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, Thailand and Cambodia. (See also under Buddhist Schools and Sects in the Introduction.)
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Theravāda: 'Doctrine of the Elders', is a name of the oldest form of the Buddha's teachings, handed down to us in the Pāḷi language. According to tradition, its name is derived from the fact of having been fixed by 500 holy Elders of the Order, soon after the death of the Master.
Theravāda is the only one of the old schools of Buddhism that has survived among those which Mahāyānists have called 'Hinayāna'. It is sometimes called Southern Buddhism or Pāḷi Buddhism. It is found today in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Chittagong (East Bengal. ) - Cf. Guide, p. 60. - (App.). thīna-middha: 'sloth and torpor', constitute the 3rd of the 5 hindrances (nīvaraṇa, q.v.). They may or may not, be associated with greedy consciousness (s. Tab. 23. 25, 27, 29 and II).
The 'School of the elders'. The present day Theravāda is a branch derived from the lineage of the Sthaviravāda in ancient India
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