The main subdivisions within Buddhism are three:
A. Theravada – Way of Elders
B. Mahayana – Greater Vehicle
C. Vajrayana – Diamond Vehicle
Please read “Buddhism spreads abroad” in Fisher to explore Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in pages 147-169.
18 sects known as nikayas evolved in the early days around 3rd century BCE of Buddhism – during the time of Emperor Ashoka! (It was his son named Mahinda, a monk that took Buddhism to Sri Lanka!)
A, above and B above, went in their separate ways from the first century of the Common Era. Mahayana further divided into diverse schools that include the Zen and Pure Land. C above is the esoteric sect of the Buddhists that is predominant in Tibet and is also known as the Tibetan Buddhism.
A. Theravada Buddhism
1. Found in Southern Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia.
2. Use the Pali Canon as the authoritative source!
3. Theravada literally means “Way of the elders”! It is a very conservative form of Buddhism!
4. Theravada, or Southern Buddhism in Sri Lanka has three nikayas – Amarapura, Siyam and Ramanuja!
5. Theravada teaching has remained faithful to the original teachings of Buddha! Hence it has somewhat remained as “Atheistic”! Theravada Buddhists consider Buddha as the ideal and great personality whom they strive to imitate to become a Buddha! For them each individual must strive on his or her own towards Nibbana!
6. Buddha in Theravada Buddhism is plainly historical!
7. There are two types of monks in Sri Lanka – forest monks and village (town & city) monks! Tension between one finding nibbana and helping other find nibbana!
8. Discipline is the basic foundation of the Theravada Buddhists! So this has become Buddhism of discipline, while the Mahayana is Buddhism of meditation and Vajrayana the Buddhism of rituals!
B. Mahayana Buddhism
1. Mahayana or Northern Buddhism flourishes in Tibet, China, and Japan!
A. Theravada – Way of Elders
B. Mahayana – Greater Vehicle
C. Vajrayana – Diamond Vehicle
Please read “Buddhism spreads abroad” in Fisher to explore Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in pages 147-169.
18 sects known as nikayas evolved in the early days around 3rd century BCE of Buddhism – during the time of Emperor Ashoka! (It was his son named Mahinda, a monk that took Buddhism to Sri Lanka!)
A, above and B above, went in their separate ways from the first century of the Common Era. Mahayana further divided into diverse schools that include the Zen and Pure Land. C above is the esoteric sect of the Buddhists that is predominant in Tibet and is also known as the Tibetan Buddhism.
A. Theravada Buddhism
1. Found in Southern Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia.
2. Use the Pali Canon as the authoritative source!
3. Theravada literally means “Way of the elders”! It is a very conservative form of Buddhism!
4. Theravada, or Southern Buddhism in Sri Lanka has three nikayas – Amarapura, Siyam and Ramanuja!
5. Theravada teaching has remained faithful to the original teachings of Buddha! Hence it has somewhat remained as “Atheistic”! Theravada Buddhists consider Buddha as the ideal and great personality whom they strive to imitate to become a Buddha! For them each individual must strive on his or her own towards Nibbana!
6. Buddha in Theravada Buddhism is plainly historical!
7. There are two types of monks in Sri Lanka – forest monks and village (town & city) monks! Tension between one finding nibbana and helping other find nibbana!
8. Discipline is the basic foundation of the Theravada Buddhists! So this has become Buddhism of discipline, while the Mahayana is Buddhism of meditation and Vajrayana the Buddhism of rituals!
B. Mahayana Buddhism
1. Mahayana or Northern Buddhism flourishes in Tibet, China, and Japan!
2. Yana means vehicle or carrier! There is much uncertainty about the origin of these words Mahayana and Hinayana, meaning big and small vehicle!
3. Lotus Sutra – a Mahayana text (3rd chapter has a parable of the burning house, etc.) This may suggest the meaning! There is one carrier that is large enough for all! And that is Mahayana!
4. On the other hand Mahayana Buddhism has been very accommodative to the needs of the people and ends up somewhat “polytheistic”! It can also accommodate the Shinto and the Confucian teachings as well and synthesize into new forms of Buddhism! In that sense Mahayana Buddhism is very syncretistic!
5. Mahayana Buddhists maintain the basic teachings of Buddha – the four noble truths, eightfold path, tilakhana etc. – and have transformed into a theistic religion with rituals and so on! They believe your nibbana becomes authentic and complete only when you help others also into nibbana! Bodhisattva is useful for the society!
