Lecture 9Outline of Last Lecture I. 3 Marks of RealityII. The Second Noble TruthIII. The Third Noble TruthIV. The Fourth Noble TruthV. SanghaVI. The LaityVII. Five PreceptsVIII. Early Spread of BuddhismIX. The Three VehiclesX. The ArhatXI. Virtues of ArhatXII. Mahayana BuddhismOutline of Current Lecture XIII. Important Mahayana SchoolXIV. Foundations of Mahayana SchoolXV. Mahayana ScripturesXVI. Doctrinal FoundationPHIL 1101st EditionXVII. Emptiness, Nirvana, and the Religious GoalXVIII. Emptiness and the ReligiousXIX. Buddha Nature: Doctrine of TrikayaXX. Body of BlissXXI. Ideal of the BodhisvattaXXII. Buddhism into ChinaXXIII. TiantaiXXIV. Tiantai/Tendai in JapanXXV. ChanXXVI. ZenXXVII. Pure LandCurrent LectureXXVIII. Important Mahayana Schoola. Tianti (Tendai)i. originated in China-- prominent in Japanii. focus on scriptual studyb. Pure Land i. originated in India-- most popular form of Buddhism in east Asiaii. focuses on veneration of celestial buddhac. Chan (Zen)i. originated in China. seperate schools developed japanThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is bestii. focuses on meditationXXIX. Foundations of Mahayana Schoola. Scriptuali. development of new scriptures beyond the traditional canon b. Doctrinali. extension of the principle of “non-self” reaching waysc. Ethicali. focus of practice on virtue of compassiond. Communali. less centered on monastic community; expands the par-ticipation of laityXXX. Mahayana Scripturesa. Discovery of previously unknown Scripturesi. Mahayana grew confederation of schools that accepted these ScripturesXXXI. Lotus Sutraa. portrays Theravada as completed in Mahayanab. Buddha taught lower level and higher level truthsi. lower level: 4 Noble Truths establishes the goal of nir-vana achieved by the arhat ii. higher level: tru nirvana achieved at Buddahood and all being can attain this level. Arhats have settled for lessergoal1. arhats compromised by desire for individual en-lightenment XXXII. Doctrinal Foundationb. recall: principle of interdependent origination/conditioned aris-ingc. emptiness (shunyata)ii. extension of the concept of conditioned arisingiii. identifies the highest insight of the Buddha as regardingall aspects of reality as “empty”iv. “empty” defined as “absence of possessing being in andof itself”1. synonymous with “non-self”2. all beings are interrelated and indebted to each other3. ethical corollary: whatever you do to others you also do to yourselfXXXIII. Shunyata and Sanghab. Doctrine of Shunyata raises the question:ii. how can you teach a truth if “emptiness” qualifies all phenomena?iii. Sangha founded to preserve and transmit the teaching of Buddhac. Emptiness and the Process of Teachingii. Emptiness cannot be directly apprehendediii. Teaching is Provisional1. effort to indicate indirectly ultimate truthiv. Develop in the student a skillful frame of mind XXXIV. Emptiness, Nirvana, and the Religious Goalb. Critique of Theravada:ii. Theravadins hold that nirvana possesses reality outside of conditioned arising: it is the one unconditioned realityc. Mahayana:ii. all phenomena are marked by emptiness of self-natureiii. nirvana is a phenomenoniv. consequence: Nirvana is also empty of self-nature1. has no self-sustaing reality and is thus no less “empty than the wheel of karma and rebirth (sam-sara)2. the distinction between samsara and nirvana is likewiseXXXV. Emptiness and the Religiousb. Transformation of the Religious Goalii. Religious goal need no longer to be exit the world1. One’s relgious attainment depends on a mental transformation rather than a transformation of be-ing2. seek correct understanding of the world, not tran-scendence of itiii. This goal can be called “Buddahood”1. embodiment of the pure mental state and vitrtuof of the Buddha2. “Buddha nature” can be shared by other beingsXXXVI. Buddha Nature: Doctrine of Trikayab. Trikaya= Three Bodiesc. Truth Body (Dharma Body)= Absolute essence of the universeii. unity of Buddhahood manifest in both heavenly and earthly formsiii. Buddhahood is potentionally everywhereXXXVII. Body of Blissb. Body of Bliss=Heavenly Buddha that presides over a Buddha realm and can be veneratedii. Celestial Buddhas reside in various Pure Lands (beyond samsara), after having made a vow to create such a land out of compassion for other beingsiii. those who meditate on these Buddhas or call on their names in the appropriate frame of mind (“faith”) are born into their lands at the time of death, and there practice toward complete enlightenment XXXVIII. Appearence Bodyb. Appearance Body= historical Buddhaii. appeared as an expedient device to lead beings toward the truthiii. his death and apparent Nirvana were a device by which to help deeply ignorant beings begin the path to enlight-enment (through comparatively simple presentation of the path of the arhat)iv. vs Theravadin emphasis on the historical BuddhaXXXIX. Ideal of the Bodhisattavab. Original Meaning:ii. one who vows seek enlightenment. A “buddha in train-ing”iii. applied to the stages of buddha prior to awakeningc. In Mahayana:ii. applied to a being who vows to serve and save all suf-fering beings1. six perfections2. primary virtue=compassion (karuna)iii. open to monks and laity alike1. all beings have within themselves the resources necessary to reach the highest possible perfectioniv. celestial bodhisattvas and Buddhas as salvfic forces1. Bodhisattvas and Buddhas can transfer merit be-lieversd. Buddhism into Chinaii. China: longstanding intellectual, literary, philosophical and religious traditions before Buddhism1. conflict and competition with Confucian and Daoist institutions2. monastic ideals stand in tension with virtues of fil-ial pietyiii. Translation of Scriptures into Chinese1. Long process. Formation of Chinese canon largely complete by ed of Tang dynast (906). Japanese writers added further works to their own canon.2. State supported translation- exercises influence ofthe shape of the canon and the regulation SanghaXL. Tiantaib. Tiantai (6th century) effort to harmonize variant scriptures translated into chinesec. followed teachings of lotus sutra, which taught the historical Buddha taught according to capacity of heareres and that original disciples misunderstood his teachingd. Historical Buddha did not disappear Historical Buddha just transformation of Absolute Body of BuddhaXLI. Chanb.
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