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BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM. DEVELOPMENTS IN BUDDHISM. Three Jewels. I take refuge in the Buddha I take refuge in the Dharma I take refuge in the sangha. Three Major Forms/Interpretations of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayna & Vajrayana. Theravada (‘Lesser’ Vehicle ) Teaching first transmitted orally

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BUDDHISM

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  1. BUDDHISM DEVELOPMENTS IN BUDDHISM

  2. Three Jewels • I take refuge in the Buddha • I take refuge in the Dharma • I take refuge in the sangha

  3. Three Major Forms/Interpretations of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayna & Vajrayana • Theravada (‘Lesser’ Vehicle) • Teaching first transmitted orally • Scriptures =Tipitaka (Three Baskets; collections of Buddha’s teachings) • Concentrated on psychology and ideal of arhant • ‘seeing’ through meditation

  4. Theravada vs. Mahayana Goal in Theravada- arhant = one who achieves Nirvana and then lives enlightened life; realizes anatman Monk follows nirvanic path Layperson follows karmic path Goal in Mahayana – bodhisattva Goal of arhant regarded as ultimately selfish

  5. Developments in Buddhism: Mahayana • Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) • Scripture includes secret teachings • Nirvana as selfish goal • Bodhisattva takes vow not to enter Nirvana until all have been enlightened • But, as this can never happen, idea of Nirvana changes- can be experienced in present • ‘seeing’ combined with ongoing life of compassion through ideal of bodhisattva • Madhyamika • Nagarjuna; founded school 150-250 C.E. • Philosophical school • Yogacara

  6. Developments (cont.) • New Emphases • Buddha a divine savior rather than human teacher • Influenced by bhakti movement in Hinduism • Buddhas are present and thus may be worshipped • Contrast with aniconic tradition of Theraveda • Salvation consists of personal union with Buddha rather than attainment of impersonal nirvana • Buddha and bodhisattvas are manifestations of ultimate reality, the Dharma-body of Buddha (Nirvana) • This reality is inherent in all beings; thus salvation consists of realizing one’s Buddha nature (Nirvana) • Buddha-Nature is identical with samsara • Problem: We cling to illusion of separate self and don’t realize Buddha-nature

  7. Developments (cont.) • We gain merit by puja, worship of bodhisattvas and Buddha • Eventually develops idea of liberation from above, not just our own efforts • Bodhisattva accumulates merit we can tap into • Merit is transferable • Bodhisattva as model • Worshipping buddhas and bodhisattvas still at lower level • Eventually all can be discarded when we enter enlightenment

  8. Developments (cont.) • Further Developments • Nothing in the universe has independent substance in and of itself • Including the factors of existence (dharmas;e.g. chariot) • Because these factors are themselves conditioned, and subject to decay • They neither exist or do not exist – the are empty • Since all things are empty, no definite statement can be made about them- even their non-existence • Since nothing has any independent substance, all distinctions, including that between samsara and nirvana must disappear • If we perceive fundamental insubstantiality of thing, we can release ourselves from clinging/thirsting

  9. Popular Movements • Popular Texts • Popular texts deal with general concepts; Philosophical texts more analytical • Saddharmapundarika is the most popular lay text • Provides guide for devotion • Contains main doctrines of the Mahayana and teachings of the bodhisattva.

  10. Philosophical Schools: Madhyamika • Madhyamika founded by Nagarjuna (c. 150-250 C.E.) • Basic problem: We struggle with the illusion of perceiving things where there is, in fact, only Emptiness (shunyata) • Truth of Emptiness (which is ineffable) can only be realized through direct experience • Language is helpful but inadequate; it cannot get at the nature of reality which is Empty, unspeakable • Middle path between intellectual views • Reduction to absurdity argument (cf. Socrates) • All the implications of the opponent’s thesis unacceptable in light of the opponents own assumptions; radical criticism. Nagarjuna: • Identifies point of view • Assumes point of view • Then reduces it to absurdity

  11. Nagarjuna (cont.) • All intellectual views can be reduced to having no basis since they have dependently originated • cannot be evaluated on own terms • Thus have no validity • Not a rejection of reason; rather reason as tool to be discarded • All views have partial reality; none capture the whole truth • What is ultimately true cannot be reached by intellectual arguments but only experienced • Eventually after reduction to absurdity, we are left with ‘emptiness’

  12. Nagarjuna (cont.) • Emptiness • Key idea of Nagarjuna is emptiness (sunyata) • Emptiness (‘absence of own being’) is predicate of alldharmas both • Conditioned (phenomenal world of samsara) • Unconditioned (nirvana) • Emptiness is that which does not change; not subject to impermanence • Emptiness is absolute; since it is absolute, no distinction between samsara and Nirvana • Nirvana, then, is experienced in this world. We awaken to the world as it really is • One doesn’t acquire Nirvana, one realizes it

  13. Nagarjuna (cont.) • Phenomenal world is only a qualified reality • Nothing has its ‘own being’ • Since all is impermanent, things cannot have a reality in and of themselves • Nothing is ultimately real in the sense of having its own reality in and of itself; all is subject to illusion –including our own thoughts • Because these are being produced by that which has no real substance in itself – the thinker • So even these theories, including the one on Emptiness, is subject to illusionary delusion • Connected to Nagarjuna’s reduction to absurdity • Emptiness is the one constant, though that too is ultimately empty • Where does that leave us?

