All forms of Buddhism come from India; that's where Buddha lived and taught.
Mahayana is often referred to as Northern Buddhism because the people who split off from the Theravada tradition to form Mahayana were in northern India and because most of the countries that practice Mahayana are northern countires.
The split between the two came around the 2nd century AD and Mahayana spread to China, where it became Zen, then onto Tibet where it became tantric.
Mahayana is often referred to as Northern Buddhism because the people who split off from the Theravada tradition to form Mahayana were in northern India and because most of the countries that practice Mahayana are northern countires.
The split between the two came around the 2nd century AD and Mahayana spread to China, where it became Zen, then onto Tibet where it became tantric.