Buddhist Denominations Explained | Theravada vs Mahayana

[@UsefulCharts]

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[@darcolomew]

Do one on satanism (a theistic satanist)

[@superpowerdragon]

It would be interesting if you could talk about taoist influences on Mahayana Buddhism (specifically chan/zen Buddhism)

[@JohnnieWalkerGreen]

So, who built the Borobudur temple? Theravada or Mahayana?

[@grampamirlin]

Pagan religions, Neo-Pagan denominations ie. Wicca, Celtic Reconstructionism, Asatru, Santeria, Voudoun, etc...

[@smlanka4u]

@@grampamirlin, It is the only scientific religion/doctrine in the world.

[@neiljoshi8425]

As a Buddhist person I feel that you covered every school of Buddhism really well. Love from the land of the Buddha ❤

[@lucinae8512]

Do you have any advise for what people interested in becoming Buddhists? Such as where and what to start, how much it will change your lifestyle and what the community is like? Edit: I was also referring to rules some might find stifling. For example Buddhists believe all life is sacred, therefore most sects are depicted as being all vegan and won’t even kill pests.

[@ikeshkumar9246]

Nepal or india

[@Adarsh_Paw]

​@@lucinae8512 Listen to your 💕 and live life as you want to be ❤

[@chimera9818]

Your religion sounds interesting, love from the land of the Jewish people

[@Adarsh_Paw]

@@chimera9818 If you are interested in Indian schools of philosophy then study more about it. You will be amazed 😉. The relationship between us and nature to universe, flow of energy, birth , death and consciousness.⚛️

[@MeanGuy969]

As a Buddhist, I thank you for making this video. Buddhism is such a vast and complicated religion that even many of us Buddhists barely know its teachings and history. Videos such as yours help us to learn more about our own religion.

[@tanned06]

Generally you have done a good job from a prof. teaching history of Indian Buddhism at a Buddhist university in Southeast Asia. A few things to add - although coming from the same linguistic root, Pāli, the scriptura language of Theravada, is known to be one or combined vernacular form of Middle-Indic languages called Prakrit, quite distinct from the modern Sanskrit which is literally a synthetic Indic language originated from the older Vedic Sanksrit. Another region where Vajrayana takes on a stronghold is Mongolia from which this branch of Buddhism spread to several Siberia regions in Russia such as Buryatia, Tuva, and Kalmykia.

[@elborrador333]

Just want to add that there is no "modern Sanskrit". Classical Sanskrit was codified by Panini around 6th century BCE in the Ashtadhyayi and there has been no foundational evolution of the Sanskrit language since. Pali is a more modern language than the language Panini describes in Ashtadhyayi.

[@egorbasist9532]

Kalmykia is not in Siberea but in Caucasus

[@tanned06]

@@elborrador333 Thanks for pointing out the mistake.

[@tanned06]

Thanks for pointing out my mistake!

[@WildflowersCreations]

Thanks for this info.

[@Lankanbeats]

As a Theravada Buddhist, I feel like you forgot an essential aspect of Theravada Buddhism: The Lokas. We definitely believe in gods (devas) more like spiritual deities who have collected lots of good karma to be a step closer to enlightenment. They live in the deva realms (heavens). In Buddhism there are realms of existence (lokas) there are hells, where demons and malevolent spirits who have collected bad karma live, and are furthest away from nirvana, animal realms, human realms (in the middle) and upper realms for gods. We worship gods to receive blessings from them because they are so close to enlightenment they can bless us, but we cannot ask for specific things from them. We offer flowers and incense as a sign of respect, not as a literal offering. There are also realms of non-existence, and atmospheres. These lokas are categorized into 30 something realms of existence, where the entire universe can be found. So therevada Buddhists definitely believe in gods. During an Almsgiving in Sri Lanka, we place a small stand made of coconut leaves outside the house, with flowers and lamps, for gods to come and listen to the sermon given by the monks.

[@InsaneZeroG]

This is also a thing in some Mahayana schools, especially Chinese ones which merge Taoist and other Chinese cosmologies into its belief system such in the Monkey King, there exists Taoist immortals next to Boddhisatvas, the Jade Emperor reigns in Heaven but also The Buddha also exists to pass on his teachings. And all of these beliefs mingle and merge culturally with differences in schools coming philosophically.

[@Inhuman__]

Im also a sri lankan. Upon closer inspection of buddhism(theravada), i realized the term god does not fit the devas. They are just extraterrestial beings who are better than us in some aspects( specialy intelligence). I bet thats why people think they are gods. Also the whole gods concept actually mostly comes from the Jathakaya, which comes from mahayana.

[@Inhuman__]

​@@InsaneZeroGI bet the jade emperor from mahayana actually inspired from the "Great Dao Ancester" in daoism. I cannot say for sure cuz my knowlage is limited.

[@John3.36]

Is it your desire that he change them?

[@Nature_Lover-do7vf]

Well, I'm also a Sri Lankan Theravada buddhist. But we can't specify gods (devas) as the ones who are closer to enlightenment. Even the Mara (devaputta Mara), is also a god who lives in the heaven called "Parinimmita wasawaththi". But, he was considered as a arrogant one who always messed up with enlightened beings even with Buddha.

[@Ramlausa]

Would be cool to have one about different schools of philosophy. How Neoplatonism is a form of syncretism of Platonism and other Greek philosophies. How Pyrrhonism likely was influenced by Indic philosophy. How Islamic and Christian philosophy related to each other and where they took their inspiration, etc. From our frist written history till today's New Age philosophies.

[@lucimicle5657]

Would be cool to somehow have a 2 layer chart running parallel with philosophy and religion, both evolving, branching and sometimes interacting and merging.

[@nevertrusasmurf]

Neoplatonism basically was a religion, more than what is understood today as a philosophy.

[@elsanta9112]

​@@lucimicle5657 In fact that kind of divisions and separations are pure western tendencies. There's no difference between religion, philosophy and science in ancient dharma. They knew You just can't speak of one without the other, and besides that, You only have to experience in order to start understanding. Not focus over them separately as if they were school subjects.

[@lucimicle5657]

@@elsanta9112 well, I guess then that in my desired chart the western philosophies and religions would be depicted, as I said, in differen but parallel charts while the east would show them merged into one middle of the way chart. Might be a cool way to visualise the difference between them. I don't know, I'm just throwing ideeas at the wall.

[@theokra]

@@elsanta9112There are definitely differences in "ancient dharmas", hence the many videos on this channel outlining the various HIndu/Buddhist beliefs and their changes over time...

[@fakhruddinnalawala5451]

Swetambara Jains don't only wear the masks for keeping ritual items pure, but also because they try their best to avoid harming other creatures (which is why most Jains are vegetarians), and this includes harming creatures by inhaling them in by mistake. They also carry a small broom to brush aside insects in their path while walking. Digambara Jains are "sky clad" because they seek to most closely emulate Mahavira, who is said to have eschewed all possessions including clothing.

[@namebrandmason]

Jains aren’t merely vegetarian, many also avoid root vegetables or any other plant you have to destroy in order to eat.

[@keetaya801]

Thanks for this video, and was waiting for it since the Christian Denomination series. I am from Sri Lanka originally and as a youngster been to Matale Rock temple multiple times, where the complete Pali Canon first written on palm leaves (in the 1st Century BCE). We dint pay much attention to it back in those younger days, just visited the temple as buddhists.

[@UsefulCharts]

I've been to the Aluviharaya temple too. Beautiful place!

[@Gulitize]

One thing missing is that Tibetan buddhism is also practiced in Mongolia, which is quite intresting

[@jaked5144]

More or less, the Chinese were like “we gotta chill these Mongols out, let’s send some monks up there” 😂

[@theosumper227]

​@@jaked5144Buddhism in Mongolia actually predates Chinese Buddhism by over a century. Mongolian Buddhism has little to nothing to do with Chinese Buddhism

[@jaked5144]

@@theosumper227 My comment is a half joke, but yours is simply not true. While the Mongolians had been exposed to Buddhism prior to the Mongol Invasion, it wasn’t until after the death of Genghis Khan, and the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty that Buddhism became the de facto religion of Mongolia. Not to sound condescending, but I have to ask then, why do you think the Mongols practice Tibetan Buddhism? I say half joking, because some historians believe that the Chinese who did not like there new Yuan rulers sent missionaries from Tibet to Mongolia in the 13th century. Whether true or not, up for debate. But no, China had everything to do with the Buddhism spreading in Mongolia, it was the bridge between Tibet and the Yuan Dynasty (and by extension Mongolia).

