Read the passage and answer the questions:

According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is transient (anicca) and constantly changing; it is also soulless (anatta) as there is nothing permanent or eternal in it. Within this transient world, sorrow (dukkha) is intrinsic to human existence. It is by following the path of moderation between severe penance and self indulgence that human beings can rise above these worldly troubles. In the earliest forms of Buddhism whether or not god existed was irrelevant.

In Buddhism, the followers of the older tradition, who followed the old path and respected teachers, described themselves as:

Theravadins

The correct answer is Option (1) → Theravadins

The followers of the older path of Buddhism referred to themselves as "theravadins," indicating their commitment to the teachings of venerable teachers, or "theras."