This document discusses key aspects of Mahayana Buddhism, including its history, teachings, and divisions. It provides an overview of core Mahayana concepts like bodhisattvas who seek enlightenment to help others, the doctrine of skillful means, and the three bodies of the Buddha. The document also outlines major Mahayana philosophical schools like Madhyamika and Yogacara, as well as divisions like Pure Land Buddhism and socio-political sects in Japan.
This document discusses key aspects of Mahayana Buddhism, including its history, teachings, and divisions. It provides an overview of core Mahayana concepts like bodhisattvas who seek enlightenment to help others, the doctrine of skillful means, and the three bodies of the Buddha. The document also outlines major Mahayana philosophical schools like Madhyamika and Yogacara, as well as divisions like Pure Land Buddhism and socio-political sects in Japan.
This document discusses key aspects of Mahayana Buddhism, including its history, teachings, and divisions. It provides an overview of core Mahayana concepts like bodhisattvas who seek enlightenment to help others, the doctrine of skillful means, and the three bodies of the Buddha. The document also outlines major Mahayana philosophical schools like Madhyamika and Yogacara, as well as divisions like Pure Land Buddhism and socio-political sects in Japan.
Systems Second Quarter, Module 1 MIRAROS S. BALANSAG Teacher II LET US PLAY: DIRECTIONS: Group the class into two. Each representative of the group must pass and execute the images on the floor before writing their answer on the board. The group who will garner the highest points will be proclaimed winners. REVIEW: There will be students who will discuss to the class the different components that contribute to the formation of Theravada Buddhism. 1. Beliefs and Doctrines 2. Sacred Scriptures 3. Founder 4. Related issues MAHAYANA BUDDHISM LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Discuss the brief history, beliefs and practices and related issues of Mahayana Buddhism. 2. Draws the insight from the acts of generosity of Tzu Chi Foundation that reflect the core teaching of Mahayana. 3. Relate the Mahayana Buddhism to the teachings of your religion. Why do religions have divisions/sects? MAHAYANA BUDDHISM (the Great Vehicle) - the more genuine version of Buddha’s teachings - comes with a more traditional religious views. MAHASAMGHIKA (of the Great Sangha) - one of the early Buddhist schools, may have been the source for the initial growth of Mahayana Buddhism especially during the Second Buddhist Council that occurred a hundred years after Buddha’s parinirvana. The definition of the Mahayana as one of three vehicles was intended to establish the Mahayana’s superiority over other teachings, and it has no historical basis. TEACHINGS AND DOCTRINES *BODHISATTVA/BODHISATTA - “one whose goal is awakening” - “enlightened existence” - one who seeks awakening (bodhi)—hence, an individual on the path to becoming a buddha. - generated bodhicitta or the spontaneous desire to achieve the state of being enlightened. -are enlightened beings who have put off entering paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment. - are usually depicted as less austere or inward than the Buddha. - are typically represented with precious jewelry, elegant garments and graceful postures. - believed that Siddhartha secretly taught key principles to chosen people, to his most dedicated disciples, or to the most faithful who could completely interpret these teachings in time. - forwarded the concept that Siddhartha Gautama was actually a benevolent celestial being, not just a mere human being - advanced the radical idea that Siddhartha Gautama was not the only Buddha. - teaches that anyone can aspire to achieve awakening (bodhicittot-pada) and thereby become a bodhisattva - awakening consists in understanding the true nature of reality - seek to understand this reality through wisdom (prajna) and to actualize it through compassion (karuna) - They are “self-less,” both philosophically, in the sense of understanding the absence of self or essence in all things and persons, and ethically, since they act for all beings without discrimination. *AWAKENING - the emphasis is less on nirvana and more on knowledge or wisdom - ordinary reality is ultimately nothing more than convention or tacit agreement. Understanding absolute truth consists in understanding the nature of ordinary reality as nothing more than conventional; and is realized through meditation and—in the Vajrayana tradition, which uses highly symbolic language—through various practices specifically designed to break down ordinary assumptions through shocking inversions of normal expectations - its universal accessibility leads to the conclusion that there are not only