Mahāyāna BuddhismPowerPoint PresentationSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Mahāyāna literatureSlide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Slide 15Fifth category: Pure Land SutraSlide 17Mahāyāna SchoolsMahāyāna BuddhismEmerged primarily as a reaction against old schools of Buddhism, which wereHighly ecclesiastic,relatively pedantic,Perceived as self-centered, focused on individual salvation Known as the “Greater Vehicle”, which offeredA new set of literature called the Prajňāparamitā, or “Perfection of Wisdom” literatureA new theory concerning the nature of BuddhahoodA different path to a new goal—the Bodhisattva pathMulti-Buddhas theoryAll sentient beings can attain BuddhahoodMany celestial Buddhas (and Bodhisattvas) permeated the pantheon of Mahāyāna BuddhismForemost among these celestial Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are:Amitābha, or the Buddha of “Unlimited Light”, Sometimes called Amitāyus, or the Buddha of “Unlimited Life”, said to rule over the Western Paradise of Sukhāvatī, and known in China as Amituofo, and in Japan as Amida ButsuAkşobhya, “Immovable Buddha” said to reign over Eastern Paradise known as AbhiratiVairocana, “Shining Out Buddha”, “Great Sun Buddha”Bhaiśajayaguru Buddha, “Healing Buddha”Bodhisattva Maňjuśrī, “Gentle/Sweet Glory”, symbolizing wisdomMaitreya, future Buddha, “Benevolent One”, a cult image said to rule over Tuşita HeavenAvalokiteśvara, “The Lord Who Looks Down,”Represented in art in a variety of ways, including a layman with eleven heads, a thousand arms…Multi-World systems“universes are as numerous as the sands of Ganges”Some of the world systems are Buddha fields (lands) in which a Tathāgata lives and teaches the DharmaTathāgata is often translated as either “one who has thus gone” or “one who has thus come”Or simply “thus come one”Each Buddha land is a “pure land”—a pure world formed by jewels, gems, diamond bodies,…as opposed to “impure” worlds formed by organic matters.Better Known Buddha Lands Abhirat, Land of Light in the East, presided by the Buddha Aksobhya, which means “immovable” or “imperturbable” This pure land and the Buddha Aksobhya are not popular in East Asia, but are relatively popular in TantrismIn art, he is represented in blue, holding a diamond scepter in his right hand; his left hand is in the earth-witness gesture, with a blue elephant for his mount.The Buddha AksobhyaSukhāvatī, Land of Utmost Bliss in the West, presided by the Buddha Amitābha /Amitāyus, which means “immeasurable light/life span”Story about this Buddha:Found in the Longer/Larger Sutra (one of the three major Pure Land Sutras)Amitāyus (The Buddha of Infinite life) or Amitābha (The Buddha of Immeasurable Light) and his Pure Land are discussed in detail in these three Pure Land sutras:1. The Shorter/Smaller Sutra on Amitāyus, 2. The Longer/Larger Sutra on Amitāyus, 3. The Sutra on Contemplaton of Amitāyus Amitāyus is known as O-mi-to fo, Wu-liang-shou fo in Chinese, and Amida Butsu in JapaneseMahāyāna emphasis is on compassion for all sentient beings and the emptiness (śūnyata)of all phenomenaSplit into different schools in India:The Mādhyamika schoolThe Yogācāra schoolPure Land traditionVajrayāna traditionMore schools emerged in China and other EA countriesMahāyāna literatureFirst category: Prajňāparamitā literatureConsists of a series of Mahāyāna texts:Perfecton of Wisdom Discourse in 8,000 lines”Later expanded into 18,000, 25,000, and 100,000 verses.Two shortened versions also appeared:The Diamond SutraThe Heart SutraTantric texts also emerged:The Perfecton of Wisdom in One LetterBodhisattvas figured prominently in these textsSecond category: Vimalakīrt-nirdeśa sutraTells a story about the Buddha’s sermon in the town of Vaiśālī audience: 800 monks, 32,000 bodhisattvas, and many lay disciplesAmong lay disciples Vimalakīrti is absent due to an illnessBodhisattva Maňjuśrī offers to inquire after VimalakīrtiVimalakīrti attributes his illness to his compassion for the sickness of all sentient beings, noting that he won’t become cured unless all other sentient beings are cured.Then Vimalakīrti poses a question: “how a bodhisattva can enter the Dharma-door of non-duality?” After hearing thirty-one replies, Maňjuśrī says that those replies are themselves dualistic and that “to know no one teaching, to express nothing, to explain nothing, to announce nothing, to indicate nothing, and to designate nothing” is the entrance into nonduality.Maňjuśrī requests Vimalakīrti’s answer to his own question. Vimalakīrti’s response: complete and total silence.This is considered the only perfect answer. Vimalakīrti facing Maňjuśrī, Dunhuang, Tang paintingThird category: Lańkāvatāra sutraDiscusses emptiness, the theory of eight-consciousnesses, five dharmas, the Thathāgata is present in all sentient beings, or Buddhahood is readily available to all. Used as an early Chan/Zen text in ChinaFourth category: Lotus SutraFull title: “Sutra on the Lotus of the Good/Wonderful Teaching”The basis of Tiantai school of Chinese Buddhism; extremely importantStresses “One Vehicle” Buddhism, the nature of the Tathāgata the use of “skillful means” or “skill-in-means” (upāya)Fifth category: Pure Land SutraThree texts:Larger Sukhāvatīvyuha Sutra (Larger Sutra)Smaller Sukhāvatīvyuha Sutra (Smaller Sutra)Sutra on the Viisualizaton of the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, or Guan wuliangshoufo jing Pure Land FaithThe Larger Sutra tells a story about the monk Dharmakara and his forty-eight vows under a prior Buddha known as Lokeśvararāja. Rebirth in the Pure Land is available to those:Make a vow to be reborn thereEmploy their good merit to do soMeditate on AmitābhaThe Smaller SutraFocuses on repeated recitation of Amitābha’s name to attain salvationExpressed by the formula:Namo Amitābhāya Buddhāya (in Sanskrit), Nanwu Amituofo (in Chinese), and Namu Amida Butsu (in Japanese)--- “Homage to Amitābha Buddha”Regarded as the “easy way” to attain salvationFaith is much stressedMeditation secondaryMahāyāna SchoolsIn IndiaThe