Buddhist — Theravada

Theravada Buddhism ('Way of the Elders') is the oldest surviving school of Buddhism, rooted in the Pali Canon and the earliest recorded teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha, c. 6th-5th century BCE). Practiced primarily in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, Theravada emphasizes monastic practice and the individual's path to enlightenment (nirvana) through meditation, ethical conduct, and wisdom. The ideal is the arhat (one who has attained enlightenment). Sacred sites include Bodhgaya (where the Buddha attained enlightenment), Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple, and countless stupas, monasteries (viharas), and meditation centers across Asia. Theravada remains a living, dynamic religion with millions of adherents, strong monastic traditions, and continued development of practice. Unlike Mahayana Buddhism (centered on the Bodhisattva path and devotion to celestial Buddhas), Theravada preserves the earliest doctrinal traditions and emphasizes textual authority and monastic lineage.