noun
Northern Buddhism
Refers to the Mahayana Buddhist traditions historically transmitted through Central and East Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Often contrasted with 南方仏教 (Southern Buddhism, i.e., Theravada).
See also: 南方仏教
北方仏教は大乗仏教を中心としている。
Northern Buddhism is centered on Mahayana Buddhism.
日本は北方仏教圏に属する。
Japan belongs to the Northern Buddhist cultural sphere.
Southern Buddhism refers to the Theravada tradition prevalent in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, while Northern Buddhism refers to the Mahayana tradition of East Asia.
Compound of 北方 (northern) and 仏教 (Buddhism). The term is a modern geographical classification of Buddhist traditions.