5/BT1 Religious Figures and Sacred Texts

what was the Heart Sutra influenced by? in which scriptures is it found?

Influenced by Abhidhamma Pitaka (Theravada) and found in the Prajna Paramita (perfect wisdom) scriptures (Mahayana)

what are the three jewels in Buddhism?

Buddha, Dharma and Sangha

is the Heart Sutra important for which Buddhists? in what region of the world especially?

Especially for Mahayana buddhists yes

especially in south east asia

who revealed the Heart Sutra? Edward Conze believed it dates back to when?

many scriptures credit it to the bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokiteshvara

it was not the directly from the Buddha

thought by Edward Conze to date 1st century BCE - 600CE (many decades/centuries after Buddha's existence)

what are the teachings of the Heart Sutra regarded as? what does it contain teachings of?

the absolute wisdom of the Buddha

great teachings on the concept of no-attachment and sunyata (emptiness)

how do many Buddhists treat the Heart Sutra?

they recite it daily (which holds great significance to them, despite not possibly understanding it all)

what does the Heart Sutra teach about mutual identity and form ?

they both do not represent true reality

give a summary of the teachings in the Heart Sutra?

what does Avalokiteshvara represent?

skandhas?

sunyata?

dismissing conventional wisdoms?

12 chains?

Avalokiteshvara represents wisdom

- His analysis of the human condition is that nothing exists outside of the 5 skandhas that constitute each being.

- He begins to teach about sunyata and how this is the true reality, beyond all other teachings.

- He goes through various Buddhist teachings, like the Four Noble Truths, and depicts them as conventional reality meanwhile the ultimate truth is sunyata.

- He talks about the 12 Nidanas (as they are a development of the 5 skandhas effectively as they keep us tethered).

what are the 12 nidanas also called?

what are the categories they are separated into? (4)

the 12 links of dependent origination

1) Past causes

2) Present effects

3) Present causes

4) Future effects

give 2 Nidanas from each category:

past causes?

present life?

future effects?

past: ignorance, mental formations

present: consciousness, craving for existence

future: birth, aging and death

what is a quote from the Heart Sutra about what is found/not in sunyata?

'in emptiness, there is no suffering, no origination, no stopping and no path'

qive a quote from the Heart Sutra on what is form?

'form is emptiness, emptiness is form'

in the Heart Sutra, how is the idea of form being emptiness (NOT form being empty) different from previous Buddhist teachings?

the idea of form being emptiness (as in, the nouns are synonymous to one another), is a new concept and is different from the First Mark of Existence's teaching that existence is empty of permanence.

sunyata is something different than the belief that form is empty.

what is the core teaching of sunyata? in relation to reality?

give a quote about the bodhisattva which exemplifies this.

the ultimate truth of reality is beyond our thinking processes

reality has its own truth, not the truth we impose upon it to make sense of it.

the bodhisattva '...dwells without thought coverings.'

- if we want to understand reality then we have to let go all ideas of what reality is like, i.e. ideas on Noble Truths, form, sunyata, etc.

which sect are the Lotus and Heart Sutras part of?

Mahayana

why are sutras important in Mahayana Buddhism?

Who was Nagarjuna?

give a quote from him which exemplifies his understanding of Sunyata

Founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana (spread the Heart Sutra?)

"there is neither fire nor fuel" (the words fire and fuel demonstrate how we impose meaning on the forms in the world when in true reality there is nothing)

who is the Lotus Sutra attributed to?

Shakyamuni Buddha - not limited by time and space

what is the Trikaya doctrine?

what are the different parts of it

'3 bodies' doctrine of the Buddha

1. Teaching body 'dharmakaya'

2. Actual body 'nirmanakaya'

3. Celestial body 'sambhogakaya'

how does the Trikaya doctrine relate to englihtenment?

how the path to enlightenment manifests and it is what is to be expected on the path to enlightenment

what is the main teaching of the Lotus Sutra?

everyone can attain Buddhahood in this lifetime if they follow the path of the Bodhisattva .

what is the parable of the Burning House? (found in Lotus Sutra)

Man lives in a house with many children. They are very wealthy and have many possessions.

Fire starts in the house. Man notices but not children. Man calls for children to flee, they do not. They are enjoying their games too much.

He tempts them to leave the house by saying there are 3 fun carts outside for them to play with.

They leave the house and find not the carts described but rather a luxurious cart led by oxen and draped in jewels.

what is upaya?

Expedient/skilful means:

using actions that might not normally be acceptable in Buddhism in order to near people to enlightenment/joining the Buddhist path.

what are the 3 main teachings of the parable of the Burning House?