an infinite number of bodhisattvas in the universe but also an infinite number of buddhas, each dwelling in his own world-realm EXAMPLE: Bodhisattva Dharmakara - whose vows set the conditions under which he would attain awakening and become the Buddha Amitabha (Japanese: Amida). He promised to create the world-realm Sukhavati (“Pure Bliss”) and to guarantee that ordinary beings could attain rebirth there (rather than reentering the cycle of transmigration) merely by having faith in him MAHAYANA INNOVATION: *Although the classical theory of karma dictates that only an individual’s own actions can affect his future, epigraphical evidence illustrates the early existence of the idea of the transfer of merit, especially to one’s deceased parents, ultimately leading to their liberation. The generation of merit has always been important in Buddhism, but the application of merit toward the acquisition of wisdom and ultimate awakening, instead of toward better future rebirths within samsara. *THE DOCTRINE OF SKILLFUL MEANS (UPAYA) - it originates in myths of the Buddha's compassionate plans for raising life from the ceaseless round of birth and death. His strategies or interventions are 'skillful means' - morally wholesome tricks devised for the purpose of enabling nirvana or enlightenment. *THE CONCEPT OF TRIKAYA (THREE BODIES) - states that each Buddha has three bodies, namely, dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. The table below summarizes the nature of the three bodies of Buddha. 1. 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. 2. SAMBHOGAKAYA - believed to be a remuneration of one’s aggregated positive deeds, it serves as a other trikayas of Buddha 3. NIRMANAKAYA - is the physical body that undergoes birth, inhabits the world, and dies in the end EXAMPLE: Siddharta Gautama *For Mahayana Buddhists, Buddhas are not individuals who actually lived in this world; they are simply expressions of the one Buddha reality, such as that of Siddhartha Gautama; these great Buddhas are to be found in various heavens enshrined together with other gods and saints. *BHUMIS AND PARAMITAS - these are extensions of the “Eightfold Path” as discussed in the previous lesson on Theravada Buddhism. BHUMI -it is the 32nd and 33rd place on the outgoing's process of Mahayana awakening. Each stage represents a level of attainment in that case, and serves as a basis for the next one. Each level marks a definite advancement in one's training that is accompanied by progressively greater power and wisdom PARAMITAS - means 'perfection' or 'completeness‘; It is described in Buddhist commentaries as noble character qualities generally associated with enlightened beings PARAMITAS - translated as “to cross over the other shore,” imply crossing from the “sea of suffering” to the “shore of happiness
*BODDHISATTVA VOW is stated
as “May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.” WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES *They pray and chant to pay their respect to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. *They offer vegetarian food and light incense to pay homage to these important divine beings. *Worshippers also recite chants and undertake pilgrimages to sites of Buddhist importance. Meditational activities are fundamental in almost all popular forms of Buddhism. *The lotus that symbolizes purity, the eight-spoke wheels that represent the dharma, and the different hand gestures (mudras) are important symbols for Mahayana Buddhism. DIVISIONS OF INDIAN MAHAYANA SCHOOLS: 1.MADHYAMIKA - founded by the Indian monk and philosopher Nagarjuna; is a systematization of the Prajnaparamita (“Perfection of Wisdom”) scriptures, which emphasize that the doctrine of wisdom (prajna) is the most important of the six perfections that the bodhisattva must master. The others are charity (dana), discipline (hila), flexibility (kanti), energy (virya), and meditative contemplation (dhyana) 2. YOGACARA (VIJNANAVADA) - founded by the Indian philosophers Asanga and his brother Vasubandhu, is less directly based on any sutra and is better understood as a synthesis of the Madhyamika emptiness doctrine with Abhidharmic systematics or traditional dogmatics. OTHER PHILOSOPHICAL TRADITIONS: *Yogacara-Madhyamika fusion *a Tathagatagarbha (buddha nature) tradition, which emphasizes the inherent seed of awakening in all beings *a school of Logic and Epistemology (pramana) SUBDIVISIONS OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM: 1. THE PURE LAND SECT - When believers die, it is their objective to live in the “Pure Land of the West” or Sukhavati. By simply reciting the name of the Amitabha with utmost attentiveness many times during the day, they may be reborn in this paradise where they can work to achieve enlightenment much easier; utilizes chants and recitations to focus on helpful thoughts 2. THE INTUITIVE SECTS - emphasize that salvation is a personal matter and one cannot receive assistance from other entities, such as another person or institution, to realize the inner truths of religion; An individual may be spiritually enlightened by a sudden spark of insight, either through meditation or even by accident, beyond words or thoughts. 