Buddhism And The Main Buddhist Sects After Buddha's death in 483 BC, his closest followers (his

disciple monks) took time off their preaching to write down his sermons (sutras) and his rules (vinay as). In the old tradition of Buddha, monks initially walked the countryside preaching and teaching for nine months of the year and went to wait out the monsoon seaso n in a sanctuary for three months. These retreats became monasteries and temples. This retreat into monasteries was instrumental in the development of different interpretations of Buddha's teachi ngs and ultimately led to the establishment of different sects which gained popu larity in different parts of Asia. There are three main Buddhist sects: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana or Tantri c Buddism. Theravada Buddhism is the predominant sect in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand an d is the sect that remains most loyal to Buddha's original doctrines. Theravada Buddhism teaches that the path to the attainment of personal Nirvana is the obje ctive of life. It is a very individualistic religion in that everyone is alone o n their own path to enlightenment. Mahayana Buddism became the largest sect and spread along the Silk Road from Ind ia through China to east Asia beginning in about 200 BC. Mahayana Buddhists wors hip Buddha and the Buddhist saints (Bodhisattvas - literally 'wisdom beings'). Bodhisattvas are beings that curb themselves from attaining Nirvana (and therefo re leaving the wheel of life or cycle of birth, death and reincarnation) so that they may benefit others accomplish Nirvana, which is a most important differenc e between it and Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism is more readily absorbed by different cultures than the other forms which accounts for it having spread so far. The Buddhist emperor Ashoka (2 72-232 BC) gave Mahayana a huge boost in popularity by sending missionaries to S ri Lanka, south-east Asia and China from where it was carried to Korea and Japan in the Sixth Century anno domini. Zen Buddhism grew in popularity in Japan and China in the Seventh Century. Zen B uddhism is a variant of Mahayana Buddhism and teaches that Nirvana can be gaine d through mental conditioning and meditation. Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism arose in the Seventh Century as well and is most c ommon in Tibet and Mongolia. Vajrayana Buddhism attempts to identify the initiat e with a visualized deity. Tantric cannon includes esoteric texts, teaching that meditation is able to engage the mind by the use of mantras (chants), mudras (h and gestures) and mandalas (visible icons). The Dalai Lama is the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhists. Buddhism attained its height of popularity in China during the T'ang dynasty in the Ninth Century, when it was partially suppressed by royal decree. Likewise Ze n reached its height of popularity in the Nineteen Century while the Japanese ro yal family turned to Shintoism taking many of the royal hangers-on with it. Buddhism declined in India as well in the Eighth Century because lots of its con cepts were absorbed into Hinduism. Buddism was virtually extinct in India by the Thirteenth Century. Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of topics, but is no

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