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Sangha II: Mahayana Buddhism

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BUDDHISM ON THE SOUTHWEST ASIAN FRONTIER, c. 100s BCE. 3. MAHAYANA SOTERIOLOGY. Theravada goal = arhat (worthy one), who attains nirvana at death ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Sangha II: Mahayana Buddhism


1
Sangha (II)Mahayana Buddhism
  • Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
  • AST/REL 260
  • Buddhism
  • Berea College
  • Spring 2006

2
BUDDHISM ON THE SOUTHWEST ASIAN FRONTIER, c. 100s
BCE
3
MAHAYANA SOTERIOLOGY
  • Theravada goal arhat (worthy one), who attains
    nirvana at death
  • Mahayana goal bodhisattva (those whose essence
    is enlightenment), who defers nirvana in order to
    assist suffering beings in samsara
  • Unlike Theravada laity, Mahayana laity meditate,
    study scriptures, and may even teach dharma
  • In spite of openness to lay (even female)
    participation, Mahayana remains
    monastically-driven movement
  • Mahayana regards the number of suffering beings
    as infinite, thus suggesting an infinite number
    of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, who function as
    semi-divine figures interceding for believers,
    performing miracles, etc.
  • Almost all figures in Mahayana pantheon
    legendary/nonhistorical or drawn from
    non-Buddhist traditions
  • Hindu bhakti
  • Greco-Roman religions
  • Local deities

4
MAITREYA
  • Name means Benevolence
  • In this cosmic age, functions as bodhisattva
  • Currently reborn as god
  • Responsive to intercessory prayer
  • Future Buddha and successor to Sakyamuni
  • Often becomes focus of apocalyptic (end-time)
    expectation and/or messianic (future-savior)
    fervor

5
MAÑJUSRI
  • Name means Gentle Glory
  • In this cosmic age, functions as bodhisattva
  • Currently reborn in a Buddha-land (realm of
    samsara over which a Buddha presides, in which
    progress toward enlightenment is faster than
    usual)
  • Appears to devotees in dreams
  • When chanted, his name reduces ones rebirths
    until enlightenment
  • Associated with wisdom (prajña) that overcomes
    obstacles to enlightenment

6
AMITABHA
  • Name means Unlimited Light
  • Buddha who presides over realm in which one is
    guaranteed to attain enlightenment and rebirth as
    hell-being or animal is impossible
  • Vows to grant rebirth in his realm to
  • All who make a sincere effort at faith in his
    power (according to one tradition)
  • All beings, regardless of their effort (according
    to another)

7
AVALOKITESVARA
  • Name means Observing Lord
  • In this cosmic age, bodhisattva and attendant to
    Amitabha Buddha
  • When chanted, his name reduces ones rebirths
    until enlightenment and eliminates negative karma
  • Associated with compassion (karuna), rescue from
    danger, fertility
  • Seen as protector of Tibet
  • In East Asia, transformed into female figure
    Guanyin ??(Chinese), Kannon (Japanese)

8
MAHAYANA PHILOSOPHY IMADHYAMIKA
  • Associated with Nagarjuna (c. 150-250 CE)
  • All phenomena are maya (illusion)
  • Impermanent
  • Interdependent
  • tending toward suffering
  • sunya (empty) of svabhava (self-existence)
  • Sunyata (emptiness) of all things (even sunyata!)
    dissolves all distinctions and dichotomies
  • relative/absolute
  • male/female
  • samsara/ nirvana

9
MAHAYANA PHILOSOPHY II YOGAÇARA
  • Associated with Vasubandhu (c. 300s CE)
  • All beings possess tathagatagarbha mental arena
    in which ones consciousness gradually ripens
    until enlightenment
  • Three bodies (kaya) of the Buddha
  • Nirmana-kaya apparition-body (e.g., Sakyamuni
    in earthly form)
  • Dharma-kaya law-body (e.g., Sakyamuni having
    attained nirvana)
  • Sambhoga-kaya enjoyment-body (e.g.,
    transcendent form seen by bodhisattvas)

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