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Theravada: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Theravada
Theravada is the oldest existing school of Buddhism, preserving the Buddha's teachings in the Pali language for over two millennia. This tradition, known as Theravada, derives its name from the ancient Indian Sthavira nikaya, one of the earliest divisions of the Buddhist community. The school's adherents, called Theravadins, have maintained a version of the Dhamma that they believe is the most authentic and closest to the original words of the Buddha. Unlike other branches that developed later, Theravada rejects the Mahayana sutras, which appeared centuries after the Buddha's death, and does not recognize the existence of many Buddhas and bodhisattvas found in those texts. The Pali Canon, the most complete Buddhist canon surviving in a classical Indian language, serves as the school's sacred language and the foundation of its doctrine. This conservative approach to doctrine and monastic discipline has allowed Theravada to maintain a distinct identity, even as it spread from India to Sri Lanka and then throughout Southeast Asia. The school's history is marked by a commitment to preserving the original teachings, which has made it a crucial source for understanding early Buddhism.
From India to Sri Lanka
The Theravada tradition developed significantly in India and Sri Lanka from the 3rd century BCE onward, particularly with the writing down of the Pali Canon and the growth of its commentarial literature. The school's origins can be traced to the Third Buddhist council, where the elder Moggaliputta-Tissa is said to have compiled the Kathavatthu, an important work that laid out the Vibhajjavada doctrinal position. Aided by the patronage of Mauryan kings like Ashoka, this school spread throughout India and reached Sri Lanka through the efforts of missionary monks like Mahinda. In Sri Lanka, it became known as the Tambapanniya, and later as the Mahaviharavasin, based at the Great Vihara in Anuradhapura, the ancient capital. By the first century BCE, Theravada Buddhism was well established in the main settlements of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura, and the Pali Canon was committed to writing for the first time. Throughout the history of ancient and medieval Sri Lanka, Theravada was the main religion of the Sinhalese people, and its temples and monasteries were patronized by the Sri Lankan kings, who saw themselves as the protectors of the religion. The school's influence spread to Southeast Asia, where it became the dominant form of Buddhism, with Theravada becoming the official religion of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and the main dominant Buddhist variant found in Laos and Thailand.
The Golden Age of Monasteries
Between the 11th and 13th centuries, more than 10,000 temples, pagodas, and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains of Myanmar, marking a period of immense religious and architectural achievement. This era saw the rise of Theravada Buddhism as the predominant religion of Burma and Thailand, with the patronage of monarchs such as the Burmese king Anawrahta and the Thai king Ram Khamhaeng being instrumental in its spread. These kings saw themselves as Dhamma Kings and protectors of the Theravada faith, promoting the building of new temples, patronizing scholarship, monastic ordinations, and missionary works. They also attempted to eliminate certain non-Buddhist practices like animal sacrifices. In Cambodia, numerous Hindu and Mahayana temples, most famously Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, were transformed into Theravadin monasteries during the 15th and 16th centuries. The oldest surviving Buddhist texts in the Pali language are gold plates found at Sri Ksetra, dated circa the 5th to 6th century, which provide evidence of Theravada's early presence in mainland Southeast Asia. Before the Theravada tradition became the dominant religion in Southeast Asia, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Hinduism were also prominent, but the Theravada school eventually took root and flourished, becoming the cultural and religious backbone of the region.
Theravada is the oldest existing school of Buddhism, preserving the Buddha's teachings in the Pali language for over two millennia. This tradition derives its name from the ancient Indian Sthavira nikaya, one of the earliest divisions of the Buddhist community. The school's adherents, called Theravadins, maintain a version of the Dhamma that they believe is the most authentic and closest to the original words of the Buddha.
When was the Pali Canon first written down in Sri Lanka?
The Pali Canon was committed to writing for the first time in the 1st century BCE. This event occurred when Theravada Buddhism was well established in the main settlements of the Kingdom of Anuradhapura. The recension of the Tipitaka which survives today is that of the Sri Lankan Mahavihara sect.
