Page "Southern, Eastern and Northern Buddhism" Paragraph 4

In East Asia and Tibet, the lands traditionally described as " Northern Buddhist ", non-Mahayana traditions have also exerted influence.

Notably, the monastic codes ( vinaya ) followed by Mahayana monks from every tradition have their origin in the monastic codes followed by monks of the various Nikaya traditions.

The historical evidence for the cohabitation of Mahayana and non-Mahayana monks in some South Asian monasteries during the spread of Buddhism from India to East Asia provides additional evidence that the form of Buddhism practiced in the " Northern " territories likely retains many non-Mahayana influences.

Furthermore, in certain regions of China and East Asia ( notably in Southern China ), non-Mahayana forms were sometimes dominant.