Despite philosophical differences, sometimes expressed with great vigour, the relations between different Buddhist traditions and schools has generally been good, the exceptions being Tibet and Japan where there are cases of different sects actually going to war with each another. In India, Savakayana and Mahayana monks often shared the same monasteries as they sometimes did in Sri Lanka and the lay community respected monks and nuns no matter their sectarian affiliations. Chinese Mahayanists have lived in Theravadin Thailand for several hundred years without any hindrance. In the 1960s Vietnamese Theravadins and Mahayanists united to form a single school.

H. Bechert. and R. Gombrich. (Ed.) The World of Buddhism. London, 1984;
W.T. de Bary. (Ed.) The Buddhist Tradition. New York, 1972.
E. Conze Buddhist Scriptures. London, 1959.