Religious Studies 232: Introduction to Buddhism

1
Religious Studies 232 Introduction to
Buddhism
Week 8

• Instructor
• Justin Whitaker

2
Announcements 10/16

• 2nd Exam should be returned on Fri., Oct. 20th
• Bring in blank blue-books if you have not yet
  done so!!
• Next Exam Wed., November 3th
• Very Important Read carefully on the syllabus
  the course policy on missed exams---including the
  final exam---
• Syllabus change no class Nov. 10 (Veterans Day)
  see online syllabus for specifics.

3
Expansiveness Universality Key
Characteristics of the Mahayana

• Key Doctrines
• Bodhicitta heart-mind of awakening
• Bodhisattva Ideal reformulating the path
• Upaya skill in means
• Emptiness lack of intrinsic existence

4
IV. Development of Buddhism ---Three
Historical Phases

• 1. Early Conservative Buddhism----
• First 500 years after Buddha
• approx. 500 BCE 0 CE
• 2. The Mahayana Revitalization----Next 500 years
• approx. 100 BCE 400 CE
• 3. Phase Three Diversity (Pure Land, Zen
  Vajrayana)--- approx. 400 CE ???

5
Some Historical Developments

• India changes
• Unification of Empire Ashoka (274-236 BCE)
• New religious/spiritual forms
• Buddhism becomes a major Indian Religion
• Buddhism goes beyond its Indian homeland
• The Challenge How to respond to this change
• Conserve ? early conservative Buddhism
• Teaching of the Elders(Theravada Buddhism of SE
  Asia)
• Adapt ? the new Greater Vehicle (Mahayana)
• (mod East Central Asian Buddhism)

6
Some Questions

• If the Buddhist goal of liberation involves
  deconstructing the self
• But must be achieved individually, by oneself
• How is this not contradictory?

7
Some Questions

• If the Buddhist goal of liberation
  includes compassion for others,
• But involves leaving the realm of samsara by
  entering nirvana---
• How is this not contradictory?

8
Some Questions

• What is the relationship between
• Samsara and Nirvana
• Wisdom and Compassion
• Leaving the World
• vs
• Engaging with the World

Buddha Thus-gone
Buddha Thus-come
/ tatha-gata Thus-gone One Tathagata \
tatha-agata Thus-come One
9
IV. Development of Buddhism ---Three
Historical Phases

• 1. Early Conservative Buddhism----
• First 500 years after Buddha
• approx. 500 BCE 0 CE
• 2. The Mahayana Revitalization---- Next 500
  years 100 BCE 400 CE
• 3. Phase Three Diversity
• (Pure Land, Zen Vajrayana) 400 CE ???

10
IV. Three Historical Phases of Buddhism

• 1. Early Conservative Buddhism---- focusing on
  the
• Developmental Dimension
• 2. The Mahayana Revitalization---- focusing on
  the
• Relational Dimension
• 3. Phase Three Diversity (Pure Land, Zen
  Vajrayana)--- focusing on
  the
• Technical Dimension

11
What is Mahayana Buddhism? What does it
represent in the history of Buddhism?

• Mahayana as "the degeneration of the early
  teachings of the Buddha into superstitious
  ritualism
• or
• Mahayana as a creative adaptation of the Buddhist
  Tradition to the demands of a new cultural and
  historical situation.

12
Mahayana Buddhism

• Meaning of Term
• Mahayana the Greater Vehicle
• in contrast to
• Hinayana the Lesser Vehicle
• (used only by the Mahayana)
• A revitalization movement --- an effort to
  recapture or reassert the original spirit of the
  teachings
• Historical Background of the Mahayana Reaction
  and the roots of schism or sectarianism

13
Mahayana Buddhism

• Institutionalization of the Monastic Order
• Tripartite Sangha
• Forest-dwellers
• Settled Monastics
• House-holder Lay Buddhists
• In some cases monasteries isolated from lay
  communities
• Spiritual Individualism vs Bodhisattva Ideal

14
Mahayana Buddhism

• Concern for what the Buddha taught
• vs.
• Concern with who the Buddha was

Early Conservative Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
15
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Expansiveness
• breadth of scope
• imagination
• scale a bigger stage
• Universality
• more comprehensive appeal
• less historical cultural specificity
• emphasis on myth and poetry

16
Religious Studies 232 Introduction to
Buddhism
Week 8

• Instructor
• Justin Whitaker

17
Announcements 10/18

• 2nd Exam will be returned on Fri., Oct. 20th
• Bring in blank blue-books if you have not yet
  done so
• Next Exam Wed., November 1st

18
From Todays Readings (Some Key Points)

• The Buddhas Death new importance of the
  teachings
• Language problem of words (clinging vs
  correctness)
• Significance of the physical manifestation of the
  teachings cult of the book spiritual value
  of copying the texts
• Tipitaka, Three Baskets Sutta, Vinaya, Abhidamma
• Commentaries continued work and creativity even
  in Theravadin tradition

19
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

20
Key Mahayana Scriptures the New Sutras

• Perfection of Wisdom Sutras
• Diamond Sutra Heart Sutra -- Teaching of
  shunyata
• Lotus Sutra
• Parables illustrating upaya -- Superiority of the
  Mahayana
• Nirvana and Tathagata-garbha Sutras
• All beings have Buddha-nature
• Pure Land Sutras
• Teaching of re-birth in an ideal Buddha Land
• Saramatis Entering into the Great Vehicle
• not a sutra (discourse of the Buddha), but a
  shastra (treatise)

