Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Buddhism, Theravada

Theravada Buddhism is a school that grew out of the teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama (563–483 BCE) and was recorded in the Pali language around the 1 st century BCE. Literally meaning the “school of the elders,” Theravada Buddhism represents the old orthodoxy of Buddhism. At its core is a set of doctrines that are common to all Buddhist sects and designed to promote the deliverance of individual humans from the suffering of life. Featuring a monastic life of austerity, Theravada Buddhism is followed primarily in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and parts of Vietnam, Malaysia, China, and Bangladesh. Despite its asocial nature, this school has a sense of historical time, and it developed a conceptualization of temporality that is dualistic, pertaining to the phenomenal and ultimate reality respectively.

Theravada Buddhism is sometimes referred to as Hinayana Buddhism, a term that is no longer used in informed circles. Its problem lies in the derogatory meaning that bina assumes in Sanskrit texts when it appears in contrast to good or in juxtaposition with terms such as ignoble and harmful. Rather than denoting “lesser vehicle,” Hinayana can be taken to mean “vehicle of despicable quality.” Consequently the World Federation of Buddhists recommends that it be avoided.

Gautama, the Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was born to King Suddhodana Gautama and Queen Maya in Lumbini (now in Nepal). The young prince applied himself assiduously to the ascetic practices of Hinduism and Jainism. In addition, he sought out some of the most famous spiritual and philosophical teachers of his time. Years later, however, it occurred to him that neither the traditional religions and philosophies nor asceticism had brought him closer to true wisdom.

The king was determined to do everything within his power to stop the prince from choosing a spiritual life over the throne. However, at the age of 29, Siddhartha renounced the world of luxury and embarked on a long journey to seek the true nature of reality through the eyes of a wanderer. On the night of his 35th birthday, he entered into the deepest of meditations under a tree in Gaya, India, and was able to attain enlightenment after persevering through the most excruciating temptations. It marked the birth of Gautama, the Buddha (Enlightened One). He spent the next 45 years traveling from place to place to preach and spread the doctrines of Buddhism. Parallel to his preaching was the way of life he led: Walking barefooted, he held an alms-bowl in one hand and a walking stick in the other, with his head shaven clean of hair and his body wrapped in a plain robe of saffron. The Buddha died at the age of 80 in Kusinara, India. Virtuous and wise, the Gautama Buddha was also known as Sakyamuni or Shakyamuni (sage of the Sakyas kingdom).

Fundamental Teachings of Buddhism

The essence of the Buddhist teachings is stated in the Four Noble Truths. This doctrine runs as follows: Human existence is suffering (dukkha); suffering is caused by desire and attachment (trisbna); the cessation of suffering comes with the removal of desire and attachment (nirvana); and the way to the cessation of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, which serves to bring about the extinction of desire and attachment.

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution