One interesting thing to consider when discussing religion is the wide variety of sects which exist under certain religious groups. All religions have a basic set of ideologies in which they believe, however, different groups and populations of people interpret these principles differently forming their own sects within a religion. In most religions groups form creating their own customs and ideologies in order to practice what they believe is the true religion. They implement what they believe and separate themselves within certain religions. In this essay I will examine the different sects of the Buddhist religion in order to come to a better understanding of different sects form within religions. Religious sects form due to different interpretations, political issues, geographic reasons, as well as conflicting beliefs which can be seen when examining the Buddhist sects that exist today. It is important to understand why different denominations form within a religion in order to truly understand the religion.
Buddhism comes from the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautama also known as Buddha. Buddhism is a religion around 300 million people practice today (White, 1993). It is considered more of a philosophy regarding life than anything else. Siddhartha Gautama preached about the life path or goal which can be summed up as attempting to live a moral life, being mindful and aware of your thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding in order to be enlightened and reach nirvana, . Within the Buddhist faith there are 3 main sects. They are as follows Theravada, Mahayana, and the Vajrayana. These different groups have their own customs and cultures, and are separated by the emphasis they put on certain things within the religion. They may practice and implement the Buddhist religion differently among themselves, however, the essence of dharma, the Buddha’s teachings, is maintained amongst all the groups.
The Theravadas are known as the school of the elders, because of its ancient practices. It formed during the 4th century BCE out of divisions and disunions within the Buddhist communities of India, and made its way south developing as its own denomination of Buddhism in areas of Southern Asia like Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. They consider themselves to be the oldest line of decent of Buddhism, because they believe they can trace their ancestry back to the original followers of the Buddha. They attempt to most accurately adhere to the original teachings of Buddha. Unlike the other groups they are not open to new ideas, and they are considered the most conservative sect within Buddhism (Brown, 2007). They teach from the Pali Canon, a record of the Buddha’s work over forty five years of teaching, and is transmitted from teacher to student in institutions. Bhikkhus are elder nuns who teach the younger students of Theravada the word of Buddha. The focus of the Theravada is the three jewels being Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. These are the principles in which the Buddhist must live their life. The main goal of the Theravada sect is to become a arhat, which is a perfect saint that has achieved nirvana. This main goal is what separates the Theravada from other Buddhist affiliations. They are stricter and the goal of the religion is more of a personal experience than a group effort. They believe that every individual must attempt to become an Arhat reaching the stage in live of nirvana, which is complete enlightenment. There are four stages to becoming an Arhat in which all Theravada attempt to obtain.
Another Sect of Buddhism is the Mahayana also known as the Great Vehicle. Mahayana was created during the first century CE as a more liberal form of Buddhism. It was considered more accessible for the average people of Northern Asia and the Far East. The development of the Mahayana sect emerged as a movement to bring Buddhism to the common people of Asia, because in the Theravada sect only the enlightened men were truly able to participate in the religion. They were the only ones who were able to obtain nirvana, and if you were not enlightened then Buddhism had very little to offer you. The Mahayana split from the Theravada in the first century and rapidly gained popularity, because of its attraction to the common man and woman. This aspect of Mahayana Buddhism that is so intriguing to the common man is the way it interprets the ultimate goal of Buddhism, nirvana. The Mahayana believe that it is the goal of all Buddhist to become bodhisattva, an enlightened saint who chooses not to go to nirvana, but to stay and help others achieve enlightenment. This is something that any man can do unlike the goals of the Theravada sect. Mahayana focus on the well-being of others as well as their own enlightenment. The Mahayana’s have developed several diverse schools such as Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren which flourish today in Northern and Eastern Asia. All of these schools promote different ways in which the goal of life can be obtained, but they agree upon one common thing and that is that it can be obtained by anyone. This belief is attractive to many people, because it is obtainable for them. This goal is easier to present and share with others, because it speaks to more people than that of the Theravada. Like the Theravada the Mahayana still study the ancient scriptures, and practice Dharma. Many people believe that Theravada and Mahayana do not contradict each other instead they go hand in hand with another. They would say that the Mahayana were created from the Theravada as a form of Buddhism that can be practiced by the common man. The Theravada focus on meditation and self, while the Mahayana focus on the well-being of others.
The third sect of Buddhism to be considered is the Vajrayana also known as the Diamond Vehicle. This form of Buddhism is found in Tibet. The Vajrayana sect of Buddhism emerged out of the teachings of the Mahayana in India in 6th and 7th centuries CE and quickly spread out to Tibet. Vajrayana originally formed as a reaction to the philosophical and scholastic teachings of Indian Buddhism, and rapidly developed into a complex philosophical and ritual system (Patheos Library, 2015). The main ideas of Vajrayana are very similar to that of the Mahayana, because they to believe that Buddhism can be for the common man. Anyone can reach nirvana in one life time. People were attracted to the Vajrayana, because of the three main sects it seems to have the most straight forward path to enlightenment. It is the most simplistic of the sects in its goals. The goals of Vajrayana may be simplistic, but over the years they have devolved many complex rituals and devotions that separate them from the other sects. The cultural aspect of the Vajrayana is what units them as a denomination of Buddhism that is different than the rest. Great emphasis is placed on the guru in the Vajrayana group. The main guru in the Vajrayana sect is called the Dali Lama, and is what most western citizens think of when they considered Buddhism. This man is a religious and political leader of Tibet. Vajrayana Buddhism incorporates and puts importance on the political aspect of religion that the other two sects do not consider to be as important. The gurus in certain areas which claim to be of the Vajrayana sect have political power and influence. Religious leaders in the Mahayana and Theravada do not have the same political authority. What separates Vajrayana is the cultural aspect as well as its political aspect.
After examining the different sects of the Buddhist religion it can be observed that little differences in interpretations, culture, and political power can cause separation in religion. The different groups of Buddhism all believe in Dharma and the teachings of the Buddha, but their interpretations of it, and how they believe they should go about carrying it out are different. Over time sects have developed out of these differences in beliefs. The Theravada developed early on and have maintained a strict conservative set of beliefs, the Mahayana broke off of the Theravada in order to attend to the common man, and the Vajrayana separated off of the Mahayana for cultural reasons. All of these different sects have a large number of followers and all consider themselves to be Buddhists. This shows how religion is open to interpretation, and different people can believe in the same concept but carry it out in different ways. If you consider all of these factors regarding Buddhism and the different sects that call themselves Buddhist you can come to a better understanding of what the religion actually represents and believes in. If you examine other religions it is important to take into consideration their separate denominations as well if you are looking for the true meaning of the religion.
Works Cited
White, Brandon. “A Basic Buddhism Guide: 5 Minute Introduction.” A Basic Buddhism Guide: 5 Minute Introduction. N.p., 1993. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
“Library.” Vajrayana Buddhism Origins, Vajrayana Buddhism History, Vajrayana Buddhism Beliefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2015.
