https://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/buddhaongod.asp
THE BUDDHA ON GOD

Monks,
that sphere should be realized where the eye (vision) stops and the
perception (mental noting) of form fades. That sphere is to be realized
where the ear stops and the perception of sound fades… where the nose
stops and the perception of aroma fades… where the tongue stops and
the perception of flavor fades… where the body stops and the
perception of tactile sensation fades… where the intellect stops and
the perception of idea/phenomenon fades: That sphere should be realized.
— Samyutta Nikaya XXXV.116

Buddhism and belief in god

Buddhism
believes in the existence of neither god nor soul in the theistic
sense. It is essentially a religion of the mind, which advocates present
moment awareness, inner purity, ethical conduct, freedom from the
problem of change, impermanence and suffering, and reliance upon one’s
own experience and discernment on the Eightfold path as the teacher and
guide, rather than an external authority other than the Dhamma. One may
take guidance from a teacher, but insightful awareness and experiential
knowledge of the Dhamma are vital to progress on the path.

Unlike
the other major religions of the world, Buddhism is not centered on the
concept of god as the upholder and sum of all or a universal supreme
being, who is responsible for the creation and dissolution of the world
and the existence of sentient beings.

Buddhism does not even
support the idea of an eternal and unchanging soul residing in the body.
According to Buddhism the whole existence is in a state of flux, and
there is nothing that is either permanent or unchanging. Some things may
last longer, but never forever.

The Buddhist scriptures do
confirm the existence of devas or celestial beings, bodhisattvas or pure
beings, heavens and hells and other planes of existence. They may last
for eons.

However, none of them are permanent entities. They are
all subject to change, impermanence and evolution. It is said that the
Buddha either remained silent or discouraged speculation when he was
asked questions about the existence of god or a Supreme Being.

Buddha’s views on god

The
Buddha did so with a purpose. He wanted his followers to remain focused
upon Nibbana and the permanent resolution of suffering, without
distractions and wasteful discussions. Therefore, he did his best to
keep them focused upon that single and virtuous goal, without becoming
distracted by theological speculation or intellectual disputation, which
was the common preoccupation of many scholars and religious teachers of
his time.

However, his silence does not mean that he was an
agnostic or he favored the notion of god as the ruler and creator of the
worlds and beings. His silence was not an affirmation of the existence
of an eternal creator. The Buddha did not believe in hidden causes but
apparent causes, which made sense to the mind and the intellect and
which were humanly relatable, experiential and explicable.

One
may wonder if it was so, why he accepted kamma and reincarnation as
governing laws, which were in some respects abstract concepts. Kamma was
a hidden process of cause and effect, but with mindfulness practice its
working could be discerned and experienced in the world by one and all.
No supernatural testimony was required to establish its universality or
working. Therefore, he accepted kamma as an operating principle. He
believed in reincarnation because he saw his own past lives (and
probably those of others) in contemplative states and understood their
significance in attaining the Buddhahood. However, he held that the
incarnating entity was not an eternal soul but a temporary formation.

Seven reasons why the existence of god is unacceptable

On
occasions, he expressed his opinions about creation and the role of
god. When Ananthapindika, a wealthy young man, met the Buddha at a
bamboo groove at Rajagaha, the Buddha made a few statements before him
about the existence of god and the real cause behind the creation of
beings in this world. Those views are summarized as below:

1. If
god is indeed the creator of all living things, then all things here
should submit to his power unquestioningly. Like the vessels produced by
a potter, they should remain without any individuality of their own. If
that is so, how can there be an opportunity for anyone to practice
virtue?

2. If this world is indeed created by god, then there
should be no sorrow or calamity or evil in this world and no need for
the existence of the principle of kamma since all deeds, both pure and
impure, must come from Him.

3. If it is not so, then there must
be some other cause besides god which is behind him, in which case He
would not be self-existent.

4. It is not convincing that the
Absolute has created us, because that which is absolute cannot be a
cause. All things here arise from different causes. Then can we can say
that the Absolute is the cause of all things alike? If the Absolute is
pervading them, then certainly It is not their creator.

5. If we
consider the Self as the maker, why did it not make things pleasant? Why
and how should it create so much sorrow and suffering for itself?

6.
It is neither god nor the self nor some causeless chance which creates
us. It is our deeds which produce both good and bad results according to
the law of causation.

7. We should therefore “abandon the heresy
of worshipping god and of praying to him. We should stop all
speculation and vain talk about such matters and practice good so that
good may result from our good deeds.

For such reasons, the Buddha
did not encourage speculation on the existence of Isvara, (god) among
his disciples. He wanted them to confine themselves to what was within
their field of awareness, that is, to understand the causes of suffering
and work for their mitigation. For the same reason, he discouraged
speculation upon the nature of Nibbana.

He preached that
initially each being was a product of ignorance and illusion and subject
to suffering, kamma and transmigration. Life was full of suffering and
it could be resolved only by overcoming desires and attraction and
aversion. The Dhamma served as the lamp in the darkness of existential
suffering. By knowing it and practicing it one could find a way to
escape from the cycle of births and deaths and from suffering itself.

Therefore,
for their final liberation he urged his disciples to contemplate upon
the Four Noble Truths, practice the Eightfold path and lead a virtuous
life by performing good deeds. He declared that by ending the transient
states of having, becoming, being and changing and removing the
defilements of the mind and body they could resolve suffering and enter
the state of beatitude or Nirvana on a lasting basis. Thus, in Buddhism
knowledge of the Dhamma has far greater significance than idle
speculation in resolving suffering. One may inquire into it and
contemplate upon it since it is experiential, relatable and verifiable,
unlike the speculative subjects such as the nature of god or the
existence of god and soul.

The complex and diverse nature of Buddhism

It
is difficult to categorize Buddhism as atheistic, theistic or agnostic
because it has aspects of them but does not particularly fit well into
any of them. For example, Buddhism may not believe in god and may not be
considered a theistic tradition, but it does believe in the Buddha and
the Buddhahood. Indeed, it not only believes in the Buddha but also in
numerous past and future Buddhas who exist in numerous higher worlds.
Buddhists worship them with devotion and reverence and make them
offerings just as the Hindus worship their gods. Thus, as explained in
the concluding part of this discussion, Buddhism is a diverse religion,
with elements of theistic, atheistic and agnostic beliefs and practices.
However, it cannot conclusively be placed in any of them with enough
justification because of its inherent contradictions.

Although it
was founded by the Buddha and its teachings are more organized,
concrete and systematic, Buddhism, just as Hinduism, is a complex
religion. It underwent further changes after his death, resulting in the
formation of many sects, sub-sects and regional versions, which made it
even more complex. Some of them made a radical departure from the
original teachings of the Buddha to the extent that they stand in their
own light as independent religions.

Were he alive, the Buddha
would have been surprised to witness the emergence of so many traditions
that rely upon his name to mark their teachings and philosophy but show
a marked deviation from his very teachings, doctrinal expositions and
stand points. What mostly binds them to Buddhism and keeps them in its
fold is their adherence to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

While
scholars may keep arguing about the essential nature of Buddhism it is
the firm opinion of this writer that according to the teachings of the
Buddha it is difficult to place Buddhism on the same footing as Hinduism
or Christianity and consider it a theistic tradition. It is theistic
only in the sense that some of its sects (especially those of Mahayana)
believe in a deity, the Buddha, who is not god but seem to possess some
attributes of god.

The centrality of Dhamma rather than god

The
Buddha did not ascribe any role to god either in creation or in human
suffering or in the liberation of beings. For the Buddha, the world was a
godless world, a formation or aggregate of objects and living beings,
in which both good and evil were produced by the actions of individual
beings, and their fate was determined by the law of causation (kamma).
While beings which lacked intelligence had no choice until they evolved
through rebirths, human beings and those above them had a unique
opportunity to exercise their discerning intellect (buddhi) and chose
right actions and the principles of right living to escape from the law
of kamma and the cycle of births and deaths.

