An early lineage still living today
Theravāda descends from the Vibhajyavāda branch of the early Sthaviravāda tradition. It is dominant in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, and preserves the Pāli Canon (Tipiṭaka) as its core scripture.
The Pāli Canon
The canon is organized into three “baskets”:
- Vinaya Piṭaka — rules and procedures for monastic life.
- Sutta Piṭaka — discourses attributed to the Buddha and close disciples.
- Abhidhamma Piṭaka — philosophical and psychological analysis.
Later commentaries also matter, especially Buddhaghosa’s 5th-century Visuddhimagga (“Path of Purification”).
Nibbāna and the arahant
Theravāda centers the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path, organized into ethical conduct (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).
The goal is nibbāna: the extinguishing of craving, aversion, and delusion, and release from rebirth. Its ideal practitioner is the arahant, a person fully awakened by following the Buddha’s path.
Discipline, meditation, and merit
- Vinaya discipline guides monks and nuns.
- Meditation includes samatha (calm) and vipassanā (insight).
- Merit-making joins lay support with the monastic community.
- Study and recitation preserve the Pāli suttas.
From Sri Lanka across Southeast Asia
Tradition holds that the monk Mahinda brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE. The canon was written there around the 1st century BCE. From Sri Lanka, Theravāda spread through trade and religious exchange to mainland Southeast Asia, becoming state-supported in several countries.