Theravada Buddhism

"Way of the Elders"

Background
 founded in India
 predominant religion of
Sri Lanka
 A conservative branch
of Buddhism that
adheres to Pali
scriptures and the
nontheistic ideal of self-
purification to nirvana
 the oldest record of the
Buddha's teachings
 sometimes called
'Southern Buddhism'.
Sangha (a community of Buddhist
monks) were the first to follow the
original Buddha

The Pali scriptures are also called the

Pali Canon or the Tripitaka (three
baskets)

The absolute goal of Theravada is to

find Nirvana which means
enlightenment

After nirvana you will never be reborn

Theravada
 the term Theravada
first arose in the
disputes which arose
about a hundred years
after the Buddha's
death.
 a council of Buddhist
monks was convened at
the Mauryan capital of
Patna during 3 BC to
purify the doctrine..
 Origins of Buddhist
Scripture
• The most famous shrine in
Buddhism is the Haein Temple.
• It is a library which contains
over 80,000 wooden blocks
that were originally used to
copy Buddhist scripture.
• Five hundred years after the
death of the Buddha, the
Sangha decided to meet in
order to define the teachings
of Buddhism
• They ended up writing down
what use to be oral tradition in
The Tripitaka
• Tripitaka means 3
baskets,
representing the 3
different books that
make up the
Tripitaka.
• It was originally
called the Tripitaka
because the stories
were literally
divided into 3
different baskets.
 The Three Baskets
• Vinaya Pitaka, translated “Basket of
Discipline
– the Buddha’s rules of discipline for
the monks and nuns

• Sutta Pitaka, translated “Basket of

Discourse”
– the teaching of Buddha that include
the necessities to reach Nirvana
– the doctrine and practices of the
Buddha
– the first songs of Buddhist nuns,
which is the first documents writings
of women’s sacred poetry

• Abhiddhamma Pitaka, translated

 Rituals and Belief
 All boys enter monastery- a right of
passage
 Wesa Spring
 Candles and incense
 Rockets set off
 Trees are decorated
 Rituals and Practices
Theravada Buddhism has a great
variety of rituals and practices to
help in the journey to becoming
enlightened and to bring good
things upon oneself and upon
others.
One of the main practices is a
meditation. Meditation is nearly
essential to all forms of Buddhism.
Continued …
Other rituals would be the use of
Mudras (symbolic gestures). These
gestures are used symbolically in
images of Buddha. They are used
in practice to induce specific ideas
in the mind during time of
Buddhist meditation or sometimes
in ritual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35UUVs5t60

This video teaches us the ways of the Buddhist

monks to the people to the celebration. You
really find yourself embracing the culture as well
as the people.
 Steps to becoming an Arhat
1. Sotapanna ("stream-enterer"), which is a process where you
convert by completely overcoming false beliefs.
2. Sakadagamin ("once-returner") which is the symbolic
process of being reborn again, attained by diminishing lust,
3. Anagamin ("never-returner"), which means one who will be
reincarnated in heaven. In this stage you become an Arhat.
4. Arhat ("worthy one"), one who has attained full
enlightenment.during life (“saint”)