Which countries adopted Theravada Buddhism as the official religion?
Theravada became the official religion of Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Cambodia, and the main dominant Buddhist variant found in Laos and Thailand. The school spread to Southeast Asia where it became the dominant form of Buddhism, with Theravada becoming the cultural and religious backbone of the region. In the 15th and 16th centuries, numerous Hindu and Mahayana temples in Cambodia were transformed into Theravadin monasteries.
Who were the key figures in the Theravada revival during the 19th and 20th centuries?
Figures like Anagarika Dhammapala, Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera, and Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera were central to the Sri Lankan Buddhist revival. In Burma, King Mindon Min was known for his patronage of the Fifth Buddhist council in 1871 and the Tripiñaka tablets at Kuthodaw Pagoda. In Thailand, King Mongkut and his successor Chulalongkorn were especially involved in centralizing sangha reforms.
What are the core doctrines and meditation practices of Theravada Buddhism?
Central concepts include the doctrine of action (karma), a related doctrine of rebirth, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path. Meditation is categorized into two broad categories: Samatha bhavana, or calming, and Vipassana bhavana, or investigation and insight. The ultimate goal of the practice is to achieve mundane and supramundane wisdom, leading to the direct apprehension of Nibbana.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Theravada Buddhists came into direct contact with western ideologies, religions, and modern science, leading to a movement known as Buddhist modernism. Figures like Anagarika Dhammapala, Migettuwatte Gunananda Thera, and Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera were central to the Sri Lankan Buddhist revival, which sought to preserve Buddhist scholarship and provide a Buddhist education in response to the loss of traditional roles to Christian schools. In Burma, King Mindon Min was known for his patronage of the Fifth Buddhist council in 1871 and the Tripiñaka tablets at Kuthodaw Pagoda, which is still the world's largest book. The Vipassana movement, which focused on reviving Buddhist meditation and doctrinal learning, grew significantly, with influential teachers like Ledi Sayadaw, U Narada, Mahasi Sayadaw, and S.N. Goenka spreading the practice internationally. In Thailand, King Mongkut and his successor Chulalongkorn were especially involved in centralizing sangha reforms, creating a hierarchical bureaucracy led by the Sangha Council of Elders. The Dhammayuttika movement, founded by King Mongkut, kept a stricter monastic discipline than the rest of the Thai sangha, emphasizing the original Pali Canon and rejecting Thai folk beliefs. The 20th century also saw the growth of forest traditions, which focused on forest living and strict monastic discipline, with the Thai Forest Tradition founded by Ajahn Mun and his students becoming a major force in modern Theravada practice.
The Textual Foundation
The Pali Tipitaka, also known as the Pali Canon, is the highest authority on what constitutes the Dhamma and the organization of the Sangha. The language of the Tipitaka, Pali, is a middle-Indic language that may have evolved out of various Indian dialects and is related to, but not the same as, the ancient language of Magadha. An early form of the Tipitaka may have been transmitted to Sri Lanka during the reign of Ashoka, and after being orally transmitted for some centuries, the texts were finally committed to writing in the 1st century BCE. The recension of the Tipitaka which survives today is that of the Sri Lankan Mahavihara sect. The oldest manuscripts of the Tipitaka from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia date to the 15th century, and they are incomplete, but fragments of the Tipitaka have been found in inscriptions from Southeast Asia, the earliest of which have been dated to the 3rd or 4th century. The Pali Tipitaka consists of three parts: the Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka, and Abhidhamma Pitaka. The Abhidhamma Pitaka is believed to be a later addition to the collection, its composition dating from around the 3rd century BCE onwards. The Theravada school generally only recognizes the Pali Tripitaka and rejects the authenticity of other Tripitaka versions, maintaining that the canonical Abhidhamma Pitaka was actually taught by the Buddha himself, though this is now being questioned by some modern Theravadins.
