Answer:
Shortly after Buddha died, a division arose among his followers. The original teachings by Buddhist Monks taught that you must let go of all worldly possessions and ideals in order to become enlightened and reach Nirvana. Other monks felt that this was unrealistic for those that wanted to follow Buddhism but did not want to be a monk. The Theravada tradition held that an individual must live their life trying to reach Nirvana. They also believed that, while it is a good goal to try and reach the state of enlightenment that the Buddha reached, it is not likely. The sacred text of the Theravada tradition is the Tripitaka. This tradition spread from India to Sri Lanka and then to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam, and Indonesia.
The Mahayana tradition is considered to be the more attainable approach. They believe that while it is good to strive for enlightenment it is even more compassionate to put aside your own desire to help someone else achieve enlightenment. The sacred texts of the Mahayana are the Sanskrit Sutras. The Mahayana tradition is wide spread across northern Asia including China, Korea, Japan, and Northern Vietnam.
Step-by-step explanation:
While these two traditions have some fundamental differences, they accept each other’s differences and do not try to persuade others to join their school of thought. Some of their similarities are as follows: the only master is Buddha, the world was not created and is not ruled by a single god, the four noble truths are fundamental, and the purpose of life is to attain compassion for all beings with no discrimination.