Over its long history, Buddhism has taken a wide variety of forms. The Mahayana tradition tends to emphasize rituals and the worship of deities, while Theravada Buddhism rejects rituals and gods in favor of pure meditation. Yet all forms of Buddhism share respect for the teachings of the Buddha and the goal of ending suffering and the cycle of rebirth.
The following comparison chart provides an introduction to the similarities and differences between Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.
| Mahayana Buddhism | Theravada Buddhism | |
|---|---|---|
| etymology | Sanskrit, "Great Vehicle" | Pali, "School of the Elder Monks" |
| languages | Sanskrit. Scriptures translated into local languages. | Pali. Tripitaka is only in Pali. Teaching in Pali supplemented by local language. |
| main locations | Northern (Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, parts of Southeast Asia) | Southern (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, parts of Southeast Asia) |
| Influences | Heavily influenced by local religious ideas as transmitted to new cultures (China, Japan, Tibet). | Mainly pre-Buddhist Indian influences like concepts of karma, sangha, etc. |
| branches | 8 major schools: four practice-based (Zen, Pure Land, Vajrayana, Vinaya); four philosophy-based (Tendai, Avamtasaka, Yogacara and Madhyamika) | One surviving school (as many as 18 existed at one time) |
| texts | Tripitaka plus many other sutras (e.g. Lotus Sutra) | Pali Canon/Tripitaka only |
| Buddhas | Gautama Buddha plus Amitabha, Medicine Buddhas, and others | Historical Buddha (Gautama) and past Buddhas only |
| Bodhisattvas | Maitreya, Avalokitesvara, Mansjuri, Ksitigarbha and Samanthabadra | Maitreya only |
| goal of practice | ||
| Trikaya | Emphasized, including the samboga-kaya or reward/enjoyment body | Very limited emphasis; mainly on nirmana-kaya and dharma-kaya |
| Buddha's disciples | Many bodhisattvas that are not historical figures | Historical disciples described in Scriptures |
| buddha-nature | Emphasized, especially in practice-based schools | Not taught |
| bardo | Taught by all schools | Rejected |
| practices | Many, owing to local cultural influences | Very few; not emphasized |
| mantras | Emphasized in Vajrayana; sometimes incorporated in other schools | Some equivalent in the use of Parittas |