Theravada Buddhism ― When used in reference to a MetaPhysical Orientation as to Tradition, Culture or Preferred Flavour, is primarily defined, usually selfdefined by its members and/or adherents as such, and holding the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, and/or interpolations thereon as a primary or critical parameter of their Spiritual Paradigm. (also see: the complete entry on Buddhism.) "Theravada" is a Pali term meaning "Teachings of the Elders." Prevalent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, this vehicle adheres closely to the original sutras (discourses) and vinaya (disciplinary rules) taught by the historical Buddha. Some postulate that there is no monolithic Buddhism as such, but that there are Buddhisms such as Sinhala Buddhism or more precisely Sinhala Theravada Buddhism, Siam or Thai Buddhism, Myanmar or Amarapura Buddhism and so forth. Similarly to the ways of many other spiritual forerunners, the Buddha himself did not leave written texts. Rather, a council of his elder disciples met the year after his death and compiled a collection of his teachings, called the Pali Canon, which was handed down orally until it was committed to writing a few hundred years later.
Theravada teachings cluster around the doctrine of karma, or action, which states that one's experience of pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow, is shaped by the quality of the intentions underlying one's past and present actions. Theravada stresses an ethic of self-renunciation, self-purification and detachment. The quest for true happiness is thus a matter of developing skill in one's thoughts, words, and deeds. Because skill is something that individuals can develop only for themselves, and because it requires mindfulness and alertness, Theravada stresses the individual development of these qualities in all areas of life. On the external level of word and deed, this involves following precepts of harmless behavior. For laypeople, the standard list of precepts includes refraining from killing, from stealing, from illicit sex, from lying, and from taking intoxicants. For monastics, there is a more elaborate code of precepts, reflecting the fact that they are completely dependent on the generosity of the laity for their support, and so must behave in a way that is scrupulous, unburdensome, and worthy of respect. For example, a monastic may not handle money, eat food after noon, touch a member of the opposite sex, or have sexual intercourse with anyone at all.
Building on the bedrock of the mindfulness and alertness developed through following the precepts, Theravada meditation strengthens these qualities through practices aimed at developing powers of concentration and insight. A common meditation theme for developing these powers is mindfulness of in-and-out breathing. By pursuing this theme in increasing levels of refinement, an individual may learn to navigate all experience in skillful ways devoid of craving, clinging, and ignorance, and thus achieve liberation from the wheel of birth and death. One source (J. R. Hinnels, A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin, 1991) divides the religion into three main groups by their location and delineates the following details about Thereavada Buddhism:
• Southern Buddhism (known generally as Theravada Buddhism) has approximately 100 million followers, mainly in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Theravada appears to have originated in Sri Lanka when Buddhist missionaries arrived from India. They promoted the Vibhajjavada School (Separative Teaching). By the 15th century, this form of Buddhism had spread to nearly it's current demographics.
Concepts and practices include:
     • Dana - thoughtful, ceremonial giving
     • Sila - accepting Buddhist teaching and following it in practice; refraining from killing, stealing, wrong behavior, use of drugs. On special days, three additional precepts may be added, restricting adornment, entertainment and comfort.
     • Karma - the balance of accumulated sin and merit, which will determine one's future in the present life, and the nature of the next life to come.
     • The Cosmos - consists of billions of worlds grouped into clusters; clusters are grouped into galaxies, which are themselves grouped into super-galaxies. The universe also has many levels: four underworlds and 21 heavenly realms.
     • Paritta - ritual chanting
     • Worship - of relics of a Buddha, of items made by a Buddha, or of symbolic relics.
     • Festivals - days of the full moon, and three other days during the lunar cycle are celebrated. There is a New Year's festival, and celebrations tied to the agricultural year.
     • Pilgrimages - particularly to Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka and India. Eastern Buddhism is the predominant religion in China, Japan, Korea and much of Vietnam.

