai (or Haribhunjaya) was a Mon kingdom in the north of present Thailand in the centuries before the Thais moved into the area. ...

Modern developments

The following modern trends or movements have been identified.^{[7] [8]}

• modernism: attempts to adapt to the modern world and adopt some of its ideas; includes among other things
  • green movement
  • syncretism with other Buddhist traditions
  • women's rights
• reformism: attempts to restore a supposed earlier, ideal state of Buddhism; includes in particular the adoption of Western scholars' theories of original Buddhism (In recent times the "Western scholarly interpretation of Buddhism" has been adopted as the official Buddhism of Sri Lanka and Thailand, to a large extent.^[9])

• ultimatism: tendency to concentrate on advanced teachings such as the Four Noble Truths at the expense of more elementary ones
• neotraditionalism; includes among other things
  • revival of ritualism
  • remythologization
• insight meditation
• social action
• devotional religiosity
• magical practices
• reaction to Buddhist nationalism
• renewal of forest monks
• revival of samatha meditation

The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: อริยสัจสี่, Ariyasaj Sii) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ...

Philosophy

Theravada promotes the concept of Vibhajjavada (Pali), literally "Teaching of Analysis." This doctrine says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and reasoning instead of by blind faith; however, the scriptures of the Theravadin tradition also emphasize heeding the advice of the wise, considering such advice and evaluation of one's own experiences to be the two tests by which practices should be judged. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Pāli is a Middle Indo-Aryan dialect or prakrit. ...

In Theravada, the cause of human existence and suffering (dukkha) is identified as the craving (tanha), which carried with it the defilements (which are anger, ill will, aversion, greed, jealousy, conceit, hatred, fear, sensual desire, obsession, passion, irritation, distraction, vengeance, depression, anxiety, clinging to the body, etc.). The defilements level can be coarse, medium, and subtle. It is a phenomenon that frequently arises, remains temporarily and then vanishes. The defilements are said to be not only harming oneself, they may also harm others. They are also said to be the driving force behind all inhumanities a human being can commit. Dukkha (Pāli दुक्ख ; according to grammatical tradition from Sanskrit uneasy, but according to Monier-Williams more likely a Prakritized form of unsteady, disquieted) is a central concept in Buddhism, the word roughly corresponding to a number of terms in English including sorrow, suffering, affliction, pain, anxiety, dissatisfaction, discomfort, anguish, stress... Taṇhā (Pāli: तण्हा) or Tṛṣṇā (Sanskrit: तृष्णा) means thirst, desire, craving, wanting, longing, yearning. Synonyms: æ„› Cn: ài; Jp: ai; Vi: ái Tibetan: The most basic of these meanings (the literal meaning) is thirst; however, in Buddhism it has a technical meaning that is much broader. ...

Theravadins believe these defilements are the habits born of ignorance (avijja) which infest the minds of all unenlightened beings. It is believed that unenlightened beings assume those mental defilements as their own “Self”, clinging to them through ignorance of the truth. But in reality, those mental defilements are nothing more than parasites that have infested the mind and create suffering and stress. It is also believed that unenlightened beings cling to the body, assuming it as their own “Self”, but in reality the body is an impermanent phenomenon formed from the 4 elements (Earth, Fire, Water & Air) and after death the body will decompose and disperse. The mental defilements' frequent instigation and manipulation of the mind is believed to have prevented the mind from seeing the truth of reality. For other uses, see Phenomena (disambiguation). ...

It is believed that in order to be free from suffering and stress these defilements need to be permanently uprooted. Initially the defilements are restrained through mindfulness to prevent them from taking over the mind and bodily action. They are then uprooted through internal investigation, analyzing, experiencing and understanding the true nature of those defilements by using jhana. This process needs to be repeated for each and every defilement. The practice will then lead the meditator to realize the Four Noble Truths, Enlightenment and Nibbana. Nibbana is the ultimate goal of Theravadins. Nibbana is said to be the perfect bliss and the person is liberated from the repeated cycle of birth, illness, aging and death. This practice is said to be the path toward self-realization and liberation. The Four Noble Truths (Pali: Cattāri ariyasaccāni, Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni, Chinese: Sìshèngdì, Thai: อริยสัจสี่, Ariyasaj Sii) are one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. ...

Theravadins believe that every individual is personally responsible for their own self-realization of the ultimate reality and liberation from the repeated cycle of birth, illness, aging and death, as they are the ones responsible for their own actions and consequences (kamma). They have to follow and practice the Noble Eightfold Path as taught by the Buddha, for self-realization and liberation. In Theravada belief, Buddhas, gods or deities are incapable of giving a human being the self-realization or lifting them from the state of repeated cycle of birth, illness, aging and death (samsara). For Theravadins, Buddha is only a Teacher of the Noble Eightfold Path, while gods or deities are still subject to anger, jealousy, hatred, vengeance, craving, greed and delusion. Karma (Sanskrit: कर्मन karman, Pāli: कमा Kamma) means action or doing; whatever one does, says, or thinks is a karma. ... Eightfold Path redirects here. ... For other uses, see Samsara (disambiguation). ... Eightfold Path redirects here. ...

