Mahāyāna Buddhism

1. Mahāyāna Buddhism • Emerged primarily as a reaction against old schools of Buddhism, which were • Highly ecclesiastic, • Somewhat pedantic, • Allegedly self-centered, focused on individual salvation • Known as the “Greater Vehicle”, which offered • A new set of literature called the Prajňāparamitā, or “Perfection of Wisdom” literature • A new theory concerning the nature of Buddhahood • A different path to a new goal—the Bodhisattva path

2. Multi-Buddhas theory • All sentient beings can attain Buddhahood • Many celestial Buddhas (and Bodhisattvas) permeated the pantheon of Mahāyāna Buddhism • Foremost among these celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are: • Amitābha, or the Buddha of “Unlimited Light”, Sometimes called Amitāyus, or the Buddha of “Unlimited Life”, said to rule over the Western Paradise of Sukhāvatī, and known in China as Amituofo, and in Japan as Amida Butsu • Aksobhya, “Immovable Buddha” said to reign over Eastern Paradise known as Abhirati • Vairocana, “Shining Out Buddha”, “Great Sun Buddha” • Bhaiśajayaguru Buddha, “Healing Buddha”

3. Bodhisattva Maňjuśrī, “Sweet Glory”, symbolizing wisdom • Maitreya, future Buddha, “Benevolent One”, a cult image said to rule over Tuşita Heaven • Avalokiteśvara, “The Lord Who Looks Down,” • Represented in art in a variety of ways, including a layman with eleven heads, a thousand arms…

4. Multi-World systems • “universes are as numerous as the sands of Ganges” • Some of the world systems are Buddha fields (lands) in which a Tatagata lives and teaches the Dharma • Each Buddha land is a “pure land”—a pure world formed by jewels, gems, diamond bodies,…as opposed to “impure” worlds formed by organic matters. • Better known Buddha lands are:

5. Better Known Buddha Lands • Abhirati, Land of Light in the East, presided by the Buddha Aksobhya, which means “immovable” or “imperturbable” • This pure land and the Buddha Aksobhya are not popular in East Asia, but are relatively popular in Tantrism • In art, he is represented in blue, holding a diamondscepter in his right hand; his left hand is in the earth-witness gesture, with a blue elephant for his mount.

6. The Buddha Aksobhya

7. Sukhāvatī, Land of Utmost Bliss in the West, presided by the Buddha Amitābha /Amitāyus, which means “immeasurable light/life span” • Story about this Buddha: • Found in the Longer/Larger Sutra (one of the three major Pure Land Sutras) • Amitābha song 1 • Amitābha song 2

8. Amitāyus (The Buddha of Infinite life) or Amitābha (The Buddha of Immeasurable Light) and his Pure Land are discussed in detail in these three Pure Land sutras: • The Shorter/Smaller Sutra on Amitāyus, • The Longer/Larger Sutra on Amitāyus, • The Sutra on Contemplation of Amitāyus • Amitāyus is known as O-mi-to fo, Wu-liang-shou fo in Chinese, and Amida Butsu in Japanese

9. Mahāyānaemphasis is on compassion for all sentient beings and the emptiness (śūnyata)of all phenomena • Split into different schools in India: • The Mādhyamika school • The Yogācāra school • Pure Land tradition • Vajrayāna tradition • More schools emerged in China and other EA countries

10. Mahāyāna literature • First category: Prajňāparamitā literature • Consists of a series of Mahāyāna texts: • Perfection of Wisdom Discourse in 8,000 lines” • Later expanded into 18,000, 25,000, and 100,000 verses. • Two shortened versions also appeared: • The Diamond Sutra • The Heart Sutra • Tantric texts also emerged: • The Perfection of Wisdom in One Letter • Bodhisattvas figured prominently in these texts

11. Second category: Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa sutra • Tells a story about the Buddha’s sermon in the town of Vaiśālī • audience: 800 monks, 32,000 bodhisattvas, and many lay disciples • Among lay disciples Vimalakīrti is absent due to an illness • Bodhisattva Maňjuśrī offers to inquire after Vimalakīrti

12. Vimalakīrti attributes his illness to his compassion for the sickness of all sentient beings, noting that he won’t become cured unless all other sentient beings are cured. • Then Vimalakīrti poses a question: “how a bodhisattva can enter the Dharma-door of non-duality?” • After hearing thirty-one replies, Maňjuśrī says that those replies are themselves dualistic and that “to know no one teaching, to express nothing, to explain nothing, to announce nothing, to indicate nothing, and to designate nothing” is the entrance into nonduality.

13. Maňjuśrī requests Vimalakīrti’s answer to his own question. • Vimalakīrti’s response: complete and total silence. • This is considered the only perfect answer.

