Foundations of Religion - Major World Religions Meaning Outlook
Theravada Buddhism The Way of the Elders
Conservative. Demands strict faithfulness to the teachings contained in the Pali Canon.
View of the Buddha He was a great holy man but not a god.
Teaching about life We are on our own in the universe. There is no God. We can reach enlightenment only through our own efforts.
Mahayana Buddhism The Universal Assembly
Liberal. More open to outside ideas and influences.
He was a kind of god who only appeared to be an ordinary man.
We are not alone in the universe. We can pray to the Buddha for guidance on how to reach enlightenment.
SECTION C
Sacred Texts
In time, both Buddhist traditions wrote down their own versions of the Buddha’s teachings. Each one claims that its text is the only one that accurately passes on what he said.
The Pali Canon
This is the sacred text of Theravada Buddhism. Canon means an agreed set of teachings /writings.
The Pali Canon is made up of forty-five volumes. These are divided into three sections, known as the Tripitaka, which means ‘the three baskets’.
They are as follows: The Vinaya Pitaka ò This means ‘the discipline basket’. ò It explains how you can live in peace.
A Buddhist monk meditates.
The Sutta Pitaka ò This means ‘the instruction basket’. ò It sets out ‘the Four Noble Truths’.
REMEMBER! Pali was an ancient language probably spoken by the Buddha himself.
