Theravada, which means “the way of the elders,” is one of the two main schools of Buddhism. Its adherents consider Theravada to be the most authoritative branch because they believe their teachings come directly from the historical Buddha.
As a scholar of Buddhism, I explain in my 2023 book “Living Theravada: Demystifying the People, Places and Practices of a Buddhist Tradition” that Theravada Buddhism has a number of distinguishing features.
