Sthaviravāda[Theravāda] the doctrine of the elders. Sthaviravāda is the oldest form of the Buddha's teachings. The true tradition transmitted by the Buddha is known as Theravāda, the old school that prevails in the Hīnayāna. Its teachings were systematised by five hundred holy elders (sthavira-s) [thera-s] who formed the first Buddhist Council soon after the Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Buddha. The assembled monks headed by Kāśyapa, also known as Mahākāśyapa chanted the teachings of the Buddha from their memory and thus they came to be known as the words of the elders. The Pāli Canon and its contents belong to the Theravāda tradition. Theravāda is also known as Southern Buddhism or Pāli Buddhism, Pāli being its language. Its emphasis is on one's own nirvāṇa and it believes in Śākyamuni -- the Buddha, and Maitreya -- the Bodhisattva. Theravāda prevails in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailandand Cambodia. (See also under BuddhistSchoolsand Sects in the Introduction.)