The Path to Liberation
The core of Theravada Buddhist doctrine is contained in the Pali Canon, and the fundamentals of Theravada Buddhism are shared by the other early Buddhist schools and Mahayana traditions. Central concepts include the doctrine of action (karma), which is based on intention, and a related doctrine of rebirth, which holds that after death, sentient beings will transmigrate to another body, possibly in another realm. The type of realm a being is reborn in is determined by the being's past karma, defining a fundamental reality driven by a cycle of birth and death known as samsara. Theravada rejects the notion that the Vedas are a divine authority and considers any form of sacrifices to the gods to be useless and spiritually corrupted. The Four Noble Truths state that there is suffering, there is a cause of suffering, the removal of craving leads to the end of suffering, and there is a path to follow to bring this about. The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the main outlines of the Buddhist paths to liberation, and the practice of taking refuge in the Triple Gems, the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha, is central to Theravada practice. The ultimate goal of the practice is to achieve mundane and supramundane wisdom, leading to the direct apprehension of Nibbana, which is the cessation of non-arising and exists separately from the mere destruction of passion, hatred, and delusion.
Meditation and the Mind
Theravada Buddhist meditation practice varies considerably in technique and objects, with various traditions such as the Burmese Vipassana tradition, the Thai Forest Tradition, and the Western Insight Meditation movement. Meditation is categorized into two broad categories: Samatha bhavana, or calming, and Vipassana bhavana, or investigation and insight. Samatha consists of meditation techniques in which the mind is focused on a single object, thought, or gatha, leading to Samadhi, while Vipassana refers to practices that aim to develop an inner understanding or knowledge of the nature of phenomena. The development of this insight leads to four supramundane paths and fruits, which consist of a direct apprehension of Nibbana. The practice of meditation is based on the three marks of existence, which removes ignorance, and understanding destroys the ten fetters and leads to Nibbana. The ultimate goal of the practice is to achieve mundane and supramundane wisdom, and the development of this insight leads to the direct apprehension of Nibbana, which is the cessation of non-arising and exists separately from the mere destruction of passion, hatred, and delusion. The practice of meditation is also seen as a way to achieve a good rebirth, supranormal powers, and to combat fear and prevent danger, though recent modernist Theravadins have tended to focus on the psychological benefits and psychological well-being.
The Global Spread
The modern era also saw the spread of Theravada Buddhism around the world and the revival of the religion in places where it remains a minority faith. Some of the major events of the spread of modern Theravada include the 20th-century Nepalese Theravada movement, which introduced Theravada Buddhism to Nepal and was led by prominent figures such as Dharmaditya Dharmacharya, Mahapragya, Pragyananda, and Dhammalok Mahasthavir. The establishment of some of the first Theravada Viharas in the Western world, such as the London Buddhist Vihara in 1926, Das Buddhistische Haus in Berlin in 1957, and the Washington Buddhist Vihara in Washington, DC in 1965, marked the beginning of Theravada's global expansion. The founding of the Bengal Buddhist Association in 1892 and the Dharmankur Vihar in 1900 in Calcutta by the Bengali monk Kripasaran Mahasthavir were key events in the Bengali Theravada revival. The introduction of Theravada to other Southeast Asian nations like Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, especially with the missionary efforts of Ven. K. Sri Dhammananda among English-speaking Chinese communities, further expanded the tradition. The return of Western Theravadin monks trained in the Thai Forest Tradition to western countries and the subsequent founding of monasteries led by western monastics, such as Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, Chithurst Buddhist Monastery, and Metta Forest Monastery, have contributed to the global spread of Theravada. The spread of the Vipassana movement around the world by the efforts of people like Mother Sayamagyi, S.N. Goenka, Anagarika Munindra, Joseph Goldstein, Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, Dipa Ma, and Ruth Denison has also played a significant role in the modern expansion of Theravada Buddhism.