Mahayana Buddhism At about the time of Christ

Mahayana Buddhism • At about the time of Christ, Buddhism became divided –Theravada (Hinayana) – small raft (vehicle) –Mahayana – large raft (vehicle) • One striking feature of the Mahayana is its literature (Prajnaparamita Sutras) –Written in Sanskrit –Proliferated about 100 BC – 400 AD –Too voluminous for any single person to read in a single lifetime • “The wisdom gone to the other shore” • Lotus Sutra, Diamond Sutra, etc. • Theravada Buddhism: the 3 marks of all existence –Anatta (no self); Dukkha (painfulness); Anicca (impermanence) • Mahayana Buddjsm added “emptiness, ” as the fourth mark of all existence –Happiness is intrinsic to a healthy mind –Don’t grasp; just “be” –Reality is not an illusion; but its real nature (its reality) is transparent to analysis –The objective world exists, but its independent existence, separate from its subjective perception, cannot be found –A “non-verbal” experience of reality is what is needed

• Different philosophies in the Mahayana school of Buddhism – Sthaviravadins – Pudgalavadins – Yogacarins – Madhyamika – Etc. • Subtle philosophical differences re: nature of ultimate reality and how we apprehend it • Varieties of Buddhism (diagram)

• Comparison between the two schools (chart) Theravada (Hinayana) Mahayana – Teaching of the elders Spirit of the elders – Small vehicle Large (great) vehicle – Man as an individual Man involved with others – Man on his own in the universe Man is not alone (grace is real) – Key virtue: wisdom (bodhi) Key virtue: compassion (karuna) – Religion is primarily for monks Religion is for laypersons as well – Ideal: the Arhat (lonely saint) Ideal: the Bodhisattva – Nirvana + heavens, hells – Buddha is a saint or sage Buddha is a savior – Avoids metaphysics (speculation) Elaborates metaphysics – Avoids ritual Includes ritual – Conservative Liberal – Pali texts Many later texts (Sanskrit) – Old wisdom school New wisdom school – Escape Samsara, and reach Nirvana Samsara is Nirvana (identity) – Ceylon, Burma, etc. (Southern Bism) China, Korea, Japan (N Bism)

• Most Mahayanists hold that Buddha privately taught that man does not have to save himself; there is help available. The number of Buddhas proliferated. The authors of salvation are of three kinds: – Manushi Buddhas (started from a human base – Gotama Buddha) • They came on earth, attained enlightenment, and are now gone. They are teachers • Gotama before his enlightenment – Bodhisattvas • Beings who vowed to become Buddhas and have enormous merit; they postponed their entrance to Nirvana to help us • Maitreya, Avalokitesvara, Kwan Yin, Amitabha – Dhyani Buddhas (meditation Buddhas, never in human form) • They achieved Buddha-hood, but not in human manifestation • Vairocana, Amitabha are the most appealing of the D. Buddhas • • Also, a mythology about the Buddha developed (Buddhology) The Trikaya (Triple Body of the Buddha) – Dharmakaya (analogous to the “Godhead”) – Sambogakhaya (analogous to the “resurrected” Christ) – Nirmanakaya (analogous to the historical Jesus of Nazareth)

The Bodhisattva became popular • A being whose essence is enlightenment • The bodhisattva vow (to save all sentient beings) [Vision p 41] • Daily schedule of the schools of Buddhism (Theravada, Zen, Tibetan) – Rise at 4 am – Lunch is the main meal – To bed by 10 pm – A lot of time given to study/work • Re: the conduct of the various schools – Symbiotic relationship – Conduct (gives merit, or punya) includes • Rules of restraint (5 and 5) • The perfections towards which we should strive • Taking responsibility for one’s actions

• • The main objective in Buddhism is to attain liberation Buddhism has fragmented: there are many different schools In Japan alone, there are over 180 differentiated schools of Buddhism Several important schools, all of which have the same ultimate objective – Pure Land Buddhism (getting to heaven, or the “pure land”) – Ch’an, Zen, Son (meditative Buddhism) – Tendai (Rationalist School) – Nichiren (Sociological and political) – Tibetan (esoteric) – Let us look at each of these in turn…. .

