BUDDHISM

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BUDDHISM

• DEVELOPMENTS IN BUDDHISM

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Three Jewels

• I take refuge in the Buddha
• I take refuge in the Dharma
• I take refuge in the sangha

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Three Major Forms of Buddhism Theravada, Mahayna
Vajrayana

• Theravada (Lesser Vehicle)
• Teaching first transmitted orally
• Scriptures Tipitaka (Three Baskets collections
  of Buddhas teachings)
• Concentrated on psychology and ideal of arhant
• seeing through meditation

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Theravada vs. Mahayana

• Goal in Theravada- arhant one who achieves
  Nirvana and then lives enlightened life realizes
  anatman
• Monk follows nirvanic path
• Layperson follows karmic path
• Goal in Mahayana bodhisattva
• Goal of arhant regarded as ultimately selfish

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Developments in Buddhism Mahayana

• Mahayana (Greater Vehicle)
• Scripture includes secret teachings
• Nirvana as selfish goal
• Bodhisattva takes vow not to enter Nirvana until
  all have been enlightened
• But, as this can never happen, idea of Nirvana
  changes- can be experienced in present
• seeing combined with ongoing life of compassion
  through ideal of bodhisattva
• Madhyamika
• Nagarjuna founded school 150-250 C.E.
• Philosophical school
• Yogacara

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Developments (cont.)

• New Emphases
• Buddha a divine savior rather than human teacher
• Influenced by bhakti movement in Hinduism
• Buddhas are present and thus may be worshipped
• Contrast with aniconic tradition of Theraveda
• Salvation consists of personal union with Buddha
  rather than attainment of impersonal nirvana
• Buddha and bodhisattvas are manifestations of
  ultimate reality, the Dharma-body of Buddha
  (Nirvana)
• This reality is inherent in all beings thus
  salvation consists of realizing ones Buddha
  nature (Nirvana)
• Buddha-Nature is identical with samsara
• Problem We cling to illusion of separate self
  and dont realize Buddha-nature

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Developments (cont.)

• We gain merit by puja, worship of bodhisattvas
  and Buddha
• Eventually develops idea of liberation from
  above, not just our own efforts
• Bodhisattva accumulates merit we can tap into
• Merit is transferable
• Bodhisattva as model
• Worshipping buddhas and bodhisattvas still at
  lower level
• Eventually all can be discarded when we enter
  enlightenment

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Developments (cont.)

• Further Developments
• Nothing in the universe has independent substance
  in and of itself
• Including the factors of existence (dharmase.g.
  chariot)
• Because these factors are themselves conditioned,
  and subject to decay
• They neither exist or do not exist the are
  empty
• Since all things are empty, no definite statement
  can be made about them- even their non-existence
• Since nothing has any independent substance, all
  distinctions, including that between samsara and
  nirvana must disappear
• If we perceive fundamental insubstantiality of
  thing, we can release ourselves from
  clinging/thirsting

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Popular Movements

• Popular Texts
• Popular texts deal with general concepts
  Philosophical texts more analytical
• Saddharmapundarika is the most popular lay text
• Provides guide for devotion
• Contains main doctrines of the Mahayana and
  teachings of the bodhisattva.

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Philosophical Schools Madhyamika

• Madhyamika founded by Nagarjuna (c. 150-250 C.E.)
• Basic problem We struggle with the illusion of
  perceiving things where there is, in fact, only
  Emptiness (shunyata)
• Truth of Emptiness (which is ineffable) can only
  be realized through direct experience
• Language is helpful but inadequate it cannot get
  at the nature of reality which is Empty,
  unspeakable
• Middle path between intellectual views
• Reduction to absurdity argument (cf. Socrates)
• All the implications of the opponents thesis
  unacceptable in light of the opponents own
  assumptions radical criticism. Nagarjuna
• Identifies point of view
• Assumes point of view
• Then reduces it to absurdity

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Nagarjuna (cont.)

• All intellectual views can be reduced to having
  no basis since they have dependently originated
• cannot be evaluated on own terms
• Thus have no validity
• Not a rejection of reason rather reason as tool
  to be discarded
• All views have partial reality none capture the
  whole truth
• What is ultimately true cannot be reached by
  intellectual arguments but only experienced
• Eventually after reduction to absurdity, we are
  left with emptiness

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Nagarjuna (cont.)

• Emptiness
• Key idea of Nagarjuna is emptiness (sunyata)
• Emptiness (absence of own being) is predicate
  of all dharmas both
• Conditioned (phenomenal world of samsara)
• Unconditioned (nirvana)
• Emptiness is that which does not change not
  subject to impermanence
• Emptiness is absolute since it is absolute, no
  distinction between samsara and Nirvana
• Nirvana, then, is experienced in this world. We
  awaken to the world as it really is
• One doesnt acquire Nirvana, one realizes it

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Nagarjuna (cont.)

• Phenomenal world is only a qualified reality
• Nothing has its own being
• Since all is impermanent, things cannot have a
  reality in and of themselves
• Nothing is ultimately real in the sense of having
  its own reality in and of itself all is subject
  to illusion including our own thoughts
• Because these are being produced by that which
  has no real substance in itself the thinker
• So even these theories, including the one on
  Emptiness, is subject to illusionary delusion
• Connected to Nagarjunas reduction to absurdity
• Emptiness is the one constant, though that too is
  ultimately empty
• Where does that leave us?

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Nagarjuna (cont.)

