Mahayana
Mahayana (Sanskrit महायान Mahāyāna, " maha " meaning " great", " Yana " means " vehicle " or "way", ie Great Vehicle or Great Way ) is one of the main directions of Buddhism. The Mahayana divided Buddhism into Hinayana and Mahayana. The Vajrayana belongs to the Mahayana.
- 4.1 Quotations
- 5.1 The eating of meat
- 6.1 grades of the student
- 6.2 qualities of a teacher
- 8.1 Chinese Tradition
- 8.2 Japanese tradition
- 8.3 Korean tradition
- 8.4 Tibetan and other traditions
In order to distinguish
Hinayana and Mahayana
Hinayana literally means " Lesser Vehicle " or "Little Way." " Hina " - so "small" refers to the motivation for the path. From the knowledge of suffering (1st Noble Truth ), the practitioner, wishing to obtain salvation from suffering. Who developed for this motivation ( also referred to as " renunciation ") is counted according to the Hinayana Mahayana. This is because the request relates only to a living entity and thus compared to the suffering of the many living things is a little motivation. Someone who wishes that all beings attain Unfortunately solution and it takes personal responsibility, has a greater motivation and belongs to the Mahayana. Unfortunately, the desire for solution relates Mahayana So to all living things, including one's own person. The well-being of oneself is however subordinated to the good of all others.
Unfortunately, solution and enlightenment
According to the "First Turning of teaching" by the Buddha - summarized in the Four Noble Truths, of which the first states to live, basically meant to suffer ( life is suffering ) - is suffering salvation or liberation from suffering by extinction of the Kleshas ( Skt. instead dt mind plagues or poisons ) greed, hatred and ignorance as it were, general psychological basis of all personal suffering and suffering. With the extinction of this root poisons as the causes of suffering (2nd Noble Truth ) by practicing the Eight Limb healing path ( 4 Noble Truth ) one attains Nirvana, the final liberation from suffering, the possibility of which is claimed in the third noble truth of the Buddha. Those who have attained the state of mind of nirvana or enlightenment and can preserve, has the " obstacles to liberation from suffering " overcome and experiences according to Buddhism permanent inner peace of liberation. People of this stage of development are called Arhats. With this liberation or enlightenment but are not in accordance with the Mahayana, the " obstacles to omniscience " eliminated, which has overcome only a Buddha. This omniscience allows the Buddha to be able to help all living beings much better. A Buddha knows according to Mahayana, the plants, the karma and the past, present and future of the living creatures and can thereby help them much better than an Arhat, who has acquired no omniscience.
One distinguishes the enlightenment of shravakas ( handset), the pratyekabuddhas ( attained enlightenment, without relying on a doctrine, so by itself ) and a Buddha. Only in the latter enlightenment are " obstacles to omniscience " eliminated. The enlightenment of a Buddha is therefore referred to as "full enlightenment " in the Mahayana. For all three kinds of enlightenment there are paths. The path to the " Full Enlightenment " is set forth in the Mahayana and closes the path of shravakas (ie the Eight Limb path to salvation ) with a. A person who follows the Mahayana, must also achieve nirvana, so they gained on the first level of a Bodhisattva, or the third of the five paths, the " path of seeing ."
Emergence of the Mahayana teachings
The name means Great Vehicle or Large walk and represents the goal to liberate all sentient beings from samsara. The teachings of the Second turning the Wheel of Dharma by Buddha Shakyamuni revealed by Nagarjuna and Asanga and extensively taught from about the second century of our era, that is about 500 years after Buddha's death. The path of the Mahayana has two lines: the line of the profound path over Nagarjuna and the line widths of the pathway by Asanga. The former emphasizes the emptiness ( Shunyata ), the latter with the development of altruistic motivation Bodhicitta and the behavior of a bodhisattva. Followers of the Mahayana say, these teachings have been passed by then only in secret, because the time had not yet come for their dissemination. The late Father of the lessons is also described mystical: Nagarjuna has recovered the teachings of emptiness in the Nagas by means of his tantric powers and Asanga after twelve years back privacy and developing real compassion, received the teachings directly from Buddha Maitreya.
According to the view that the Buddha directly instruction for students was also during his lifetime, higher capacity, the others remained hidden, it is stated that these teachings of the Second Turning the Wheel of the teaching later than the Mahayana tradition and the bodhisattva path were known. The teachings of the first turning of the Dharma Wheel, from which developed the Hinayana tradition (small way ), are also part of the Mahayana and serve the individual Unfortunately solution and also be practiced by a follower of the Mahayana. One of the lessons of the Third Turning the Wheel of Dharma (there are a total of three teaching cycles, which are called wheels) include the Vajrayana ( Diamond Vehicle or Diamond ) and the explanations of Buddha - nature, presented for example in the Uttara Tantra Shastra.
