Theravada Buddhism

History

Early historical accounts of Theravada are contested by contemporary Buddhist scholars, with notable differences between accounts from within and outside the tradition. According to traditional accounts, Theravada derives from the Sthaviravada lineage, which formed along with the Mahasamghika after the Great Schism in the fourth century BCE. Its inchoation continued in the third century BCE, largely through state support. According to its commentaries (atthakatha), Theravada's earliest and most prolific advocate was the Mauryan Emperor Asoka (r. 269–232), who established Theravada Buddhist forms of governance within his South Asian empire and sent vassals to Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), and neighboring kingdoms in mainland Southeast Asia. As one of the most powerful Buddhist rulers of his time, Asoka became a model of a just ruler (cakkavatti) for subsequent Buddhist kings throughout Asia.

In Sri Lankan accounts, the next early focal point for Theravada's diffusion into Asia began in Sri Lanka. Asoka convened the Third Buddhist council and sent his ordained son and daughter, Mahinda and Sangamitta, to Sri Lanka and beyond to spread the doctrine. Mahinda and Sangamitta were successful in establishing a Theravada lineage in Sri Lanka, which is sustained in contemporary times through the Mahavihara school. In the fifth century CE, the eminent South Asian monk Buddhaghosa wrote his commentaries in Sri Lanka, which remain the most authoritative commentaries in Theravada. Sri Lankan monastic lineages and Buddhaghosa's writings were subsequently transmitted to the Malay Peninsula and Southeast Asian archipelago, which had oceanic trading routes with South Asia as early as the fourth century CE.

One point of departure between historical narratives is Asoka's dissemination of Buddhism. Traditional accounts indicate Myanmar and Southeast Asia as points of destination in the third century CE. However, the earliest evidence dates from the fourth century CE, when different Buddhist practices and scriptures existed in the Burmese kingdom of Pyu and the Thai kingdom of Dvaravati. Initially, Chinese, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Malay travelers brought their Buddhist practices to Myanmar; but it was the sustained and concerted effort of Sri Lankan missionaries in the 11th century that enabled Theravada to take root in the kingdom of Pagan.

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