Therefore, to awaken
their minds to the idea of righteous living and virtuous actions, he
taught the world the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, ascribing
no role to god in either of them and putting the entire burden of
resolving individual suffering upon the individuals themselves. In
Buddhism, there is nothing like the grace of god which can resolve the
kamma of a devotee. An arhant (awakened master) or a selfless monk may
transfer his good karma to a suffering soul out of compassion, as
believed in some sects, but such decisions are purely personal in which
neither god nor Buddha has any role.

While drawing his
conclusions and formulating the principles of Dhamma and the Code of
Conduct (Vinaya) for the monks or in his teachings, the Buddha
assiduously avoided to the extent possible all manners of speculation
about supernatural matters and abstract concepts, keeping his focus
firmly fixed upon the causes as well as solutions to the problems of
human existence within the realm of the mind and its abilities, and
without alluding to anything beyond them.

If he had any opinions
or knowledge about transcendence or eternal realities, he kept them out
of the purview of his discussion and deliberations to avoid causing
confusion and delusion. Even when he was pressed for a clear answer, he
remained silent, knowing that it would be a distraction for his
followers in their quest for Nibbana, and for himself in his attempts to
show them the right way and teach them the right knowledge.  Besides,
speculation would not lead to right perception, right awareness, right
understanding and right knowledge.

Belief in gods, Bodhisattvas and Primordial Buddhas

While
Buddhism does not believe in the existence of an all pervading eternal
god who is the cause of the causes and the soul of the souls, it does
believe in the existence of Noble beings or gods of heaven. The Buddhist
texts mention the names of several gods and goddesses, whose names are
similar in many cases to those of the gods and goddesses of Hinduism.

However,
while the deities of Hinduism are immortal, those of Buddhism are not.
They live for longer duration of time, but like all other beings, they
are prone to decay and subject to the cycle of births and deaths. They
may be even humans who evolve into gods through self-effort.

Some
of the gods whose names frequently appear in the Buddhist Pantheon are
Brahma, Indra, Aapo (Varuna), Vayo (Vayu), Tejo (Agni), Surya, Pajapati
(Prajapati), Soma, Yasa, Venhu (Vishnu), Mahadeva (Siva), Vijja
(Saraswati), Usha, Pathavi (Prithvi), Sri (Lakshmi), Yama, Kala, Kuvera
(Kubera), and Garuda.

The texts also refer to the existence of
celestial beings such as yakkhas (Yakshas), gandhabbas (Gandharvas),
Nāgas, and demons such as Bali and his sons, Veroca, etc. Brahma figures
frequently in Pali Canon, which refers to not one but several Brahmas
inhabiting different planes. Brahma is the leader of the heaven.
However, he is not a creator god, and in all the worlds where he
presides he is also subject to change and decay as the other gods.

Apart
from them, Mahayana Buddhism refers to the Bodhisattvas or
compassionate beings and primordial Buddhas who inhabit the higher
heavens and act as the guardians of the world.

The Bodhisattvas
are truth beings, who are fully qualified for Nirvana. However, out of
compassion they decide to postpone their liberation and work for
alleviating the suffering of the sentient beings upon earth.

The
primordial Buddhas such as Samantabhadra, Vajradhara, Vairochana, and
Adi-Buddha among others are personalized embodiments of different
aspects of Buddha Nature. They are pure beings who possess dharmakayas
(bodies of truth).

Hindu gods vs. Buddhist gods

The gods
of Buddhism have greater powers than humans, but unlike the gods of
Hinduism, they do not possess absolute powers. They can have an impact
upon our lives and destinies, but they cannot change or alter the course
of life upon earth beyond a point.

Besides, the gods are not
liberated beings. Their actions have consequences. Hence, just as humans
they too are subject to the law of kamma. If they indulge in wrong
actions, they will fall down from heaven into lower worlds according to
their deeds. However, the same is not true in case of the primordial
Buddhas. They are not only free from decay and the law of kamma but also
endowed with supernatural powers.

According to Buddhism life in
heaven is not a class privilege, which only a few chosen ones are
entitled to enjoy according to the will or at the pleasure of god. The
gods are not created by a supreme god. They are self-made. Their
divinity is the consequences of their good kamma and their personal
choice. Beings evolve through self-effort and good kamma and earn the
right to enter the world of gods. In other words, anyone can be reborn
in the worlds of gods through righteous self-effort and become a
divinity.

Although it is not encouraged, Buddhism does not rule
out the possibility of humans taking birth in the world of gods and
gods, having lost their virtue and due to bad kamma, taking birth in our
world. Since life in heaven is equally conducive to suffering,
Buddhists aim for liberation rather than rebirth in the heavens.

Devotion in Buddhism

The
origin of Buddhism is rooted in the ascetic and monastic traditions of
ancient India. The Buddha did not advise the monks to indulge in ritual
worship or venerate him or other beings with devotion.

However, a
few centuries after his death, a schism in Buddhism led to the
formation of Mahayana sect of Buddhism, which made a radical departure
from the traditional teachings of the Theravada or Hinayana Buddhism and
projected ritual worship of venerable Buddha in his highest and purest
aspect as worthy of worship and devotion.

The Mahayana tradition
supports the worship of Buddha to cultivate virtues, practice love and
compassion and receive enlightenment. The purpose of worship in Buddhism
seems to be to enable the worshippers to form a clear concept of the
ideal of Buddhahood and understand the Buddha nature rather than seeking
his grace or intervention in their personal lives for the alleviation
of their suffering.

Conclusion

Buddhism is primarily a
monastic and ascetic religion, which shares some aspects of theism with
Hinduism and some aspects of atheism with Jainism. Yet, you cannot say
it is a cross between the two. It is a unique tradition in its own
right. It adapted the theistic practices of Hinduism mostly in the
context of its own teachings and for the ultimate purpose of putting the
onus of attaining Nirvana entirely upon individual effort rather than
upon divine intervention or the grace of god.

While in Hinduism,
the householders may pursue the four chief aims life (Purusharthas)
namely Dharma (the law), Artha (wealth), Kama (pleasure) and Moksha
(liberation) apart from categories of athmas (souls), 1st rate, 2nd, 3rd
and 4th rate souls and the all awakened aboriginal societies the
untouchable as having no souls at all so that they can commit any
atrocities on them. Buddha never believed in any soul. He said all are
equal. In Buddhism the lay followers as well as the monks aim for only
two namely the practice of Dhamma  and the attainment of Nibbana.

In
ancient India, atheists such as the Lokayatas and Charvakas also
believed in the nonexistence of god. At the same time, they did not
believe in the possibility of life after death. For them, death itself
was Nibbana. Hence, they ignored both Dhamma and Moksha and focused only
upon the other two aims namely Artha and Kama. They considered life a
unique opportunity to strive for happiness while it lasted, since death
the end of all. They saw no greater virtue or justification to suffer
here and now for the sake of a better life in the next birth or
enjoyment in a heaven.

Thus, even in comparison to atheistic
traditions of ancient India, Buddhism retains its distinct character as a
spiritual religion which can be categorized neither as theistic just as
Hinduism nor as atheistic just as the Carvaka or the Lokayata
doctrines. It is a tradition which is uniquely human, intellectual,
practical and which is principally rooted in verifiable, relatable and
perceptual human experience.There Is No God in Buddhism
Buddhism
facts reveal that Buddhism is defined as a nontheistic religion, but the
relationship of Buddhist teachings and god(s) is a complicated one.
Buddha himself rejected the existence of a creator deity, but the notion
of divinity is not incompatible with his teachings. In fact, there are
gods found in Buddhist teachings, but these are considered to be
inferior to Buddha and not necessarily wiser than us.

In
conclusion, the concept of god(s) exists in Buddhism, but is not central
to the religion, in contrast to Christianity, for example. While most
experts agree that this makes Buddhism a nontheistic religion, there are
also some who believe that naming Buddhism nontheistic is overly
simple..

