Sangha II: Mahayana Buddhism

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Sangha (II)Mahayana Buddhism

• Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D.
• AST/REL 260
• Buddhism
• Berea College
• Spring 2006

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BUDDHISM ON THE SOUTHWEST ASIAN FRONTIER, c. 100s
BCE
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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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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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