佛教产生于公元前6世纪至前5世纪的古印度,创始人释迦牟尼。释迎牟尼逝世后,众弟子对他所传的教理、戒律,在理解上发生了分歧,出现了鼓吹“普渡一切众生”的新教派,自称“大乘”,而把坚持“自我解脱”的教派贬称为“小乘”。小乘佛教是佛教的正统派。佛教自西汉末期经西域传入我国内地,小乘名声不及大乘显赫,至唐朝后期小乘在内地已没有市场。与此相反,小乘佛教在南亚、东南亚及我国云南傣族、德昂族、阿昌族和布朗族地区得到迅速传播。至明朝中期,傣族地区已经“寺塔遍村落”(明《洪武实录》卷二五五),小乘佛教在傣族 Buddhism originated in ancient India from the 6th century BC to the 5th century BC, founder Sakyamuni. After the death of Ying Muni, all his disciples disagreed with his teachings and precepts in understanding. There appeared a new denomination advocating “all sentient beings of Purdue”, claiming to be Mahayana, and insisting on “self-liberation” Denomination is called “Inuit”. Theravada Buddhism is an orthodox school. Buddhism spread to mainland China through the Western Regions from the end of Western Han Dynasty. The name of Pedigree is not as prominent as that of Mahayana. There was no market for Inhabitants in the late Tang Dynasty in the Mainland. In contrast, Theravada Buddhism has spread rapidly in South Asia, Southeast Asia and our country’s Dai, Deang, Achang and Brang ethnic groups in Yunnan. To the mid-Ming Dynasty, the Dai area has been “temple over the village” (Ming “Hongwu Record” Volume 2555), theravada Buddhism in Dai