Schools of Buddhism

There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. An extensive list of historical schools is given below according to lineage. Surviving schools can be roughly grouped under the categories of Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna. Theravāda and Mahāyāna share common methods as sutric schools, while Vajrayāna can be seen as a tantric school.

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Table of contents

1 Nikaya Schools 2 Mahāyāna Schools; 3 Tantric schools 4 See also 5 Further reading

Nikaya Schools

See also: Theravāda;; early Buddhist schools

The initial split between Sthaviravāda and Mahāsaṃghika occurred about 100 years after Buddha's death, due to differing views concerning the rigidity of monastic rules.

• Sthaviravāda; (Vaibhāṣikas)
  • Pudgalavāda; ('Personalist') (c. 280 BCE)
  • Vibhajyavāda; (prior to 240 BCE)
    • Theravāda; (c. 240 BCE, moved to Sri Lanka)
      • Mahīśāsaka; (after 232 BCE)
      • Kāśyapīya; (after 232 BCE)
      • Dharmaguptaka (after 232 BCE)
        • Chinese Vinaya School
          • Japanese Ritsu
    • Vatsīputrīya; (under Aśoka)
      • Dharmottarīya;
      • Bhadrayānīya;
      • Sannāgarika;
      • Saṃmitīya;
  • Sarvāstivāda; (c. 237 BCE)
    • Sautrāntika (between 50 BCE and c. 100 CE)
      • Jojitsu
    • Kusha
    • Mūlasarvāstivāda (third and fourth centuries)
• Mahāsaṃghika; ('Majority', c. 380 BCE)
  • Ekavyahārikas; (under Aśoka)
    • Lokottaravāda;
  • Golulika (during Aśoka)
    • Bahuśritīya (late third century BCE)
    • Prajñaptivāda (late third century BCE)
  • Caitika (mid-first century BCE)
    • Apara Śaila;
    • Uttara Śaila;

Mahāyāna Schools;

• Madhyamaka
  • Prāsangaka;
  • Yogācāra;
    • Faxiang (Dharma-character school) or Wei-Shi (Consciousness-only school)
      • Beopsang
      • Hossō
  • Sanlun (Three Treatise school)
    • Sanron
• Daśabhūmikā (absorbed in to Huayan)
• Huayan (Avataṃsaka)
  • Hwaeom
  • Kegon
• Chan / Zen / Seon
  • Caodong
    • Soto
  • Linji
    • Rinzai
    • Ōbaku;
    • Fuke
• Pure Land (Amidism)
  • Jodo
  • Jodo Shin
• Tiantai (Lotus Sutra School)
  • Cheontae
  • Tendai (also contained Vajrayana elements)
• Nichiren
  • Nichiren Shū
  • Nichiren Shōshū
  • Soka Gakkai
• Vijñānavāda;

Tantric schools

''see also: Vajrayāna;

• Tibetan Buddhism
  • Nyingmapa
  • Kadampa
    • Drukpa
  • Sakyapa
  • New Bön (14th century synthesis of Yungdrung Bön and Nyingmapa)
  • Jonangpa
  • Gelukpa
  • Rime movement
• Japanese Mikkyo
  • Shingon
  • Tendai (derived from Tiantai but added tantric practices)

See also

• Buddhism by region

Further reading

• Warder, A.K. Indian Buddhism, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1970.