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Capital A with ring aboveÅ   Capital A with macronĀ   Capital A with breveĂ   Capital A with diaeresisÄ   Capital A with circumflex   Capital A with dot aboveȦ   Capital A with inverted breveȂ   Capital A with tildeà   Capital A with ogonekĄ   Capital AE ligatureÆ   Capital AE ligature with tildeÆ̃   Capital Glottal Stop⦾   Capital Palatoalveolar Click⊛   Regular English AA   Script Capital Lℒ   Capital L with macron aboveL̅   Capital L with dot belowḶ   Capital L with stroke, Dark L Ł   Regular English LL   Capital WHω   Capital W with macron aboveW̅   Capital W with dot belowẈ   Regular English WW   Capital Slide H with reverse solidusℋ⃥   Capital H with macron aboveH̅   Capital H with dot belowḤ   Aspirate^○   Slight Pause⚫   Very Slight Pause⚬   Regular English HH   Capital S with macron aboveS̅   Capital S with dot aboveṠ   Capital SH sign∫   Capital SKΣ   Regular English SS   Hard and Deep Capital DД   High and Light Capital D∇   Regular English DD   Capital O with ring aboveO̊   Capital O with macronŌ   Capital O with breveŎ   Capital O with diaeresisÖ   Capital O with solidusØ   Capital OE ligatureŒ   Capital O with Cyrillic Round OmegaѺ   Capital OIꙔ   Capital O with ogonekǪ   Capital O with double oo topტ   Regular English OO   Capital EZJHʑ   Capital Z with macron belowẔ   Capital Z with dot aboveŻ   Regular English ZZ   Capital K with macron aboveК̅   Capital K with dot below К̣   Capital Hard KHχ   Capital KHƙ   Regular English KK   Capital V with macron aboveV̅   Capital V with dot belowṾ   Regular English VV   Capital G with macronḠ   Capital G with dot aboveĠ   Capital GNΓ   Capital GRЖ   Capital GW   Capital Uvular Voiced ImplosiveϘ   Regular English GG   Capital rolled R with macronЯ̅   Capital rolled R with dot aboveЯ̇   Capital R with macron aboveR̅   Capital R with dot above Ṙ   Capital R with ogonek R̨   Regular English RR   Capital C with cedillaÇ   Capital CHЧ   Regular English CC   Capital N with macron aboveN̅   Capital N with dot belowṆ   Capital N with tildeÑ   Capital NGŋ   Capital NG with macron aboveŋ̅   Regular English NN   Capital Y with macron above Ȳ   Capital Y with dot aboveẎ   Capital Y with yaw aboveЎ   Regular English YY   Capital J with macron aboveЈ̅   Capital J with dot belowЈ̣   Regular English JJ   Capital U with a ring aboveŮ   Capital U with macronŪ   Capital U with breveŬ   Capital U with circumflex aboveÛ   Capital U with diaeresisÜ   Regular English UU   Capital F with macron aboveF̅   Capital F with dot aboveḞ   Regular English FF   Capital Q with macron aboveQ̅   Capital Q with dot aboveQ̇   Regular English QQ   Capital B with macronB̅   Capital B with dot belowḄ   Trilled B   Regular English BB   Capital M with macronM̅   Capital M with dot belowṂ   Capital M with tilde M̃   Capital MB   Capital MGⱮ   Regular English MM   Capital X with macron aboveX̅   Capital X with dot aboveẊ   Regular English XX   Capital I with macronĪ   Capital I with breveĬ   Regular English II   Capital T with macron aboveT̅   Capital T with dot belowṬ   Capital TH voicedΘ   Capital TH voicelessÞ   Capital TSЦ   Capital TSCHЩ   Regular English TT   Capital E with macronĒ   Capital E with breveĔ   Capital E with circumflexÊ   Capital schwa Ə   Regular English EE   Capital P with macron aboveP̅   Capital P with dot aboveṖ   Capital pT   Regular English PP

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