It is believed that some people who practice with earnestness and zeal can attain Nibbana within a single lifetime, as did many of the first few generations of Buddha's disciples. For others, the process may take multiple lifetimes, with the individual reaching higher and higher states of realization. Those that have attained Nibbana are called Arahant, literally "Winner of Nibbana". It is believed that the Nibbana is most quickly attained as a disciple of Buddha. A garden featuring depictions of various arhats (Hsi Lai Temple, California) An arhat (also arahat or arahant; Chinese: 阿羅漢, aluohan; Tibetan: dgra-bcom-pa; Jp. ...

In Theravada, the Nibbana attained by Arahants is believed to be identical to that attained by the Buddha himself,^[10] as there is only one type of Nibbana. Buddha was superior to Arahants because the Buddha had discovered the path all by himself, and was able to teach others (ie; metaphorically turning the wheel of Dhamma). Arahants, on the other hand, attained Nibbana due in part to the Buddha's teachings. Theravadins revere the Buddha as a single supremely gifted person but do recognize the existence of other such Buddhas in the distant past and future. Maitreya (Pali: Metteyya), for example, is mentioned very briefly in the Pali Canon as a Buddha who will come in the distant future. This article is about the Buddhist bodhisattva Maitreya. ...

Traditionally Theravadins can either have confidence (or "faith") in the Buddha's teaching and practice the minor precepts in the hope of gaining some minor benefits or they can investigate and verify by direct experience the truth of the Buddha's teaching by practicing jhana which is part of the Noble Eightfold Path for their own Enlightenment. Eightfold Path redirects here. ...

Meditation

In the Pali Canon discourses, the Buddha frequently instructs his disciples to practice anapanasati (mindfulness with breathing) as the base for samadhi (concentration) in order to establish and develop jhana (full concentration).^[11] Jhana is also the instrument used by the Buddha himself to penetrate the true nature of phenomena (through investigation and direct experience) and to reach Enlightenment.^[12] Jhana can be developed from mindfulness with breathing, from visual objects (kasina), and repetition of phrases. The traditional list contains 40 objects of meditation (Kammaṭṭhāna). Meditation on the parts of the body will results in a lessening of attachment to our own bodies and those of others; a reduction of sensual desires occurs. Mettā (loving kindness) generates the feelings of goodwill and happiness toward ourselves and other beings; metta practice serves as an antidote to ill-will and fear. Right Concentration (samma-samadhi) is one of the elements in the Noble Eightfold Path. Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Ānāpāna Sati, meaning mindfulness of breathing (sati means mindfulness, ānāpāna refers to breathing) is a basic form of meditation taught by the Buddha. ... Samadhi, or concentration of the mind, is the second of the three parts of the Buddhas teaching: sila or conduct, samadhi or samatha (concentration), and pañña (wisdom). ... In Buddhism, kasina are the most basic, visual objects of meditation. ... Mettā (मेत्ता in Devanagari) is a Pāli word meaning unconditional loving-kindness. ... Eightfold Path redirects here. ...

Levels of attainment

Main article: Four stages of enlightenment

Through practice, (Theravadin) practitioners can achieve four degrees of spiritual attainment, which reflect on the state of mind: The four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism are the four degrees of approach to full enlightenment as an Arahant which a person can attain in this life. ...

1. Stream-Enterers - Those who have destroyed the first three fetters (false view of self, doubt, and clinging to rites and rituals), will be safe from falling into the states of misery (they will not be born as an animal, peta (ghost), or hell being). At most they will have to be reborn only seven more times before attaining Nibbana.
2. Once-Returners - Those who have destroyed the three fetters (false view of self, doubt, and clinging to rites and rituals), and the lessening of lust and hatred. They will attain Nibbana after being born once more in the world.
3. Non-Returners - Those who have destroyed the five lower fetters (that bind beings to the world of the senses). They will never again return to the human world and after they die, they will be born in the high heavenly worlds, there to attain Nibbana.
4. Arahants - Those who have reached Enlightenment, realized Nibbana, and have reached the quality of deathlessness, free from all the fermentations of defilement; whose ignorance, craving and attachments have ended.

In Buddhism, a sotapanna (Pali, Sanskrit: srotapanna) (or sotapatti), a stream-enterer or stream-winner, is a partially-enlightened person, who has eradicated the first three fetters of the mind, that prevent freedom. ... In Buddhism, a mental fetter or chain or bond (Pāli: samyojana, saŋyojana, saññojana) shackles a person to samsara, the cycle of endless suffering. ... A hungry ghost is a kind of ghost associated with hunger common to many religions. ... The Sakadagami is a partially-enlighened person, who has cut off the first three chains with which the ordinary mind is bound, and significantly weakened the 4th and 5th. ... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ... In Hindu and Buddhist theology as it pertains to reincarnation, an anagami (or anaagaamii) is a non-returner; after death, he will not be reborn back into the human world, and will instead appear in one of the Brahma worlds called the Pure Abodes. ... A Chinese Luohan statue from the Liao Dynasty in Hebei Province, China In the sramanic traditions of ancient India (most notably those of Mahavira and Gautama Buddha) arhat (Sanskrit) or arahant (Pali) signified a spiritual practitioner who had—to use an expression common in the tipitaka—laid down the burden... Bodhi (बोधि) is the Pāli and Sanskrit word for the awakened or knowing consciousness of a fully liberated yogi, generally translated into English as enlightenment. It is an abstract noun formed from the verbal root budh (to awake, become aware, notice, know or understand), corresponding to the verbs bujjhati (P... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ...