[@superpowerdragon]

@@theosumper227 nah, thats wrong, Buddhism in mongolia started appearing in Mongolia during yuan dynasty, which is certainly later than china

[@Purwapada]

because kublai khan liked buddhism and introduced it to mongolia. even even appointed the title of imperial preceptor to a sakya monk called phags-pa who invented the phags-pa script used in the mongolian imperial courts, the script later went on to influence the hangul script of korea invented by king seojong and is still used today.

[@Daniel-fu7jb]

it’s really cool how we live in a time where we can watch and learn for free

[@julianpflugmann]

As a so called Buddhist I think you did a pretty good job, this is by far one of the best if not only video i have seen on KZbin explaining Buddhism. Very nice.❤

[@Idk-ys7rt]

I am so excited for this episode like the Hindu, Islamic and Christian denominations!

[@ritheshofficial]

He already covered them I believe.

[@Idk-ys7rt]

@@ritheshofficial Ik, that is why I said it. I meant/said I am as excited for this as I was when he released the other episodes.

[@ritheshofficial]

@@Idk-ys7rt My bad, I didn't read it right. I was sleepy I guess ^^'

[@gigachadkartik]

Love from Varanasi, India (city of Buddha's teaching) namo Buddhay

[@P.G.1966]

This should be required viewing for those who seek Buddhist clarification of Buddhist divisions/sects. As a Taoist Monk of 50 philosophy years..I found this very enlightening. Great Vid.

[@worstedwoolens]

15:08 Seems like there might be room for some language-order clarification here. I don't know of any Buddhists who regard the Sanskrit texts as older than the Pali texts. It's generally believed that Pali (or another Prakrit) was the colloquial language of the Buddha and his initial disciples, and thus the oral tradition was established in Pali and later recorded into the Pali canon. Sanskrit emerged in Buddhism later as it became the de-facto written liturgical language in North India, but it was not the original oral tradition. In fact, the priestly vedic Sanskrit was probably regarded with some disdain by the pragmatic Nastika schools (Jainism records their canon in Prakrit as well) because they were, and still are, more focused on the usefulness of colloquial language as a teaching tool. Sanskrit was adopted by Buddhist universities who spread it around as a liturgical language and all of the initial Chinese canon was translated and copied at such universities.This was roughly contemporaneous with the Mahayana movement so all the earliest Mahayana texts are Sanskrit.

[@Purwapada]

The earliest textual fragments of canonical Pali were found in the Pyu city-states in Burma dating only to the mid 5th to mid 6th century CE. Theravādin pitakas were first written down in Sri Lanka in the Alu Viharaya Temple no earlier than 29-17 BC. While the earliest Mahāyāna Sūtras to include the very first versions of the Prajñāpāramitā series, along with texts concerning Akshobhya, which were composed in the 1st century BCE in the south of India in Sanskrit. So some Mahayana sutras are older than some parts of the Pali Canon. (P.S The Theravada tradition regards Pali as being synonymous with Magadhi Prakrit (spoken by the Buddha), linguists have identified Pali as being more closely related to other prakrit languages of western India, and found substantial incompatibilities with the few preserved examples of Magadhi and other north-eastern prakrit languages. Linguistic research suggests that the teachings of the Buddha may have been recorded in an eastern Indian language originally, and transposed into the west Indian precursor of Pali sometime before the Asokan era)

[@qwertyiou9]

Sikhism then Taoism and Confucianism is my guess. But I'd really like a wrap up of all the Indo-European Religions and how they are related to each other.

[@michaeltsui3435]

Well Sikhism is some form of syncretism between classical Hinduism and Muslim monotheistic ideas. Confucianism started from philosophical writings, and has been developed mainly because the Emperor wanted that type of writing to persist (or if you buy into how the imperial bureaucracy sustained itself from the Sung dynasty, its what the bureaucracy wanted). Taoism also started from philosophical writings, but eventually got subsumed into folk religion realms, before promoted by the Tang Dynasty as they claim descent from Lao Tzu. As for their internal divisions, Sikhism is too organized to split, and the other two is too disorganized to be delineated in a clean manner.

[@ishanbajpai6940]

They are not Indo-European religion rather Indic or Dharmic religions.

[@doomdrake123]

@@ishanbajpai6940 I think he is referring to how Hinduism relates to the pagan religions of Europe.

[@michaeltsui3435]

@@ishanbajpai6940 are you trying to say that religion developed way later than Indo-European languages?

[@anmolsinghbath9434]

@@michaeltsui3435 I was thinking Sikhi too but as I've been following Matt's denomination series, creating a video let alone making a chart for Sikh "denominations" wouldn't make sense. As you've pointed out, and as a Sikh myself, we're simply too united - no schisms or sects exist in Sikhi. Surely there are different Sikh schools of thought, but even then so many of them overlap and acknowledge one an-other's interpretations as correct (see Damdami Taksal & Akhand Kirtani Jatha). In denominational sense, Sikhi is very much unified, as by design. There are historical schools which exist in small numbers today and of which mainstream Sikhs maintain virtually no connection with such as the Udasis and Nirmalas. The Udasis for example, started by the son of the Sikh founder Guru Nanak, named Sri Chand, took up the life of an ascetic like any regular Hindu Sadhu. However, instead of travelling and preaching Hindu scripture, he taught his father's knowledge such as the Japu Ji and so on. Nevertheless, the Udasis are ostracized by Sikhs, beginning from none other than Guru Nanak himself. Guru Nanak banished his son for having done exactly what he explained not to do - take up the life of an ascetic. He urged taught that spiritual pursuits can be achieved whilst also acting as a proper member of political society by maintaining a household. The following Gurus (or as we Sikhs say Nanak in his next forms) continued to push away the Udasis. They've now since fallen into close association with Hinduism instead, especially after the 1870s. The Nirmalas on the other hand emerge in the late-18th and 19th centuries coming from external Brahmin influence, they used Hindu texts such as the Vedas to interpret Sikh Scripture which has led them to have become banished from Sikhs as well since Gurmat (Sikh Doctrine) argues that it in itself is the teacher and interpreter. Finally, the aforementioned Damdami Taksal school of thought was literally established by Guru Nanak in his 10th form, Guru Gobind Singh, himself in 1706, which has made it very difficult for the mainstream Giani school to be challenged by internal or external forces. In SIkhi, there have definitely been cults however, that have existed throughout the centuries. Never major in any number or any era, these cults have gone against Sikh Doctrine and always pretended to carry on the "Human Guru" lineage - which was and is still blasphemy. I have always been disappointed in the Useful Charts video on the Sikh Gurus Family Tree, narrated by Syawish. And I've always thought it possible to create a chart of my own as I already have an extended family tree I made years ago for a book I was writing. I need to look into how fans create the Useful Charts style as I'm not savvy in any Photoshop or image software. I'd definitely create a video on that.

[@TB-dw8gz]

Excellent video- as a clarification, I would like to say that the word "Hinayana" does not necessarily imply a "lesser," as in "inferior," vehicle to nirvana, but simply "smaller" vehicle. The metaphor used is that of a raft in which an arhat transports themself to nirvana through their own effort (with the help of the sangha's instruction, of course). The "Mahayana," or "larger" vehicle, is portrayed through the metaphor of a ship piloted to nirvana by a buddha or bodhisattva, carrying many passengers at once, who depend upon the efforts of said buddha or bodhisattva to get to nirvana. I hope in the future you will expand your chart to include all schools of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism (Theravada is generally less sectarian).

