Question

Mahayana and tantric Buddhism the difference?

Answer 1

✔ Location of Buddhist Paths

➡️Theravada Buddhism – Southern (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, parts of Southeast Asia)

➡️Mahayana Buddhism – Northern (Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, parts of Southeast Asia )

✔Scriptures

➡️Theravada in Pali (Pali Canon).
➡️Mahayana in Sanskrit (Sutras)
➡️Both share the common basic Buddhist teachings of Four Noble Truths, Eight-fold path.

✔ Language Difference

Theravada Buddhism is more conservative. It places importance on the original Pali language as the birth language of the Buddha. Pali is used in worship.

✔ Bodhisattvas
➡️In Theravada Buddhism the main Bodhisattvas is Maitreya.

➡️In Mahayana Buddhism Maitreya plus non-historical figures

➡️Mahayana Buddhism suggests Boddhisatva’s delay their realisation to stay in Samsara and help other struggling humans.

➡️Theravada suggests Bodhisattvas seek enlightenment first before they can help others stuck in Samsara. In Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas have greater prominence.

➡️In Mahayana Buddhism, Bodhisattvas have greater prominence.

✔Goal of Buddhism

➡️Theravada Buddhists place greater emphasis on arhat – liberation or Nirvana.

➡️In Mahayana Buddhism, the role of the Bodhisattva path is given more prominence

✔Teachings

➡️Theravāda promotes the concept of vibhajjavāda “teaching of analysis”.  This suggests the seeker should gain insights from his own experience, application of knowledge, and critical reasoning. Though this should be weighed against scripture and wise monks.

➡️Mahayana promotes the idea that an aspirant should not just seek personal enlightenment but the enlightenment of all beings. It also accepts a wide range of approaches to enlightenment; it includes not just meditation and personal disciplines but selfless service and working in the world for the benefit of others.
✔ᴛʏᴘᴇ ᴏғ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ

↪ Theravada

Mainly silent-mind, mindfulness meditation. There are two main types of Theravada meditation:
1. Samatha: Calming meditation

2.Vipassana: Insight meditation
✔Mahayana
➡️Mahayana Buddhism greater emphasis on mantras, chanting, especially in Tibetan Buddhism
➡️Though Tibetan Buddhism is based on Mahayana, it could be seen as its own strand – Vajrayana. Tibetan Buddhism is based on Tantric disciplines.

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