Scriptures

The Theravada school upholds the Pali Canon or Tipitaka as the most authoritative collection of texts on the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The Sutta and Vinaya portion of the Tipitaka shows considerable overlap in content to the Agamas, the parallel collections used by non-Theravada schools in India which are preserved in Chinese and partially in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tibetan, and the various non-Theravada Vinayas. On this basis, both these sets of texts are generally believed to be the oldest and most authoritative texts on Buddhism by scholars. It is also believed that much of the Pali Canon, which is still used by Theravāda communities, was transmitted to Sri Lanka during the reign of Asoka. After being orally transmitted (as was the custom in those days for religious texts) for some centuries, were finally committed to writing in the last century BCE, at what the Theravada usually reckons as the fourth council, in Sri Lanka. Theravada is one of the first Buddhist schools to commit the whole complete set of its Buddhist canon into writing.^[13] Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... The Tripiá¹­aka (Sanskrit त्रिपिटक, lit. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syÅ«-). It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or... The Vinaya (a word in Pali as well as in Sanskrit, with literal meaning discipline) is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... Genera Many: see text Agamas or Agamids are the Agamidae family of lizards, containing more than 300 species in Africa, Asia, Australia, and a few in Southern Europe. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Prakrit (also spelt Pracrit) (Sanskrit: , original, natural, artless, normal, ordinary, usual, i. ... The Tibetan language is spoken primarily by the Tibetan people who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, as well as by large number of Tibetan refugees all over the world. ...

The Pali Tipitaka consists of three parts: the Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka. Of these, the Abhidhamma Pitaka is believed to be a later addition to the first two pitakas, which, in the opinion of many scholars, were the only two pitakas at the time of the First Buddhist Council. The Pali Abhidhamma was not recognized outside the Theravada school. Pali or Sanskrit word meaning discipline. The Vinaya is the textual framework for the Buddhist monastic community, or sangha. ... The Sutta Pitaka (suttapiṭaka; or Suttanta Pitaka; Sanskrit सूत्र पिटक Sutra Pitaka) is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the great Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. ... The abhidhamma is the name of one of the three pitakas, or baskets of tradition, into which the Tipitaka (Pali; Sanskrit: Tripitaka), the canon of early Buddhism, is divided. ... Ananda reciting the Sutta Pitaka King Ajatasattu sponsored the First Buddhist council. ...

In the 4th or 5th century CE Buddhaghosa Thera wrote the first Pali commentaries to much of the Tipitaka (which were based on much older manuscripts, mostly in old Sinhalese), and after him many other monks wrote various commentaries, which have become part of the Theravada heritage. These texts, however, do not enjoy the same authority as the Tipitaka does. The Tipitaka is composed of 45 volumes in the Thai edition, 40 in the Burmese and 58 in the Sinhalese, and a full set of the Tipitaka is usually kept in its own (medium-sized) cupboard. Bhadantācariya Buddhaghosa was a 5th century Indian Theravadin Buddhist commentator and scholar. ... Atthakatha (Pali for explanation, commentary)[1] refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. ...

The commentaries, together with the Abhidhamma, define the specific Theravada heritage. Related versions of the Sutta Pitaka and Vinaya Pitaka were common to all the early Buddhist schools, and therefore do not define only Theravada, but also the other early Buddhist schools, and perhaps the teaching of Gautama Buddha himself. Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ...

Theravada Buddhists consider much of what is found in the Chinese and Tibetan scriptural collections to be apocryphal, meaning that they are not authentic words of the Buddha.^[14]

