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help in understand diff schools of buddhism

annieannie
edited October 2010 in Buddhism Basics
hi, im currently taking a buddhism class and am somewhat confused by my own notes :o

i understand there are three thoughts of school of buddhism which are:

1) Theravada (also known as Hinayana?, if so, why the different name? or is it a subschool of theravada?)
2)Mahayana, and under mahayana fall different subschools which are:
a)Yogacara = Cittamatravada ( i have no idea what this is and WHY it
equals to cittamatra?) i need to know their view on dharmalaksna
b)Madhyama = are known as sunyatvada (sorry for misspelling)
and under madhyamas fall the Nihilists or are Madhymakas nihilists?
c)Thatagata Garbha=Ekayana
3)VajRayana=tantamarga

do i have the categories right?

Please help me because i have a test on tuesday and im sort of lost.

thanks~!

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Is this from a textbook, or from lecturer's notes? I think I'd point you to the Wikipedia entry on "Buddhism" or your comparative religion textbook...
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited October 2010
    the 3 main branches of buddhism are theravada, mahayana, and vajrayana

    and hinayana is a somewhat negative term for theravada. It means "small vehicle," compared to "great vehicle" AKA mahayana.
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited October 2010
    I believe it is very important to realise that every school of Buddhism we have today is the remnants of one of more than twenty schools that were around in the first few centuries after the Buddha's death.

    Why is this important?

    Because it puts in clear light that what is important is not the school with its traditions and practices but the Dharma that underlays and unifies them all.

    The schools have contrasting views, the Dharma is truth, not view.

    namaste
  • DazzaDazza Explorer
    edited October 2010
    I was listening to a talk by Ajahn Brahm the other day on this subject and if I remember it correctly he came up with a very good simile. He said; imagine 3 cakes (1 being Therevada, 1 being mahayana & 1 being vajrayana). All 3 cakes have different icing on them but underneath the icing is exactly the same. Apart from the icing, the recipe is the same. He said that all sects are fundamentally the same but the type of sect followed are based mainly on cultural differences.

    Dazza
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    OP: Theravada = School/Doctrine of the Elders. Sometimes referred to as "Hinayana" or "lesser vehicle" by the Mahayana school, but this is in reference to how Mahayana views itself as the "great vehicle", and so it is opinion and offensive to some. There are different subschools, such as the Thai Forest Tradition.

    Mahayana = "Great Vehicle", a school that focuses on Emptiness and the Bodhisattva ideal, as well as "skillful means". There are also subschools of the Mahayana, for instance Zen (Ch'an). Comparatively there are more Mahayana schools and adherents than Theravada, but don't quote me on that. :)

    There are quite a few differences, but the core teachings on suffering and its cessation are the same. Many consider that in all fairness it is a matter of individual preference, and no one school or even branch can claim to be greater than another without immediately losing focus of the goal.

    Here's a source you can check up for more info: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/schools.htm
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