2. What is the motivation underlying the attempt at calling the Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu ?

Buddha is rarely worshipped like Krishna and Rama in Hinduism.

Buddha
criticised the Vedic/Astik shastras, rejected the Vedic religion and
the Astik school of thought, and challenged the hegemony of the
Brahmans. Buddha didn’t believe in a Supreme Being or an universal soul.

The
late S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India who was also a
Brahman, claimed that the Buddha was actually preaching Hinduism:
“Famous Indian Hindu scholars like the ex-President of India the late S.
Radhakrishnan stated: ‘The Buddha did not feel that he was announcing a
new religion. He was born, grew up, and died a Hindu. He was restating
with a new emphasis the ancient ideals of the Indo-Aryan civilization’”
(2500 Years of Buddhism, 1971, Government of India)

While
Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Father of the Indian Constitution and
one of the greatest Buddhist personalities of India, called this belief
“sheer madness and false propaganda”.

In Dona Sutta, Gautama Buddha didn’t claim to be God.

On seeing Buddha, Dona went to him and said, “Master, are you a deva?”

“No, brahman, I am not a deva.”

“Are you a gandhabba?”

“No…”

“… a yakkha?”

“No…”

“… a human being?”

“No, brahman, I am not a human being.”

…………..’ Then what sort of being are you?”

“Brahman,
the fermentations by which — if they were not abandoned — I would be a
deva: Those are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a
palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined
for future arising. The fermentations by which — if they were not
abandoned — I would be a gandhabba… a yakkha… a human being: Those
are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump,
deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future
arising.

“Just like a red, blue, or white lotus — born in the
water, grown in the water, rising up above the water — stands unsmeared
by the water, in the same way I — born in the world, grown in the world,
having overcome the world — live unsmeared by the world. Remember me,
brahman, as ‘awakened.’

3. Briefly describe the following:

i. The dream of Queen Mahamaya

http://ariyamagga.net/queen-maha-mayas-dream/

Freedom
is not given to us by anyone; we have to cultivate it ourselves. It is a
daily practice… No one can prevent you from being aware of each step
you take or each breath in and breath out. ~Thich Nhat Hạnh

The Dream of Queen Siri Mahamaya Devi

More
than 2,500 years ago, there was a king called Suddhodana. He married a
beautiful Koliyan princess named Maha Maya. The couple ruled over the
Sakyas, a warrior tribe living next to the Koliya tribe, in the north of
India, in what is now known as Nepal. The capital of the Sakya country
was laid out across the foothills of the Himalayas and called
Kapilavatthu.

Queen Maha Maya was the daughter of King Anjana of
the Koliyas. Such was her beauty that the name Maya, meaning “vision”
was given to her. But it was Maya’s virtues and talents that were her
most wonderful qualities, for she was endowed with the highest gifts of
intelligence and piety. King Suddhodana was indeed worthy of his lovely
wife. He himself was called “King of the Law” because he ruled according
to the law. There was no other man among the Sakyas more honored and
respected. The king was admired by his nobles and courtiers, as well as
by the householders and merchants. Such was the noble family from which
the Buddha was to arise.

One full moon night, sleeping in the
palace, the queen had a vivid dream. She felt herself being carried away
by four devas (spirits) to Lake Anotatta in the Himalayas. After
bathing her in the lake, the devas clothed her in heavenly cloths,
anointed her with perfumes, and bedecked her with divine flowers. Soon
after a white elephant, holding a white lotus flower in its trunk,
appeared and went round her three times, entering her womb through her
right side. Finally the elephant disappeared and the queen awoke,
knowing she had been delivered an important message, as the elephant is a
symbol of greatness in Nepal. The next day, early in the morning, the
queen told the king about the dream. The king was puzzled and sent for
some wise men to discover the meaning of the dream.

The wise men
said, “Your Majesty, you are very lucky. The devas have chosen our queen
as the mother of the Purest-One and the child will become a very great
being.” The king and queen were very happy when they heard this.

They
were so pleased that they invited many of the noblemen in the country
to the palace to a feast to tell them the good news. Even the needy were
not forgotten. Food and clothes were given to the poor people in
celebration. The whole kingdom waited eagerly for the birth of the new
prince, and Queen Maya enjoyed a happy and healthy pregnancy, living a
pure life for herself and her unborn child.

Life of the Buddha
Source: BuddhaNet

ii. Birth of Prince Siddharttha

https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Birth_of_Prince_Siddhartha

ii. Birth of Prince Siddharttha

http://ariyamagga.net/birth-future-buddha/

Birth of the future Buddha in the Lumbini Grove

5. Birth of the future Buddha in the Lumbini Grove

Queen
Maha-Maya carried the Future Buddha in her womb for ten months; and on
the full moon day in May (Vesak) she said to King Suddhodana—”I wish, O
King, to go to Devadaha, the city of my family”. The King approved and
caused the road from Kapilavatthu to Devadaha to be made smooth and
adorned, and sent her with a great retinue. Between the two cities there
was a pleasure grove of sal trees, called Lumbini Grove. She entered
the grove for a rest. And at this particular time, this grove was one
mass of flowers presenting a very pretty scene. She went to the foot of a
great sal tree and reached out her hand to seize hold of one of its
branches. She was at once shaken with the pains of birth. Thereupon the
people hung a curtain about her, and her delivery took place while she
was standing up. At that moment came four Mahabrahmas (higher gods) with
a golden net; and, receiving the Future Buddha with it, they placed him
before his mother and said, “Rejoice, O Queen! A mighty son has been
born to thee”.

iii. Prince Siddharttha’s proclamation at his birth

https://www.learnreligions.com/the-birth-of-the-buddha-449783

Aspects
of the story of Buddha’s birth may have been borrowed from Hindu texts,
such as the account of the birth of Indra from the Rig Veda. The story
may also have Hellenic influences. For a time after Alexander the Great
conquered central Asia in 334 BCE, there was a considerable
intermingling of Buddhism with Hellenic art and ideas. There also is
speculation that the story of the Buddha’s birth was “improved” after
Buddhist traders returned from the Middle East with stories of the birth
of Jesus.

The Traditional Tale of the Buddha’s Birth

Twenty-five centuries ago, King Suddhodana ruled a land near the Himalaya Mountains.

One
day during a midsummer festival, his wife, Queen Maya, retired to her
quarters to rest, and she fell asleep and dreamed a vivid dream, in
which four angels carried her high into white mountain peaks and clothed
her in flowers. A magnificent white bull elephant bearing a white lotus
in its trunk approached Maya and walked around her three times. Then
the elephant struck her on the right side with its trunk and vanished
into her.

When Maya awoke, she told her husband about the dream.
The King summoned 64 Brahmans to come and interpret it. Queen Maya would
give birth to a son, the Brahmans said, and if the son did not leave
the household, he would become a world conqueror. However, if he were to
leave the household he would become a Buddha.

When the time for
the birth grew near, Queen Maya wished to travel from Kapilavatthu, the
King’s capital, to her childhood home, Devadaha, to give birth. With the
King’s blessings, she left Kapilavatthu on a palanquin carried by a
thousand courtiers.

On the way to Devadaha, the procession passed
Lumbini Grove, which was full of blossoming trees. Entranced, the Queen
asked her courtiers to stop, and she left the palanquin and entered the
grove. As she reached up to touch the blossoms, her son was born.

Then
the Queen and her son were showered with perfumed blossoms, and two
streams of sparkling water poured from the sky to bathe them. And the
infant stood, and took seven steps, and proclaimed “I alone am the
World-Honored One!

Then Queen Maya and her son returned to
Kapilavatthu. The Queen died seven days later, and the infant prince was
nursed and raised by the Queen’s sister Pajapati, also married to King
Suddhodana.

