Theravada Buddhism

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the oldest surviving school of Buddhist doctrine and practice, dominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, which bases its teachings on the Pali Canon — the Tipitaka — believed to preserve the original teachings of the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama; Theravada — meaning the teaching of the elders — emphasises the monastic path and the ideal of the arahant who achieves individual liberation from the cycle of rebirth through disciplined meditation, ethical conduct, and wisdom; the sangha — the community of monks — plays a central role in Theravada societies as custodians of the dharma, providers of education, and recipients of dana — lay generosity — through which laypeople accumulate merit; in mainland Southeast Asian countries Theravada Buddhism has been deeply interwoven with royal authority, national identity, and political legitimacy throughout recorded history