'Eastern' Buddhism: The Zen of Buddhism, variously known as Chan (China), Sen (Korea) or Zen (Japan), is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism.

Buddhism can be considered through the eye of the historian, not the practitioner, and its texts can be read according to the standards of historical scholarship. This may sometimes lead to a different explanation.

'Southern' Buddhism: Theravada Buddhism is the form of Buddhism practiced in Sri Lanka and South East Asia.