14. Third category: Lańkāvatāra sutra • Discusses emptiness, the theory of eight-consciousnesses, five dharmas, the Thathāgata is present in all sentient beings, or Buddhahood is readily available to all. • Used as an early Chan/Zen text in China

15. Fourth category: Lotus Sutra • Full title: “Sutra on the Lotus of the Good/Wonderful Teaching” • The basis of Tiantai school of Chinese Buddhism; extremely important • Stresses “One Vehicle” Buddhism, the nature of the Tathāgata the use of “skillful means” or “skill-in-means” (upāya)

16. Fifth category: Pure Land Sutra • Three texts: • Larger Sukhāvatīvyuha Sutra (Larger Sutra) • SmallerSukhāvatīvyuha Sutra (Smaller Sutra) • Sutra on the Viisualization of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, or Guan wuliangshoufo jing • Pure Land Faith • The Larger Sutra tells a story about the monk Dharmakara and his forty-eight vows under a prior Buddha known as Lokeśvararāja. • Rebirth in the Pure Land is available to those: • Make a vow to be reborn there • Employ their good merit to do so • Meditate on Amitābha

17. The Smaller Sutra • Focuses on repeated recitation of Amitābha’s name to attain salvation • Expressed by the formula: • Namo Amitābhāya Buddhāya (in Sanskrit), Nanwu Amituofo (in Chinese), and Namu Amida Butsu (in Japanese)--- “Homage toAmitābha Buddha” • Regarded as the “easy way” to attain salvation • Faith is much stressed • Meditation secondary

18. Mahāyāna Schools • In India • The Mādhyamika school • The Yogācāra school • Pure Land tradition • Vajrayāna tradition • In China • The Mādhyamika school • The Yogācāra school (Mind-only School) • Pure Land tradition • Tiantai School • Huayan School • Chan School

19. Pure Land: A New Form of Buddhism? • Early Mahayanists and Hinayanists saw problems of a new movement in Buddhist communities: the emergence of the Pure Land and the Amitabha cult • It is an aberration from the Buddha’s original intention, because it no longer follows the Buddha’s path: self-reliance, strict ethical, mental, and spiritual disciplines • Rather, is stresses the worship of the Buddha Amitabha and the reliance on his saving grace—putting one’s faith in a powerful “other”.

20. Self-power vs. Other’s Power • What caused the shift from “self-discipline” to reliance on “other’s” saving grace, and from reliance on “austerity/effort” to reliance on “faith”? • The “Three Stages/Periods Dharma” theory: • The Period of the True Dharma (Zhengfa), 500 years • The Period of the Outer-Semblance (Xiangfa) of the Dharma, 1,000 years • The Period of the Decay of the Dharma (Mofa), 10,000 years

21. Mahayana Buddhism • Greater Vehicle, Bodhisattva-yana (the vehicle of Bodhisattvas • The concept of saviors and compassion • Multiple Buddhas and Bodhisattvas • elevation of the Buddha and creation of new Buddhology • The “three bodies” theory • Dhamakāya: “Body of Dharma,” symbol of ultimate truth/reality, transcendent and can only be perceived by a Buddha. • Sambhogakāya: heavenly body, “Reward Body/Enjoyment Body”, preacher of the Mahayana sutras and is seen by those on the Bodhisattva path. • Nirmāņakāya: earthly body, physical body, “Apparition Body”---historical Buddha

22. Practice of Mahayana Buddhism • follow Bodhisattva path, beginning with “bodhicitta” (thought of enlightenment) • Six paramitas (Six Perfections) • generosity (giving), • morality, • patience, • courage /vigor, • meditation, • wisdom

23. Mahayana Universal salvation Bodhisattva ideal Universal Buddhahood Hinayana Individual salvation Arhat Buddhahood attainable by a chosen few Mahayana vs. Hinayana

24. The Bodhisattva Ideal • Six perfections • Generosity, morality, patience, courage, meditation, wisdom • Ten stages (bhumi) leading to nirvana • Three most important bodhisattvas in East Asia • Maitreya, “Kindly One,”—epitomizes power & Skillful means • Avalokiteśvara, “The Lord who looks down (in compassion)”--epitomizes compassion • Mańjuśri, “Gentle Glory”--epitomizes wisdom

25. Central Philosophy • Middle Way (Madhyamika) • Nāgārjuna • the doctrine of emptiness (śūnyatā) • associated with the concepts of impermanence and no-self : no permanent self, so no permanent reality • meditation helps see true reality • dependent-origination (dependent arising) • the principle of causality ( the twelve-linked chain of causation)

26. Dependent Origination: Twelve-Linked Chain of Causation • The Three Poisons: • Desire, lust, greed (pig) • Hatred (snake) • Ignorance, delusion (rooster)

