Buddhist schools of philosophy
There are two main schools of Buddhism, the Theravada and the Mahayana. Theravada Buddhism. The word Theravada in the Pali language means the way or vehicle (vada) of the elders (thera). It is the only surviving school of pre-Mahayana, or old Buddhism. Theravada is sometimes called southern Buddhism, because it was traditionally found in southern Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma.

It is also known as Pali Buddhism, because its scriptures, or holy writings, are in the Pali language. These sacred writing are called the Pali Canon or Tripitaka. Tri means three and pitaka means baskets. There are three parts to the scriptures. The scriptures were written sometime between 100 B.C. and 1 B.C. They were written on palm leaves and stored in baskets.

The Tripitaka.
The first part of the Tripitaka is the Vinaya Pitaka, or Basket of Discipline. This a collection of the rules of discipline for monks and nuns. The second part is the Sutra Pitaka, or Basket of Discourses, the collection of the sayings of Gautama Buddha. The third part is the Abhidharma Pitaka, or Basket of the Higher Dharma, the collection of further, more systematic, teachings.

Theravada Buddhists believe that the material in these scriptures originated with Gautama himself, and was preserved very accurately in an oral (spoken) form for many years before it was written in the Pali language. They believe that Pali is the language most like that which the Buddha himself spoke. In fact, they often say that it was the language of the Buddha. Theravada Buddhists believe that Gautama Buddha was only a human being, whose example and teachings help his followers become enlightened. They emphasize his teaching that: "You yourself must make the effort. The Buddhas are only teachers."

Theravada society.
There are two main groups in traditional Theravada society. These are the monks and the laypeople. There were once Theravada nuns, but they died out and are now being reestablished in Western countries. These monks and the laypeople are religiously dependent on one another. The laypeople earn merits, which will help them toward a better rebirth, by offering food, shelter, and clothes to the monks, listening to the dharma, and trying to follow the five precepts.

The most important virtue for lay Buddhists is generosity. The great example for lay Buddhists is the Indian emperor Asoka, who allowed the dharma to be taught and followed throughout his Indian empire in the 200's B.C.. Although Theravada Buddhists are taught that laypeople can become enlightened, they think that it is unlikely. Monks and nuns are much closer to nirvana because they are free from the practical responsibilities of lay life, and can spend their time meditating, studying religious texts, and teaching others.