REL 1510 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Parinirvana, Abhidharma, Shantideva
Document Summary
Two major extant branches of buddhism are generally recognized: theravada and mahayana . Theravada has a widespread following in sri lanka and southeast asia . East asia and includes the traditions of pure land, zen, nichiren buddhism, tibetan buddhism, shingon, and tiantai . In some classifications, vajrayana practiced mainly in tibet and mongolia, and adjacent parts of china and russia is recognized as a third branch, with a body of teachings attributed to indian siddhas, while others classify it as a part of mahayana. Buddhist schools vary on the exact nature of the path to liberation, the importance and canonicity of various teachings and scriptures, and especially their respective practices. One consistent belief held by all buddhist schools is the lack of a creator deity. The foundations of buddhist tradition and practice are the three jewels: the buddha, the dharma, and the sangha .
