schools within mahyana buddhism

Pure Land School - Devotional School

emphasized the writing of the Happy Land, aid from a god-like Buddha enables one to attain nirvana

Jodo-shu School

school within Pure Land, insisted the proper way to express faith in Amitabha is through chanting “Namu Amida Butsu” over and over again

Happy Land doctrine

story of a heavenly Buddha, Amitabha, who lived in a paradise; anyone can become a Buddha by placing faith in Amitabha

Jodo-Shinshu

school within Pure Land, insisted that you don’t need to chant to have enough faith but you need to possess an attitude of humility and faith in Amida

Zen School - School of Meditation

found in the meditation practices of Siddartha which emphasized a non-rational insight into reality, this is where students try to reflect on thought puzzles or be slapped by instructors trying to get the instant enlightenment

Bodhidharma

important in Zen, an Indian monk who denied the value of traditional Buddhist texts and emphasized meditation and reflection upon your own nature to attain Buddha-hood

Hui-neng

received enlightenment suddenly which helped establish that idea in China, influenced the practices of yelling/slapping students to help enlightenment dawn

Tian-tai/Tendai

rationalist schools; equal weight to both meditation and study of texts, knowledge is just as important as meditation

Zhi-yi

his insights began Tian-tai and taught there were differing levels of Buddhism which reflects the different kind of hearers

Nichiren - Political School

based on the teachings of Zennichimaro which emphasized the Lotus Sutra, believed that all other schools distorted the truth of the Buddha; taught 3 secret truths need to venerate a mandala (1), repetition of the daimoku (2), and the building of a sacred shrine in honor of genuine Buddha (3)

mandala

special icon

daimoku

phrase “Hail to the holy law of the Lotus Sutras”

Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism brought to Tibet from India merged with indigenous practices; belief in pairs of male and female gods whose union energizes and actualizes the world, five pairs of god-like Buddhas are recognized and humans are able to merge with these Buddhas to reach ultimate enlightenment

female gods in Tibetan Buddhism

prajna; passive, quiet, aloof, wise, and profound

male gods in Tibetan Buddhism

upaya; active and creative

dhyani buddhas

celestial buddhas of tibetan buddhism

rituals prescribed to combine with celestial buddhas

fasting, prayer, magical incantations, words or syllables

vajrayana

sudden enlightenment, instant attainment of a nirvana like reality

religious rituals

production of mandala (picture charts designed to aid in meditation), reciting of mantras, offering of puja (ritual offerings) like prayers or confessions, practice of mundras

religious leaders of Tibetan Buddhism

lamas or "superior ones”, essentially Tibetan Buddhist monks

Red Hat Monks

forsaken the emphasis on eating no meat, drinking less alcohol, reintroduction of celibacy

Yellow Hat Monks

sought to move back to original Buddhist emphasis on no meat, less alcohol, and celibacy

Dalai Lama

reintroduction of celibacy led to reincarnation of chief lama, when a Dalai Lama dies his soul is reincarnated into another body