Motivation
Based emerges on the knowledge of one's own suffering, resulting from the practice of the Four Noble Truths (First Dharma ), a person of Mahayana developed compassion for the suffering of other beings and wishes to redeem them completely out of their misery. The focus of the Mahayana stands, this compassion to all living beings impartially - without a single exception - expand and steadily increasing, until it attains the depth of love that is felt by a mother for her single, dearest child.
To really help all beings to freedom from suffering ( enlightenment), the practitioner of the Mahayana itself is striving to perfect state of a fully awakened Buddha. This motivation is in Mahayana Buddhism known as Bodhicitta, " mind of enlightenment ". This spirit has two wishes:
- Primary: to help others
- Secondary: to to attain full enlightenment of a Buddha.
To meet these requirements, the candidate develops the active bodhicitta and take the bodhisattva vows in a ritual in itself. From this time he exerts over vast ages ( eons ) in the six perfections ( Giving, ethics, patience, zeal, spiritual peace, wisdom), as did the Buddha. It is said that the Buddha Shakyamuni practiced this path as the bodhisattva three world ages (cycles ) long. This path of the Buddha as a Bodhisattva is not only set forth in the Mahayana sutras, but also in the Pali canon, in the Jataka stories - is so well accepted by the Theravada followers.
Bodhisattva
Who developed the aspiring Bodhicitta Bodhisattva vows and took ( a ritual ) to be called a Bodhisattva, as long as he does not break the ethics of Bodhisattvas. There are 22 kinds of bodhicitta. It is generally between the king-like ( the bodhisattva seeks first to achieve enlightenment and then helps all living things ) back, (trying together to attain the Bodhisattva with all living beings enlightenment) the boatman same and the shepherd the same ( the Bodhisattva is his enlightenment until all other beings before acquired its enlightenment have ) bodhicitta distinguished.
The bodhisattva path is represented in five paths or ten levels. The first of the ten levels of a Bodhisattva enters after he has realized the emptiness ( Shunyata ) and an Arhat has become. This first level corresponds to the third path, which is called " path of seeing ." Details can be found in Scripture Madhyamakavatara of Chandrakirti.
Adored be particularly Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara of the ( Sanskrit: " the Lord hears the cry of the world" ), who is often depicted in tausendarmiger shape and the Bodhisattva Manjushri. Both, it is said, have developed the same shepherd Bodhicitta and remain on the 10th level of a Bodhisattva. The thousand arms of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara symbolize his / her ability to act compassionately in incredible abundance. Be emphasized in the Mahayana the Eight Great Bodhisattvas: Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Vajrapani, Ksitigarbha, Samantabhadra, Akhashagharba, Sarvanivaranaviskambini and Maitreya. Ksitigharbha plays, for example, in Chinese Mahayana Buddhism a major role. Avalokiteshvara is found in female form in Chinese and Japanese Mahayana Buddhism.
Quotes
It says in the Lamrim Chen Mo of Tsongkhapa: " Bodhisattvas experience happiness proportional to the effort to strive for the welfare of other living beings. " And Bhavaviveka: " Since Bodhisattvas see the error of cyclic existence, they do not stay here. As they care for others, they do not stay in Nirvana. To meet the needs of others, they decide to remain in the cycle of existence. "
Vow
The determination of the Bodhisattvas to deepen bodhicitta and to realize and to devote himself to the salvation of sentient beings and their liberation is affirmed in the vows of a bodhisattva.
The eating of meat
In many, but by no means all Mahayana schools, meat consumption is rejected. This goes back to the 8th chapter of the Lankavatara Sutra, is explained in detail where, why, Bodhisattvas should not eat meat. It states in part: " Lest when the living creatures evoke terror, is the Bodhisattva who trains himself to attain compassion, refrain from eating meat. " Especially in the Tibetan Mahayana schools is eating meat open if only for climatic reasons handled.
Teacher-student system
One consequence of the Mahayana focus on outside help is an orientation of students to their teachers or masters ( Vajrayana and Zen ) and the trusting orientation on Amida Buddha in Pure Land Buddhism. It is, the inner guru (Sanskrit, " teacher") is one's own compassion, the outer teacher who understands the Prajnaparamita and teaches - at best, a Bodhisattva. However, it is important to realize that the teacher in the Mahayana accompanied his students on their path to enlightenment, without having to perform in dependencies. The path to enlightenment must ultimately be trodden under its own power and motivation. The teacher should embody the Bodhisattva in Mahayana activity and possess ten qualities. He is the one who helps his students to reach enlightenment by having them instruct in the teachings of Buddha and provides guidance on practice; why you see him in the Mahayana "like a Buddha." The student must also be able and developing a truly pure motivation.
Qualities of the student
After the Indian Buddhist master Aryadeva a student must have the following qualities: " It is said, someone who is impartial, intelligent, and eager is a vessel for the teachings. Otherwise neither appear the good qualities of the sub- payer nor that of listening in. " The student may not be so sectarian ( occupied / clinging for a page or tradition or religion and averse another opposite). He must also have the ability to distinguish between poor explanations correct paths of good explanations and conflicting paths. Finally, he must have a really altruistic motivation.
