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OVERVIEW
THREE MAIN SCHOOLS OF BUDDHISM
Timeline and History of Buddhism’s Spread
Before Reaching Japan
Overview  | Hinduism | Theravada | Mahayana | Vajrayana | Rifts
RELATED PAGTES: Early Japanese Buddhism | Comparing Schools | Guide to Buddhism in Japan
THREE SCHOOLS OF BUDDHISM. Introduced in India around 500 BC, Buddhism swept quickly (some 1000 years) across Asia, splitting into three main schools as it evolved. In India, its birthplace, Buddhism died out around 1200 AD, succumbing to Muslim invasions and resurgent Hinduism. But by then it was flourishing in Southeast Asia, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan -- it came last to Japan, crossing the sea around 520 - 550 AD. Although the Japanese court was quick to adopt Mahayana Buddhism, the teachings of the Theravada and the Vajrayana schools did not go unnoticed or unpracticed. Sects from all three schools are still active in Japan today, but the dominant form is clearly Mahayana. This is especially true when talking about Buddhist sculpture and art. Many of Japan’s Buddhist treasures still survive and are available for firsthand inspection at temples in Nara, Kyoto, Kamakura, and elsewhere. In large part, this artistic legacy tells the story of Mahayana Buddhism.
Map courtesy of Buddhanet
Buddhism as practiced today is still divided into these three schools -- (1) Theravada, meaning School of the Elders, but pejoratively known as Hinayana or Lesser Vehicle; (2) Mahayana, meaning Greater Vehicle; and (3) Vajrayana, meaning Diamond Vehicle; also known as Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism. “Yana” is the Sanskrit term for vehicle. The bewildering number of sects are categorized into one of the three schools.
- Theravada (Hinayana)
Found mainly in Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Often known as the Southern Traditions of Buddhism.
- Mahayana
Found mainly in China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Often known as the Northern Traditions of Buddhism.
- Vajrayana (Esoteric or Tantric Buddhism)
Practiced mainly in Tibet, Nepal, and Mongolia, but in Japan has a strong hold with the Shingon 真言, Tendai 天台, and Shugendō 修験道 sects. In Japan, Esoteric Buddhism is known as Mikkyō (Mikkyo) 密教). Along with Mahayana Buddhism, the Vajrayana traditions are often referred to as the Northern Traditions of Buddhism.
OUTSIDE LINKS - TIMELINE OF BUDDHISM
Timeline #1 - Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
Overview of Art History in Japan
Timeline #2 - Pacific Asia Museum (need Flash)
Launch site, click “The Perfected One,”
then click the Timeline & Map button.
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