LESSON 9 Mahayana Buddhism.pdf

Introduction to World Religions

3. Analyze the brief history, core
teachings, fundamental beliefs,
practices, and related issues of
Mahayana Buddhism.
Objectives

4. INTRODUCTION
▪Mahayana Buddhism iswidespread in
China,Mongolia,Korea,Japan,andTibet.
▪Overthepasttwothousand years,
Mahayana Buddhismhassplitintovarious
schools,eachofwhichhascrafteditsown
setofteachingsandpractices.
▪Mahayana Buddhism alsoknownasthe
“GreatVehicle”

5. HISTORY
▪TheMahasamghika (oftheGreat
Sangha),oneoftheearlyBuddhist
schools,mayhavebeenthesource
fortheinitialgrowthofMahayana
Buddhism, especiallyduringthe
“Second Buddhist Council” that
occurred ahundred yearsafter
Buddha’sParinirvana.

6. HISTORY
▪Acouncilresultedinareligiousdivision
betweentheMahasamghika andSthavira
nikaya,leadingtoahistoricalschism.This
ledtotheemergence ofnewideasthat
graduallyformed adistinctformof
Buddhism,differentfromtheteachingsof
SiddharthaGautama andthebeliefsof
Theravada Buddhists. Essentially,
Mahayana Buddhism evolved intoa
practicallynewreligion.

7. HISTORY
▪WithinthenewBuddhistsect,differentideasemerged
regardingthefounder,SiddharthaGautama
1.Mahayana BuddhistsbelievedthatSiddharthasecretlytaught
importantprinciplestochosenpeople,tohismostdedicated
disciples,ortothemostfaithfulwhocouldcompletelyinterpret
theseteachingsintime.
2.Mahayana Buddhistsproposed theconceptthatSiddhartha
Gautama wasnotmerelyahumanbeing,butacompassionate
celestialbeing.Hechosetocometoourworldinhumanformout
ofloveforhumanityandadesiretohelppeople.
3.Mahayana BuddhistsputforththeradicalideathatSiddhartha
GautamawasnottheonlyBuddha.Therewereotherdivinebeings
thatcametoourworldevenbeforeSiddhartha,someofthem
cameafterhim,andstillotherswillcomeinthefuture.These
beingscametoearthtohelplessenpeople’ssufferingsandlead
themtosalvation.

8. HISTORY
▪FollowersofBuddhismfoundgreatfascinationin
honoringreveredbeings,understanding their
stories,constructingtemples,andcreatinganew
beliefsystemcompletewithritualsandhymns.
▪Ironically,whileBuddhism spreadandgained
followersinvariouscountries,eveninremote
areas,itgraduallydeclinedinIndia,itsplaceof
origin.Thisdeclinewasduetoaseriesof
invasionsthatdestroyedmanyBuddhistcenters
andtemples,aswellastheriseofotherreligions
inIndia,suchasIslam,Hinduism,andJainism.

9. SACRED SCRIPTURES
▪MahayanaBuddhismhas2184Sutras(sacred
texts)
▪ThemostpopularMahayanaSutrais:
LotusSutra-TheLotusSutraisasignificantBuddhisttext
whereShakyamuni sharestheultimatetruthhediscoveredthrough
enlightenment.ItteachesthateverypersonpossessesBuddhahood,
whichincludesqualitieslikecompassion, wisdom,andcourage,
regardlessoftheirbackground.
Thesutraencourages individualstoembrace life'sdifficulties
proactively.Buddhahood isnotanescape,butaboundless
wellspringofpositiveenergythatcanhelpalleviatesufferingand
contradictions,leadingtohappiness.

10. BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
▪SiddharthaGautama,borninpresent-dayNepalinthefifthor
sixthcenturyC.E.,isrecognizedasthehistoricalBuddhain
Mahayana Buddhism.Afterachievingenlightenmentat35,he
becameknownasGautamaBuddhaandspenttheremainder
ofhislifepreachingacrossIndia.Hepassedawayattheage
of80.
▪Theconceptoftrikaya,meaning"threebodies,"iscentralto
Mahayana Buddhism'steachingsonthenatureoftheBuddha
andreality.According tothisdoctrine,eachBuddha
possessesthreebodies:
1.Dharmakaya-astheabsolutenatureofallbeings
2.Sambhogakaya -astheblissfulexperienceofenlightenment
3.Nirmanakaya-asaBuddhainhumanform

11. BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
BODHISATTVAS
▪InMahayana Buddhism,bodhisattvasplayasignificantrole.
Theyareenlightenedbeingswhoembodytheultimatewayof
livingandgenerate bodhicitta,aninnatedesirefor
enlightenment.
▪Bodhisattvaschoosetodelaytheirentryintoparadisetohelp
othersattainenlightenment.TherearemanyBodhisattvas,with
Avalokitesvara(knownasGuanyininChinese)beingthemost
well-knowninChina.
▪UnliketheBuddha,Bodhisattvas focusonsavingsuffering
beingsinthisworldratherthanseekingpersonalsalvationand
immediatenirvana.Theyareassociatedwithcompassion and
areoftendepictedadornedwithjewelry,elegantclothing,and
gracefulpostures.

12. BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
BHUMIS AND PARAMITAS
▪InMahayana Buddhism, abodhisattvafollowsapathof
progressionthrough10"grounds"orBhumistobecome a
Buddha.TheseBhumisareconnectedtotheEightfoldPathand
linkedtotheparamitas,whicharequalitiesthathelpone
overcomesufferingandachieveliberationfromrebirth.Thefirst
fiveparamitasfocusonaccumulating merits,whilethesixth
emphasizeswisdom.
▪VariousMahayana textsmentionthe10Bhumis,anddifferent
schoolsmayhavetheirownpathsofdevelopment.The
bodhisattvavowistakenwiththeintentionofattaining
Buddhahood forthebenefitofallbeings.

13. BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
SIX PERFECTIONS OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
▪PerfectionofGiving
▪PerfectionofBehaviorandDiscipline
▪PerfectionofPatience
▪PerfectionofVigourandDiligence
▪PerfectionofMeditation
▪PerfectofTranscendentWisdom

14. WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES
▪Buddhismincludesvariouspracticesandritualstohelpfollowers
ontheirpathtoenlightenmentandseekblessings.InBuddhist
temples,peopleprayandchanttoshowrespecttoBuddhasand
bodhisattvaslikeAvalokiteshvara,Manjushri,andAmitabha.
▪Theyoffervegetarianfoodandlightincenseasasignofrespect
tothesereveredbeings.
▪FollowersalsorecitechantsandvisitsacredBuddhistsiteson
pilgrimages.Meditationisacorepracticeinmostformsof
Buddhism.Symbolism playsasignificantroleinMahayana
Buddhism,withthelotussymbolizingpurity,theeight-spoked
wheelsrepresentingthedharma,andhandgesturescalled
mudras.

16. SUBDIVISIONS
1.ThePureLandSect
2.TheIntuitiveSect
3.TheRationalistSect
4.TheSocio-politicalSect
5.TibetanBuddhism

17. SELECTED ISSUES
TIBET INVASION
▪ChinaandIndiahavehadalong-standingdisputeoverTibet,whichwas
onceindependent.However,in1950,ChinatookcontrolofTibetand
madeanagreement withtheDalaiLama'sgovernment calledthe
"SeventeenPointAgreement."TheDalaiLamarejectedthisagreement,
butChinastillmaintainedauthorityoverTibetwhileallowingsomeself-
rule.In1959,theDalaiLamatriedtoresistChinabutfailed,forcinghim
andhisfollowerstofleetoIndiaasrefugees.
▪DuringMaoZedong's"GreatLeapForward"campaignfrom1958to1961
andthe"CulturalRevolution"from1966to1976,Tibetsufferedgreatly.
ManyTibetanslosttheirlives,andnumerousmonasteriesweredestroyed
asChinaaimedtotransformitssociety.TheoccupationofTibetresulted
inthelossofmanyBuddhistmonks,nuns,andpractitionerswhowanted
tocontinuetheirreligiouspracticesintheirhomeland.

18. SELECTED ISSUES
TIBET INVASION
▪Between 1959and1977,TibetanBuddhism wasseverely
suppressed,withmanyTibetansbeingkilledorforcedtoleavethe
country.TheDalaiLamahassincebecomeasymbolofhopeand
peace,travelingtodifferentcountriesandreceivinginternational
recognitionforhisteachingsandactivism,includingawardssuch
astheRamon Magsaysay Award,NobelPeacePrize,U.S.
CongressionalGoldMedal,andTempletonPrize.

19. SELECTED ISSUES
TIBET INVASION
▪ChinaandIndiahavelongdisputedtheirclaimsover
Tibet,whichhadenjoyedsomeindependence.However,
in1950,Chinaannexed Tibetandestablishedthe
"Seventeen PointAgreement" withtheDalaiLama's
government.TheDalaiLamarejectedthisagreement,
butChinamaintaineditsauthorityoverTibetwhile
grantingsomeautonomy.In1959,theDalaiLama's
attempttoresistChina'srulefailed,leadinghimandhis
followerstofleetoIndiaasrefugees.

20. SELECTED ISSUES
TIBET INVASION
▪DuringMaoZedong's"GreatLeapForward"campaign
from1958to1961andthesubsequent "Cultural
Revolution"from1966to1976,Tibetfacedimmense
suffering.HundredsofthousandsofTibetanslosttheir
lives,andnumerous monasteries weredestroyedas
Chinaaimedtotransformitssociety.Theoccupationof
TibetresultedinthelossofmanyBuddhistmonks,nuns,
andpractitionerswhosoughttomaintaintheirreligious
practicesintheirhomeland.

21. SELECTED ISSUES
TIBET INVASION
▪Between1959and1977,TibetanBuddhismfaced
severesuppression,withmanyTibetanskilledor
forcedintoexile.TheDalaiLamahassince
become anadvocate forhopeandpeace,
travelingtodifferentcountriesandreceiving
numerousinternationalawardsforhisteachings
andactivism,includingtheRamon Magsaysay
Award,NobelPeacePrize,U.S.Congressional
GoldMedal,andTempletonPrize.