Buddhism sects

[unspoken]

I read the difference between Theravada and Mahayana and found out Theravada got 18sects. I am wondering what are the differences between each sects and why it existed? But not just one whole Theravada?

Why is it in some mahayana books they wrote mahayana is Great vehicle but theravada is small vehicle. And I think I watched a show called journey to the west, from china that show was produced. The monk Táng-sānzàng was told by the guan yin boddhisatva that to able to preach the world and to help them liberate from samsara, he need to acquire the Great vehicle teachings but not small vehicle teachings.

[Lazy_eye]

Why is it in some mahayana books they wrote mahayana is Great vehicle but theravada is small vehicle. And I think I watched a show called journey to the west, from china that show was produced. The monk Táng-sānzàng was told by the guan yin boddhisatva that to able to preach the world and to help them liberate from samsara, he need to acquire the Great vehicle teachings but not small vehicle teachings.

This might not be the best forum in which to pose that question, since this is a Theravada group and Theravadins don't subscribe to this idea of there being a "small vehicle" and a "great vehicle".

You might try at Dharma Wheel (www.dharmawheel.net) which is a Mahayana group.

The short answer, anyway, is that Mahayana Buddhists believe the Buddha taught another set of teachings later in his career, and that these teachings go beyond the earlier ones. It's all explained in the Lotus Sutra.
Or the Heart Sutra, if you like brevity.

[cooran]

Hello all,

Bhikkhu Bodhi has been trained in both Mahayana and Theravada. You may find this article by him of interest:

Arahants, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... ttvas.html

with metta
Chris

[Jhana4]

I did not know that, interesting!

[PeterB]

The words that stand out for me are " we must avoid any kind of syncreticism ".

[cooran]

Maybe you mean ''syncretism''?

with metta
Chris

[PeterB]

That too Chris...