Theravada Buddhism, the most ancient branch of Buddhism, originated in North India around the 5th century BCE. It began after the death of a prince named Siddhartha Gautama. Prince Siddhartha turned his back from his life that contained riches and protection in order to seek awakening. At the age of 29, he left home and traveled to the city of Kapilavasru. Along this journey, Siddhartha encountered four sights which included an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a holy man. These sights were new and shocking to him, but after six years of abstinence, he became enlightened and by following the middle way, he became known as the Buddha, the Awakened One.
After the Buddha completed nirvana, which is the state of total freedom and calmness, he completed the final goal of Buddhism. Following the Buddha’s death, the sangha, also known as community, broke up into few different sections. The 4th century BCE was when the first separation occurred. The group, Sthaviravadins, split and became known as the Mahasanghika. Another group, Sarvastivadins, separated from the Vibhajyavadins. The Vibhajyavadins soon spread throughout Southern India and Sri Lanka and became known as Theravadins.
Theravada Buddhism is the most genuine branch of Buddhism since it aims to follow the lessons the Buddha taught. While the Mauryan emperor Ashoka was in reign, the school of Theravada traveled throughout Sri Lanka, where it divided into three smaller groups known as the Mahaviharika, the Abhayagirika, and the Jetavaniya. They were all named after their monastic centres. When Theravada Buddhism was discovered in Sri Lanka, a man who was believed to have been the son of emperor Ashoka, originally taught this religion (New World, n.d). The religion slowly spread to many places and soon became dominant in Myanmar in the late 11th century, in Cambodia in 13th century and in Laos by the 14th century. Theravada Buddhists trace their ancestry back to the Elders, in Pali called Theras. The Elders followed the tradition of the senior monks of the very first Buddhist community.
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Overall, the years after the Buddha’s death resulted in a diversion of the religion, forming different sections. Theravada Buddhism, considered to be the most genuine branch as it follows the practices of the Buddha’s teachings, expanded through more countries outside of India and continues to carry the most distinct traditions all throughout.
