AASCU Japan Studies Institute: Religion in Japan 2

I. Historical Buddhism

    A.  Three Premises of Hinduism that remain true in Buddhism
       
      1. Perception of this world as SAMSARA

      2. Belief in reincarnation

      3. Belief in karma

      [image]

      4. How karma and reincarnation worked in early Hinduism and Buddhism

      a. no interval

      b.automatic, mechanical operation

      c. no:

      d. analogy for movement from one life to the next: candle

      5. Shared goal of Buddhism and Hinduism  

    B. Historical Founder of Buddhism: The Life of the Buddha (The Awakened One)

      1. Siddhartha Gautama (born in 6th c. B.C. Northern India to ruler of Shakya clan)  

      2. Also known as Shakyamuni (Sage of Shakyas)

      (Japanese: Shakamuni)

      3. Meditates under Bodhi tree and achieves enlightenment (awakening) of "middle way" between hedonism (life of pleasure) and asceticism (life of severe self-discipline)


[images of Buddha] 

    C. His enlightenment: The Four Noble Truths
       
      1. Life is constantly changing and so permeated with suffering.

      2. The cause of suffering is human desire.

      a. In this context what is "sin"?

      3. The cessation of suffering is possible.

         
        a. The cessation of reincarnation is called NIRVANA in Buddhism.


      4. You can attain this Nirvana via an eight-fold discipline or path. This path includes:

      a. Wisdom (understanding the truth of Buddha's insights)

      b. Morality (practicing the truth of Buddha's insights by choosing to be selfless and compassionate towards all living things)

      c. Mental Discipline (learning mental concentration and meditation techniques to detach oneself from the desires that keep us bound to the cycle of reincarnation)

         

D. Buddha's pragmatic attitude towards gods, the afterlife, ghosts, demons:

       
      1. "I teach only suffering and the way out of suffering."

      2. On his deathbed: "You must be lamps unto yourselves."

II. Buddhism After the Buddha's death

       A. Emperor Asoka (3rd c. BCE)

       1. Supported construction of monasteries and missions to other countries

       2. Buddhism eventually died out in India but continued elsewhere

       [map of spread of Buddhism]

    B. Theravada Buddhism (The Teaching of the Elders)
     

      1. goal was achieving the 8th step of eight-fold path: mental discipline in the form of concentration and meditation

      2. focus on monastery life

      3. problem:


    C. Mahayana (Great Vehicle), developed in 1st c. BCE

          1. Attempted to make Buddhism more popular

      2. Analogy: Buddhist teaching (dharma) is like a great ship/vehicle

      3. Called Theravada "Hinayana" (The Lesser Vehicle)

III. How Mahayana attempts to incorporate Theravada/Hinayana


A. Three Vehicles Theory (Three Models of How to Achieve Buddhahood)
 
    1. Hinayana:

      a. First vehicle, s'râvaka (listeners): attempt to achieve enlightenment by listening to and studying the Buddha's sermons

      b. Second vehicle, pratyekabuddha: attempt to achieve enlightenment through their own efforts to understand the impermanence of nature and life.

    2. Mahayana:

    a. Third (Great) vehicle, bodhisattva: someone who made a vow many existences ago to become a Buddha, and has over the course of many lifetimes acquired huge stores of good karma. He/she could have easily passed into non-existence, but compassionately chose to wait until all living beings are able to achieve enlightenment with them. In the meantime bodhisattvas use their vast stores of karmic merit to help those who have faith and pray to them.

B. Historical Buddha as model for bodhisattva:

1. What we can do (we are all potential bodhisattvas)

      a. make a vow

      b. rely on the compassion of a deity

C. Result: return of the supernatural in the form of multiple Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

D. The Lotus of the Good Law Sutra or The Lotus Sutra
 

1. A sutra (Buddhist scripture) developed specifically to

           
          a.

          b.


E. Doctrine of Expedient Means (Sanskrit upaya; J. hoben):

         
        1. "The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable. The door to this wisdom is difficult to understand and difficult to enter. Not one of the s'râvaka listeners or pratyekabuddhas is able to comprehend it." (Lotus Sutra)          


        2. Parable of the Burning House
         

          a. The Buddha tempts his children who are playing in a burning house (this world of suffering) with promises of three carts (the three "vehicles" of Buddhism). When they emerge from the house, however, instead of the promised individual carts he gives them one larger cart (the one Great Bodhisattva Vehicle of Mahâyâna Buddhism).

          image 1, image 2


      3. What does the Doctrine of Expedient Means harmonize?

      4. What does the Doctrine of Expedient Means explain?

 V. Buddhist Deities
 

A. Incarnate Buddhas (past and future)
 

B. Bodhisattvas

C. Heavenly Buddhas

             
            1. Amida Buddha (Amithaba, presides over the Western Pure Land)

D. Why do you think Mahayana developed deities?

E. How was Buddhism affected by local religions, especially shamanism?
 

1. What did people demand?

a. How did priests justify this?

1)

2)

3)