The Buddha's message, like other religious dogmas, has multiple interpretations. There are several schools of Buddhism, and this article will outline the differences between two of them. The Theravāda and Mahāyāna schools view Buddhism in different ways. Both schools however share an understanding of such things as the Buddha's teachings and the path to an end goal; elements such as enlightenment, scripture, and language are understood differently within the two traditions. By looking at the similarities and differences of both schools, this paper will illustrate how the two schools developed as well as the differences between these two subsets of this growing religion. To understand the diversity between the two schools, it is essential to also have an understanding of the similarities. One of the most common understandings between the Theravāda and Mahāyāna schools is the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. These four truths include: the truth of suffering (duhkha), the truth of arising (samudaya), the truth of cessation (nirodha), and the truth of the path (marga) to the cessation of suffering. The fourth truth, the truth of the way, can be worked out by observing the Noble Eightfold Path (reference Appendix A). This includes the steps to follow to reach the end goal. The other important agreement between the two religions is the acceptance of Shakyamuni Buddha as a teacher. Born as Siddhartha Guatama of the Sakyas, the Buddha began his life in 563 BC. He was born in what is now known as Nepal. His father was the king of an Indian subcontinent and Siddhartha lived a fairly luxurious life for his time. He is said to have been a rich and dignified man, very attractive and dressed in silk. He... half of the paper... 010. Print.Bhagwat, NK Theravāda Buddhist philosophy. Delhi: CP Gautam, 2006. Print.Dunne, John D. “Encyclopedia of Religion: Buddhism, Schools of: Philosophical Schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. 2005.Web. 2013-11-15 .Gombrich, Richard. Theravāda Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Colombo. London and New York: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1988. Print.Smith, Huston. "Buddhism." 1991.Web. 2013-10-25 .Suzuki, Beatrice Lane. Mahāyāna Buddhism: a brief description. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1972. Print.