27. 1. Blind man 2. stumbles 3. falls 4. a swelling develops 5. an abscess forms and weeps 6. abscess gets knocked and bruised 7. terrible pains 8. long to remove the pains 9. seizes on something that cures 10. applies medicine to cure 11. condition getting worse 12. the swelling bursts 1. Ignorance 2.disposition 3.consciousness 4.mind and body 5.six senses 6.contact 7.feeling 8.craving 9.grasping 10.becoming 11. birth 12. old age and death Dependent Origination: The Twelve-linked Chain of Causation

28. Great Translator of Buddhist Scriptures • Kumarajiva 鳩摩羅什 (344-413) from Kucha • Great translator of Buddhist scriptures • Arrived in China in 401 • Translated 74 scriptures in 384 fascicles in total, including: • The Diamond Sutra • The Lotus Sutra • The Amitabha Sutra (Shorter Sutra)

29. Shorter Sutra • Major Discourse--four parts: • Shakyamuni describes the land of Utmost Bliss and its presiding buddha, the Buddha Amitabha (Amitayus) • He names some of the buddhas in other worlds who confirm the truth of his message as they praise the virtue of Amitayus • He explains the nature of the trust and commitment required for rebirth in the Land of Utmost Bliss • He explains how difficult it is to attain buddhahood and preach the message of the sutra

30. Narrative structure--several voices: • Ananda (narrator) • an audience of thousands of monks, arhats, bodhisattvas…. • Shariputra (a stand-in for the sutra’s readers or audiences) • Shakyamuni • Amitayus himself and the inhabitants of his Land

31. Pure Land according to the Smaller (Shorter) Sutra • Dwellers • suffer no pain, but enjoy pleasures of various kinds • exquisite flowers offered to numerous buddhas • dwell in a stage of Non-retrogression • Nature scene: • seven-jeweled ponds with water of eight excellent qualities • beautiful, fragrant, and pure lotus in the ponds • Heavenly flowers rain down from the “sky”

32. A World of Gold and Gems • Constructions: • Seven rows of balustrades, decorative nets, and trees • all made of four kinds of jewels • Pavilion adorned with seven jewels (gold, silver, beryl, crystal, sapphire, rosy pearls, and cornelian) sapphire cornelian

33. A World of Harmonious Music and Sounds • Heavenly music • Sounds sung by • Rare and beautiful birds of various colors • white geese, peacocks, parrots • Sound generated by soft breezes wafting through the jeweled trees and nets • People are spontaneously mindful of the Buddha when hearing the sounds

34. “Pure Land of the West,” anonymous, Tang Dynasty (618-905), from the Dunhuang Caves

35. “Pure Land of the West”, Anonymous, Tang Dynasty, from the Dunhuang Caves

36. Rebirth in Amitayus’ land • A different type of rebirth • Suffer no more, enjoy endless bliss • Enjoy immeasurable life span • This birth/rebirth gives one a better chance to enter nirvana

37. Faith and Rebirth • To attain rebirth in this Pure Land, one must • accept this sutra • cultivate faith in Amitayus and His Pure Land • accept the notion of the Pure Land with trust and without question • aspire to the rebirth in Amitayus’ land of ultimate bliss. • hold fast to Amitayus’ name after hearing it • The state of deliverance • at death, Amitayus will appear with other holy ones • aspirant’s mind will not fall into confusion • aspirant will be born in Amitayus’ land

38. MeditationinPureLandBuddhism • ThemeditatorcreatesamentalpictureofWesternParadiseforhimself,visioninghisrebirthinthispureland • He/sherecitesthemantra,“NamoAmitaBuddha”tenthousandtimesaday

39. Meditation in Buddhism • Early Buddhism: • Early accounts show that the Buddha taught meditation techniques differently to different disciples • Two of these techniques became central: • Sensory withdrawal: The process of withdrawal from sensory input in progressive states of trance • This was called “calming” (samatha) • Sensory observation: The process of observation of sensory input in progressive states of mindfulness • This was called “insight” (vipassanā)

40. The Practice of “Calm” • Preliminary process involves 40 objects of contemplation to eliminate the defilement of lust, hatred, delusion • Examples of objects (to counteract lust): • Decomposition of a corpse→ loathsomeness of the body→body as a bag covered with skin and filled with all sorts of filth→everythingconstitutingabody • Examples of objects (to counteract hatred) • Love→ compassion→sympathetic joy→ equanimity • Examplesofobject(tocounteractdelusion) • Breath(breathein,breatheout)

41. Ancillarytechniques: • Practiceofremembrance:VirtuesoftheThreeJewels(tocounteractlust) • Practiceofthemindfulnessofdeath,theremembranceofpeace,theloathsomenessoffood,andtheanalysisofthefourelements,e.g.,earth,water,fire,andair(tocounteracthatred)

42. ThePracticeofInsight • Meditatorfirstexaminesexternalevents,realizingthateventeventisamentalevent • Thenconsiderswhat“reality”meansandthatrealitymustbenon-dual. • Thentranscendtheknowledgeofnon-dualityandabidesin“noknowledgeofnon-duality” • Heentersintothehighestreality