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Theravada Buddhism: Sri Lanka
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Theravada Buddhism is strongest in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Theravada Buddhism places great emphasis on the original teachings of the Buddha, in particular the teachings known as the Pali Canon. Also the elders or Buddhist monks play a significant role
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Theravada was the only tradition among the so-called Eighteen Schools of early Buddhism to survive the first centuries after the Buddha's death in the 5th century BC. Some authorities trace its origins to the events following the second great council of Buddhism at Vaishali, India, in 383 BC, in which novel interpretations of doctrine were condemned by conservatives - the Theras (Elders) - who thereby became the originators of Theravada orthodoxy. The reformers, in turn, accused the conservatives of being too self-absorbed and dogmatic. The ideological split was confirmed at the third council, convened by King Ashoka at Pâtaliputra (now Patna, India) in about 250 BC. After that, according to tradition, the orthodox school is said to have been spread to Sri Lanka by Ashoka's son, the monk Mahinda. There it became a national creed, centered at the great monastery of Mahavihara and closely associated with the Sri Lankan monarchy.
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Theravada Buddhism, the doctrine of the elders, is the oldest unbroken traditional Buddhist tradition practised by people since the time of the Buddha. It is found today in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Chittagong (Bangladesh).[2] Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Buddhist era was started following Buddha’s death (Parinibbana). Although the Buddha was born in Nepal, the history of Buddhism in Nepal is not very clear. According to Buddhist literatures, he did visit Nepal, gave discourses and ordained some monks and nuns. There is evidence that the King Asoka of Magadha visited Lumbini in Nepal.
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Theravada (pronounced — more or less — "terra-VAH-dah"), the "Doctrine of the Elders," is the school of Buddhism that draws its scriptural inspiration from the Tipitaka, or Pali canon, which scholars generally agree contains the earliest surviving record of the Buddha's teachings. For many centuries, Theravada has been the predominant religion of continental Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, Cambodia, and Laos) and Sri Lanka. Today Theravada Buddhists number well over 100 million worldwide. In recent decades Theravada has begun to take root in the West.
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In India Buddhism flourishes alongside Hinduism for many years, but from about the 8th century it declines (though Theravada Buddhism finds a lasting home in Sri Lanka). The Mahayana version of the faith becomes gradually submerged by the older and more vigorous Hinduism. It has perhaps been too willing to accomodate new themes, influenced by India's bustling inclination to worship everything.
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Buddhism - During and after the "revival" and spread of the Theravada in the early centuries of the 2nd millennium CE, a new corpus of Theravada literature came into being. This corpus includes commentaries and other works written in Pali in Sri Lanka and the Theravada countries of Southeast Asia, as well as many important texts written in Sinhalese, Burmese, Thai, Laotian, and Khmer.
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