• Pure Land Buddhism – Faith in Amidha Buddha and recitation and meditation on his name – Religious goal of being reborn in his Pure Land meditation on his name – This present age is an age of decay • (pure dharma, compromised dharma; Mappo: latter day dharma) – In Japan often called Amidhism • In 12 century the monk Honen became persuaded that in our corrupt age the only successful road to enlightenment is through a complete dependence on Amidha – The mythological side of the movement centered on the Buddha of boundless light, Amitabha, although Kuan Yin overshadowed Amida – The Pure Land of the West exists infinitely far away as the Western edge of the universe (or it can be realized here and now in one’s present life) – Jodoshu (Pure Land Buddhism) was founded by Honen (1133 -1212) – He did 60, 000 bows in one day (? ) – Reciting the nembutsu (namu amida butsu) is the only way to “endure” or “make it” in the last days – Repeating the formula can bring salvation – Salvation is impossible by meditation or asceticism

– Jodoshinshu (True PLBuddism) was founded by Shinran (1173 -1263) – Salvation by grace alone – “If salvation is by faith, the monastic rule avails a man nothing” – Parallel with Martin Luther in the course of faith re: monasticism – The Pure Land Sutra – Culmination of Pure Land Buddhism – Nembutsu, but with faith (tariki: other power school) – He shifted the attention from practice, to attitude – He made the act of faith itself the essential basis of salvation – The act of faith was made not by the person, but by the Buddha acting in that person (similar to Karl Barth-W. theologian)

• • • Ch’an (China), Zen (Japan), Son (Korea) Zen Buddhism is very popular in the West Buddha’s “flower sermon” (the disciple Ananda) 28 patriarchs 1. Sakyamuni…. . 28. Boddhidharma 1) “A special oral transmission from master to disciple outside of scripture 2) No dependence upon the authority of words and letters (anti-intellectual) 3) Direct pointing to the soul of man 4) Seeing into one’s own nature and attaining Buddha-hood The 10 Ox-Herding pictures • • Rinzai school (Eisai): sudden enlightenment with a “Koan” (ie Wonhyo in Korea) – Short pithy utterance (sound of one hand clapping? ) – Designed to disrupt the normal, everyday mental machinery – “Great death” leads to satori (enlightenment)** (see notes) Soto school (Dogen): gradual enlightenment (without a koan) • • • Very popular in the Western world The western scholar and the Zen master with a filled cup of tea Zen and the Art of Archery

• Rationalist school of Tendai (Tien Tai) – An eclectic school – One of China’s great schools of Buddhism – Tries to reconcile Theravada and Mahayana (inclusive point of view) – Meditation should be balanced by a prolonged and serious study of texts – Has a place for all the Buddhist scriptures – Most popular and important text is the Lotus Sutra • Locus classicus is the “burning home” passage (Vision p 218) – Also contains a “parable of the prodigal son, ” rather similar to the Bible

• Lotus Sutra (Saddharma) – Contains the essence of all the teachings of the Buddha – Doctrine that the Buddha taught differently at the different stages of his life – He taught according to the understanding of his hearers (like Jesus) – Upaya (skillful means) • Originally the doctrines of the Theravada sutras • Later, in progressively profounder versions, the Mahayana doctrines • The fullest revelation of eternal truth is in the Lotus Sutra • All men can become the Buddha, because all possess the Ba nature • Various teachings are necessary to meet various needs • Tendai scholars made use of the doctrine of the 3 bodies of the Ba • The Ba as absolute truth manifests in the realm of phenomena both as historical teacher and as celestial object of worship and adoration • Scholars arranged various writings in a hierarchy • At the summit was the Lotus Sutra

• Nichiren (a socio-political school of Mahayana Buddhism) – Soka Gakkai; Risho Kosekai – Has become very political – Seemingly has lost the spirit of Buddhism • Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan School – The reasoned knowledge of the schools, distilled into books, is not as effective in awakening one to enlightenment as live experience under a guru able to conduct magically potent secret exercises which can bring one into direct contact with ultimate reality – Tantrayana – Mandalas – Bardo Thodol • (Bardo: intermediate state; Thodol: great liberation by “hearing”) • The “Tibetan Book of the Dead” • Deals with transition states • Between death and passing; between jobs; between moments of security (ie at moments of insecurity and uncertainty) • We are confronted by our demons; how we handle them determines our destiny

• • New Religious Movements (especially in Japan) Tenchi Seikyo – Maitreya Buddha – Beautiful white marble statue – Doctrines similar to UM • Won Buddhism – Indigenous to Korea – One circle (see chart) • Buddhist art – Very significant and beautiful – Not just for decoration, but are visual images of the Buddha at various points along his life path • • Buddhist influence on the early desert fathers of Christianity “Two Messages, One Doctrine”