You Can Ask What a Ritual Means
You do not have to choose between joining silently and rejecting an unfamiliar ceremony. There is another possibility: ask about one part.
Poster lesson 31 / 63 · Beginner
Schools of Buddhism
The artwork is preserved from the original collection. Read the accompanying explanation for context and distinctions between traditions.
Read the lesson
Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna are useful broad labels, not three uniform blocs. Theravāda draws especially on the Pāli canon; Mahāyāna emphasises the bodhisattva path and additional sūtras; Vajrayāna uses tantric methods within a Buddhist framework. Internal diversity is substantial. Compare a specific teaching in context and avoid ranking entire communities as more rational, authentic or compassionate.