Lay and monastic Life

Young Burmese monk

Traditionally, Theravada Buddhism has observed a distinction between the practices suitable for a lay person and the practices undertaken by ordained monks (and, in ancient times, nuns). While the possibility of significant attainment by laymen is not entirely disregarded by the Theravada, it occupies a position of significantly less prominence than in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.^{[citation needed]} This distinction - as well as the distinction between those practices advocated by the Pali Canon, and the folk religious elements embraced by many monks - have motivated some scholars to consider Theravada Buddhism to be composed of multiple separate traditions, overlapping though still distinct. Most prominently, the anthropologist Melford Spiro in his work Buddhism and Society separated Burmese Theravada into three groups: Apotropaic Buddhism (concerned with providing protection from evil spirits), Kammatic Buddhism (concerned with making merit for a future birth), and Nibbanic Buddhism (concerned with attaining the liberation of nibbana, as described in the Tipitaka). He stresses that all three are firmly rooted in the Pali Canon. These categories are not accepted by all scholars, and are usually considered non-exclusive by those who employ them. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 712 KB) Summary Young monk in front of the Bagaya Kyaung monastery. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 712 KB) Summary Young monk in front of the Bagaya Kyaung monastery. ... In canonical Buddhism, householder refers to a particular strata of society whose individuals are typified by having a home life and family. ... A Buddhist Monk in Sri Lanka In Pāli, a bhikkhu (male) or bhikkhuni (female) is a fully ordained Buddhist monk. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... Vajrayāna Buddhism (Also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Esoteric Buddhism, Diamond Vehicle, or 金剛乘 Jingangcheng in Chinese; however, these terms are not always regarded as equivalent: one scholar[1] speaks of the tantra divisions of some editions of the Kangyur as including Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana texts) is... Melford Elliot Spiro (born 1920) is an American cultural anthropologist. ... Merit (Sanskrit puṇya, Pāli puñña) is a concept in Buddhism, and particularly in Theravada Buddhism. ...

The role of lay people has traditionally been primarily occupied with activities that are commonly termed 'merit making' (falling under Spiro's category of kammatic Buddhism). Merit making activities include offering food and other basic necessities to monks, making donations to temples and monasteries, burning incense or lighting candles before images of the Buddha, and chanting protective or merit-making verses from the Pali Canon. Some lay practitioners have always chosen to take a more active role in religious affairs, while still maintaining their lay status. Dedicated lay men and women sometimes act as trustees or custodians for their temples, taking part in the financial planning and management of the temple. Others may volunteer significant time in tending to the mundane needs of local monks (by cooking, cleaning, maintaining temple facilities, etc.). Lay activities have traditionally not extended to study of the Pali scriptures, nor the practice of meditation, though in the 20th Century these areas have become more accessible to the lay community, especially in Thailand. Merit is a concept in Buddhism, and particularly in Theravada Buddhism. ... Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of meditation techniques that develop mindfulness, concentration, tranquility and insight. ...

Thai monks on pilgrimage.

A number of senior monastics in the Thai Forest Tradition, including Ajahn Buddhadasa, Luang Ta Maha Bua,Ajahn Plien, Ajahn Pasanno, and Ajahn Jayasaro, have begun teaching meditation retreats outside of the monastery for lay disciples. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 569 pixel Image in higher resolution (966 × 687 pixel, file size: 243 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) พระสงฆ์และสามเณรในประเทศไทยกำลังเดินจาริกแสวงบุญไปยังที่ต่าง ๆ เพื่อปลีกวิเวกจากความวุ่นวายและเป้นการโปรดชาวบ้านในชนบท Monk is pilgrimage, Thailand, Uttaradit, 2004. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 569 pixel Image in higher resolution (966 × 687 pixel, file size: 243 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) พระสงฆ์และสามเณรในประเทศไทยกำลังเดินจาริกแสวงบุญไปยังที่ต่าง ๆ เพื่อปลีกวิเวกจากความวุ่นวายและเป้นการโปรดชาวบ้านในชนบท Monk is pilgrimage, Thailand, Uttaradit, 2004. ... Buddhadasa Bhikkhu Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (Thai: พุทธทาสภิกขุ, May 27, 1906 - May 25, 1993) was one of the most influential Theravada Buddhist monks of the 20th century. ... Luang Ta Maha Bua (Thai: หลวงตามหาบัว ) is the common name of Pra Dharma Visuthimongkol (Thai: พระธรรมวิสุทธิมงคล ), a controversial Buddhist monk from Thailand. ... Ajahn Jayasaro (b. ...

In the UK, Ajahn Chah a disciple of Ajahn Mun, set up a monastic lineage at Chithurst in West Sussex, "Cittivivieka", with his disciple Ajahn Sumedho, then "Amaravati" in Hertfordshire was founded which caters for lay retreats. Ajahn Sumedho extended this to Harnham in Northumberland as Aruna Ratanagiri under the present guidance of Ajahn Munindo, another disciple of Ajahn Chah. Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhatto (Chao Khun Bodhinyanathera) (alternatively spelled Achaan Chah, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra) (17 June 1918, Thailand – 16 January 1992), was one of the greatest meditation masters of the twentieth century. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Ajahn Sumedho is a widely venerated modern figure of Theravada Buddhism. ...

Nibbana, the highest goal of Theravada Buddhism, is attained through study and the practice of morality, meditation and wisdom (sila, samadhi, panna). The goal of Nibbana (and its associated techniques) have traditionally been seen as the domain of the fully ordained monastic, whereas many of the same techniques can be used by laypeople to generate happiness in their lives, without focusing on Nibbana. Monastic roles in the Theravada can be broadly described as being split between the role of the (often urban) scholar monk and the (often rural or forest) meditation monk. Both types of monks serve their communities as religious teachers and officiants by presiding over religious ceremonies and providing instruction in basic Buddhist morality and teachings. For other uses, see Sila (disambiguation). ... Samadhi, or concentration of the mind, is the second of the three parts of the Buddhas teaching: sila or conduct, samadhi or samatha (concentration), and pañña (wisdom). ... Prajñā (Sanskrit; Pali: paññā; Tibetan: shes rab, Chinese: 般若, banruo) meaning wisdom, cognitive acuity; or know-how -- but especially the Buddhist wisdom that is based on a realization of dependent origination, not-self, emptiness, etc. ...