• Truth can only be experienced
• Certainty cannot be reached by flawed
  argumentation, but through mediation
• Emptiness is present and graspable now. Thus one
  comes to the realization
• That there is no difference between Emptiness and
  the phenomenal world
• therefore
• There is no qualitative distinction between
  Nirvana and samsara
• We already are in Nirvana, already are a Buddha,
  if we can only realize it

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Nagarjuna (cont.)

• Two levels of being or being or truth
• Primary system that which is ultimately true
• Descriptive system- expresses conventional truth
• But ultimate truth is Emptiness or Voidness

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Philosophical Schools Vijnanavada

• Accepted majority of Nagarjunas precepts but
  felt modification was necessary to be more
  practical
• Some criticisms of Nagarjunas thought
• Nagarjunas approach of using intellect to
  destroy intellect too destructive
• Tendency to overlook experiential dimension,
  especially meditation
• Nagarjuna did not pay enough attention to the
  notion of consciousness

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Vijnanavada (cont.)

• Broke Nagarjunas two levels of knowing into
  three levels
• Primary
• Purely imaginative
• Empirically verifiable
• Allows for differentiation between publicly
  verifiable and purely illusory
• Why would Nagarjuna not have been happy with this
  distinction?
• Descriptive is ultimate truth

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Vijnanavada (cont.)

• There is no spoon
• The universe exists only in the mind of the one
  who perceives it
• Because we perceive something is no proof of its
  existence
• Indeed all our perceptions are, in fact,
  projections of the mind
• Reality is interpreted by consciousness
• Reality always perceived through the
  subject-object lens of consciousness
• But reality does not have this subject-object
  character
• Through meditation we can experience and see
  the oneness of all things

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Yijnanavada Schools (cont.)

• Suchness
• However, there exists one thing which is
  independent of human thought- Suchness which
  corresponds to the Emptiness of Nagarjuna
• Suchness is without predicates
• So, emptiness is reinterpreted to mean pure
  consciousness
• This pure awareness is contentless and thus
  ultimately void
• Salvation is obtained by exhausting the store of
  consciousness until it became pure being itself
  and thus identical with the Suchness which is
  the only thing which truly exists
• The way to achieve this liberation is through
  yogic practices, especially mediation
• Through which one comes to see the complete
  subjectivity of all sense perceptions

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Philosophical Schools (cont.)

• Both Madhyamika and Vijnanavada schools made no
  distinction between the relative and the
  absolute.
• Nirvana is available now one need only change
  ones awareness to recognize it
• Nirvana and Samsara are the same thing

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Dharmakaya

• The true nature of reality is the dharmakaya,
  Body of Dharma
• Dharma body of Buddha encompasses all reality
• As Dharma is universal, eternal, ultimate,
  unconditioned , so is the Buddha (Brahman like?)
• Buddha same as suchness and emptiness
• Realizing ones Buddha-nature

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Major Developments in Buddhism Vajrayana

• Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle)
• Esoteric form of Buddhism
• Incorporated Tantric practices
• Practiced in Tibet and some Japanese schools

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Vajrayana Buddhism

• Also known as Tantric Buddhism
• Very influenced by Madhyamika and Yogacara
  schools
• Break down the distinctions, emphasizing the
  underlying oneness of things
• Concept such as sunyata and prajna (wisdom)-
  Male, resolved w karuna (compassion) - Female
• Freedom from clinging is not by fleeing the world
  but by seeing embracing its characteristic of
  sunyata (emptiness)
• resolving dualities/polarities to see the
  underlying oneness of reality
• Therefore, not withdrawal, but engagement with
  world
• Remember no distinction between samsara
  (phenomenal world) and nirvana
• To achieve proper state of mind
• Rigorous yogic and meditational exercises
• Mantric repetitions
• Can include sexual practices
• Point is to see/experience non-duality of reality

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Vajrayana Buddhism (cont.)

• Resolution of polarity expressed for example by
  resolution of polarity expressed for example by
  yab-yum
• Sexual imagey of yab-yim as language
• Meditation on liberation
• Reality of the emptiness is achieved by observing
  and experiencing the oneness of polarities, the
  union of the passive and the active, male and
  female, mind and the physical
• Male is compassion female is wisdom

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Tibetan Buddhism

• From 7th cent CE
• Distinctive form of Buddhism
• mystical Buddhism
• Synthesizes Buddhist, Indian and indigenous ideas
• Buddhism especially Madhaymika and Yogacara and
  ritual practicesof of Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle)
  Buddhism/Tantric Buddhism. Incorporates monastic
  discipline
• Indian Tantra
• Indigenous shaminism, Bon
• With coming of the teacher Atisha
• Further developments in practice of the sutras
  and Tantra
• Stress on cult of bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara
• Teacher is a lama
• Tibetan canon completed by 14th cent.

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Mandala of BhutadamaraCentral Tibet, 14th
century
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Tibetan Buddhism (cont.)

• Ascendency of the Yellow Hats, Geluk Order.
• Tantric and magical rites in moderation
• 17th cent. Mongols installed 5th Dalai Lama
  (1617-82) as master of Tibet, accompanied by
  complete political control

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Tibetan Buddhism Dalai Lama

• Dalai Lama
• Since 17th cent. Dalai Lama is both spiritual
  leader and ruler of Tibet
• Succession by reincarnation
• Candidates
• Dalai Lama and Avalokiteshvara
• For some, Dalai Lamas are understood to be
  successive incarnations of Avalokiteshvara, the
  bodhisattva of compassion
• For others, Dalai Lamas are humans blessed by
  Avalokiteshvara
• Current Dalai Lama exiled since 1959
• 6000 monasteries destroyed by China

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Current Dalai Lama