Symbolism

There is a jumble of symbols
presented in this story. The white elephant was a sacred animal
representing fertility and wisdom. The lotus is a common symbol of
enlightenment in Buddhist art. A white lotus, in particular, represents
mental and spiritual purity. The baby Buddha’s seven steps evoke seven
directions—north, south, east, west, up, down, and here.

Buddha’s Birthday Celebration

In
Asia, Buddha’s birthday is a festive celebration featuring parades with
many flowers and floats of white elephants. Figures of the baby Buddha
pointing up and down are placed in bowls, and sweet tea is poured over
the figures to “wash” the baby.

Buddhist Interpretation

Newcomers
to Buddhism tend to dismiss the Buddha birth myth as so much froth. It
sounds like a story about the birth of a god, and the Buddha was not a
god. In particular, the declaration “I alone am the World-Honored One”
is a bit hard to reconcile with Buddhist teachings on nontheism and
anatman.

However, in Mahayana Buddhism, this is interpreted as
the baby Buddha speaking of the Buddha-nature that is the immutable and
eternal nature of all beings. On Buddha’s birthday, some Mahayana
Buddhists wish each other happy birthday, because the Buddha’s birthday
is everyone’s birthday.

iv. What do you understand by this proclamation?

Why did the baby prince do that ?

Describe.

4.
Write an account of the visit of Sage Asita and his prophecy. Why did
he laugh and then cry? Describe the significance of this contradictory
scene.

https://dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Asita

 
Asita
was a hermit ascetic of ancient India in the 6th century BCE. He is
best known for having predicted that Prince Siddhattha of Kapilavatthu
would either become a great king (chakravartin) or become a supreme
religious leader (Buddha).

According to legend, Asita noticed the
32 signs of a great man on the Buddha, which shows that this concept
pre-dates Buddhism. (Sutta Nipata 3.11)

Asita, also known as
Kanhasiri, was a sage who lived in the forest in the Sakyan country. He
is described as wearing matted hair (Sn.689). One day he noticed that
the gods were wildly celebrating and he asked them why they were so
happy. They replied, ‘A Bodhisattva, an excellent and incomparable
jewel, has been born in the Sakyan town in Lumbini, for the welfare and
happiness of the human world. This is why we are so happy.’(Sn.683).
Anxious to see this child Asita went to Kapilavastu where Suddhodana
welcomed him and gave him the child to hold. Being accomplished in the
art of ‘signs and mantras’ (lakkhana mantra, Sn.690) he examined the
baby and proclaimed that he would ‘attain complete enlightenment’
(Sambodhi), reach the ultimate purified vision’ (paramavisuddhidassi),
and proclaim the Truth ‘out of compassion of the many’
(bahujamhitanukampii, Sn.693). Then tears welled up into his eyes.
Noticing this and being worried by it, the Sakyans asked Asita if he had
foreseen some misfortune in the boy’s future. He replied that he was
sad because he knew that he would pass away before this all happened
(Sn.694).

The name Asita literally means ‘not clinging’ while Kanhasiri means ‘dark splendour’.

This
is the only mention of Asita in the Tipitaka. According to some
scholars the story about him is purely legendary and it may be. However,
there is little in it that is inherently fantastic or unbelievable. It
would have been quite common in ancient India for a monarch to invite a
local holy man to bless and perhaps name his new-born son. Likewise, it
would be normal for the holy man to ‘predict’ that the king’s son would
grow up to be a great man. Later re-tellings of the Asita story, and
there are many of them, each more detailed and elaborate than the
earlier ones, often say that Asita predicted than the baby prince would
become either a universal monarch (cakkavattin) or a fully enlightened
sage (Buddha). This ‘either or’ prediction is absent from the Tipitaka
story.

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Preface
 
 
   The Buddha taught that for a layman it is not a noble monk who
should be the example, but a good layman.[1] The best layman who can
serve as our example is the Bodhisatta. In Mahāyāna supernatural powers
and some degrees of holiness are attributed to him. But according to the
Theravāda tradition the Bodhisatta belongs still to the worldlings and
not yet to the Ariyasangha, the community of the Buddhist saints of the
first, second, third or fourth level.
 
     The Pāli word
Bodhisatta and the Sanskrit word Bodhisattva differ only by a single
letter, yet there is an essential difference between the two concepts.
Several studies have been published that show direct or indirect concern
with the doctrine of the Bodhisatta in Theravāda. A systematic survey
of these has not yet been published, as far as I know. As I have been
interested in this topic for many years, I thought it would be useful to
make a compilation of my research. I was encouraged to do so by
Venerable Rassagala Seewali from Opanayaka, Sri Lanka, whom I met when
he was studying in Thailand. He, too, is very much interested in this
topic. A first attempt was made at the beginning of 2000. However, it
turned out that the information available was too limited. Fortunately,
Dr. K.H. Eckert, a good acquaintance of mine, donated more than 1100 of
his books about Buddhism to me – May that donation be for his welfare
and happiness for a long time. I had now at my disposal a large library
of invaluable material and for that reason I was able to make a fresh
attempt at presenting an examination of the teachings relating to the
Bodhisatta.
 
     In the Suttas of the Pāli Canon only a little
information can be found about the Bodhisatta where the word is used
there to indicate the Buddha Gotama before he attained Enlightenment. In
the Cakkavatti-Sīhanāda sutta (Digha Nikaya 26) the name of the next
Buddha is mentioned. And in the Buddhavamsa and the Cariyapitaka there
is information about other future Buddhas. Another source for this topic
is the Dasa­bodhisattuppatti­kathā (about the births of the ten
Bodhisattas). The value of these works will be discussed later.
 
 
   Much has been written about the Bodhisattas by Venerable Narada
Thera and also by Venerable Ledi Sayadaw. It is a pity that they did not
give the sources from which they derived their information. This has
made assessing the value of their observations quite difficult.
   
 
   Venerable Dr. Sangharatana Thero, chief incumbent of Pitaramba
Temple, Bentota, Sri Lanka, advised me – after reading of the first
draft – to dwell a little more on the Mahāyāna. That good advice was
accepted thankfully. It was of great profit for the study of the concept
of the Bodhisatta / Bodhisattva.
 
     The English typescript
was sent to the Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka. There it
is read carefully by Mr. Dennis Candy and Prof. Handunukanda. They made
many suggestions to improve this study, which suggestions are accepted
thankfully.
 
     This study deals mainly with the Bodhisatta in
Theravāda Buddhism. Many works have already been published about the
Bodhisattvas in Mahāyāna. Therefore only a little is written here about
them.  First I try to explain how there arose a difference in thinking
about these matters and what those main differences were between
Theravāda on the one hand and Mahāyāna on the other hand. Then I
describe in brief the concept of the Bodhisattvas in Mahāyāna. Next
follows a discussion of the concept of the Bodhisatta in Theravāda. Then
there is a chapter referring to the Jātakas and another to the Pāramīs
as well. A separate chapter is devoted to the future Buddhas. Finally
there is a short survey and a comparison of the concepts in Theravāda
and Mahāyāna.
 
     To get a good understanding of the teaching
of the Buddha, we must try to identify all alien and irrelevant elements
that have accumulated in the course of time. This too is necessary for
the doctrine of the Bodhisatta. I hope that I have succeeded in doing
this to some degree.

5. After Sumeda was consecrated as
Buddhahood by Buddha Dipankara, how did he contemplate on the
prerequisites of Buddhahood,namely, on the thirty Paramis ?

The story of Sumedha

   
Four
Asankheyyas and one hundred thousand aeons ago, in the city of
Amaravati, there lived a very rich and learned man called Sumedha. After
the death of his parent, his Treasurer showed him the colossal wealth
he had inherited; also the names of his parents and forefathers who were
the former owners whose names where written in the record books. The
Treasurer replied that all were dead. He then asked why they did not
take away their wealth with them. The treasurer told him that the world
was such that after death no one could take anything away with them, but
must leave all their wealth behind. On hearing this, Sumedha realized
the wantonness of Samsara (the cycle of birth and death).