Scholar monks undertake the path of studying and preserving the Pali literature of the Theravada. They may devote little time to the practice of meditation, but may attain great respect and renown by becoming masters of a particular section of the Pali Canon or its commentaries. Masters of the Abhidhamma, called Abhidhammika, are particularly respected in the scholastic tradition. Abhidharma (Sanskrit: अभिधर्मा) Sinhala: අභිධර්ම) or Abhidhamma (Pāli: अभिधमा) is a category of Buddhist scriptures that attempts to use Buddhist teachings to create a systematic, abstract description of all worldly phenomena. ...

Meditation monks, often called forest monks because of their association with certain wilderness-dwelling traditions, are considered to be specialists in meditation. While some forest monks may undertake significant study of the Pali Canon, in general meditation monks are expected to learn primarily from their meditation experiences and personal teachers, and may not know more of the Tipitaka than is necessary to participate in liturgical life and to provide a foundation for fundamental Buddhist teachings. More so than the scholastic tradition, the meditation tradition is associated with the attainment of certain supernatural powers described in both Pali sources and folk tradition. These powers include the attainment of Nibbana, mind-reading, supernatural power over material objects and their own material bodies, seeing and conversing with gods and beings living in hell, and remembering their past lives. These powers are called the abhinyanas. The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ...

Ordination

The minimum age for ordaining as a Buddhist monk is 20 years, reckoned from conception. However, boys under that age are allowed to ordain as novices (samanera), performing a ceremony such as Shinbyu in Myanmar. Novices shave their heads, wear the yellow robes, and observe ten basic precepts. Although no specific minimum age for novices is mentioned in the scriptures, traditionally boys as young as seven are accepted. This tradition follows the story of the Lord Buddha’s son, Rahula, who was allowed to become a novice at the age of seven. Monks follow 227 rules of discipline, while nuns follow 311 rules. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (568 × 800 pixel, file size: 81 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) พระสงฆ์กำลังทำพิธีบวชสามเณรในอุโบสถ เป็นพิธีกรรมซึ่งสืบทอดมาตั้งแต่สมัยพุทธกาล(วัดคุ้งตะเภา อ.เมือง จ.อุตรดิตถ์) candidate for the Buddhist priesthood is ordaining to is a monk in a church. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (568 × 800 pixel, file size: 81 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) พระสงฆ์กำลังทำพิธีบวชสามเณรในอุโบสถ เป็นพิธีกรรมซึ่งสืบทอดมาตั้งแต่สมัยพุทธกาล(วัดคุ้งตะเภา อ.เมือง จ.อุตรดิตถ์) candidate for the Buddhist priesthood is ordaining to is a monk in a church. ... Shinbyu is the Burmese term for a traditional novitiated occasion to those of Theravada Buddhism. ... The Ten Precepts (Pali: dasasila or samanerasikkha) are the precepts or training-rules for samaneras (male) and samaneris (female), also referred to as novice monks or nuns. ...

In most Theravada countries, it is a common practice for young men to ordain as monks for a fixed period of time. In Thailand and Myanmar, young men typically ordain for the 3 month Rain Retreat (vassa), though shorter or longer periods of ordination are not rare. Traditionally, temporary ordination was even more flexible among Laotians. Once they had undergone their initial ordination as young men, Laotian men were permitted to temporarily ordain again at any time, though married men were expected to seek their wife's permission. Throughout Southeast Asia, there is little stigma attached to leaving the monastic life. Monks regularly leave the robes after acquiring an education, or when compelled by family obligations or ill-health. Vassa (Thai พรรษา, pansa or phansaa), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. ...

Ordaining as a monk, even for a short period, is seen as having many virtues. In many Southeast Asian cultures, it is seen as a means for a young man to 'repay' his parents for their work and effort in raising him, because the merit from his ordination accrues to them as well. Thai men who have ordained as a monk may be seen as more fit husbands by Thai women, who refer to men who have served as monks with a colloquial term meaning 'cooked' to indicate that they are more mature and ready for marriage. Particularly in rural areas, temporary ordination of boys and young men traditionally gave peasant boys an opportunity to gain an education in temple schools without committing to a permanent monastic life.

In Sri Lanka, temporary ordination is not practiced, and a monk leaving the order is frowned upon. The continuing influence of the caste system in Sri Lanka may play a role in the taboo against temporary ordination and leaving the monkhood. Though Sri Lankan monastic nikayas are often organized along caste lines, men who ordain as monks temporarily pass outside of the conventional caste system, and as such during their time as monks may act (or be treated) in a way that would not be in line with the expected duties and privileges of their caste. The word Caste is derived from the Portuguese word casta, meaning lineage, breed or race. ...