[@OgdenM]

I always find the Smaller / Larger vehicle thing funny. Theravada (and more so the Forest traditions) are SO much more simple then Mahayana. The likely hood of becoming enlightened and being able to help others do so also with them seems SO much more likely and easy. On and btw, there are plenty of people in Mahayana traditions that look down on Hinayana as the lesser and inferior.

[@misterlelong]

@@OgdenM Yaa, HINA is an incredibly derogatory term. That tells a lot.

[@adityamohan1773]

What i find fascinating as a modern indian Atheist is that Atheism in many shades was prevalent in india 2500 years or before. Indians were way too inclusive of new ideas back then and thats why within a century or so we see so many movements (sharama and nastik) springing up. Most of these movements were contemporary to each other so studying about these religions also give a fantastic insight on the contemporary philosophies of india

[@realtalk6195]

Anyone who believes in attaining Nirvana is by definition not an atheist. Atheist forms of Buddhism is a modern development wherein a person might not believe in either God or afterlife and hence they associate with Buddhism as a cultural tradition.

[@SpenserLi]

I think one thing westerners often get wrong from the translation of “the lesser path” and “the greater path”, that’s the “lesser” or “greater” here doesn’t imply inferiority or superiority. They strictly describe quantity. “The lesser path” really just means less people have the means to go through it to reach enlightenment, while “the greater path” is available to everyone, thus more people can reach enlightenment this way.

[@SpenserLi]

Neither of the path is superior than the other in Mahayana Buddhism, just the greater path is preferred because of the wider accessibility.

[@ElCapitanDeLaNoche]

As a paraphrase to see if I understand your point: another way to put it might be the 'wider path' ('greater') and the 'narrow path' ('lesser')?

[@thekaizer666]

unfortunately, no. the word HINA in hinayana, is an incredibly derogatory term. it means insulting, shameful, inferior, lowly, etc, that sorta thing. when i found out that thats what the Mahayanists call Theravadans, i booted myself STRAIGHT out of it, and square into Theravada. let me know if im mistaken.

[@fungus7382]

@@thekaizer666 No heen is not a derogatory term, it just means deficient or to lack a particular thing

[@thekaizer666]

@@fungus7382 thats what youve been brainwashed to believe. the word is HINA is still in use in my mother tongue language.

[@ivanzirka2386]

One of the largest schools in Japan, Shingon, is also Vajrayana. So saying that it's just Tibet and its surroundings is kind of wrong. Vajrayana also spread to China, where it mixed with all the other schools over the centuries (and that's why there are many esoteric practices in Chinese Buddhism today).

[@weirdlanguageguy]

Not to mention its dominant in Mongolia and some other parts of central asia (as well as among the mongol Kalmyk people near the Caspian Sea in Russia)

[@ethanjacobrosca7833]

@@weirdlanguageguy What is the reason why the Mongol Yuan Dynasty would have adopted Tibetan Buddhism rather than Chinese Buddhism as the state religion given that geographically, the Mongols are much closer to China than to Tibet?

[@mogeleo]

@@ethanjacobrosca7833Check out the map of the modern-day Qinghai Province on Wikipedia. Ethnically, the Mongols are next-door neighbors to the Tibetans.

[@nonameronin1]

There used to be a distinct esoteric/Vajrayana school of Chinese Buddhism as well that Shingon is likely descended from. However it died out a separate lineage (or maybe went completely underground like Manichaeism did in China) but like you said related ritual practices are still done by other schools.

[@weirdlanguageguy]

@@ethanjacobrosca7833 I don't really know that much about east asian political and religious history, unfortunately.

[@Tran-ll2it]

I’d like to note that in Chinese Buddhism it’s very common for schools of Buddhism to be practiced together, in both Vietnam and China actually Ch’an (Zen) Buddhism and Pureland are commonly practiced together.

[@RubelliteFae]

Yeah, Chinese philosophy/religion can be hard for us to wrap our heads around because we're so used to dissecting things into distinct parts, but just about all of the Hundred Schools of Thought (as well as Buddhism and even some Vedic deities) were syncretized in various ways in various areas. Would be an amazing video though!

[@FearlessVid1]

Thank you for your continued work in the religious field. These videos have been wonderful!

[@Idk-ys7rt]

Hope you are feeling much better now Matt and that you are doing well/better in 2024.

[@YoshihiroMaruyama-wv5pb]

The reason why Early Buddhism worships the Buddha Shakyamuni (Gautama) is because he himself left us the Dharma, and because he is our root teacher. Therefore, during the time of the True Dharma, all sentient beings only worship their own root teacher. Later, during the time of the Semblance Dharma, each sect of Developed Buddhism established an additional Buddha to symbolize self-enlightenment, also known as Buddha-nature, such as the Great Sun Tathagata in Esoteric Buddhism, Amitabha Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism, and Many Treasures Buddha in Lotus Sutra Buddhism, etc… At the same time, many Bodhisattvas were established to symbolize the virtues emanating from this Buddha-nature, such as Manjushri Bodhisattva symbolizing Fundamental Wisdom, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva symbolizing Wondrous Function Wisdom, and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva symbolizing the wisdom of observing the afflictions and sufferings with compassion, etc… Thus, during the time of the Semblance Dharma, the main focus is on worshipping the symbols of Buddha-nature (Bodhisattvas) and the virtues of the original mind (Bodhisattvas). By the time of the Dharma-ending Age, Buddhism has transformed into a worldly faith, and people no longer see these Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as symbols, but rather as deities bestowing blessings and relieving suffering for worship and prayer.

[@kevinforbesofficial]

Good as always. I feel like I would have mentioned Shingon Buddhism if only as a footnote (since there is so much info to cover.) It is one of the few (if only) surviving Vajrayana Buddhist religions in East Asia.

[@LightsOnTrees]

If it helps most modern writing, esp. academic writing, refers to Southern Buddhism (Sri Lanka etc.), Northern Buddhism (Tibet etc.), and Eastern Buddhism (China etc.) In order to avoid either the doctrinal murkiness, or pejorative undertones of Hinayana vs. Mahayana vs. Vajrayana. edit: I also realise you were trying to cover a lot of ground here, but schools within a lot of the traditions you talk about can vary by significant degrees, for example The Dalai Lama only speaks for one school (Gelug), which does make distinct readings as opposed to Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya (1073). Ditto with Zen, and the differences in transplanted Japanese practice and syncretic Chinese practices post 17th cent.

[@realtalk6195]

Since nobody says "Hinayana" and instead says Theravada in scholarly discussions, that's a moot concern. The geographic labels are somewhat misleading since these religions coexist in each others geography as well.

[@LightsOnTrees]

@@realtalk6195 You fell into the issue, assuming that Theravada is the only authority on Pali sources is incorrect. And your concern about geography being misleading is unfounded, "Nagarjuna was typical of Northern India's monastic scholarly traditions, and went on to influence all northern and eastern forms of Buddhism."

[@cariyaputta]

12:15 The irony of Mahayana genesis is that in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (SF 245/DN 16 paragraph 2.25.2) the Buddha said plainly that "I’ve taught the Dharma without making any distinction between secret and public teachings. The Realized One doesn’t have the closed fist of a teacher when it comes to the teachings."

[@bentoth9555]

This was really well done. I follow Nichiren Buddhism which would fall under the Tientai school. I'd been looking forward to this episode.

[@thechosenone5644]

I’ve heard in the past that nichiren buddhism places more emphasis on the lotus sutra and has relatively unique beliefs regarding who ends up in naraka. i haven’t really done any research on the topic. are these misconceptions?

