The path of Theravada
(pronounced tehr-ah-VAH-dah), translated as ‘the ways of
the elders,’ is considered to be the oldest existing
Buddhist sect adhering to the teachings of Sakyamuni
Buddha as they were agreed upon at the first ‘Buddhist
Council’
by
500 of his closest monks, shortly after his death. These
teachings, known as the
Pali Canon, are the essential Theravada teachings. Later schools
refer to the Pali Canon as the ‘first turning of the
dharma wheel,’ because they view it as Sakyamuni’s
first body of
teachings after He awakened spiritually, but not the
highest teachings.
The Pali Canon consists of the ‘three baskets’ or ‘tipitaka.’
These ‘baskets’ are the
Vinaya, rules
of monastic discipline; the
Sutta,
teachings of the Buddha, generally in the form of
dialogues; and the
Abhidhamma, a compilation of various teaching texts, and debated
points of teaching.
The goal of a Theravadin monk is to become an
arhat, which
is one who walks the
middle way
between dualities’ extremes, has relinquished all traces
of attachment and desire for worldly things and thus,
having no karmic cause for future rebirths, will enter
nibbana (also called nirvana) upon death, never to be
born again.
Theravada is focused mainly on the teachings of the
Four Noble Truths*
and
Eightfold Path,*
monasticism, worldly renunciation, and self-refinement
through chanting, praying, studying teachings,
vipassana*
or ‘insight meditation,’ and
vibhajjavada,
the ‘study of analysis.’
Historically, lay followers played a minor role in this
tradition. They were given only five basic precepts to
follow: do not kill, do not steal, abstain from sexual
misconduct, do not lie, and do not consume intoxicating
substances. They also practiced development mainly
through attempting to acquire karmic merit by providing
for the renunciant monks and performing tasks related to
that.
Theravadins often attempt to live closely to how
Sakyamuni lived in 500 B.C.E.
They accept
Sakyamuni and Buddhas previous to him as having attained
Buddhahood, but do not recognize later Mahayana Teachers
as Buddhas. They are the original traditionalists of
Buddhism.
At one point in time, there were 18 distinct schools of
the old tradition. Modern Theravada is the only
remaining one, having thrived in Sri Lanka long after
the others faded away. The Theravada school is the
predominant form of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and Southeast
Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and
Cambodia.
*Practices
and teachings in bold are also incorporated in HÜMÜH Buddhism.
Back to Dharma Threads
article
© HÜMÜH 2008
|