21
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

22
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Cosmology---an new emphasis on
• the manifold dimensions of existence
• and
• a multiplicity of Buddhas
• active participation in a vast psycho-cosmology
• Bob Thurmond
• Mahayana spiritual science fiction

23
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

24
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Buddhology from Prototype to Archetype
• Early Buddhism buddhas are few and far
  between
• vs
• Mahayana buddhas everywhere infinite in number
• Archetypal or Celestial Buddhas Bodhisattvas
• Buddhahood the only goal
• no shravakas (hearers) becoming arhats
• no solitary buddhas (pratyeka-buddhas)
• only bodhisattvas becoming buddhas

25
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Early Buddhism
• Three types or vehicles of Enlightenment
• Buddhas achieve enlightenment on their own,
  making the Dharma available once again few
  far between
• Arhats achieve enlightenment following the
  teachings (Dharma) of a Buddha
• Solitary buddhas (pratyeka-buddhas) achieve
  enlightenment on their own, do not teach
• Mahayana
• Buddhas unlimited
• Buddhahood the only goal for all
• no arhats
• no solitary buddhas
• Anything less than Buddhahood spiritual
  individualism

26
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

27
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Soteriology (theory or model of liberation)
• emphasis on bodhi (awakening) vs
• nirvana
• and on unfixed nirvana or
• nirvana of no abode
• the realm of samsara
• is no different than
• the realm of nirvana

28
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

29
Key Doctrines of the Mahayana

• Bodhic(h)itta heart-mind of awakening
• Bodhisattva Ideal reformulating the path
• Bodhisattva Perfections virtues to be cultivated
• Upaya skill in means
• Emptiness lack of intrinsic existence

30
Religious Studies 232 Introduction to
Buddhism
Week 8

• Instructor
• Justin Whitaker

31
Exams Announcements

• A B C D F Total
• First Exams 44 50 28 20 11 153
• Second Exam 42 52 25 11 12 142
• Extra credit Coming back next week
• No lecture notes for this week

32
Todays Readings some key points

• The Guide
• Bodhicitta as outside the 5 skandhas (perception,
  cognition, volition, etc) Transcendental
• Enlightened Attitude (H. Guenther)
• Moon on the pond analogy (there is only one moon,
  reflected variously by different ponds)
• How Bohdhicitta arises Tension between
• Withdrawal Wisdom (prajna)
• Involvement Compassion (karuna)
• Enlightenment river and ocean analogy
• Beyond categorization (pigeon-holing/labeling)

33
Todays Readings some key points

• Buddhism
• THE TWO TRUTHS conventional and ultimate
• A new Path the 6 (or 10) paramitas (perfections)
• Devotional practices
• Nearness of the Buddha (we all can become one)
• Distance of the Buddha (it wont be easy)
• Bodhisattva Compassion
• Emptiness (recall Wrong View, Right View,
  Perfect View)
• Skill in Means a Hermeneutic (interpretive)
  strategy

34
Todays Readings some key points

• CoursePack (Eres19)
• The use of Concepts - if, after all they are not
  ultimate truth (mirage analogy)
• non-abiding nirvana one does not leave the
  world forever

35
Key Characteristics of the Mahayana
Expansiveness Universality

• Literature sutras attributed to the Buddha
• Cosmology model of the universe
• Buddhology conception of the buddhas
  bodhisattvas
• Soteriology conception of the goal
• Doctrines key teachings
• Methodology forms of practice

36
Key Doctrines of the Mahayana

• Bodhic(h)itta heart-mind of awakening
• Bodhisattva Ideal reformulating the path
• Bodhisattva Perfections virtues to be cultivated
• Upaya skill in means
• Emptiness lack of intrinsic existence

37
Key Mahayana Teachings Bodhic(h)itta

• Meaning heart/mind of awakening
• To seek enlightenment
• for the sake of all sentient beings
• Key turning point on the spiritual
• Re-framing the quest for liberation
• from a
• focus on ones own benefit
• to a
• focus on enlightenment for the sake of all
  beings
• See Buddhism pp.90-93 again (Buddhas and
  Bodhisattvas)

38
Key Mahayana Teachings

• Bodhisattva Ideal
• Shravaka èArhat path vs Bodhisattva èBuddha path
• Arhat (according to the Mahayana only!!!)
  sees
• enlightenment as a matter of self-interest
• whereas,
• Bodhisattva seeks enlightenment for the sake
  of all sentient beings
• Arising of the Bodhic(h)itta
• beginning of the Bodhisattva Path

39
Key Mahayana Teachings Bodhisattva Virtues

• The six perfections or bodhisattva virtues
• generosity
• morality (Precepts Bodhisattva Vows)
• patience / forbearance
• energy (in pursuit of the good)
• meditation / concentration
• wisdom (esp. with respect to emptiness)
• see The Bodhisattva Path in Buddhism pp.
  136-137

40
Key Mahayana Teachings

• Upayaskill in means
• Skill in cultivating the means necessary to
  achieve the goal
• Not enough to simply follow the rules
• Not ends justify the means
• But means must be effective to the ends/goal
• Lotus Sutra
• parable of the rain of the dharma
• parable of the physician
• Early Consrv. Bud Buddha to Kisa Gotami

41
Mahayana Teachings Shunyata (some key terms)

• Nagarjuna approx 2nd Century CE
• Shunyata Emptiness Voidness "Openness"
  creative potential within all existence
• Principle of Conditionality conditioned
  co-production dependent arising
• All things are empty/void of intrinsic existence
  (own-being)