[@InsaneZeroG]

@@thechosenone5644 Insofar as it's addressed in Wiki, it's its own branch separate from Zen, Tientai/Tendai, or Pure Land. While the founder was of a Tendai school, the sect itself, I think, identifies itself separately as something new/different

[@AspiringBusinessLawyer]

I got to learn a little bit about nichiren on internet. And it is said to be a cult

[@neophytedubious]

​@@thechosenone5644I've been studying and practicing with a Nichiren community in CA, USA for the last few years, though I'm not officially part of any sanga or group. The emphasis on the Lotus Sutra is an accurate representation --- some are exclusive to the Lotus, although I might say hesitantly that I found it more common to hear rhetoric with more ekayama/one-vehicle emphasis that sees merit in all sincere practice or scripture. As to who ends up in the "hell of incessant suffering/Avichi" as I'm more familiar with (I assume that's what you mean, I'm replying on a phone and can't easily look up the term you used as I compose this), this can definitely be a devisive issue depending on what writings and attitudes a given group emphasizes. I'd say here in CA, much less emphasis on this concept in a literal reading. To put it shortly, some Nichiren-oriented people and groups can go as far as dogmatic or extreme interpretations,and would say all other practices lead to incessant suffering in some way; but there are certainly others who see the Lotus Sutra as the ultimate expression of the compassion and expedient means of the Buddha, and would say the lines inspiring such feelings are pointing out that clinging to false beliefs about reality in general leads to suffering. In general, my experience has been that the more exclusive and what we might conveniently term "fundamentalist" inclined tend to not know their doctrines or scriptures well---apart from the lines that reaffirm what they see as true---but that has been my experience with most fundamentalist-inclined people, irrespective of their specific beliefs. Your mileage may vary, but I hope this addressed your questions satisfactorily! Namu MyoHo-Renge-Kyo, Nam-MyoHo-Renge-Kyo, MyoHo-Renge-Kyo! 🙏

[@vietashroffoliver2521]

@@AspiringBusinessLawyer I've been an assiduous practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism for the past 38 years. It works a treat in transforming one's life in every aspect, naturally and organically without the mind or affectation! Do try chanting Nam(u) Myo Ho Renge Kyo, with determination to see the Buddha inherent in you and all life, manifest in your daily life

[@rubensbuys8023]

AS always, wonderful work! If you're planning on a world religions chart, I'd like to suggest including some of the new japanese religions based on buddhism, like Soka GAkkai, Nichiren, KOnkoKyo, etc

[@UsefulCharts]

Good suggestion!

[@acex222]

SGI is only based on Buddhism to the extent it gets people buying shinbun and donating, a vile cult. Nichiren wanted to build his own cult in his lifetime, thankfully the twice-exile stopped his expansion.

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

​@@UsefulChartsyou didn't mention the role of lay people in Buddhism. I don't know for sure, but it seems that in Theravada Buddhism you should become (or rebirth) as a monk if you want to achieve enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism you can become enlightened or a Bodhisattva even if you are a lay person.

[@The_SOB_II]

Nichiren was not what I expected from a Buddhist temple, that's for sure.

[@ferretyluv]

Soka Gakkai is Nichiren.

[@k-c]

I think by nature I am philosophically inclined towards Buddhist line of thought more than any other religion.

[@AhnayDiary]

My thought exactly while watching this lol

[@carsonwentz8301]

Welcome

[@DrOtto-sx7cp]

... a famous quote ! 😉🙏

[@acex222]

Just a few weeks after I start seriously reading about Buddhism! Thanks for this!

[@christianfrommuslim]

In Buddhism the good news is upfront: the unity of all living things, the peace of meditation. But later comes the onerous realization that one is doomed forever like Sisyphus to push the rock of dharma uphill every lifetime. In Christianity the bad news is up front: no one is perfect. But once we get over that unpleasant but easily confirmable fact comes the good news: a personal creator who loves us, has made a provision for our forgiveness as Jesus, and if we want it who walks with us daily and takes us to be with him after only one life time.

[@raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913]

Just a small comment: all form of buddhism believes in hindu gods (devas), but they are seen as mortals, but long living beings who dwell in the heavens around the Sumeru mountain. Some of the more well known hindu gods, like Ganesa, Laksimi, Indra, Brahma and Sarasvati are called "Dharmapala" or Guardians of the Law. They serve the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and guard the monks and lay people from harm. Brahma, Visnu and Siva (called Mahakala or Mahesvara) are not the creators, mantainters or destroyers of the universe. Brahma is the elder of the gods, which means he is simply the one who gets to die and reborn first, he is said to be Buddha's voice in the deva realms. Visnu is most commonly seen in Buddhism as a set of two gods, called Narayana and Guhyapada (Nara in Hinduism), which are two strong deva kings who swore loyalty and even offered to be Buddha's slaves by taking their royal clothing off, to which Buddha said this was not needed and that slavery is a unwholesome form of treatment. Visnu is popularly in some buddhist countries seen as Upulvan/Uptalavarna, which means Skin of Blue Lotus. Siva is also present in Buddhism as Mahakala or Mahesvara. In tibetan buddhism they are considered to be forms of Avalokitesvara, but in other forms of Buddhism he is most closely related to Maitreya. Mahesvara's story is that he, long ago, was an evil god who tried to conquer the universe and destroy mankind, but then the Buddha Akshobhya used his wrathful emanation called Trailokyavijaya (conquerer of the three worlds/times) to subjulgate Mahesvara and Parvati, and when this happened Ganesa was born and lived a life of mischief and anger, until Avalokitesvara appeared as a female version of him, and hugged him, which made him swore loyalty to the Buddha. There is also a story about another Brahma, called Bakabrahma, who thought he was the creator of the universe, to which buddha explained dependent origination. This kinds of show how Buddhism understands the universe: nothing is never created, nothing is never mantained and nothing is never destroyed. Everything is always changing.

[@neilritson7445]

So sad you miss the point. The Buddha taught Dukkha and release from Dukkha. That's what he said apparently. We lose the very aim in the detail!

[@raphaelcarvalhobezerra6913]

@@neilritson7445 im just telling a point that many buddhists, specially in India with Ambedkarism, forget or ignore. Which is that hindu gods are present in Buddhism and are cultuated. Also, impernanence is how we can perceive how our efforts to keep things as they are, close to us (attachment) or away (aversion) are truly useless, and for that we are ignorant and then suffer dukkha.

[@delamo8468]

​@@neilritson7445the Buddha related many of his direct dealings with devas, and did so for a reason. The qualities that these beings cultivated to be reborn in those realms should serve as inspiration although devas should not be worshipped or necessarily trusted if we come across them. Recollection of the devas is one of the practices he recommended in the Pali canon. Our dukkha must be comprehended through, faith, discipline, discernment, ingenuity and compassion and ALL of the Buddha's teaching can be helpful if we apply them skillfully.

[@tsurugi5]

Very correct. Deities are there, they exist but are not worshipped. They are also in the wheel of Samsara.

[@QuasarEE]

@@neilritson7445 The Buddha also taught right speech, which doesn't include whatever it is you're doing in these comments.

[@emmett-spaghett]

Ironically, I just received the book by Thich Nhat Hanh on the 4th for my birthday, and this video couldn't have come at a better time!

[@neilritson7445]

Have you asked why he writes for profit?

[@johnweber4577]

I’m a fan of Hanh from a Christian background. “Living Buddha, Living Christ” had quite the impact on me.

[@giren0079]

As a Buddhist I will say it was very good. I only have two very pedantic things. Mahayana Buddhist don't typically call Theravada, Hinayana in modern speech as it can be seen as a pejorative. Also the Yana at the end of Mahayana, Hinayana etc in this context would more closely translate as vehicle. So Great Vehicle and Small Vehicle.

[@kelpiekit4002]

I'd love to see a chart exploring the growth of neo-paganism, Wicca, neo-Druidism, neo-Hermeticism, and so forth. I'm sure it would be very chaotic with the originating influences part.

[@NoQuestionsAskedd]

It's just Tribal Animism because it revolves around worship of nature

[@gyadre]

Though Tibetan Buddhism is smallest but it has produced the largest amount of Buddhist philosophical literary works which are being recognized by by Buddhist scholars. Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Nepal, India and 3 Russian Republics also followers.

[@barnowl.]

You may like to check out the Ageless Wisdom Teachings Theosophy by Alice Bailey as amanuensis for the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul.

[@jameshobbsiv4040]

My guess for your next set of denominations videos would be pagan ones such as the Hellenistic (Greco-Roman), Coptic (Egyptian), and Scandinavian (Nordic) religions. Maybe even throw in Shinto and ancient Chinese in there as well. Possibly even the Native American and Meso American ones such as the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, as well as some notable smaller tribal Native traditions. Okay, so that was a few guesses, but I digress.

