Mahayana is one of the two major branches of Buddhism today. Another branch is called Theravada. Mahayana Buddhism originated in Nepal and spread northward to many other Asian countries, such as India, China, Tibet, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Bhutan, Mongolia and Singapore. Before the Mahayana sect there are other sub-branches, such as Zenarachan, Sacred Land, Tiantai, Nichiren, Shingon, Tendai and Tibetan Buddhism.
Difference between Theravada and Mahayana
The word Theravada means the talk of superior men. This branch of Buddhism emphasizes adherence to the ancient Tripitaka religious texts written in the Pali language. According to the followers of Theravada Buddhism, it is considered as the original form of Buddhism. For them, Gautama Buddha is definitely a great man but not a deity. They do not worship Buddha and their religious ceremonies do not worship Buddha. Whereas in Mahayana Buddhist traditions, deities etc. are believed to be many divine beings, but in Theravada Buddhist tradition there is no such worship. According to Theravada, every human being should find his own path to Nirvana. In this community, it is considered very auspicious for young people to become monks and it is also a custom for young people to become monks for a few days and then return to the household. The Theravada branch is prevalent in the South Asian regions. Such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos. In ancient times ‘Theravada’ was also called Hinayana branch. But nowadays many scholars say that these two are separate. According to the followers of Mahayana Buddhism, it is difficult or impossible for most beings to find the path to Nirvana by themselves, so they need help in this task. According to them, all beings in the universe are related to each other and all beings are considered to be Tathagata. That’s why it is according to the Bodhisattva’s path for everyone’s Nirvana by loving, caring and loving everyone. Its ultimate goal is to attain the enlightenment of all beings or beings by striving in the practice of prajnaparamita. Therefore, another name of this sect is also called Bodhisattvayana. According to the Mahayana texts, one should not harbor ill will for any living being or else all are trapped in the net of birth and death. A killer or an insignificant creature can also be an ancestor of the self in its reincarnation, that’s why he should be helped too. Bodhisattvas who have attained Nirvana are considered for inspiration and help. Thousands of such Bodhisattvas are worshiped in the Mahayana sect and the Bodhisattva is considered to be God-like in this sect. Some of these bodhisattvas are very famous. For example Avalokiteshwar, Jagateshwar, Amitabh Maitreya, Manjushree etc.
