An Ocean of Teachings
Buddhism holds an immense treasury of wisdom — from the Three Jewels, the Four Noble Truths, and the Eightfold Path to the 37 Factors of Enlightenment and the 84,000 Dhamma teachings of the Buddha.
Without the preservation of the Buddha’s original teachings within the Theravāda tradition, neither Mahāyāna nor Vajrayāna would have emerged later on. While traces of Jain, Brahmanical, Hindu, and Taoist wisdom can be found, the Buddha transcended ambiguity and offered a philosophy so profound that it remains relevant today — even inspiring fields like quantum physics.
“Buddhism is not just a religion; it’s a living, evolving wisdom for our modern lives. ”
Theravāda: The Elder Path of Wisdom
Theravāda is like the elder sibling — deeply focused, disciplined, and devoted to the Buddha’s original path. Its philosophy is vast, intricate, and awe-inspiring.
It teaches that Dhamma is the law of nature itself — unchanging, impartial, and beyond human control. Everything arises from causes and conditions; everything is interconnected.
No life exists in isolation. There is no absolute birth or death, for all life is energy circulating in saṃsāra, transforming but never disappearing.
Theravāda places wisdom at the forefront. Through mindfulness, concentration, and wholesome action, one gradually moves toward liberation.
“Non-attachment to all phenomena is the pinnacle of the Buddha’s teaching. ”
Mahāyāna: The Great Vehicle of Compassion
Mahāyāna emerged as the great vehicle of compassion — a flexible, open path that meets people where they are. Many Thai teachers integrated Zen into their guidance in the 1980s and 1990s, creating a bridge between Theravāda and Mahāyāna for everyday practitioners.
Why has Mahāyāna flourished while Theravāda’s reach has contracted? Beyond its skillful presentation, Mahāyāna holds something genuinely special. Its practices resonate across cultures, faiths, and even secular contexts.
It is particularly relevant for today’s busy lives — where work, family, and survival often eclipse self-care. Mahāyāna gives priority to the human, lay experience, emphasizing mental and physical well-being alongside spiritual growth.
At the heart of Mahāyāna lies the Bodhisattva ideal — discovering within ourselves the capacity to heal our own suffering and help others without expectation.
“Compassion for oneself allows us to transcend shame, grief, and ancestral trauma; Compassion for others arises from seeing their struggles as part of their path. ”
Vajrayāna: The Diamond Vehicle of Transformation
If Theravāda is the wise elder and Mahāyāna the ocean-hearted middle sibling, then Vajrayāna — Tantric Buddhism — is the astonishing youngest child, born of both traditions yet breaking the mold entirely.
Emerging around 800 CE in Tibet, Vajrayāna integrates the discipline of Theravāda and the compassion of Mahāyāna with powerful esoteric methods. Where Mahāyāna emphasizes gradual cultivation, Vajrayāna offers skillful means for rapid realization.
Its practices include tantra, mantra, mandalas, mudrās, visualizations, and Buddhist yoga, all designed to awaken the mind’s luminous nature. Vajrayāna practitioners venerate Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and enlightened deities, using sacred art such as thangka paintings to aid meditation.
Although Tantra and Vajrayāna overlap, they are not identical. Tantra is one strand within the broader Vajrayāna path, while Vajrayāna adapts Tantra to the Buddhist goal of enlightenment in this very lifetime.
“Vajrayāna is not escapism but engagement — facing life and death, struggle and compromise, and transmuting them into the diamond of wisdom and compassion. ”
Engaged Buddhism: Compassion in Action
Once we awaken the Bodhisattva heart, we no longer question why monks might sing songs, cook, garden, do marketing, or walk city streets calling for peace.
It is precisely this great compassion for living beings today that drives monastics and practitioners to transform their way of life, giving rise to Mahāyāna’s living expression of Engaged Buddhism — compassion turned into action — and inspiring Vajrayāna practitioners to integrate activism, healing, and sacred ritual into modern contexts.
A Living Wisdom for Modern Humanity
Theravāda preserves the depth of the original teachings, pointing us toward truth through wisdom and discipline.
Mahāyāna expands that wisdom into the world, making compassion its vehicle. Vajrayāna infuses that wisdom and compassion with transformative methods for rapid awakening.
Together they form a complete path for modern humanity: insight into reality, care for ourselves, and compassion for all beings.
This is my interpretation of the Buddhist philosophy.