Theravāda

Theravāda is a living tradition within Buddhism. Also written Way of the Elders, Pāli Buddhism.

Origin

No founding year is given below, because the sources read do not agree on one and a date has not been chosen for them. No founding date. The Encyclopedia of Religion entry describes Theravāda as 'the sole surviving member of the so-called Eighteen Schools', deriving from the Sthaviravāda/Vibhajyavāda line, and dates its establishment in Sri Lanka to the 3rd century BCE (Aśokan missions), firmly established by the 1st century BCE; missions to Suvaṇṇabhūmi are also placed in the 3rd century BCE, with archaeological evidence in Southeast Asia from the early 1st millennium CE and dominance in Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from the 5th century CE onwards, decisively by the mid-14th century.