Буддийские направления в Азии по регионам.

Buddhist branches in Asia by region

Southern Buddhism, Eastern Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism are geographical terms sometimes used to describe the three main schools of Buddhism (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna) as it spread from the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent throughout Central Asia, East Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and Maritime Southeast Asia.

"Southern Buddhism" refers to the traditions of Buddhism that were established in India, Sri Lanka, and countries in Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia, especially Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, and Vietnam. Southern Buddhists are primarily connected by their strict adherence to the Pāli Canon, monasticism and its prevalent monastic rules, meditation, and ritual practices. Southern Buddhism tends to be in agreement that the canonical Pāli scriptures and commentaries are considered its textual authority, and a strong monastic tradition along with asceticism, celibacy, and the practice of renunciation (considered the best way to live one's life) allows its adherents to disregard worldly concerns and devote all of their attention to meditative techniques and religious practices alone in order to achieve liberation. The monastic orders of Southern Buddhism are characterized by a strict rule of celibacy, detachment, and monastic discipline. Certain doctrinal positions or specialisms in specific practices are associated with each school, but just as in the ancient Buddhist orders, there are no rigid sectarian boundaries. The Buddhism of this branch derives from later Indian Buddhism, especially of the Pāla dynasty (ruling over Bengal, Bihar from the 8th to 12th centuries CE), incorporating Buddhist monastic scholarship, Mahāyāna philosophy, and tantric traditions. It preserves large collections of scriptural and commentarial Buddhist texts in Tibetan language, including a comprehensive set of translations from Sanskrit literary sources as well as a vast indigenous literature.

The use and meaning of these terms reflects only the contemporary situation of the various schools of Buddhism in Asia, and even that only imperfectly. While the Theravada presently dominates in Southeast Asia, prior to the 13th century the Mahayana was also well established in that region. The survival of certain Mahayana notions in popular Southeast Asian Buddhism (such as the worship of Lokesvara a form of Avalokitesvara in Thailand) reflect the early presence of Mahayana ideology in the "Southern Buddhist" world. Ongoing contact between Southeast Asia and India brought a variety of doctrines, relics, and texts into Southeast Asia from both the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions, as well as the Theravada and the other early Buddhist schools. Only after the decline of Buddhism in India did Theravada Buddhism begin to dominate in Southeast Asia, with Theravada dominated Sri Lanka replacing India as the source of new texts and teachers. The historical evidence for the cohabitation of Mahayana and non Mahayana monks in some South Asian monasteries during the spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia provides additional evidence that the form of Buddhism practiced in the "Northern" territories likely retains many non Mahayana influences. Furthermore, in certain regions of China and East Asia (notably in Southern China), non Mahayana forms of Buddhism were sometimes dominant. Vietnam represents an interesting case of a country lying in the liminal region between the Northern and Southern Buddhist schools. As might be expected, Vietnamese Buddhism shows both a strong Mahayana and Theravada influence.