Some well-known Theravadin monks are: Ajahn Mun Bhuridatta, Ajahn Chah,Ajahn Plien, Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Khemadhammo,Ajahn Brahm, Bhikkhu Bodhi, Buddhadasa, Mahasi Sayadaw, Nyanaponika Thera, Preah Maha Ghosananda, Sayadaw U Pandita, Ajahn Amaro, Thanissaro Bhikkhu and Walpola Rahula. Ajaan Mun Bhuridatta Thera (Thai: , 1870-1949) was a Thai Buddhist monk who is credited with establishing the Kammatthana tradition of forest monks. ... Venerable Ajahn Chah Subhatto (Chao Khun Bodhinyanathera) (alternatively spelled Achaan Chah, occasionally with honorific titles Luang Por and Phra) (17 June 1918, Thailand – 16 January 1992), was one of the greatest meditation masters of the twentieth century. ... Ajahn Sumedho is a widely venerated modern figure of Theravada Buddhism. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso Mahathera (known to most as Ajahn Brahm) was born Peter Betts in London, United Kingdom in August 7, 1951. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Buddhadasa Bhikkhu Buddhadasa Bhikkhu (Thai: พุทธทาสภิกขุ, May 27, 1906 - May 25, 1993) was one of the most influential Theravada Buddhist monks of the 20th century. ... Mahāsi Sayādaw (1904-1982) was a famous Burmese Buddhist monk and meditation master who had a significant impact on the teaching of Vipassana (Insight) meditation in the West and throughout Asia. ... Nyanaponika Thera (July 21, 1901, Hanau – 19 October 1994, Forest Hermitage, Kandy, Ceylon) was a German-born Sri-Lanka-ordained Theravada monk, co-founder of the Buddhist Publication Society[1], contemporary author of numerous seminal Theravada books, and teacher of contemporary Western Buddhist leaders such as Bhikkhu Bodhi. ... Maha Ghosananda, (full title Samdech Preah Maha Ghosananda) (1929 - March 12, 2007), was a highly revered Cambodian Buddhist monk in the Theravada tradition, who served as the Patriarch (Sangharaja) of Cambodian Buddhism during the Khmer Rouge period and post-communist transition period of Cambodian history. ... Sayadaw U Pandita (b. ... Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) (1949 - ) is an American Buddhist monk of the Thai forest kammatthana tradition. ... The venerable Prof Walpola Sri Rahula Maha Thera (1907-1997) was a Buddhist monk, scholar and writer. ...

Monastic practices

A Buddhist Monk chants evening prayers inside a monastery located near the town of Kantharalak, Thailand (January 2005).

The practices usually vary in different sub-schools and monasteries within Theravada. But in the most orthodox forest monastery, the monk usually models his practice and lifestyle on that of the Buddha and his first generation of disciples by living close to nature in forest, mountains and caves. Forest monasteries still keep alive the ancient traditions through following the Buddhist monastic code of discipline in all its detail and developing meditation in secluded forests. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (677 × 1023 pixel, file size: 48 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Buddhist Monk chats evening prayers inside a monastery located near the town of Kantharalak, Thailand (January 2005). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (677 × 1023 pixel, file size: 48 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Buddhist Monk chats evening prayers inside a monastery located near the town of Kantharalak, Thailand (January 2005). ...

In a typical daily routine at the monastery during the 3 month vassa period, the monk will wake up before dawn and will begin the day with group chanting and meditation. At dawn the monks will go out to surrounding villages bare-footed on alms-round and will have the only meal of the day before noon by eating from the bowl by hand. Most of the time is spent on Dhamma study and meditation. Sometimes the abbot or a senior monk will give a Dhamma talk to the visitors. Laity who stay at the monastery will have to abide by the traditional eight Buddhist precepts. The Eight Precepts are the precepts for Buddhist lay men and women who wish to practice a bit more strictly than the usual five precepts for Buddhists. ...

After the end of the Vassa period, many of the monks will go out far away from the monastery to find a remote place (usually in the forest) where they can hang their umbrella tents and where it is suitable for the work of self-development. When they go wandering, they walk barefoot, and go wherever they feel inclined, and those requisites which are necessary will be carried along. These generally consist of the bowl, the three robes, a bathing cloth, an umbrella tent, a mosquito net, a kettle of water, a water filter, razor, sandals, some small candles, and a candle lantern.

The monks do not fix their times for walking and sitting meditation, for as soon as they are free they just start doing it; nor do they determine for how long they will go on to meditate. Some of them sometimes walk from dusk to dawn whereas at other times they may walk from between two to seven hours. Some may decide to fast for days or stay at dangerous places where ferocious animals live in order to aid their meditation.

Those monks who have been able to achieve a high level of attainment will be able to guide the junior monks and lay Buddhists toward the four degrees of spiritual attainment.