[@DrClocktopus1]

Surely neopagan and perenialist sects too (Theosophy, Wicca, Spiritualism)

[@ikeshkumar9246]

There is still Taoism and shinto left and confusionism left

[@chimera9818]

@@ikeshkumar9246Confucian isn’t religion but school of thought about how to live (what Chinese people I talked to said)

[@chimera9818]

He seem to recognize religions and denominations if they have enough population or are famous or notable enough, probably to native religions of Latin America I would make line to connect to the Catholic arrow in their countries (considering they effected Latin Americans religions) and or if they survived would also add something to show it

[@wellingtonsh1]

Confucianism is more like classical philosophical schools than a religion. This is more like Stoicism than Christianity.

[@adityatyagi7296]

Now we just need a dedicated video on Jainism and Sikhism I know he already covered Jain sects in this video, but a dedicated vodeo would be nice. A video discussing its origins, central religious literature etc as he did for the Hindu and Buddhist sects.

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Including Jainism in this video was confusing. It should have had its own, short video. Sikhism needs a long video to cover groups which don't accept all of the ten gurus whom the majority accept.

[@viroshanargiri4641]

Eh , Jainism is too boring enough for it deserves a long video since they're glimpse of it is just be hippie without LSD.

[@adityatyagi7296]

@@viroshanargiri4641 Do not mistake the Jains for Hippies, do not even think about Judging them when u haven't known a single Jain in your life.

[@viroshanargiri4641]

@@adityatyagi7296 that's because literally so few people practicing Jainism and that mostly because Jain non violence precept is tuned up for absurdity to the point they won't even brush their teeth or wash their mouth in fears of killed bacteria so they wear a mask or tie cloth around their mouth , eat lunch in afternoon to not inconvenience the bug at night and most importantly they swept the floor they walk with peacock feathers to not killed them accidentally stepping on them. Hippie were the first one came to mind to compare but now thinking probably they mostly equate to hard core vegans.

[@roadbone1941]

Some Jain stories: 1)Mahavira tried to used miracle powers to convert an atheist. An Atheist asked Mahavira what would happen to a sapling on the side of the road, so Mahavira used his "right vision" to predict it would grow into large tree. So the atheist pulled it out of the ground and cut up the sapling with scissors to prove Mahavira wrong. Then the rain replanted a piece of root and the tree grew back. Upon seeing this the atheist fell into a depression, and became the founder of the "fatalist" school this video was talking about (eg: everything is predetermined so you might as well give up). Instead of converting to Jainism he became a fatalist. 2)Mahavira sent one of his top disciples to try and convert a group of Buddhists. When the plan backfired, and Mahavira heard his disciple converted to Buddhism, he had a stroke and died.

[@sunnybing1021]

Amazing video Matt! 🙏🙏 we also belong to the "Theravada" brunch in Bangladesh. There is about a million of us here. Some are also in Maharashtra. Sadhu!

[@JonathanGeorgeVillarreal]

Delving into the historical timelines of major religions offers profound insights into human spirituality. This channel does an excellent job of presenting these narratives.

[@pmj50]

Look forward to seeing your expansion o. the Tibetan Buddhism Sect as it is more extensive than shown…. great work, love your dedication to clarity of timelines , i admire your research capabilities .

[@barnowl.]

You may also like to check out the Ageless Wisdom Teachings Theosophy of Alive Bailey, the amanuensis for the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul. Together they work/ed on the second Radiation/Ray of the energy of of Love -- Wisdom. I posted a longer comment today , the 6th of March 2024.

[@barnowl.]

Oops ! Correction -- ALICE Bailey

[@agniswar3]

20:00 well in the Theravada tradition as well as in other Buddhist schools there are mentions of Devas. Devas are gods or god like beings who achieved the state by extremely good Karma. However they aren't the focus of worship as they like humans are also trapped in the cycle of Samsara. For Buddhists nothing is Supreme or equal as the Buddha.

[@neilritson7445]

I think you are just wrong. Buddha is not 'supreme' in any sense - on his deathbed he emphaised the Dhamma to Ananda.

[@agniswar3]

@@neilritson7445 He meant that after his physical death his bhikkhus should take the Dhamma vinaya as their ultimate refuge as they will not have the person of the Buddha with them anymore.

[@gaius_enceladus]

I'm not Buddhist myself but from what I've seen, Buddhism is wonderful! I visited Canada in 2002 and I was lucky enough to have a Buddhist monk (from Toronto!) sit next to me, resplendent in his saffron robes!

[@neilritson7445]

oh...not resplendent I think. Humble.

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

go to myanmar and see how wonderful buddhism is.

[@user-jt3dw6vv4x]

@@rizkyadiyanto7922 The Myanmar conflict has no connection to Buddhism. There are ethnic minorities like Shan and Karen that face persecution and they're Buddhists too. Not sure why you're even saying this. Just a few weeks ago we saw how Indonesian Muslims were saying hateful things about Rohingyas Muslims, violently storming their shelter in Aceh and saying some of the most hateful things I've ever heard, not even Burmese Tatmadaw had said such things and now suddenly you want to talk about Myanmar and its problems? Stop pretending like you care.

[@rizkyadiyanto7922]

@@user-jt3dw6vv4x what are the religion of the generals in junta??

[@user-jt3dw6vv4x]

@@rizkyadiyanto7922 They're Bamar and their religion has NOTHING to do with what's happening. Do you even understand what's going on in MYanmar? If it's due to religion, why would Tatmadaw be genociding Shan people who are also Buddhist? It's all due to ethnicity. These groups are ethnically different to Bamar and Tatmadaw believes in Burmanisation. This is why Muslim groups like Kaman and Bamar Muslims are treated with respect because they are culturally very similar to Bamar and the language they speak is Burmese or Arakanese (in the case of Kaman which is related to Burmese). Please do some research on your own neighbourhood. So much support for Palestine and yet so much hate for Rohingyas but pretending to care about what's going on in Myanmar.

[@TheWisdomGarden1]

As someone just beginning my journey into the fascinating world of Buddhism, I'm truly impressed by how comprehensively you've managed to explain the different schools of thought. It can be quite overwhelming at first, trying to understand the distinctions between Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and all the various branches within them, but your presentation made it feel remarkably accessible. It's given me a much stronger foundation for continuing my exploration of the Dharma. Sending much metta (loving-kindness) to all viewers and subscribers from a faraway place. 🙏

[@ruyfernandez]

I guess the last denominations video will be about the Sikh religion.

[@Sqk.]

what about Jaina?

[@MeAlek]

What about Taoism?

[@MeAlek]

What about Shinto?

[@ruyfernandez]

@@MeAlek as far as I understand, Taoism is more of a philosophy than a religion, even more so than buddhism. As for shintoism, why not talk about shendao, which is pretty much the same thing but in China? The problem is that there used to be thosands of polytheistic and animistic cults all over the world, and many still exist today, in Asia but also in Africa. Shinto just happens to be the form of animism that developed in Japan. And the other problem is that this religion does not even have a unified system of beliefs, so much so that most Japanese, while adhering to some local shinto cults, don't consider shinto to be a religion, but generally identify themselves as either atheists or buddhists.

[@RubelliteFae]

@@ruyfernandezThere's the philosophical core, Dàojiā, and the mystical religion-like Dàojiào. It also basically absorbed Yīnyángjiā (the Naturalist School of philosophy). The issue is Daoism as religion was hit hard by Western imperialism, modernization, & the cultural revolution. Since then there's not been a full restoration and the philosophical side & it's practices have survived better than the religious rituals & concepts. But, certainly some of the concepts were so impactful on the culture they couldn't be erased.

Sri Lankan Buddhism also have a separate Jathaka book, which is not considered part of cannon. It is a book of stories from eons ago. Sometimes it is not easy to relate to those at all. Because of poetic exaggeration, it is usually taken with a grain of salt.

[@christo-chaney]

Very well done…just like all the others. There is a nearby Kadampa Buddhist Center near where I live. From my understanding Kadampa seeks to provide information & guidance from all the different movements of Buddhism. Again, I’m grateful for you. Be well.

