1. LTLRE June 30th 2017 Making sense of Mahayana Buddhism
Prof Denise Cush

2. Making sense of Mahayana Buddhism

3. Theravada v. Mahayana

4. Theravada v. Mahayana What are the main differences? (in 2s)
Burma, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam

5. Theravada v. Mahayana: main differences
Scriptures
Practices
Cosmologies
Monastic rules
Philosophies
Upaya applied to teachings and rules
Concept of Buddha
Role of laity (?)
Buddhas
Countries (today)
Final goal
bodhisattvas

6. How did Mahayana start? Various theories
Mahasanghikas in early councils
Influence of ‘Hinduism’
Monastic meditation visions (Williams, Rawlinson)
Lay stupa worship (Hirakawa)
The use of writing (Gombrich)

7. Which came first? Western scholars presume Theravada
Mahayana practitioners claim just as old
Extant textual sources near in date
Both have long histories
Both developed side by side in India
Buddhist concept of time
Awareness of issue in Mahayana – hidden texts, Lotus Sutra, so…

8. Why is it harder to grasp Mahayana?
Theravada is a) a line of ordination b) a school of philosophy Mahayana isn’t – a different vision of the meaning of Buddha and the Buddhist goal, a movement with roots in Indian monasteries. Southern/Northern/Eastern Buddhism

9. ‘Vajrayana’ and Tantra
Some sources claim a third wing of Buddhism ‘Vajrayana’, but
Clearly within Mahayana, found in Tibetan Buddhism and Shingon
Tantric ‘Advanced’ ritual practices which provide a quicker but more dangerous path to enlightenment

10. Some schools of Mahayana
Tibetan
Gelugpa, Kargyupa, Sakyapa, Nyingmapa
Chan/Zen – Rinzai, Soto
T’ien Tai/Tendai
Chen yen/Shingon
Pure Land – Jodo, Jodo Shinshu
Nichiren
Many more including NRMs

11. Kukai (Shingon)

12. Mahayana philosophies
Madhyamaka
Yogachara
Hua yen

13. Nagarjuna at Samye Ling

14. Nagarjuna and Madhymaka
Prajnaparamita texts
Shunyata ‘emptiness’
Empty of inherent existence
Nothing is anything in or by itself
Nothing has svabhava ‘own-being’, ‘aseity’
If it did, nothing could ever happen
Everything is interdependent/relative
Samsara and nirvana are not separate
Experiential as well as intellectual
Levels of truth

15. Yogachara Asanga and Vasubandhu
Everything as mental construct ‘mind-only’
The delusion of real separate objects/selves
The flow of perceptions misinterpreted
Alayavijnana or ‘store consciousness’
Universal Mind?

16. Hua yen Avatamsaka Sutra Indra’s jeweled net Interpenetration
Each individual thing reflects all things
Influential in China and Japan
Gives a more positive value to material world
Vairochana Buddha ‘shining one’

17. Vairocana Buddha in Nara

18. Buddhas in Theravada Buddhas in Theravada
Historical Buddha, previous and future Buddhas eg Dipankara, Maitreya
Rare
Pass out of samsara at death
Not in contact
Maitreya as symbol of unity

19. Dipankara and Maitreya

20. Maitreya

21. Buddha(s) in Mahayana Other universes, other Buddhas
Vairochana, Amogasiddhi, Amitabha, Akshobya, Ratnasambhava
‘Cosmic’ Buddhas – Vajrasattva, Vajradhara
‘Our’ Buddha, Shakyamuni, is still with us
All can be Buddhas
All IS Buddha

22. Buddha(s) in Mahayana Trikaya ‘three body’ teaching
Nirmanakaya, Sambhogakaya, Dharmakaya
Tathagatagarbha ‘embryo’ or ‘womb’ of the Buddha in all
All can become Buddhas
All already are

23. Amida Buddha

24. Vajrasattva

25. Bodhisattvas In Theravada, ‘Buddha to be’ - rare
In Mahayana, someone who aspires to buddhahood for sake of others
Advanced bodhisattvas available to help
Six/Ten perfections and stages
Perfect wisdom and infinite compassion
Aspects of Buddha nature?

26. Avalokitesvara/Chenrezi/Kwanyin

27. Manjusri and Tara

28. Some Mahayana practices
Temples
Rituals
Festivals
Mandalas
Mantras
Meditation
Funerals

29. Mount Hiei

30. Zen Garden, Kyoto

31. Hanamatsuri April 8th