He
then went to the king’s palace and asked for permission to distribute
his wealth. When he could not finish one warehouse full of gold and
precious stones in seven days, he become inpatient and though that he
might die at any moment, and he had not yet finished distributing his
twelve thousand five hundred warehouse full of treasures. He forthwith
took the keys of the warehouses to the middle of the city and signed
away all his wealth. He freed his slaves, gave them immense wealth, and
advised the people to renounce the world. He himself then entered the
jungle and become a hermit.

Sakka the King of the Devas, ordered
Vissa-kamma to build a temple for Sumedha and also to provide for the
requirement of a hermit. That Deity built the temple and provided
Sumedha with the necessary things. After seven days of deep meditation,
he attained “Jhana” or divine ecstasy, i.e. Supernatural Powers, etc. At
that time Dipankara Buddha was staying at Sudasana Monastery in
Amaravati together with four hundred thousand Arahats. People of the
neighboring city invited the Lord Buddha and his disciples to their
city, where they prepared and built large halls to accommodate Lord
Buddha and his disciples. The people built and leveled the road with
flags and flowers. They also strewed white sand on the ground. All the
workers were eager and happy.

Sumedha the hermit, because he was
always in the state of “Jhana”, i.e. ecstasy, did not know that
Dipankara Buddha was staying in the city. One day as he was coming out
of the jungle in search of food, he was surprised to see so many people
working happily, leveling the roads. He flew down and enquired of the
reason. They told him that they were preparing the roads for Lord Buddha
and his disciples to enter the city, to receive their offering of food,
etc. Sumedha thought to himself, “This word “Buddha” is very rare and
we seldom hear it”. So he asked them to allow him to help. The people
knowing that he had supernatural powers, gave him a deep muddy valley to
fill up.

He could use his supernatural powers,
but he knew that he would get no merit for it. So instead of that, he
worked very hard carrying basket of sand and trying to fill up the
valley. Before that part of the road was complete, Dipankara Buddha and
his disciples together with a great procession of followers arrived.
Sumedha at once threw himself flat on the ground and asked the Buddha to
step on his body in order to cross the muddy valley. By doing this
meritorious deed, he knew that he could become an Arahat, but he gave up
the idea and aspired to become a Buddha in the presence of the Supreme
Buddha. The deities of the ten thousand worlds and other beings knowing
that on that day Sumedha would be registered as a Bodhisatta, came down
and mingled with human beings.

At that time the people could see
the Deities, and heavenly music rank in harmony with earthly music.
Dipankara Buddha announce to all the assembly of Deities and men that
this Sumedha in the future would become a Buddha like himself. The
Buddha then offered eight handfuls of jasmine flowers given by a Novice
and the Arahats and Deities did likewise. Sumedha sat on the heap of
flowers and meditated on what could be the Pre-requisites of Buddhahood.
He then found out that they were : -Dana (Charity), Sila (Observance of
precepts), Nekkhamma (Renunciation), Panna (Wisdom), Viriya (Energy),
Khanti (Patience), Sacca (Truthfulness), Adhitthana (Determination),
Metta (Loving Kindness), and Upekkha (Equanimity). When he realized
this, the earth shook and everyone present shouted “Sadhu”, “Sadhu”,

After becoming Bodhisatta a man is free from : -

    Blindness, i.e. he can never be totally blind.

    Deafness, i.e. he is never deaf.

    Madness, i.e. he never is insane.

    Dumbness, i.e. he is never dumb.

    Becoming a cripple, i.e. he will never be one who crawls by means of a chair or bench.

    Birth in a barbarian country, i.e. he can never be a barbarian.

    Birth in the womb of a slave-girl, i.e. he can never be born a slave.

    Becoming an absolute wrong believer, i.e. he will never have wrong beliefs.

    Become a person of the effeminate sex, i.e. he will always be a male.

 
  Committing the five deathly crimes, i.e. he will never kill father or
mother or any Arahats. He will never create dissention among the Order
and he will never injure Lord Buddha.

    Leprosy, i.e. he will never be a leper.

    Birth as a creature smaller that a quail (Vattaka).

    Birth as an animal bigger than an elephant.

    Becoming petas, i.e. he will never born as fire-consuming petas, etc.

    Avici Hell and Lokantarika Hell, i.e. he will never be born in such a kind of hell.

    Birth in the Celestial world, i.e. he will never be born in the Celestial world

    Becoming Mara.

    Birth in other world, i.e. he will never be born in other worlds.

After
Dipankara Buddha, there was no Buddha for one Asankheyya. Then came
Kondanna Buddha. During this period, Sumedha the Bohdisat, who was born
as a world monarch called Vijitavi, did many meritorious deeds and on
Wesak Full Moon Day, aspired to become a Buddha.

At the time of
Mangala Buddha, the Bodhisatta was born as a Brahmin called Surici. He
renounced the world and aspired to be a Buddha.

During Sumana Buddha’s era, he become Atula the Dragon King. He also aspired to become a Buddha.

At the time of Revata Buddha, he was born as the Brahmin Atideva. He also aspired to become a Buddha.

When Sobhita Buddha was in the world, the Bodhisatta was born as the Brahmin Sujata. He also aspired to be a Buddha.

During Anoma-dassi Buddha’s period, the Bodhisatta, become a great Devil-King called Yakkha. He also aspired to be a Buddha.

At the time of Paduma Buddha, the Bodhisatta who was born as a lion, also aspired to be a Buddha.

During Narada Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta became a hermit, attained divine ecstasy and aspired to be a Buddha.

When
Padumuttara Buddha was on earth, the Bodhisatta was born as a great man
called Jatila. He also made aspirations for Buddhahood.

During Sumedha Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta was born as a man called Uttara. H also aspired to become a Buddha.

At the time of Sujata Buddha, he became a world monarch also made aspiration to become a Buddha.

In Piya-dassi Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta was born in a Brahmin family called Kassapa. He also aspired to be a Buddha.

During Atta-dassi Buddha’s period, the Bodhisatta became a powerful hermit called Susima. He also aspired to be a Buddha.

In Dhamma-dassi Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta who became Sakka Deva Raja, i.e. King of Gods, also aspired to be a Buddha.

When Siddhartha Buddha was in the world, the Bodhisatta became Mangala the hermit. He also made aspiration for Buddhahood.

During
the time of Tissa Buddha, the Bodhisatta became King Sujata. He
renounced the world, studied the Doctrine, and made aspirations to
become a Buddha.

At the time of Phussa Buddha, the Bodhisatta was
born as the King Vijitavi. He renounced the world, studied the Doctrine
and made aspiration for Buddhahood.

During Vipassi Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta was born as a Dragon King. He also aspired to be a Buddha.

In Sikhi Buddha’s time, the Bodhisatta was born as King Arindama. He also made aspirations to become a Buddha.

During the period of Buddha Vessabhu, the Bodhisatta who became King Sudassana also made aspirations for Buddhahood.

At the time of Kaku-sandha Buddha, the Bodhisatta was born as King Khema. He renounced the world and aspired to become a Buddha.

During
the era of Konagamana Buddha, the Bodhisatta became King Pabbata. He
offered Chinese silk robes, carpets, etc. He also aspired to become a
Buddha.

When Kassapa Buddha was on earth, the Bodhisatta was born
as a man called Jotipala. He renounced the world and made aspirations
to become a Buddha.

During this long period, the Bodhisatta had been practicing the Ten Paramitas or Pre-requisites of Buddhahood,

http://hsingyun.org/parami-true-success/

Parami: True Success

Saturday February 7th, 2015 admin
“Success,”
as it is generally understood, is nothing more than personal success in
the present lifetime, things like fame, wealth, and power. In the
teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, “success” means benefiting living
beings, having successful cultivation, and becoming a Buddha or
bodhisattva.