Lay devotee

In Pali the word for a male lay devotee is Upasaka. Upasika is its female equivalent. One of the duties of the lay followers, as taught by the Buddha, is to look after the needs of the monk/nuns. They are to see that the monk/nuns do not suffer from lack of the four requisites: food, clothing, shelter and medicine. As neither monks nor nuns are allowed to have an occupation, they depend entirely on the laity for their sustenance. In return for this charity, they are expected to lead exemplary lives. Upāsaka (masculine) or Upāsikā (feminine) are from the Sanskrit and Pāli words for attendant.[1] This is the title of followers of Buddhism (Gautama Buddha) who are not monks, nuns or novices in a Buddhist order and who undertake certain vows. ...

In Myanmar and Thailand, the monastery was and is still regarded as a seat of learning. In fact today about half of the primary schools in Thailand are located in monasteries. Religious rituals and ceremonies held in monastery are always accompanied by social activities. In times of crisis, it is to the monks that people bring their problems for counsel.

Traditionally, a ranking monk will deliver a sermon four times a month: when the moon waxes and wanes and the day before the new and full moons. The laity also have a chance to learn meditation from the monks during these times.

It is also possible for a lay disciple to become enlightened. As Bhikkhu Bodhi notes, "The Suttas and commentaries do record a few cases of lay disciples attaining the final goal of Nibbana. However, such disciples either attain Arahantship on the brink of death or enter the monastic order soon after their attainment. They do not continue to dwell at home as Arahant householders, for dwelling at home is incompatible with the state of one who has severed all craving."^[15]

Influences

According to the linguist Zacharias P. Thundy the word "Theravada" may have been Hellenized into "Therapeutae", to name a coenobitic order near Alexandria described around the 1st century CE. The similarities between the Therapeutae and Buddhist monasticism, combined with Indian evidence of Buddhist missionary activity to the Mediterranean around 250 BC (the Edicts of Asoka), have been pointed out. The Therapeutae would have been the descendants of Asoka's emissaries to the West, and would have influenced the early formation of Christianity.^[16] The Therapeutae (male, pl. ... Cenobitic (also spelled coenobitic) monasticism is a monastic tradition that stresses community life. ... This article is about the city in Egypt. ... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos — a solitary person) is the religious practice in which one renounces worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC Years: 255 BC 254 BC 253 BC 252 BC 251 BC - 250 BC - 249 BC 248 BC... Capital of one of the inscription-bearing pillars erected by Emperor Ashoka (272-231 BCE), at Sarnath around 250 BCE. The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33 inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, made by the Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan...

Monastic Orders within Theravada

Early Buddhism

Scriptures

Pali Canon Agamas Gandharan texts Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The term Early Buddhism can refer to: Pre-sectarian Buddhism, which refers to the Teachings and monastic organization and structure, founded by Gautama Buddha. ... Standard edition of the Thai Pali Canon The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition. ... Agama (Sanskrit:आगम) literally means that which has come down (i. ... The Gandhāran Buddhist Texts are the oldest Buddhist manuscripts yet discovered and also the oldest Indian manuscripts yet discovered. ...

Councils

1st Council 2nd Council 3rd Council 4th Council Ananda reciting the Sutta Pitaka King Ajatasattu sponsored the First Buddhist council. ... The Second Buddhist council took place in Vesali, about one hundred years after the Buddhas Parinibbāna, in order to settle a serious dispute on Vinaya. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Two Fourth Buddhist Councils were held. ...

Schools

First Sangha ├ Mahāsāṃghika └ Sthaviravāda     ├ Sarvāstivāda     └ Vibhajjavāda         ├ Theravāda         └ Dharma-              guptaka Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... The term pre-sectarian Buddhism is used to refer to the Buddhism that existed before the various subsects of Buddhism came into being. ... The (Devanagari महासांघिक, also transliterated Mahasanghika, and Mahasamghika) (lit. ... Sthaviravāda (Sanskrit; Chinese 上座部) literally means Teaching Of The Elders. It was one of the two main movements in early Buddhism, the other being that of the Mahāsāṅghika. ... Sarvastivada is a school of Buddhism. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Dharmaguptaka are one of the eighteen schools of early Buddhism. ...

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Theravada monks typically belong to a particular nikaya, variously referred to as monastic orders or fraternities. These different orders do not typically develop separate doctrines, but may differ in the manner in which they observe monastic rules. These monastic orders represent lineages of ordination, typically tracing their origin to a particular group of monks that established a new ordination tradition within a particular country or geographic area. In Sri Lanka caste plays a major role in the division into nikayas. Some Theravada Buddhist countries appoint or elect a sangharaja, or Supreme Patriarch of the Sangha, as the highest ranking or seniormost monk in a particular area, or from a particular nikaya. The demise of monarchies has resulted in the suspension of these posts in some countries, but patriarchs have continued to be appointed in Thailand. Burma and Cambodia ended the practice of appointing a sangharaja for some time, but the position was later restored, though in Cambodia it lapsed again. Nikaya is a word of Pali origin and Sanskrit usage which was adopted into English in reference to Buddhist texts. ... Sangharaja (Pāli: sangha religious community + raja ruler, king, or prince) is the title given in many Theravada Buddhist countries to a senior monk who is the tituar head of the Sangha throughout the country. ...