Buddha's role as a bodhisattva?

how does he fulfil this?

what is the reality?

- The Buddha is trying to save all sentient beings from the world of samsara. In order to do this he uses Upaya (skilful means)

- He reveals different paths, which will encourage people to begin practising Buddhist teachings.

- One one of these paths truly exists, the other 2 are just to encourage people to begin practising Buddhist teachings.

in the parable of the Burning House, what does each character/feature symbolise?

burning house?

young children trapped in house?

the old man/father?

the fire?

the 3 carts?

the oxen cart?

burning house - world of samsara

young children trapped - sentient beings who continue to grasp and attach themselves to samsara

old man - Buddha, wishing to save sentient beings

3 carts - the different paths to nibbana: arhatship, pratyekabuddhahood, Buddahood

the oxen cart - the true path to nibbana

what does Ekayana mean?

'one path' / 'one vehicle'

what is the difference in approach to how many people can reach enlightenment in Theravadin/Mahayana traditions?

in Theravada Buddhism, there has only been one Buddha and all other beings will achieve enlightenment as an arhat

whereas,

the Mahayana tradition claims that there can be infinite Buddhas and the only path there is through the bodhisattva path

how does the Lotus Sutra establish Mahayana authority?

who is the speaker? why is this important

how does it establish Mahayana superiority over Theravadin traditions?

the speaker in the Lotus Sutra is supposed to be the Buddha

the Lotus Sutra has ultimate authority within Buddhism given that the Buddha is the discloser of the Dhamma and the ultimate truths

at the beginning of the Sutra, the Buddha describes that some arhats, in their ignorance, leave when the Buddha starts teachings.

Since enlightened beings cannot have a trait of arrogance, this is a clear indication that arhats have not yet reached enlightenment.

how does the Lotus Sutra establish Mahayana superiority over Theravadin traditions?

at the beginning of the Sutra, the Buddha describes that some arhats, in their ignorance, leave when the Buddha starts teachings.

Since enlightened beings cannot have a trait of arrogance, this is a clear indication that arhats have not yet reached enlightenment.

what is the significance of the Lotus Sutra to Nichiren Buddhism?

higher than other teachings?

non/exclusive path?

it is the foundational text of Nichiren

it embodies the highest and most complete teaching of the Buddha which expresses the essential wisdom of the Buddha and the path to enlightenment for all, regardless of their circumstances

it preaches universal accessibility and rejects the idea of an exclusive path to enlightenment

what is the significance of the Lotus Sutra in Nichiren Buddhism?

the Daimoku?

Ekayana/one vehicle?

The Nichiren practice of chanting the Daimoku - Nam Myoho Renge Kyo - is the core practice for attaining enlightenment

it is taught that through chanting it, one can activate the Buddha nature within oneself.

In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha teaches that all paths to enlightenment ultimately converge into a path towards Buddhahood. Nichiren considers this as a higher teaching than the lesser paths found in other Buddhist texts.

what is a quote from Edward Conze about the provisional nature of the Lotus Sutra?

'Then he employs by way of his skill in means(...) but it is precisely the supreme enlightenment that all his demonstrations of Dharma are concerned with.'

(the Buddha using Upaya to communicate the Dhamma)

what is the implication of Upaya:

- contradicting teaching...

- consistency within the religion

- implications for morality/rules? example

- conclusion of what type of value of teachings?

1) Buddha is capable of giving conflicting teachings (advanced ones contradicting those pitched at a lower level)

2) Thus, Buddhist philosophy as a whole does not have to be consistent or harmonious

3) The use of Upaya may mean he contravening of a basic Buddhist moral precept, provided the motivation is to bring spiritual advancement. E.g. in previous life, as a student the Buddha has sex with a girl who threatened to die of love for him

4) All Buddhist teachings only have a relative/provisional value (they don't extend beyond the person they are aimed at) so Buddha/bhikkhus could espouse opposing teachings

What are the 3 vehicles to enlightenment described in the Lotus Sutra?

Sravaka-yana: Sravaka 'one who hears' gains his own enlightenment through listening to teachings of Buddha on the Arhat path.

Pratyekabuddha-yana: 'one who is solitary' achieves enlightenment through personal insight without guidance from teachers and does not look to teach to others.

Bodhisattva-yana:

what is a quote from the Buddha about how all paths lead to Buddhahood?

in terms of the eka-yana, all beings are led to a 'final Nirvana, which is all embracing'

how does the Lotus Sutra harmonise the 3 vehicles ?

the Lotus Sutra harmonises the 3 vehicles by inssiting that, in truth, there is no other vehicle apart from the transcendent eka-yana