Question

Define Theravada and Mahayana. Describe the Arhat and the Bodhisattva. Explain how each achieves the goal of nirvana. Examine how they relate to some of the key concepts/teachings (e.g., the Four Noble Truths, the three marks of reality).

Answer 1

Theravada Buddhism is the older of two major Buddhist traditions that base their philosophies on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. Theravada means ''Way of the Elders'' in Pali, the original language of these teachings. These teachings are usually referred to as sutras.

Theravadins only adhere to what they consider to be the original sutras. Theravada began in India around 500 B.C. and has been practiced in numerous, mostly south Asian, countries. Today it is practiced primarily in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Sri Lanka.

Mahayana is usually translated as 'great vehicle'. Mahayana can actually also be translated as 'great path', that is: a path for every being.

Arhat is a Sanskrit word that means “worthy,” “venerable” and “deserving.” In Theravada Buddhism, an arhat is defined as one who has reached a state of nirvana through extreme self-discipline and abstention from worldly pleasure

Bodhisattva refers to any individual who has attained bodhicitta, or the will to live a life centered on serving others and assisting them in reaching enlightenment. The term is derived from the Sanskrit, bodhi, which means “enlightenment” or "awakening,” and sattva, which means “essence” or “goodness."

In early Buddhist practices, the term, bodhisattva, specifically referred to the former lives of the Buddha. Today, the term is most often used in Mahayana Buddhist yoga to refer to anyone who is devoted to achieving enlightenment through the vehicles of empathy and compassion, for the benefit of others. In Mahayana Buddhism, being a bodhisattva is the goal of a practitioner’s spiritual journey.

According to Theravada Buddhists, one can achieve the serenity of Nirvana, or liberation from the agonizing effects of desire, by dedication to the abandonment of the distractions of life.2 In order to do so, the Buddha recommends that one should discipline their mind and body

Mahayana emphasizes the ideal of the bodhisattva, the enlightened being who vows to not enter nirvana until all beings are enlightened. This suggests enlightenment and nirvana are separate. However, Mahayana also teaches that nirvana is not separate from samsara, the wheel of birth and death. When we cease to create samsara with our minds, nirvana naturally appears. Nirvana is the purified true nature of samsara.