Theravada is one of the two major traditions of Buddhism: the other is Mahayana. Whereas Mahayana is sometimes referred to as Northern Buddhism, Theravada is called Southern Buddhism for its prominence in the more southern countries of Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, among others.

The name comes from the Pali language and is translated as “doctrine of the elder monks.” Theravada claims to be the oldest school of Buddhism and the one that remains closest to the Buddha’s original teachings, having descended from the Buddha’s own disciples.