Books on Buddhism: An Annotated Guide to Buddhist Literature for Western Readers
Introduction | General | Theravada | Tibetan | Zen
Appendix 1: An Overview of Buddhism
Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen are three forms of Buddhism. They can be likened to the various forms that have evolved within Christianity; for example, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. The Protestant form divides further into numerous schools of thought, such as Baptist, Methodist, and Lutheran. The same is true of Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is composed of four major schools and there are various schools of thought within Zen and Theravada Buddhism. Just as the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant religions offer very different approaches to Christianity, while sharing common elements, Theravada, Tibetan, and Zen Buddhism offer different approaches.
Theravada, "The Path of the Elders," includes all of the foundational works in the Buddhist tradition. It is the form of Buddhism taught by the Buddha some 2500 years ago. Theravada Buddhism came to the West from parts of Southeast Asia. Mahayana Buddhism, which includes Zen and Tibetan, adds another layer of concepts and texts, and Vajrayana Buddhism (Tibetan Tantric Buddhism) adds another layer still. Zen, which is popular here, developed in Japan from Chinese Ch'an Buddhism and is a blending of Mahayana thought as embodied by Cha'n and the Samurai or Shogun culture present in Japan at the time of its introduction. Zen came to the West from Japan and from parts of Southeast Asia. Tibetan Buddhism is particularly colorful with much ritual. Buddhism entered Tibet from India and was influenced by the native religion Bon. Because of its extensive use of ritual, Tibetan Buddhism has been likened to Catholicism in the Christian tradition.
Introduction | General | Theravada | Tibetan | Zen