Quite a number of people believe that for Buddhist
monastics to develop from ordinary people into sages they must cut
themselves off from their family and loved ones and hide away in some
remote mountain hermitage. Likewise, there is a saying in Buddhism that
“All things are empty,” though this concept of “emptiness” is often
misunderstood to mean that we should not want or pursue anything. This
misapprehension recasts the Buddhist teaching on “emptiness” into
nothing but meaningless talk about metaphysical ideas. But, according to
Buddhism, success comes as the fruition of karmic causes and
conditions. These instances of karmic fruition are also called
paramitas.

Parami is an ancient Sanskirt word which means “to
cross over,” in that one crosses from the shore of suffering over to the
other shore of nirvana, while “ta” is an auxiliary particle that
indicates completion. When the Buddhist sutras were translated from
Sanskrit to Chinese, the choice was made to transliterate the term
paramita, rather than translating its meaning, and most English
translations follow in suit. This was done in order to preserve the
concept as close to the time of the Buddha’s transmission of the Dharma
and not to limit it by a particular translated term.

If we want
to cross over affliction, trouble, and the cycle of birth and death, and
transform suffering into happiness, partiality into universality, and
affliction into enlightenment, we must rely upon the six paramitas. Also
known as the “six perfections,” the six paramitas are six methods that
enable us to cross over and transcend. The six paramitas are giving,
morality, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, and prajna.
Each of the paramitas will be explained more fully later.

The
four main teachings of the Diamond Sutra are to give without notions, to
liberate with no notion of self, to live without abiding, and to
cultivate without attainment; this way of practicing the Dharma allows
us to cross from this shore to the other shore and to fulfill our
paramitas. To put it more simply, one should use a spirit that
transcends the world to do the work of the world.

Human life can be divided into four levels:

Physical life
Community life
Transcendent life
Unending life
“Physical
life” refers to the physical body as given to us by our parents. This
human body is hard to come by, so we should take good care of it.
“Community life” means fulfilling one’s role within the larger life of
the group. “Transcendent life” means altruistically contributing what
you can for the sake of others, the larger community, and for all living
beings. “Unending life” refers to what Buddhism calls the “life of
wisdom.” Someone who lives this way is not worried about whether he
lives or dies, having transcended the suffering of life and the fear of
death. This is eternal life where one no longer wanders through the
cycle of birth and death.

Every human life has boundless potential. It is up to the mind of each individual to fulfill the value and success of life.

Reconsidering Value

In
her later years, my mother was a patient at Whittier Hospital in Los
Angeles, U.S.A. On May 31, 1996, I received news in Taipei that my
mother’s illness had taken a turn for the worse, and I immediately
boarded a plane for Los Angeles. During the flight I kept reflecting on
the past. In my mind I could see my mother’s tender, smiling face as if
it were before my very eyes. My heart filled with all manner of
emotions, and I silently recited the name of Amitabha Buddha as a
blessing for my mother.

Upon arriving at Los Angeles
International Airport, I raced over to the hospital, but my mother had
already passed on. All I could do was go over to Rose Hills Memorial
Park to pay my last respects.

The nursing staff that had been
looking after her told me that she was kind and frugal, and was plain
and simple in her daily needs. She rarely bothered others and was always
thinking of other people. My mother did not even want them to tell me
about her worsening condition, to spare me any alarm or worry. My mother
always took everything upon herself, and kept her feelings of care and
loving concern inside. Twenty minutes before she died, she still left
instructions with Venerable Tzu Chuang, the abbess of Hsi Lai Temple who
was attending at her side:

Thank you for reciting the name of
Amitabha Buddha on my behalf. I am leaving now, so, please, under no
circumstances are you to let my son know, thus sparing him any distress.
He should busy himself with the problems of all sentient beings and not
be troubled on my account alone.

In the face of disciples and
family members who had hurried to Los Angeles from various places, I
decided to follow my mother’s final instructions by not disturbing the
outside world and keeping everything simple. In accordance with her
wishes, no formal condolences, no funerary contributions of money and no
gifts or flowers were accepted. I then dictated the following obituary
notice to solemnly inform all those concerned:

My mother, Mrs.
Liu Yuying, peacefully passed away at 4:20 a.m. on the 30 of May, 1996,
at Whittier Hospital in Los Angeles, U.S.A, amid the sounds of chanting
“Amitofo.” She was ninety-five years old. Many of her children and
grandchildren as well as my disciples were by her side. Her body was
then transferred to Rose Hills that same day.

Four days later, my
mother was cremated at Rose Hills. Amid the sounds of those assembled
there chanting sutras and reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name, I gently
pressed the green switch to activate the cremation process. At that time
I composed the following poem in my mind:

Between this mundane world and the Pure Land,

There remains the unchanging bond between mother and son;

For whether here on earth or there in heaven,

She remains forever my dear mother.

With a burst of fire,

A puff of wind,

And a flash of light,

I bid eternal farewell to my mother.

My
mother was twenty-five when she gave birth to my body. Since then
seventy years had slipped away, and my mother has passed on. And so,
with a push of a button, the body of my mother was cremated. Our
physical bodies are like houses that we live in only for a short time.
Time passes and the house becomes leaky and in need of repair. This
temporary residence of ours will surely decay, and there will come a
time when we will be unable to live in it anymore.

Some twenty
years earlier, my mother once came to stay for a while at Fo Guang Shan,
and on one occasion during a grand assembly of lay disciples, I asked
whether or not she was willing to meet with them and say a few words.
She agreed, but I was worried that my mother would be intimidated by
stage fright. But to my surprise, she faced the assembled audience of
more than twenty thousand and said with a calm assurance, “Fo Guang Shan
is indeed the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; a heaven on earth.
We should rely upon the venerable master to be our guide in the hope
that everyone will achieve enlightenment here at Fo Guang Shan. Everyone
has been so kind to me, but this old woman has nothing to give to you
in return. I can only offer my son as a gift to everyone.”

Her
words were met by thunderous applause from the audience. My mother was
illiterate and had never read any sacred literature, nor ever prepared
herself to speak in front of others. But she had experienced the chaos
of the late Qing dynasty, the Revolution of 1911, the establishment of
the Republic of China, the armed occupations of the warlords, the
Sino-Japanese War, the stand-off between the Nationalist Party and the
Chinese Communist Party, and the Great Cultural Revolution, as well as
the changes over time in relations between Taiwan and Mainland China.

The
turmoil of the times had kept her constantly on the move; she lived
through nearly one hundred years of epoch-making change. In her life,
she practiced the Dharma, but she was too busy to let the question of
whether or not she had a firm background in Buddhism bother her. She had
already transcended the scriptural understanding with all its careful
wording to bring fulfillment to her own life.

And yet, through the power of a vow, we have the power to return again to this human world.

Humanistic Buddhism

As Buddhists we acknowledge that the Dharma exists in the world, but what exactly is the Dharma as taught by the Buddha?

The
word Buddha means “enlightened one,” for he is one who has enlightened
himself, enlightens others, and has completed his mission of
enlightening others. A Buddha is one who transcends the ignorance of
sentient beings. The quality of his enlightenment is unlike that of the
sravaka or pratyekabuddha, who pursue enlightenment for themselves
alone. A Buddha has realized a state of enlightenment that even a
bodhisattva has yet to fully attain.

The founder of Buddhism was
originally named Siddhartha, though he is also called Sakyamuni Buddha,
the World-honored One, the Tathagata, and so on. He was born on the
eighth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar in Lumbini Garden
within the Indian state of Kapilavastu. His father, King Suddhodana, was
head of the Sakya clan. His mother, Queen Maya, died seven days after
his birth.

Sakyamuni Buddha was raised into adulthood by his
maternal aunt, Lady Mahaprajapati. As a prince, Siddhartha was a
handsome and intelligent young man, who was skilled in both the civil
and military arts. From boyhood, he was much beloved by the common
people. His father put all his effort into training him to become a wise
ruler. When he was seventeen, Siddhartha married the beautiful
Yasodhara, and the following year she bore him a son, Prince Rahula.