6. Mahayana Buddhists emphasize the concept of Bodhisattva, one out of compassion helps others to achieve nibbana while the Theravadins speak of the Arhant or Arhat, a worthy one who has found nibbana!
7. Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism is somewhat an emanation of a universal principle, leading up to much more mythical expressions! There are those in Mahayana Buddhism who will interpret Buddha and Bodhisattva as metaphors for aspects of enlightenment! Dalai Lama considered Mother Theresa as a Bodhisattva! Dalai Lama is viewed as Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, a category of being dedicated to “compassion”!
8. Mahayana tradition also has developed detail concepts “The Three Bodies of Buddha”. See Fisher, page 156:
a. Formless enlightened wisdom of Buddha
b. Body of bliss – the celestial Buddha who inspires and informs the bodhisattvas
c. Manifested body – Buddha appears in different forms to help the world
C. Vajrayana Buddhism
1. An offshoot of the Mahayana around 500 ACE in India and established in Tibet around 750 ACE.
2. It is known as the “ritual way”. They believe nibbana can be achieved through the power of rituals. This includes continuous recitations of certain mantras, prayers or sacred formulas.
3. Dalai Lama belongs to this path! Read about Dalai Lama and his contribution to Tibetan Buddhism and world peace. Read Fisher, page 167.
4. Lamas, qualified teacher play an important role in the Tibetan Buddhism.
Question to Explore:
1. Discuss the similarities and the differences between the Theravada and the Mahayana Buddhism.
2. Explain the major contribution of Dalai Lama to develop Tibetan Buddhism and inter-religious dialogue.
3. If you were to choose the Buddhist path which of the two denominations – the Mahayana or the Theravada path – would you choose. Explain your reasons in detail. And if you were one of those who would not choose the Buddhist path why would you reject it. Explain your reasons in detail.
3. Lotus Sutra – a Mahayana text (3rd chapter has a parable of the burning house, etc.) This may suggest the meaning! There is one carrier that is large enough for all! And that is Mahayana!
4. On the other hand Mahayana Buddhism has been very accommodative to the needs of the people and ends up somewhat “polytheistic”! It can also accommodate the Shinto and the Confucian teachings as well and synthesize into new forms of Buddhism! In that sense Mahayana Buddhism is very syncretistic!
5. Mahayana Buddhists maintain the basic teachings of Buddha – the four noble truths, eightfold path, tilakhana etc. – and have transformed into a theistic religion with rituals and so on! They believe your nibbana becomes authentic and complete only when you help others also into nibbana! Bodhisattva is useful for the society!
6. Mahayana Buddhists emphasize the concept of Bodhisattva, one out of compassion helps others to achieve nibbana while the Theravadins speak of the Arhant or Arhat, a worthy one who has found nibbana!
7. Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism is somewhat an emanation of a universal principle, leading up to much more mythical expressions! There are those in Mahayana Buddhism who will interpret Buddha and Bodhisattva as metaphors for aspects of enlightenment! Dalai Lama considered Mother Theresa as a Bodhisattva! Dalai Lama is viewed as Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion, a category of being dedicated to “compassion”!
8. Mahayana tradition also has developed detail concepts “The Three Bodies of Buddha”. See Fisher, page 156:
a. Formless enlightened wisdom of Buddha
b. Body of bliss – the celestial Buddha who inspires and informs the bodhisattvas
c. Manifested body – Buddha appears in different forms to help the world
C. Vajrayana Buddhism
1. An offshoot of the Mahayana around 500 ACE in India and established in Tibet around 750 ACE.
2. It is known as the “ritual way”. They believe nibbana can be achieved through the power of rituals. This includes continuous recitations of certain mantras, prayers or sacred formulas.
3. Dalai Lama belongs to this path! Read about Dalai Lama and his contribution to Tibetan Buddhism and world peace. Read Fisher, page 167.
4. Lamas, qualified teacher play an important role in the Tibetan Buddhism.
Question to Explore:
1. Discuss the similarities and the differences between the Theravada and the Mahayana Buddhism.
2. Explain the major contribution of Dalai Lama to develop Tibetan Buddhism and inter-religious dialogue.
3. If you were to choose the Buddhist path which of the two denominations – the Mahayana or the Theravada path – would you choose. Explain your reasons in detail. And if you were one of those who would not choose the Buddhist path why would you reject it. Explain your reasons in detail.
