Buddhist Schools - Classifications

Classifications

The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Religion distinguishes three types of classification of Buddhism, separated into "Movements", "Nikāyas" and "Doctrinal schools":

• Schools:
  • Theravada
  • Mahāyāna
  • Vajrayāna
• Nikāyas, or monastic fraternities, three of which survive at the present day:
  • Theravāda, in Southeast Asia
  • Dharmaguptaka, in China, Korea and Vietnam
  • Mūlasarvāstivāda, in the Tibetan tradition
• Doctrinal schools