[@TheBuddhaWithin-s3d]

Thank you for such a clear explanation on the two major Buddhist schools! 🙏 I never fully understood the differences between Theravada and Mahayana, but this video really helped deepen my understanding

[@OccidentalAryan]

If you really want to understand Buddhism, first you need to research the ethnicity of Siddhartha Gautama.

[@sechernbiw3321]

Vajrayana Buddhism is also traditionally practiced in Nepal, portions of northeast India adjacent to Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet, as well as in Mongolia, and among Mongol ethnic groups in Russia and China (including among the Kalmyks, who live near the Caspian Sea, in European Russia). Shingon Buddhism in Japan also uses versions of some Vajrayana texts and is closely related to Vajrayana Buddhism.

[@realtalk6195]

Not all Mongolic peoples in Russia are Buddhist but you're right about everything else.

[@brc123321]

Vajrayana practiced magic. They are a Syncretic version of Mahayana Buddhism and Hindu Tantric sect.

[@jonnyquest1120]

I've been looking for so long for something that explains the fundamental difference between all of the sects and disciplines. Happy to have stumbled onto your channel!

[@AspiringBusinessLawyer]

I appreciate your amazing work on Buddhism ❤ love from Bangladesh

[@tenzingbhutia180]

Woah... I'm Buddhist and I think this is probably the most easy to follow material on the topic of different schools of Buddhism. Thanks for the Video!

[@TheJrpkid]

Corrections: 1) The Dalai Lama is not the head of the Gelugpa, he is head of the Tibetan government. 2) mandalas are an aid to meditation, not to “induce trances” 3) Hinayana is not synonymous with Theravada and not meant as disparage to the Theravadans. I have heard many vajrayana teachers try to disabuse western students of this error.

[@brc123321]

Mandalas are shaped like Yantras made for Hindu tantric worship. Vajrayana itself is a syncretic version of Buddhism and Hindu tantric traditions which was strong in eastern Indian states of Bengal and Assam. Buddhism was preached in Tibet from this region. Thats why Tibetan Buddhism is Tantric in nature. I heard that before the conquest of Tibet by communist china many highly skilled Tantrik lamas lived in Tibet who could do magical things.

[@ChameeraDedduwage]

Thank you for the excellent video. As a Buddhist from Sri Lanka and an avid reader of history, I commend you for capturing the nuances of early Buddhist schisms. Most videos on KZbin fail to capture these minutiae because they attempt to think of Buddhist Nikayas as denominations. Your approach to recognising both schools and movements is probably the first I have seen so far. A couple of things to add: You mentioned three Hinayana traditions: Theravada, Sarvastivada, and Pudgalavada. However, Pudgalavada was not really an important school even in its (short-lived) heyday - understandably because it went against one of the core teachings of The Buddha. Thus, the two main schools of Hinayana are Theravada and Sarvastivada -- of which, Theravada is the only extant Hinayana school, Sarvastivada school having gone extinct in the early 10th century. The other point has to do with what really separates Buddhism from the rest of the Indic family of religions. Most of the core concepts are more or less shared across the various religions: concepts like Reincarnation, Karma, Samsara, Divine worlds (heavens), hell, etc. What really sets Buddhism apart (even among the Indic religions) is the denial of a permanent, unchanging soul -- known as the concept of Anatta/Anatma. Buddhism (or at least the Theravada school) maintains that what we tend to refer to as our 'soul' is nothing but an aggregation of four things (perceptions, recognitions, feelings, and consciousness) and thus there is nothing 'permanent' or 'unchanging' about the soul. Understandably, this is a difficult position to understand, maintain, and defend -- especially when you consider Samsara, Karma, and Rebirth. (A famous question levied against the Theravadins goes thus: _if there is no permanent soul, no "me" to speak of, then how can you claim that it is "I" who will suffer the consequences of "my" Karmas?_ It's a fascinating question, with an even more fascinating answer. But I digress.) On the one hand, this explains why so many schools regressed back to simply accepting the existence of a 'soul' (in one way or the other). (Pudgalavada literally means "accepting the idea of an unchanging _person_ / soul). On the other hand, however, this debate over the matter of "change", "permanence", and "existence" (of souls, among other things) has led to the birth of a beautiful bouquet of Indian schools of philosophy and logic (most of them focused on ontology and epistemology), some of which were astonishingly far ahead of their time. The interested reader may want to research such early philosophers as Dignāga, Nāgarjuna, and Vasubandhu. You're in for a treat.

[@JewelXyaonamor1]

Pudgalavada was the most popular Non Mahayana school in 7th century India

[@thariqulabrar318]

This video is a Great work🎉 You could've also mentioned the Navayana Buddhism - a social movement by the Indian Social Reformer B.R.Ambedkar 😊

[@linguistme6870]

it's no buddhism it's politics

[@ajay12287]

@@linguistme6870 we are proud ambedkarite buddhist it is not just a religion for us but also a path to uplift depressed classes who are socially, economically, politically oppressed by the dominant castes.

[@MarvelAvengers997]

​@@ajay12287I never heard "Navayana" when I See searched Navayana I found it'a New Buddhism Different Oriantal form Traditional orthodox Buddhism but it does not recognised as a sect of Buddhism because they don't follow Tripitaka or Mahayana or Tantra texts They does not follow fasting Holy weekends

[@stimepyc3523]

Very good high end overview of Buddhism. I was aware of many of the basics but not necessarily the major denominational splits.

[@thomasdixon4373]

Awesome video Matt, glad you're feeling better Could you do a part 2 exploring the schools of Tibetan Buddhism like the one practice in Bhutan and the school led by the Dalai Lama?

[@barnowl.]

You may also like to check out The Ageless Wisdom Teachings Theosophy of Alice Bailey, the amanuensis for the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul. Together they work/ed on the second Radiation/Ray of Energy of Love--Wisdom. I posted a longer comment today, the 6th of March, 2024.

[@Oon86]

My belief is that Mahayana became what it is now due to the assimilation of Buddhism with local ancient East Asian beliefs. Original ancient Chinese beliefs have deities or spiritual leaders that are worshipped for guidance. In order for Buddhism to spread within ancient China, the Buddha & some Boddhisatvas could have been portrayed as these deities or spiritual leaders that can be worshipped. Avalokitesvara is portrayed as the 'Goddess of Mercy' or 'Guan Yin Pu Sa' in Mahayana circles, even though there are no Gods in Buddhism.

[@user-jt3dw6vv4x]

True but Boddhisatvas are also popular in the Theravada countries which all practiced Mahayana before. Popularity of Avalokitesvara, in both male and female forms, happens to transcend all schools of Buddhism as their depiction is seen across Asia.

[@roadbone1941]

I agree

[@alexthompson3874]

Nice work! Just wanted to note that if you look at the Suttas for buddhism it would make sense to say the Buddhists believe in Gods and that people can be reborn in heavenly realms as dieties depending on their kamma. Yet many in Buddhism (especially western buddhists) tend to ignore this aspect of reincarnation believing that it is not necessary for awakening. Its a bit tricky to answer whether Buddhists as a whole believe in Gods. It's a bit more related to culture than to the actual texts.

[@chimera9818]

Westerners don’t like to hear that stuff aren’t as nicely divided to boxes as they wants to (as Jewish person from Israel that why it is hard to explain how Judaism works hear and our mentality of it to westerners because it is different way of thinking of it)

[@ihatespam2]

Clearly it is inaccurate to say all Buddhist believe in gods.

[@acex222]

That is mahayana and was covered in the video

[@neilritson7445]

Kamma of course just means 'action' not 'fate'. My Theravada Ajahns never said Buddhism was a belief system and never mentioned rebirth (nor reincarnation is not the same thing) - the practice is everything.

[@tsurugi5]

rebirth, not reincarnation(hinduism)

[@sketter1775]

Always wanted to know the different denominations there, thanks for the video!

[@rezaiskandar2759]

Great Video! But not all East Asian Buddhist schools belong to the Mahayana umbrella, the Japanese Shingon school could be considered as part of the Vajrayana/Tantrayana family, as they can trace their lineage back to now extinct Chinese Zhenyan along with Indonesian and Indian Tantric schools.

