What are the different sects of Buddhism?

which sect(s) do western people who convert usually get into?





what are the beliefs about hell, heaven and the afterlife?





I know that they believe in reincarnation, but I have heard of people who are Buddhists and also believe in Hell. I have also heard of Buddhist who believe in various Gods, or one God, or no Gods, as for the ones who believe in various Gods, are these basically the same as the Hindu Gods?





I know that Buddhism has a connection to Hinduism, is it also similar to Animism in some ways?|||There are two major versions Theravada and Mahayana.


Theravada is the oldest and closest to the original buddhism.


Mahayana is newer and called "the big vehicle" I'd say most American's get into some bastardization of Mahayana.





The biggest difference has do with questions of doctrine, and the fact that Therevada says people should seek their own enlightenment. As far as the major tenets of Buddhism go, they are recognized equally by both.





Buddhism's strongest connection to Hinduism comes from the fact that Siddharta was a Hindu first.|||Seriously, suggest you do Google on this one, possibly Wikipedia. Google more accurate, though. Buddhism predates christianity by some 800 years, so you can imagine how many sects there are by now. Buddhists generally accept reincarnation, they do not do the heaven/hell kind of afterlife. Buddhism has no connection to animism that I know of. Of the Buddhist sects that do believe in gods, I don't think those overlap much with the Hindu gods.


Zen is probably the best known form of Buddhism in western cultures. And one does not need to "convert" to buddhism, you can be buddhist (a non-theist philosophy) within any religious context.|||The two schools of Buddhism are Theravadae, the lesser wheel, and Mahayana, the greater wheel.|||Theravada (called Hinayana by the other sects): atheistic and conservative





Mahayana: agnostic/theist (but still no creator god) and liberal





Vajrayana: A more mystical version of Mahayana, with a focus on tantric things.|||^There's also Vajrayana (Tantric Buddhism)|||They are not sects, they are called schools. There are lots but the main ones are Theravada and Mahayana.