The Chinese translation of the Sanskrit Sthavirava^da and Pali Therava^da. One of the earliest schools of Buddhism that developed in India during the century subsequent to the passing away of the Buddha. The name of the sect implies the meaning of "those supporting the teachings of the elders" which means that this was a school that had conservative tendencies--an attempt to conserve the original teachings of the Buddha. They are the longest surviving of the original twenty sects that comprised what is often referred to as Nika^ya Buddhism 部派佛教 as they continue to be active to the present in Southeast Asian countries such as Sri Lanka， Myanmar， Thailand and Cambodia. The Therava^da school is known for its early conflict with the more liberal Maha^sa^m!ghika 大众部 school， which had espoused a revisionist approach to the Buddhist doctrine. Later schools of Mahayana Buddhism sometimes categorized the Therava^da 上座部 and other Nika^ya schools as being lesser vehicle， or Hi^naya^na 小乘.