[@chinyuenwong5342]

Vajrayana is an offshoot of Mahayana. Even Shingon/Zhenyan（真言）. As they both practice the Bodhisattva path. The reason for the reincarnating lamas to remain in samsara is because their aim is to benefit all sentient beings.

[@Anjana-]

Very informative ❤ I've always been interested in Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. Thank you 😇

[@dabidibup]

Do a video on Zoroastrianism. I don’t know if it has sects, but you could make a chart on how it influenced other religions. Alternatively for the non-religious you could do (national) socialism (natz incl. Czech) trying to start before Marx

[@chancefoxhauck475]

Namaste, Thank you dearly for your scientific research in the history of religions. May this knowledge benefit all sentient beings, forever 🙏🕯🎡

[@AmericanShia786]

As always, you have done an excellent job of communicating a lot of information concisely and understandably.

[@otakuofmine]

Little note: Tibetan Buddhism is hugely influenced by the religion practised before its arrival in Tibet named Bon. Essentially the things mentioned that makes it different. It was even still used back to back than, before kinda subsumed into its body. (kinda like christianity adapted pagan ways, just less violent)

[@barnowl.]

You mat like to check out The Ageless Wisdom Teachings Theosophy by Alice Bailey and the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul.

[@aungkaungkhantoo9872]

Finally, the video that I've been anticipating. Thank you

[@punjabiraj2869]

The Chinese canon was actually originally written in Ghandhari Prakrit which was translated into classical Chinese languages

[@anthonyn.7379]

This was so awesome! Was looking forward to this for a long time!

[@dr.casebolt]

While generally correct, there are some issues with the content of the video. Pali and Sanskrit are both difficult languages, so there are a number of understandable pronunciation issues. For example, there is no "th" blend in either language, so in "Theravada" the t and h are both pronounced -- it doesn't start like the word "thank," as it was pronounced in the video. Also, a number of words have different stresses than the way they were used in the video. For example, the names of the two Jain sects both are stressed on the "-am" syllable. So it's "sve-TAM-ba-ra," not "sve-tam-BA-ra." The top of the timeline is very good -- the bottom is more questionable, but mostly that's a result of making it simple enough to work in this presentation format. One basic factual error concerns the Jataka tales, the stories of the Buddha's previous lives. The video presents these as a unique part of the Chinese Canon, but this isn't true -- the Jataka tales are another part of the Khuddaka Nikaya in the Pali Tipitaka (ti-PI-ta-ka, not ti-pi-TA-ka).

[@WildVoltorb]

Thanks for your clarifications Dr.

[@tampazeke4587]

I was going to make almost the same comment. Such a wonderful video that could have been made even better with more attention payed to the proper pronunciation of the words and names and even the name of the Buddha. Even still it was a very good video.

[@tampazeke4587]

Yes. And tipitaka instead of tripitaka.

[@dr.casebolt]

@@tampazeke4587 Well, Tripitaka is Pali and tripitaka is Sanskrit, so both are used depending on the lineage.

[@dr.casebolt]

I meant to also add: Most scholars would describe Buddhism as non-theistic rather than atheistic. Atheism means denial of the existence of god(s), whereas the Vedic gods appear quite regularly in the suttas and sutras. But they are presented as very long-lived beings that are still subject to the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. However, in Buddhism liberation or salvation has nothing to do with god(s), and Buddhist cosmology portrays the universe as not created by god(s). Therefore, it is more accurate to call it non-theistic since it is no dependent on the existence or actions of god(s).

[@gergage6]

Very nice. Of all the religious videos you have done, this one was the most enlightening. I didn't even know I knew so little about Buddhism. Thank you.

[@dreamingbutterfly1]

I see what you did there...

[@raiboy79]

This was outstanding. I already purchased the Christian Chart from your website. It hangs in my living room. Please make this chart available for purchase as well. You do great work, thank you!

[@silkworm6861]

Awesome! Good timing too, as I was just reading about it when you uploaded the video.

[@thboy1037]

There are also even sub sections or Nikayas in Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism. For example, the majority of Buddhists in Thailand follow the Theravada doctrine, but there are two main sub sectios, Dhammayuttika Nikaya Maha Nikaya which have some different details in the rules or Vinayas and meditation practices. There are also many school of thoughts catagorized by the Vinayas or practices established by many prominent senior Bhikkhus or Ajahns (Similar to Sensai in Japanese.) for example, the meditation school of Forest Tradition.

[@davidmaheengun2672]

What an excellent presentation! The graphics were very well done and beautifully supported the lecture.

[@samlawhorn]

Another awesome video. Great job! Just finished watching your 37 historical people in the Old Testament. I'm sitting here with my Chinese family in northern China. They are Buddhist. Since before my wife and I married, it fascinated me how little they knew of their own religion, and also how much from Chinese . . . animism, I guess? . . . has crept into their belief system. I mean the old religion practiced by Confucius, as well as just superstition. We have our own superstitions in the west, of course. There are many old Chinese beliefs that contradict Buddhist teachings; yet, people here blend them without a thought about it. Maybe a video about that would be interesting. Thanks for your hard work!

[@zurielsanmartin1714]

Something about the Middle Way: In the Mahayana Buddhism school of thought, beyond moderation, the middle way is the declaration that you can only achieve spiritual enlightenment as a human being. You can’t do it as a Deva (beings of the higher worlds), they are too happy, and you can’t do it as a being from the lower worlds, they are too miserable. On top of being the most difficult life to achieve, to be human is to be the middle way, where the two extremes merge and create an opening for one to experience the truth.

[@ajay12287]

this is a very common teaching of buddha and it is present in all sects of buddhism. the buddha said " human life is very precious, to born as a human is rare. it takes lot of good karma to be born as a human being hence one should not waste it."

[@vietashroffoliver2521]

Excellent explanation of the Middle Way. Many thanks

[@JewelXyaonamor1]

​@@vietashroffoliver2521 actual middle way is neither arising nor extinction

[@ProchoicePeopleAreSociopaths]

❤is it weird that i have always thought humans were the last step of a soul to reach "enlightenment" before it started its journey beyond death? Like maybe souls are born as lesser beings, die and reincarnate as a bigger/smarter animal or human, then humans before we become strong enough for astral projection to higher realms or heavens.

[@agniswar3]

14:52 but the Pali canon too has their own set of Jataka tales.

[@rodrigomachado5291]

This is a good and well-researched vídeo overall. But I must add something: Vajrayana is not synonymous with Tibetan Buddhism. There is a completely separate Vajrayana school in Japan, Shingon Buddhism. There has also been a very strong Vajrayana movement in Indonesia in centuries past.

[@Locut0s]

It’s fascinating to see similar types of schisms developed across vastly different religions of the world. It seems like a common crisis that splits religions are disagreements about the path to “enlightenment” or “god” or what have you and specifically who has access to the resources necessary. The Protestant / Catholic divide as an example has echos in many other religious divisions it feels like. Another type of crisis that seems common is how to interpret holly figures within the religion, as full fledged “gods’ etc or merely respected individuals.

[@JoshuaLevin]

Hi Matt great video as always! If I may offer a small feedback regarding the different canons: @14:38 The Theravada Pali Canon also contains the Jataka tales in the Khuddaka Nikaya. I do not believe they are a perfect parallel to the Agama Jatakas as to be expected, however when I heard this part of the video I felt you were saying the Agamas have a Jataka, whereas the Pali Canon does not, and I just wanted to clarify if that's ok. There are free versions of the Pali Jatakas online for anyone interested!

[@WildflowersCreations]

Thanks for this video and detailed information. The discussion in the comments is also being very informative and letting me know which directions to research. Thanks

[@xhoques]

For my fellow follower of Mahayana, a (incomplete) table of translations Arhat 阿羅漢 Agama 阿含經 Ananda 阿難 White lotus sutra 妙法蓮華經 Perfection of wisdom sutras 般若經 Flower garland sutra 華嚴經 Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經 Pure land 淨土宗

[@Cleisthenes2]

One book I would recommend to people wanting to dig into different strands of Indian thought is McEvilley, The Shape of Ancient Thought

[@jasonackerman9065]

From what I understand of Mahayana Buddhism and Catholicism (as a Jew who's interested in religion), Bodhisattvas are probably closer to saints than gods in terms of how they are venerated and invoked.

