Mahayana

Buddhism
 Mahayana
 Mahayana Buddhism, one of two major Buddhist traditions,
arose in India in between 150 BCE and 100 CE and spread
quickly throughout Asia, from the teachings of Siddartha
Guatama, or who we commonly know as the Buddha.
 Mahayana Buddhism, also known as the Great Vehicle, is the
form of Buddhism prominent in North Asia, including China,
Mongolia, Tibet, Korea, and Japan.
 The precise origin of Mahayana Buddhism is unknown. It
appeared sometime between 150 BCE and 100 CE in India and
quickly spread throughout Asia.
 Sacred
Scriptures
Sutras (sacred texts) —
2184 sacred writings. 
 1) Lotus Sutra
a sermon by the
Buddha on
Bodhisattva, buddha-
nature, etc.
 2) Perfection of
Wisdom Sutra
(Prajna-paramita) 
is generally associated
with the doctrine of
emptiness (Shunyata) or
'lack of Svabhava'
(essence) and the works
of Nagarjuna.
3) Heart Sutra
describes
  nirvana,
emptiness, and
Ultimate Reality.
4) "Land of Bliss" Sutra
describes the Pure Land of
Amitabha Buddha.
Worshipand
Observan
ces
Buddhist Worship
Buddhists can
worship both at
home or at a temple.
It is not considered
essential to go to a
temple to worship
with others.
 At home
Buddhists will often set
aside a room or a part of a
room as a shrine. There
will be a statue of Buddha,
candles, and an incense
burner.
 Temples
Buddhist temples
come in many
shapes. Perhaps the
best known are the
pagodas of China
and Japan.
Another typical Buddhist building is the Stupa, which is a stone
structure built over what are thought to be relics of the Buddha, or
over copies of the Buddha's teachings.
Buddhist temples are designed to symbolise the five elements:

Fire
Air
Earth, symbolised by the square base
Water
Wisdom, symbolised by the pinnacle at the top
 Worship
 There are as many forms of Buddhist worship as there are
schools of Buddhism - and there are many of those.
 Worship in Mahayana tradition takes the form of devotion to
Buddha and to Bodhisattvas.
 Worshippers may sit on the floor barefoot facing an image of
Buddha and chanting. They will listen to monks chanting from
religious texts, perhaps accompanied by instruments, and
take part in prayers.
 Mantras and Prayer
 A mantra is a word, a syllable, a phrase or a
short prayer that is spoken once or repeated
over and over again (either aloud or in a
person's head) and that is thought to have a
profound spiritual effect on the person.
 A very well known mantra is the mantra of
Avalokiteshvara: om mani padme hum. This
is sometimes said to mean "Behold! The
jewel in the lotus!", but this translation isn't
much help - the phrase isn't really
translatable because of the richness of
meaning and symbolism it contains.
 Physical prayer aids
 It's common to use prayer beads to mark
the number of repetitions of a mantra.
 Mantras may also be displayed on a
prayer wheel and repeated by spinning
the wheel, or written on a prayer flag - in
which case the prayer is repeated each
time the flag moves in the wind.
 Prayer wheels can be tiny things that a
Buddhist carries with them or enormous
objects up to nine feet high found in
monasteries.
 These physical prayer devices are very
common in Tibetan Buddhist communities.
Beliefs
&

Doctrines
States that each Buddha has three bodies, namely,
dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya.
 Dharmakaya
is identical with perfect
enlightenment that is
absolute and beyond
existence or non-
existence. Everyone is
capable of attaining this
special place which is
beyond perceptual
forms.
 Sambhogakaya
As a body of bliss, the
state of sambhogakaya
is already enlightened
but remains distinctive.
Believed to be a
remuneration of one’s
aggregated positive
deeds, it serves as a
crossing point between
the two other trikayas of
Buddha.
 Nirmanakaya
is the physical body that
undergoes birth,
inhabits the world, and
dies in the end. The
great teacher
Siddhartha Gautama is
an example of a Buddha
in a state of
nirmanakaya.
Subdivisi
on
Buddhism can be broken
down into three main
schools. They are
Theravada Buddhism,
Mahayana Buddhism,
and
 Theravada Buddhism
 the more conservative of
the two major traditions
of Buddhism (the other
being Mahayana), and a
school of Hinayana
Buddhism. It is practiced
mainly in Sri Lanka,
Burma (Myanmar),
Thailand, Cambodia, and
Laos.
Mahayana Buddhis
m
Mahayana
Buddhists believe
that salvation is
accessible to all
those who have faith
and regard
their religion as a
way of life that can
be embraced by any
 Vajrayana Buddhism
 is a form of Buddhism probably
originated from the Mahayana
tradition. It is based on a complex
philosophical and ritual system
meant to provide a path towards
enlightenment. Vajrayana is
sometimes referred to as
Tibetan Buddhism. The
term Vajrayana roughly means
''the way of the diamond.’’
The end!