  14. Nagarjuna (cont.) • Truth can only be experienced • Certainty cannot be reached by flawed argumentation, but through mediation • Emptiness is present and graspable now. Thus one comes to the realization: • That there is no difference between Emptiness and the phenomenal world therefore • There is no qualitative distinction between Nirvana and samsara • We already are in Nirvana, already are a Buddha, if we can only realize it

  15. Nagarjuna (cont.) • Two levels of being or being or truth: • Primary system– that which is ultimately true • Descriptive system- expresses conventional truth • But ultimate truth is ‘Emptiness’ or ‘Voidness’

  16. Philosophical Schools: Vijnanavada • Accepted majority of Nagarjuna’s precepts but felt modification was necessary to be more practical • Some criticisms of Nagarjuna’s thought: • Nagarjuna’s approach of using intellect to destroy intellect too destructive • Tendency to overlook experiential dimension, especially meditation • Nagarjuna did not pay enough attention to the notion of consciousness

  17. Vijnanavada (cont.) • Broke Nagarjuna’s two levels of knowing into three levels • Primary • Purely imaginative • Empirically verifiable • Allows for differentiation between publicly verifiable and purely illusory • Why would Nagarjuna not have been happy with this distinction? • Descriptive – is ultimate truth

  18. Vijnanavada (cont.) • ‘There is no spoon’ • The universe exists only in the mind of the one who perceives it • Because we perceive something is no proof of its existence • Indeed all our perceptions are, in fact, projections of the mind • Reality is interpreted by consciousness • Reality always perceived through the subject-object lens of consciousness • But reality does not have this subject-object character • Through meditation we can experience and ‘see’ the oneness of all things

  19. Yijnanavada Schools (cont.) • ‘Suchness’ • However, there exists one thing which is independent of human thought- ‘Suchness’ which corresponds to the ‘Emptiness’ of Nagarjuna • ‘Suchness’ is without predicates • So, ‘emptiness’ is reinterpreted to mean ‘pure consciousness’ • This pure awareness is contentless and thus ultimately void • Salvation is obtained by exhausting the store of consciousness until it became pure being itself and thus identical with the ‘Suchness’ which is the only thing which truly exists • The way to achieve this liberation is through yogic practices, especially mediation • Through which one comes to see the complete subjectivity of all sense perceptions

  20. Philosophical Schools (cont.) • Both Madhyamika and Vijnanavada schools made no distinction between the relative and the absolute. • Nirvana is available now; one need only change one’s awareness to recognize it • Nirvana and Samsara are the same thing

  21. Dharmakaya • The true nature of reality is the dharmakaya, “Body of Dharma” • Dharma body of Buddha encompasses all reality • As Dharma is universal, eternal, ultimate, unconditioned , so is the Buddha (Brahman like?) • Buddha same as ‘suchness’ and ‘emptiness’ • Realizing one’s Buddha-nature

  22. Major Developments in Buddhism: Vajrayana • Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) • Esoteric form of Buddhism • Incorporated Tantric practices • Practiced in Tibet and some Japanese schools

  23. Vajrayana Buddhism • Also known as Tantric Buddhism • Very influenced by Madhyamika and Yogacara schools • Break down the distinctions, emphasizing the underlying oneness of things • Concept such as sunyata and prajna (wisdom)- Male, resolved w karuna (compassion) - Female • Freedom from clinging is not by fleeing the world but by seeing embracing its characteristic of sunyata (emptiness) • resolving dualities/polarities to see the underlying oneness of reality • Therefore, not withdrawal, but engagement with world • Remember no distinction between samsara (phenomenal world) and nirvana • To achieve proper state of mind • Rigorous yogic and meditational exercises • Mantric repetitions • Can include sexual practices • Point is to see/experience non-duality of reality

  24. Vajrayana Buddhism (cont.) • Resolution of polarity expressed for example by resolution of polarity expressed for example by yab-yum • Sexual imagey of yab-yim as language • Meditation on liberation • Reality of the emptiness is achieved by observing and experiencing the oneness of polarities, the union of the passive and the active, male and female, mind and the physical • Male is compassion; female is wisdom

  25. Tibetan Buddhism • From 7th cent CE • Distinctive form of Buddhism • ‘mystical’ Buddhism • Synthesizes Buddhist, Indian and indigenous ideas • Buddhism: especially Madhaymika and Yogacara and ritual practicesof of Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) Buddhism/Tantric Buddhism. Incorporates monastic discipline • Indian: Tantra • Indigenous: shaminism, Bon • With coming of the teacher Atisha • Further developments in practice of the sutras and Tantra • Stress on cult of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara • Teacher is a lama • Tibetan canon completed by 14th cent.

  26. Mandala of BhutadamaraCentral Tibet, 14th century

  27. Tibetan Buddhism (cont.) • Ascendency of the ‘Yellow Hats’, Geluk Order. • Tantric and magical rites in moderation • 17th cent. Mongols installed 5th Dalai Lama (1617-82) as master of Tibet, accompanied by complete political control

  28. Tibetan Buddhism: Dalai Lama • Dalai Lama • Since 17th cent. Dalai Lama is both spiritual leader and ruler of Tibet • Succession by reincarnation • Candidates • Dalai Lama and Avalokiteshvara • For some, Dalai Lamas are understood to be successive incarnations of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion • For others, Dalai Lamas are humans blessed by Avalokiteshvara • Current Dalai Lama exiled since 1959 • 6000 monasteries destroyed by China

  29. Current Dalai Lama

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