• Bangladesh:
  • Sangharaj Nikaya
  • Mahasthabir Nikaya
• Myanmar (Burma):
  • Thudhamma Nikaya
  • Shwekyin Nikaya
  • Dvara Nikaya
• Sri Lanka:
  • Siam Nikaya
    • Waturawila (or Mahavihara Vamshika Shyamopali Vanavasa Nikaya)
  • Amarapura Nikaya
    • Kanduboda (or Swejin Nikaya)
    • Tapovana (or Kalyanavamsa)
  • Ramañña Nikaya
    • Galduwa (or Kalyana Yogashramaya Samsthava)
    • Delduwa
• Thailand
  • Maha Nikaya
  • Thammayut Nikaya

The Sangharaja Nikaya is a tradition of Theravada Buddhism, located in Bangladesh. ... The Mahasthabir Nikaya is a Bengali order of Buddhist monks. ... Anthem Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw Largest city Yangon Official languages Burmese Demonym Burmese Government Military junta  -  Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe  -  Prime Minister Soe Win  -  Acting Prime Minister Thein Sein Establishment  -  Bagan 849–1287   -  Taungoo Dynasty 1486–1752   -  Konbaung Dynasty 1752–1885   -  Colonial rule... The Siam Nikaya is a monastic order within Sri Lanka, located most predominantly around the city of Kandy. ... The Amarapura Nikaya is a Sri Lankan monastic fraternity (a lineage of ordained monks) founded in 1800. ... Ramanna Nikaya (or Ramanya Nikaya) is one of the most orthodox Buddhist orders in Sri Lanka. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Thammayut Nikaya (Pali), literally Those adhering strictly to the monastic dicipline, also known in the West as the Thai Forest Tradition, is an order of Theravada Buddhist monks in Thailand. ...

Festivals and customs

Theravada Religious festivals:

1. Magha Puja
2. Vesakha Puja
3. Asalha Puja
4. Uposatha
5. Vassa (Rain Retreat)

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Asalha Puja (known as Asanha Puja in Thailand) is a Theravada Buddhist festival which typically takes place in July, on the fifteenth day of the waxing moon of the eighth lunar month. ... Uposatha days are times of renewed dedication to Dhamma practice, observed by both lay people and monastics throughout the world of Theravada Buddhism. ... Vassa (Thai พรรษา, pansa or phansaa), also called Rains Retreat, is the traditional retreat during the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. ...

Gallery

Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1312x1984, 1726 KB) en: Shwedagon Pagoda Author: Ralf-André Lettau Date: 15. ... Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city of Burma. ...

Wat Phra Buddha Baat, a Theravada Buddhist temple in Thailand. Download high resolution version (600x1000, 56 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ...

Buddhists at the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, near Chiang Mai, Thailand. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Chedi at Doi Suthep Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (Thai: ดอยสเทพ ) is a Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. ... A street scene in Chiang Mai, showing (centre right), a gate of the old city wall. ...

Monk in meditation in Angkor, Cambodia ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 714 KB) Phnom Bakheng is is in Angkor, Cambodia. ... Map of the Angkor region in Cambodia. ...

See also

• Early Buddhist Schools
• Schools of Buddhism
• Buddhism in Thailand
• Buddhism in Sri Lanka
• Buddhism in Myanmar
• Thai Forest Tradition
• Supreme Patriarch of Thailand
• Buddhahood
• Gautama Buddha
• Buddhist Pilgrimage

Divisions among the early Buddhist schools came about due to doctrinal or practical differences in the views of the Buddhist Sangha following the death of the Buddha. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ... Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. ... Sri Lanka is the oldest continually Buddhist country, Theravada Buddhism being the major religion in the island since its official introduction in the 2nd century BC by Venerable Mahinda, the son of the Emperor Ashoka of India during the reign of King Devanampiya. ... Buddhism in Myanmar is predominantly of the Theravada tradition or the southern school. ... The Thai Forest Tradition is a loosely organized movement within Thai Theravadin Buddhism, emphasizing meditation and strict adherence to the vinaya over intellectual pursuits. ... For information on the patriarchs of the Western religions, see Patriarch. ... Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ... Siddhartha and Gautama redirect here. ... The most important places of pilgrimage in Buddhism are located in Northern India and Southern Nepal, in the area between New Delhi and Calcutta. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Access to Insight - A Collection of Theravada Resources
• BuddhaNet - World Buddhist directory & information resource
• BuddhaSasana - A Collection of Theravada Resources
• Nibbana.com - A Collection of Theravada Resources
• Nibbanam.com - On Nibbana, Pali and Theravada in general
• What-Buddha-Taught.net - A Collection of Theravada Resources
• The Buddhist Society of Western Australia - A Collection of Dhamma Talks
• Tipitaka Network - Dhamma Studies
• TripleGem.net - Buddhist Directory
• Sadhu! - Theravada Web Directory
• Vipassana and Theravada site
• Buddhist Meditation in the Theravada tradition - Vipassana Meditation
• Meditation Retreat in Asia (German and English)
• Sobhana.net - Theravada Dhamma Talks