Qualities of a teacher
After the Indian Buddhist master Asanga, the explanation goes back to Maitreya ( Mahayanasutralamkara ), a teacher must possess the following qualities: " Trust in a Mahayana teacher who is disciplined, clear ( quiet), penetrating pacified (result of training in ethics, concentration and wisdom ), which has good qualities that surpass those of the students, energetic is (constant joy of being the other ), has a wealth of knowledge of the Scriptures, the loving care has (only out of love and compassion and not from self-interest teaches ), has a penetrating knowledge of reality ( emptiness or Shunyata ) and skill to teach the students ( to lead them and to get them to understand ); and the discouragement has overcome ( without tiring teachings to repeatedly enter ). " ( The additions in brackets are added to the quote explanatory. )
Writings
More important than the Pali canon are transmitted in Sanskrit writings for the various Mahayana schools. In addition to the Tripitaka these particularly various Mahayana sutras contain. From followers of the Mahayana they are attributed to Buddha Shakyamuni himself. Theravada followers they look at formed than later and accept as the basis of teaching only the writings of the Pali canon. The rejection of Theravadins towards the Mahayana scriptures is discussed in detail in Chapter 9 of the Bodhicharyavatara of Shantideva (from verse 49). He meets, inter alia, that refusal so that the Pali scriptures also emerged later (about 500 years after Buddha's death ) and you ought therefore to reject the Pali scriptures.
Dissemination
Today directions of the Mahayana particularly in Vietnam, Japan, Tibet, Bhutan, Taiwan, the People's Republic of China and Korea are common, partly also in Mongolia and the Asian East of Russia.
Chinese Tradition
Japanese tradition
Today effective schools of Mahayana in Japan are:
- Amitabha Buddhism, Pure Land Nembutsu school
- Tendai shū
- Shingon shū
- Shinnyo -en
- Zen
Zen and Tendai have evolved historically from the Chinese Chan Buddhism ( Shaolin ) and the Tiantai Zong.
Korean tradition
Buddhism in Korea was and is fundamentally influenced by the teachings of the Mahayana. Mahayana Buddhism spread from Silla to Goryo time ( from the 7th century to the end of the 14th century ) all over the country and witnessed during the reign of the Silla Dynasty united in its heyday. The Joseon Dynasty ( 15th to late 19th century ) took over from Goryeo not the Buddhist tradition, but increasingly promoted Confucianism, so that Buddhism stunted. Today in Korea, the old familiar Mahayana Buddhism is still the most frequent one, whose central institution Jogyejong ( 조계종 [ cogjeʝoŋ ] ) is.
Tibetan and other traditions
A further development of the center of Mahayana is found in the Vajrayana (see Tibetan Buddhism ), which complements the bodhisattva path of Mahayana Tantric methods. In Tibet there are four still existing schools have developed:
- Nyingma (also in Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim )
- Kagyu (also in Bhutan, Sikkim and Buryatia )
- Sakya ( in Nepal)
- Gelug (also in Mongolia and Buryatia )
In China, this form of Buddhism can be found under the name Mizong. In Japan, it is transmitted as Mikkyo.
Mantra of Compassion ( Vajrayana ):
Om mani padme hum (Sanskrit ), in Tibetan pronunciation Om Mani Peme Hung, is the mantra of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and is associated with him since the 5th century. According to tradition, it has the power to abolish the suffering in all areas of samsara and develop universal compassion for all beings and love of the practitioner.
According to the teachings of Vajrayana Om represents - composed of A, U and M - body, speech and mind of the Buddha, which are called so. The entire Buddhist path contains the path of the method and the path of wisdom that you have to develop together. Mani symbolizes the path of the method. Mani means " jewel ", you can think of it as wish-fulfilling "jewel". It represents the so-called white path that includes virtues such as compassion and Bodhicitta. Padma means "lotus " and refers to the wisdom aspect of the path. This is mainly in the knowledge of the ultimate reality, the emptiness. Hum means that something is undivided and points to the association of Mani Padma - method and wisdom - towards, because these two should never be practiced separately.
The original meaning after Manipadma was a name ( " gem - Lotus " ) of the Bodhisattva (here as Manipadme in the vocative ). The frequently encountered translation " jewel in the lotus " is not correct.
Mutual influence with European cultures
Mutual influence of the Asian Mahayana and Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, which flourished around the same time in Greco-Roman cultural area and influenced Christianity considerably, is conceivable. A possible connection path here is the Silk Road; today many Islamic countries in the region were once Greek and / or embossed buddhist. However, there are in this area little reliable findings; the tendency to fictional historical narrative in Mahayana hampered such research. See also Graeco- Buddhism.