Schools of Buddhism

Main Characteristic of the two Traditions can come to conclusion when we study the biography of the Gautama Buddha. It is very interesting to study the social information and the religious background of the society where the Buddha lived; it is only by that comparative understanding we can know the value of Buddhist teachings and the greatness of the Buddha.

When prince Siddhattha was born, the major religion in that society was Brahmanism; it had already a long history in India. By that time, Brahmanism had passed nearly fourteen centuries from its early beginning. Brahmanism was not only the major religion but also the major cultural force. The vision of life, ideas of thought, ethics of daily and social life, aims and objectives of life and even the form of language they spoke were decided by the major concept of Brahmin teachings.

Because of the creation theory caste system, supremacy of men and the domination of the priest the Brahmanism was the religion of the minority of upper class people. The majority poor and innocent masses including the women had to undergo serious difficulties. The Brahmanic sacrifice was expensive, destructive, bring nothing to society and their social principles which were unjust provoked the people to think for alternatives. But the domination of powerful minority was never over throne in political or economic sense therefore dis-revolution occurred in religious arena. As a result, the emergence of Sramana tradition took place.

Buddhism is one of the main religious philosophies that belong to the Sramana tradition in the 6^th century B.C. Apart from the Buddha’s teachings there were a number of well-known religious teachings introduced by a number of renounced religious teachers. Among them there were also some other religious groups devoid of one particular leader but practicing and teaching their faith to the others. There were also another class of thinkers who claimed not to be religious teachers but mere theorists who outlined new form of thinking which almost not religions.