Which trait is common to both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism? A. Both take root from the Buddha's teachings. B. Both reject the ideas of karma and samsara. C. Both aim to achieve the ideal of the bodhisattva. D. Both solely accept monks and nuns. E. Both worship multiple gods and goddesses.

A. Both take root from the Buddha's teachings.

Explanation:

Buddha, also known as Siddharta Gautama, was a monk and sage from ancient India, and whose teachings were the basis of Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion and philosophy of life that says that life is suffering, that the root of suffering is the desire and that, in order to heal the suffering, it is necessary to stop desiring. Only then it will be possible to achieve a state of spiritual illumination.

Eventually, Buddhism split into two large branches: Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada sticks more to the initial phase of Buddhism and it is widespread throughout India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Mahayana developed many centuries later after the life of Buddha, it stresses the importance of spiritual teachers (Bodhisattva), and it is widespread throughout China, Korea, and Japan. In spite of these differences, both branches have a common root in Buddhas's teachings.

A. both take root from Buddha's teachings.