Theravada

Theravada (Pali: थेरवाद) means doctrine of the elders or teaching of the seniors, from thera (elder, senior monk) and vada (doctrine, way)[1]. The name reflects the tradition's claim to preserve the original teaching of the Buddha as transmitted through the senior disciples and the early councils[2].

Theravada should not be simplistically labeled original Buddhism without historical care.

Theravada is the form of Buddhism dominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, with significant communities elsewhere[2]. It preserves the Pali Canon (Tipitaka, the Three Baskets: Vinaya for monastic discipline, Sutta for the discourses, Abhidhamma for systematic philosophy) as its scriptural foundation[3]. The Pali language remains the liturgical and scholarly language of the tradition.

Theravada practice centers on the Noble Eightfold Path[3]. The monastic Sangha is highly developed, with detailed Vinaya rules and a strong distinction between ordained and lay practitioners. Lay support of the monastic community (through dana, generosity) and monastic teaching of the laity together form the texture of religious life[2].

The classical goal in Theravada is arhatship: full liberation from craving and rebirth in this very life[3]. The bodhisatta path leading to full buddhahood is recognized but treated as the exceptional path taken by figures like the future Buddha Maitreya. Most practitioners aim at arhatship or at favorable rebirth supporting future practice.

Meditation is central. Samatha (concentration) and vipassana (insight) are the two great strands[3]. The 20th century vipassana revival, particularly through teachers including Mahasi Sayadaw, Ajahn Chah, and S. N. Goenka, has spread Theravada-derived meditation globally beyond Theravada Buddhist communities.

Theravada has often been characterized in Western writing as conservative or as "original Buddhism." More careful scholarship now treats Theravada as one major branch of Buddhism with its own historical development rather than as static preservation of pristine teaching[2].

Theravada studies has been a major area in Buddhist studies since the 19th century, with the Pali Text Society making the canon widely available in Western languages[1]. Scholars including Richard Gombrich[2], Steven Collins, and Bhikkhu Bodhi[4] have produced major works. The relationship between the textual tradition and the lived practice of contemporary Theravada is itself a productive area of study.

• Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colomboby Richard Gombrich
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• In the Buddha's Wordsby Bhikkhu Bodhi
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