However,
despite his life in the palace with all its comfort and contentment,
and the warm love and affection of his family, Siddhartha felt a deep
void in his heart. He was seeking something more from life and needed a
truer understanding of human existence. So at the age of twenty-nine, he
bid farewell to his family, gave up all his pleasures and comforts, and
left the palace to pursue his spiritual quest. At age thirty-five,
after six years of austere practice, he sat underneath the bodhi tree,
and attained enlightenment while looking up at a bright star, and said,
“Marvelous, marvelous! All sentient beings have the Tathagata’s wisdom
and virtue, but they fail to realize it because they cling to deluded
thoughts and attachments.”

The now enlightened Buddha shared his
realization with others, setting the wheel of Dharma turning, and
established the monastic order. He then taught the Dharma for the
liberation of living beings for forty-nine years, and entered nirvana
while lying between two sala trees outside the city of Kusinara in the
year 483 bce.

The Buddha was born in this human world, grew up
and attained enlightenment in this human world; he passed into nirvana
in this human world, as well. Buddhism has always been concerned with
this human world. The Buddhist sutras which circulate today are a record
of the Buddha’s teachings to liberate living beings, gathered and
organized by his disciples after the Buddha’s final nirvana. From the
time of the Buddha, the Buddhist teachings are meant to fundamentally
address the issues of how we as human beings are to conduct ourselves,
how we are to act and think throughout the course of our lives, as well
as how we can gain liberation. The Dharma quite naturally serves as a
guide to how to live our daily lives. As Buddhism enters the modern era,
we as Buddhists must take an active role in the world and be diligent.

There
are some people who think the Dharma serves as an escape, that one may
“retreat into Buddhist practice,” as if Buddhism is some sort of
pessimistic escape or resignation that does not demand that we
accomplish anything. The Ekottara Agama states:

All the Buddhas
and World-honored Ones come from the human world; their realization is
not something attained in the heavenly realms.

Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of the Chan School, also said in the Platform Sutra:

The
Dharma is within the world, apart from this world there is no
awakening. Seeking bodhi apart from the world is like looking for a
rabbit’s horn.

If we seek enlightenment by rejecting the world,
in doing so we throw away our potential. This creates a sense of
withdrawal and escape in the mind, and then nothing whatsoever will
succeed.

Buddhism is not a religion that belongs only to
monastics, nor is it a body of philosophical texts to be studied by
scholars. Buddhism should be something that benefits all people.
Buddhism is not an abstract theory; it is a religion that brings
happiness and well-being into the world. To learn Buddhism is to learn
how to be happy, carefree, liberated, and attain meditative bliss and
Dharma joy. Joy and happiness are the most precious things in life, and
living a happy, blessed, and carefree life is what Humanistic Buddhism
promotes. Humanistic Buddhism is the practical application of the
Buddhist spirit in the world.

One day, the Buddha and his
disciples entered the city of Sravasti to gather alms, and it so
happened that they encountered someone who bore a grudge against the
Buddha. This person started to malign, slander, and shout in a loud
voice as the Buddha walked along the street.

Seeing how the
Buddha was being insulted in public, one of his disciples said to the
Buddha angrily, “The people here lack any speck of goodness and do not
know how to respect the Triple Gem. Lord Buddha, it would be better if
we left this place and went to a city with kind-hearted people!”

The
Buddha replied, “Suppose we do move to another place but the people
there still do not believe in the Dharma, what would you do then?”

The disciple said, “We should move to yet another place!”

“When
will we ever stop moving if we do so because of external conditions?
This is not the way to ultimately solve the problem! We can resolve the
root of the problem this way: If we are treated with scorn, we must
remain unperturbed and bring an end to slander through patience. We must
not stop guarding our speech and training our minds until we are no
longer treated with scorn.”

The Buddha continued, “An enlightened
person remains calm and patient like the earth. We should not allow our
mission to be shaken by either praise or blame. By contemplating the
absence of an independent self, we will observe how all phenomena are
false fabrications. Then the illusory distinctions of self and others,
as well the so-called good and bad of the world, will become nothing
more than froth upon the water that suddenly appears, and just as
suddenly disappears. Can anything remain constant and unchanging?”

Buddhism
such as this is what allows people to experience well-being and
success. It is a religion for people, and one that is concerned with the
development of people. In Buddhism there is a teaching called the
“three Dharma seals,” which are three qualities that certify something
as an authentic teaching. They are all conditioned phenomena are
impermanent, all phenomena are without an independent self, and nirvana
is perfect tranquility. By viewing the world through the teaching on
impermanence, one can come to understand that all conditioned phenomena
are impermanent. Determination and diligence allows us to see that “all
phenomena are without an independent self.” In Buddhism there is a
saying that “there is nothing to attain,” and it is because of this
understanding that all the wonders of existence can arise out of true
emptiness. The last of the three Dharma seals, “nirvana is perfect
tranquility” asserts that our potential for success is unlimited.

Wholesome Wealth

There
are many people in this world who believe that one of the standards for
measuring success is making a lot of money. In terms of material
wealth, Buddhist monastics live a plain and simple life: they live with
three robes, a bowl, and few small items, such as sutras and a Buddha
statue. There is even a saying in Chinese that, “A monastic’s rucksack
weighs only two and a half pounds.” That being said, even a skilled
housewife cannot prepare a meal without rice, and a poor couple will
suffer hundreds of sorrows. A lay Buddhist must have some monetary
wealth, or else he will be unable to care for his parents and support
his family. Buddhist practice and acts of charity also require a certain
amount of money to support them, let alone the riches required to
engage in various social development programs. Therefore, Humanistic
Buddhism does not disdain money, for wealth that is acquired through
pure and wholesome means can serve as supporting resources.

However,
we must also understand that worldly success arises from a combination
of causes and conditions. Consider the example of a single individual.
The process that takes this person from birth as a crying baby to
maturity as an adult is supported by many causes and conditions, such as
the safeguarding by parents, instruction of teachers and elders, as
well as the various trades and professions that supply clothing, food,
housing, transportation and so on. We go to school, find our place in
society, start a family, and begin our careers; and we all hope we will
be successful in these. But success is not building castles in the sky,
nor is it possible to achieve it without hard work. Having the right
conditions in place to support us is to our advantage, but even then
depending upon others too much cannot lead to success either.

People
are often greedy. If they have even a bit of money, they think of
depositing it in the bank where it will accumulate interest. But in that
case, such money cannot be used to launch new enterprises. We bring no
money with us when we are born, and take none of it with us when we die,
and during our lives it is always taken away by fire, flood, thieves,
corrupt officials, and wayward children.1 We can only appreciate the
value of money if we do not feel attached to it, but rather allow our
wealth to circulate and accomplish good things. There is a Buddhist
saying that captures this sentiment well:

What comes from all directions

Supports undertakings in all directions;

The generosity of thousands of people

Creates connections for thousands of people.

In this way worldly money can serve both worldly causes, as well as those that transcend this world.

There
are some people who have a fixed view that spiritual practice does not
need money and cannot involve money, and expect spiritual seekers to
live in poverty. But poverty cannot guarantee a higher level of
practice. These attitudes come from a fixed sense of self which is
attached to appearing impoverished, that it is the only way to be a
practitioner. This is a question of reality. If you have nothing, how
then can you give something? To liberate living beings and practice
giving, we need the qualities of physical strength, practical talent,
ability, and commitment. Why must monetary wealth be singled out for
disdain and rejection? To varying levels, lacking mental or material
resources will limit our ability to give and liberate others.

The
question that is truly worthy of our concern is how to best utilize the
pure, wholesome, and noble wealth that is donated to benefit living
beings. We should not fall into the view that only poverty can show that
one is well cultivated. For a modernized Buddhism, Buddhists should
engage in enterprise so long as such activities are beneficial to the
economy of the country and the lives of its people. This then is the
true meaning of the Buddhists teachings on “non-abiding” and “non-self.”