[@chimera9818]

Has fellow Jewish: From what it seems if you go with the comparison Theravada also seem to fit us in that comparison (in how it is probably the most direct from the origin of how hardline they are on the original accepted texts) just that they are far bigger

[@SonofSethoitae]

Not exactly. Bodhisattvas assist worshippers via their own spiritual powers, while saints merely intercede with God on the worshipper's behalf in Catholicism. Bodhisattvas are definitely closer to gods than Christian saints; some of them, like Maitreya, are literally devas as well.

[@zbigniewbecker5080]

I would dare to point out that the word "Buddha" means literarily "the awakened one" rather than "the enlightened one"; it's not simply a hair-splitting exercise, since one generally awakens on ones own, while might be enligthened by some external entity or force...

[@gigilolo4660]

Great nuance. Thanks

[@OccidentalAryan]

Keep in mind that the Buddha was vvhite.

[@jaked5144]

Cool vid! I’ve been practicing (Zen) for four years. This serves are a pretty good (especially for such a short video) general overview, but I think it important for viewers to note that there’s WAY more school and sects than what’s mentioned here. For example, Zen itself arguably has at least a half dozen subsects. For those looking to learn more, in an accessible way, I highly recommend the public access programs Alan Watts did back in the day, and I found the Wondrium Zen course to be very good. Buddhism can be extremely confusing at first, so take your time.

[@neilritson7445]

I'm amazed if you have been on Zen retreats to recommend Alan Watts, The English Anglican priest. He created a huge discrepant idea of "Zen" whcih bore no relation to reality of practice.. Try a Zen retreat and you'll appreciate the huge difference! He certainly confused people - me too - as you say - the Buddha taught Dukkha and release from Dukkha. That's what he said apparently. We lose the very aim in the detail!

[@jaked5144]

@@neilritson7445 “I’m amazed if you have…”, respectfully, this comment comes off as condescending. It’s important we use right speech, even here on the internet. This sort of holier-than-thou attitude that permeates online Zen spaces is really off putting. Watts most certainly had his issues as a person. He was only briefly an Anglican priest, so I’m not sure why you mention it other than as a pejorative. But to that, so what if he was? I think Watts’ video pieces on Sunyata and Mahayana are incredibly powerful *introductions* to Zen. The point of my comment was for those looking to expand from this video. I’m not sure a full two day retreat is what *most* people are looking for in an introduction.

[@KalebPeters99]

I was excited for this one, amazing as usual, Matt 🙏💖

[@veowsaku]

I am Buddhist and I don’t believe in God however I believe in higher being because there are several dimensions in this universe and we are connected to one another.

[@barnowl.]

I'm curious as to what is your definition of 'God' and 'higher being'?

[@veowsaku]

@@barnowl. This universe is composed of many elements and we only know what we have on earth. Earth cannot be the only planet that contain life. We are not that elegance (insignificant) as a being when compared to others. We are the smartest being to this only planet so I would say that higher being is yet to be discovered in the future.

[@barnowl.]

@@veowsaku Those in the space industry know about life on other planets and systems but deliberately keep we earthlings in the dark. Check out the citizens enquiry into UFOs /UFAs etc. before a USA ex-senate committee. It went for a full week and still had more evidence to hear from people of many experiences. The consciousness of humanity ranges from a stone-age one to that of the Christ, The majority of humanity have a l-o-n-g way to go! We are talking about tens of thousands of years ( or more) to achieve that consciousness development. So far we've been here for approximately 18 --21 million years according to The Ageless Wisdom Teachings Theosophy information given by the Ascended Masters of Wisdom.

[@roadbone1941]

Mahabrahma(God) is thing in Buddhism. It's just not important to your personal self development.

[@ytn00b3]

In Korea, there are five different Buddhist sects but three (Seon, Jogye, Taego) of them are basically derivatives of Seon (Zen/Chan) which is largest sect, Cheontae (Tiantai) and Jingak (Shingon).

[@Eoson]

It might be worth noting while Pure Land ideas and practices existed throughout East Asian Buddhism, the first independent Pure Land schools were in Japan. If memory serves me well, Honen’s Jodo-shu being the first.

[@Eoson]

Also, there’s a lot to unpack when you want to talk about Buddhism and “gods”or theism since much of the latter is entrenched in Abrahamic ideas of divinity. Moreover, history and culture shows that these lines aren’t clear. Honji-suijaku was an idea that persisted until the Meiji Restoration which stated that Japanese kami were merely emanations of buddhas. The Meiji Restoration saw a reversal of this stating that buddhas were the emanations of Kami. Or take Guanyin that seems to be a mixture of folks religion of China and Buddhist figure of Avelokitasara.

[@chimera9818]

@@Eosoninteresting, as Jewish I would also point out that GOD is viewed as different and more all mighty and all in composing being than how Christians view it (and especially different than the relatively physical of Zeus and his like)

[@Rydonattelo]

Glas to see you're back, hope you're doing well.

[@lukaswilhelm9290]

Common feature of Buddhism is that they often able to assimilated or syncretize aspect of different beliefs or the other way around. For example in India the Buddha can be viewed as reincarnation of Vishnu after Krishna, in Chinese Taoism the Buddha often viewed as the same person as Lao Tzu. Buddhism also very likely to adopt local gods as their bodhisattva such as Guan Yin.

[@realtalk6195]

In India many became Buddhists to escape the Hindu caste system, and many still do. In China and Japan, ironically, Buddhism gained traction and was tolerated in large part because it didn't oppose their caste systems.

[@QuasarEE]

The re-contextualizing style of syncretism goes both ways in fact. In the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra, it's said the Hindu gods instead emanate from Avalokiteshvara.

[@JewelXyaonamor1]

Not true

[@mothernatureson3734]

Everytime I hear the words Buddhist, Buddhism or Buddha it comes to my mind "Enlightenment". Despite its diversified school of thoughts it symbolizes FREEDOM of some sort from pains and sufferings ...... Some believes that Buddhism is a religion ... Some believes it is a Philosophy ..... Some thinks it is a way of life .... I believe it is all of the above. What I admire about Buddhism is its profound peace and harmony they associate with everyone irregardless of faith and religion... In the history of Buddhism no war was waged in its propagation. .

[@1TakoyakiStore]

I'm surprised that Bon wasn't mentioned. A lot of the culture and mythology of Bon ended up in Tibetan Buddhism.

[@shakyanepale7629]

As a Buddhist person I feel that you covered every school of Buddhism really well. Love from the land of the Buddha

[@TheAseer2020]

You left out two schools of Vajaryana that are practiced only in Japan Shingon and Tendai. It is from my understanding Vajaryana is only practiced in Tibetan/Himalayan areas and Japan. I might be wrong on this but I have heard these two Japanese Schools refered to as Vajaryana.

[@jackyex]

It's also practiced in Mongolia, they are followers of Tibetan Buddhism.

[@SonofSethoitae]

I believe that there are still small Vajrayana communities active in China

[@AlejandroHernandez-ej9fk]

In Nepal the Newar people practice vajrayana Buddhism. It is the most fascinating branch of Buddhism. Vajrayana is full of tantras, sexy practices, tongue piercing and other weird shit.

[@TheAseer2020]

@@SonofSethoitae Yep, from my understanding the two schools in Japan originated in China.

[@pranavnath6231]

Very good video. But small correction is required- Jainism was founded by Rishabhadeva. Mahavira was the last of 24th Tirthankar.

[@thanhhai1312]

Thank you for this video! Really opened my eyes about the long history of my own religion (which was normally not taught to a common practitioner in my country). Speaking about history, I was wondering if you would do a video about the calendar of each religions, as they were one of the most important aspects of a religion.

[@MotoYogi-v5y]

Beautiful graphics and such details! Thank you