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.

Buddhism

Terms and concepts

History

People

Schools and sects

Texts

Temples

Culture

Buddhism by region

Timeline

List of topics

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
  • 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
          • Korean Gyeyul
          • Japanese Ritsu
    • Vatsīputrīya (under Aoka)
      • Dharmottarīya
      • Bhadrayānīya
      • Sannāgarika
      • Saṃmitīya
  • Sarvāstivāda (c. 237 BCE)
    • Sautrāntika (between 50 BCE and c. 100 CE)
      • Jojitsu
    • Kusha
    • Mūlasarvāstivāda (third and fourth centuries)
• Mahāsaghika ('Majority', c. 380 BCE)
  • Ekavyahārikas (under Aoka)
    • Lokottaravāda
  • Golulika (during Aoka)
    • Bahurutīya (late third century BCE)
    • Prajaptivāda (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 Subcategorised according to predecessors

• Tibetan Buddhism
  • Nyingmapa
  • New Bön (synthesis of Yungdrung Bön and Nyingmapa)
  • Sakyapa
    • Jonangpa
  • Kadampa
  • Gelukpa
  • Kagyupa
    • Shangpa Kagyu
      • Rime movement (synthesis of several schools)
    • Karma Kagyu aka Kamtshang Kagyu
    • Tsalpa Kagyu
    • Baram Kagyu
    • Phagmo Drupa Kagyu
      • Drukpa Kagyu
      • Drigung Kagyu
• 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.