thumb|right|260px|Northern Buddhism: <br/> Blue ([[Vajrayana)<br/> Eastern Buddhism: <br/> Yellow (Mahayana)<br/> Southern Buddhism:<br/> Red (Theravada)]]

thumb|Representatives from the three major modern Buddhist traditions, at the [[World Fellowship of Buddhists, 27th General Conference, 2014.]]

The schools of Buddhism are the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism, which are based on various differences, such as geography, historical schisms and sectarianism, and the differing teachings and interpretations of Buddhist texts.

The branching of Buddhism into separate schools has been occurring from ancient times up to the present, beginning with the first schism. The classification and nature of the various doctrinal, philosophical, practical, or cultural facets of the schools of Buddhism is complex and has been interpreted in many different ways. This complexity is partly due to the sheer number (perhaps thousands) of different sects, sub-sects, movements, worldviews, etc. that make up the whole of the Buddhist tradition. The study of the sectarian and conceptual divisions of Buddhist thought are part of the modern framework of Buddhist studies, as well as comparative religion in Asia. Some factors in Buddhist doctrine, such as the four noble truths, and karma and rebirth, appear to be relatively consistent across different schools. Others views vary considerably, such as the understanding of the nature of the Buddha and the canons of Buddhist scriptures.

From a largely English-language standpoint, and to some extent in most of Western academia, Buddhism is separated into two groups: Theravāda ( 'the Teaching of the Elders' or 'the Ancient Teaching'), and Mahāyāna ( 'the Great Vehicle'). The most common classification among scholars is threefold: Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna. Another common division is cultural-geographical, dividing Buddhism into: Southern Buddhism, Northern or Himalayan (Tibetan) Buddhism, and East Asian Buddhism.

Apart from these major categories, there are many Buddhist new religious movements that developed in the modern era, including the Indian Dalit Buddhist movement and many of the Japanese new religions.

Classifications

thumb|Percentage of Buddhists by country in 2010, according to the [[Pew Research Center.]]

In contemporary Buddhist studies, modern Buddhism is often divided into three major branches, traditions or categories:

  • Theravāda ("Teaching of the Elders"), also called "Southern Buddhism", mainly dominant in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. This tradition generally focuses on the study of its main textual collection, the Pali Canon as well as other forms of Pali literature. The Pali language is thus its lingua franca and sacred language. This tradition is sometimes denominated as a part of Nikaya Buddhism, referring to the conservative Buddhist traditions in India that did not accept the Mahāyāna sutras into their Tripitaka collection of scriptures. It is also sometimes seen as the only surviving school out of the Early Buddhist schools, being derived from the Sthavira Nikāya via the Sri Lankan Mahavihara tradition.
  • East Asian Mahāyāna ("Great Vehicle"), East Asian Buddhism or "Eastern Buddhism", prominent in East Asia and derived from the Chinese Buddhist traditions which began to develop during the Han Dynasty. This tradition focuses on the teachings found in Mahāyāna sutras (which are not considered canonical or authoritative in the Theravāda schools), preserved in the Chinese Buddhist Canon, in the classical Chinese language. There are many schools and traditions, with different texts and practices, such as the meditation-focused Zen (Chan) Buddhist traditions and the devotional Pure Land sects (see below).
  • Vajrayāna ("Vajra Vehicle"), also known as Mantrayāna (the vehicle of mantras), Tantric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism. This category is mostly represented in "Northern Buddhism", also called "Indo-Tibetan Buddhism" (or just "Tibetan Buddhism"), but also overlaps with certain forms of East Asian Buddhism (see: Shingon, Mikkyō, Chinese esoteric Buddhism). Vajrayāna is the dominant form of Buddhism in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim, and the Himalayan region as well as in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and the Russian republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva. It is sometimes considered to be a part of the broader category of Mahāyāna Buddhism instead of a separate tradition. The main texts of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism are contained in the Kanjur and the Tenjur. Besides the study of major Mahāyāna texts, this branch emphasizes the study of Buddhist tantric materials, mainly those related to the Buddhist tantras.

Another way of classifying the different forms of Buddhism is through the different monastic ordination traditions. There are three main traditions of monastic law (Vinaya) each corresponding to the first three categories outlined above:

  • Theravāda Vinaya
  • Dharmaguptaka Vinaya (East Asian Mahayana)
  • Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya (Tibetan Buddhism)

Terminology

The terminology for the major divisions of Buddhism can be confusing, as Buddhism is variously divided by scholars and practitioners according to geographic, historical, and philosophical criteria rather than criteria of the adherents themselves, with different terms often being used in different contexts. The following terms may be encountered in descriptions of the major Buddhist divisions:

;Conservative Buddhism: an alternative name for the early Buddhist schools.

;Early Buddhist schools: the schools into which Buddhism became divided in its first few centuries; according to some scholars only one of these, Theravāda, survives as an independent school (derived from the early Tamraparniya school), although others would claim the various Mahāyāna branches all derived mainly from the early Caitika school.

;East Asian Buddhism: a term used by scholars to cover the Buddhist traditions of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and most of China and Southeast Asia

;Eastern Buddhism: an alternative name used by some scholars for East Asian Buddhism; also sometimes used to refer to all traditional forms of Buddhism, as distinct from Western(ized) forms.

;Ekayāna (one yana): Mahayana texts such as the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra sought to unite all the different teachings into a single great way. These texts serve as the inspiration for using the term Ekayāna in the sense of "one vehicle." This "one vehicle" became a key aspect of the doctrines and practices of Tiantai and Tendai Buddhist sects, which subsequently influenced Chán and Zen doctrines and practices. In Japan, the one-vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sutra is also a main doctrine of Nichiren Buddhist sects. The Lotus Sutra is so central to these sects that meditation was replaced by chanting the Japanese words Namu Myoho Renge Kyo ("The Way of the Lotus Sutra") in religious practice.

;Esoteric Buddhism: usually considered synonymous with "Vajrayāna". Some scholars have applied the term to certain practices found within the Theravāda, particularly in Cambodia.

;Hīnayāna: literally meaning "lesser vehicle." It is considered a controversial term when applied by Mahāyānists to refer to the Theravāda schools, and as such is widely viewed as condescending and pejorative. Moreover, Hīnayāna refers to now non-extant schools with limited sets of views, practices, and results, which emerged prior to the development of Mahāyāna traditions. The term is currently most often used as a way of describing a stage on the path in Tibetan Buddhism, but is often mistakenly confused with the contemporary Theravāda tradition, which is a far more complex, diversified, and profound phenomenon than the literal and limiting definition attributed to the word Hīnayāna in the aforementioned context. Its use in scholarly publications is now also considered controversial.