School | Geography | Thoughts | Rituals |
| Theravada | Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia | “the way of the elders” Conservative | Do not worship Buddha as a god. Meditation |
| Mahayana | China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan | “the greater vehicle” Older forms of the religion. Liberal Heavens are populated with Buddha or divinities to whom people can pray. Bodhisattvas. | -the buddha is the only master -one must take refuge in the buddha, the dharma, and the sangha -the world was not created and ruled by a god -one must follow the example of Buddha -one must accept the four noble truths -all things are impermanent |
| Vajrayana | Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal | Visual representations with great concentration in his or her quest to achieve enlightenment | Emphasis on rituals. -mantras -thangkas -mandalas Dalai Lamas Lamas Rosaries Prayer wheels |
| Zen | Japan | Meditation Good works and devotion. Can’t be taught has to be experienced. | Rinzai School Soto School |