3. THE RATIONALIST SECTS T’ien-t’ai - rationalist Buddhist school of thought emphasized that acts of studying and contemplation were both vital for spiritual enlightenment; other means to reach this goal include mystical communion with the eternal, ascetic discipline, meritorious deeds, and simple faith in the mercy of the Buddha 4. THE SOCIO-POLITICAL SECT Nichiren Daishonin - a Japanese Buddhist monk began to teach that the path towards attaining enlightenment rested solely on the devotion to the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren (“sun lotus”) Buddhism, which is purely a Japanese phenomenon, perceives itself as the only rightful version of Buddhism; teaches that individuals must take responsibility to enhance themselves, or what is called “human revolution,” and, in turn, to improve the world’s lot. Enlightenment is accessible to every individual on earth simply by opening one’s inherent Buddha-nature in this world 5. TIBETAN BUDDHISM - is a religion in exile, forced from its homeland when Tibet was conquered by the Chinese. - combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and Shamanic, and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called Bon Songtsan Gampo - considered the founder of the Tibetan Empire. He was influenced by his Chinese and Indian wives who were both Buddhist followers Dalai Lama - best known face of Tibetan Buddhism who has lived in exile in India since he fled Chinese occupation of his country in 1959. SACRED SCRIPTURES (2184 sutras) SUTRAS – sacred texts 1. LOTUS SUTRA - one of the most important and influential sutras, or sacred scriptures, of Buddhism. - a teaching that encourages an active engagement with mundane life and all its challenges - it is ultimately a teaching of empowerment. It “teaches us that the inner determination of an individual can transform everything; it gives ultimate expression to the infinite potential and dignity inherent in each human life. (SGI President Daisaku) 2. PERFECTION OF WISDOM SUTRA (PRAJNA- PARAMITA) - refers to this perfected way of seeing the nature of reality, as well as to a particular body of sutras and to the personification of the concept in the Bodhisattva known as the "Great Mother" (Tibetan: Yum Chenmo) PRAJNA-PARAMITA - Sanskrit words prajñā "wisdom" with pāramitā "perfection". - is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and is generally associated with the doctrine of emptiness (Shunyata) or 'lack of Svabhava' (essence) and the works of Nagarjuna. Its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva path. 3. HEART SUTRA - this short sutra goes to the heart of the doctrine it summarizes - it discusses the doctrine of “emptiness” (shunyata), which is the nature of reality. - The process of death and rebirth (samsara), the suffering (dukkha) that one experiences while knowing that one may die, the effects of past actions (karma) that bind one to samsara, the skandhas that constitute a sense of selfhood, the ephemeral and microscopic dharmas that constitute phenomenal reality—all are revealed to be devoid of permanence, and thus “empty.” Awareness of such emptiness leads to release (moksha) from samsara and to the wisdom that precedes enlightenment (bodhi). 4. LAND OF BLISS SUTRA (SUKHAVATI)/ PURE LAND OF BLISS - rebirth in Sukhavati is ensured by invoking the name of Amitabha, particularly at the moment of death. It demonstrate a popular belief that women may also enter Sukhavati upon death. - expressively described as being a joyous world, soft and glowing, filled with the music of birds and the tinkling of trees adorned with precious jewels and garlands of golden bells. *The newly dead enter into lotus buds, which unfold when the occupants have become entirely purified and have attained enlightenment. Many are said to be reborn on Earth after leaving Sukhavati to become bodhisattvas working toward the liberation (moksha) of all sentient beings. SELECTED ISSUES: 1.TIBET INVASION 2.ENGAGED ACTIVISM 3.A GREAT INSIGHT INTO THE CHARITY OF TZU CHI ACTIVITY: Direction: Answer the following questions in your activity notebook. 1. What is the importance of the Sutras in Mahayana Buddhism? 2. Why is Siddhartha Gautama considered as an example of a Buddha in a state of nirmanakaya. 3, What is bodhisattva and how is it related to buddha- hood? 4. Why did Thich Quang Duc burn himself? 5. How does Mahayana Buddhism spread in Tibet? Thank you!