Oneness and Coexistence

There
is a story recounted in the Samyukta Agama about two monastics who
argue about who is better at chanting. One day the Buddha’s great
disciple Mahakasyapa reported to the Buddha, “Lord Buddha, there are two
monks who are both unyielding in nature; one is Ananda’s disciple Nantu
and the other is Maudgalyayana’s disciple Abifu. The two of them argue
with each other from time to time over who is the best at chanting, and
tomorrow they are going to decide once and for all who can chant the
most sutras and teach the Dharma the best!”

The Buddha sent
someone to summon Nantu and Abifu. He then asked them, “Have you heard
my teaching on how to determine the winner and the loser when two people
are arguing with one another?”

“We have never heard of such a teaching concerning winning or losing.”

“The
real winner is someone who puts a stop to the confusion caused by
greed, anger, and ignorance; diligently practices the threefold training
of morality, meditative concentration, and wisdom; and can destroy the
thieves of the six sense organs. One who can truly contemplate how the
five aggregates of form, feeling, perceptions, mental formation, and
consciousness are as insubstantial as a plantain trunk; and can make the
Noble Eightfold Path their guide can realize the bliss and tranquility
of great nirvana. You may be able to recite hundreds of thousands of
verses from memory, but if you do not understand their meaning, then how
does that benefit your liberation?”

The Buddha wants us to
cultivate right concentration, part of the Noble Eightfold Path, and
stay away from any conflict between ourselves and others. The Diamond
Sutra emphasizes how one should not abide in anything. In terms of human
commercial enterprises, one must not become attached to a single fixed
market. Do not cling to old markets and old industries, but have the
courage instead to open up alternative avenues, seek out alternative
markets, and set up new creative teams. By implementing strategies like
“value reassessment,” “collective creation,” and “systematic
leadership,” one can develop brand new enterprises and live a life as
vast as endless space.

Value Reassessment

In the Diamond
Sutra, the Buddha instructs living beings to not cling to the notion of
self, the notion of others, the notion of sentient beings, or the notion
of longevity, nor to allow the discriminating mind to hinder our
practice. If organizations and commercial enterprises are able to align
themselves closely with human nature, be attentive to the needs of the
larger community, and offer more varied opportunities, then they can
create new value.

In the past, hearing Buddhist teachings
required a visit to a temple, but since such temples were located in
remote locations with poor transportation, people often hesitated to go.
Even the infrastructure of the temples failed to meet the needs of
those who came to hear the teachings. Having done their best to visit
once or twice, some beginning Buddhists would give up on their good
intention of listening to the Dharma.

The Lotus Sutra states:

In
whatever land where this sutra is received and upheld, read and
recited, explained and copied, and cultivated and practiced as taught;
whether in a place where a volume of scripture is kept, or in a grove,
or in a forest, or under a tree, or in a monastery, or in a layman’s
house, or in a temple hall, or in a mountain valley, or upon an open
plain; in all of these places one should erect a memorial stupa and make
offerings. Why is that? One must know that these places are temples.

The Vimalakirti Sutra also states:

The
upright mind is a temple, the profound mind is a temple, the mind
aspiring to bodhi is a temple, generosity is a temple, the three kinds
of supernatural knowledge2 are a temple, the knowledge of all phenomena
within a single thought is a temple.

That is to say, everywhere
in the world can be a place for us to learn the Dharma and attain
enlightenment. In order to spread the Dharma throughout the world, it
should go into homes, schools, factories, farms, workplaces, and
military bases. By upholding the principles of harmonizing the
traditional and the modern, by sharing ownership between monastics and
laypeople, by equally emphasizing both practice and understanding, and
by integrating literature and art with Buddhism, we will continue to
promote Humanistic Buddhism.

Fo Guang Shan and its branch temples
all include facilities like auditoriums, conference rooms, classrooms,
lounge areas, reception areas, and libraries, along with the gradual
addition of the Fo Guang Yuan art galleries, Water Drop teahouses, and
so on. Such an approach allows devotees to come to the temple not only
to worship the Buddha, but also to receive the Dharma instruction that
is offered in auditoriums, conference rooms, and classrooms. In this way
Fo Guang Shan endeavors to combine the worldly with that which
transcends the world, and integrate society with the mountain monastery,
so that monastics and laypeople can practice anytime and anywhere.

With
its transcendent spirit and worldly practicality, Buddhism liberates
living beings by bestowing upon them the Buddha’s wisdom and compassion.
The enterprises of the world with their profit motive must also adapt
to changes in external conditions from time to time, so that they can
provide the products and services that are aligned with the people’s
demands in a planned, organized, and efficient manner. That too is using
a spirit that transcends the world to do the work of the world.

Collective Creation

Organizations
and enterprises must create new value, but this is impossible to
accomplish by relying solely on one individual to take charge of
everything and make all the decisions. What is needed is for everyone to
pull together their creative ideas and the will for collective success.

In
its early days, Fo Guang Shan had absolutely nothing. We had neither
modern equipment nor today’s popular management theory, but what we did
have was group planning and effort, and the tacit understanding we all
shared about collective creation. In 1967, the construction of the
temple began, and I brought along the first generation of my
disciples—Hsin Ping, Hsin Ting, Tzu Chuang, Tzu Hui, and Tzu Jung—and
together we began to toil and work. We cleared away each tree and moved
every rock. We drafted the general layout for the temple’s structure in
the Lichee Garden, and came up with our teaching guidelines in the old
Huiming Hall.

At each stage in going from nothing to something,
there were perhaps personal differences over understanding,
conceptualization, and judgment, but once an issue affected the general
direction of Fo Guang Shan, or what was needed to bring success to
Buddhism, everyone promptly came together. There was never any conflict
sparked by personal or selfish motives, for we shared a common
determination to overcome any difficulties and help each other work
towards the same goal. This was the spirit behind the founding of Fo
Guang Shan.

“Collective creation” does not mean many people
supporting the dictatorship of one individual; rather, it means that
each individual within the collective participates equally, so we can
broadly solicit views and opinions from all corners. From Fo Guang
Shan’s founding to the present day, nearly every single issue has been
decided democratically. At all of our meetings at every level of the
organization, everyone has an equal opportunity to speak and exercise
their right to vote, regardless of their degree of seniority or the
duties they undertake. At the meetings I chair personally, anybody who
is so inclined is free to sit in and listen at any time. Not only does
this style reduce many of the barriers to getting things done, it also
ensures that members of Fo Guang Shan who attend these meetings can
learn the art of communication. Everyone has an opportunity to grow from
such experiences.

When I think of Fo Guang Shan’s initial
building phase, images of how all of us worked together from morning to
night, shouldering loads of bricks, sand, rock, and cement with sweat
streaming down our backs flash in my mind. After the hired workers had
finished their day’s work and gone home, Fo Guang Shan’s disciples would
continue working. In addition, there are no words to describe the
assistance we received from all of the laypeople who wished to support
the Dharma. This is why I often say, “the success of Fo Guang Shan
belongs to everyone.” Fo Guang Shan is not for any individual. Rather,
it belongs to its more than thirteen hundred monastic disciples, the
millions of lay followers around the world, its many benefactors, as
well as people from all walks of life. Fo Guang Shan was not something
that was completed in a day or a certain period of time; it succeeded,
bit by bit, through the continuous effort due to oneness and
coexistence.

Systematic Leadership

Even during the
Buddha’s time the monastic community had a well-developed organizational
system. The Buddha set up the posadha system, in which monastics met
regularly to reflect upon their religious lives and confess their
faults, and the karman system for conducting meetings and adopting
resolutions. In these systems we can see a set of legal procedures that
are even more complete in their details than those of many modern
countries. The Buddha’s management style reflects a deep understanding
of human nature and his system of rules and regulations are skillfully
adaptive. The Buddha’s monastic community could be ranked among the best
of the many successful enterprises we have today.

Never in my
life have I worried about my future, and I have not set my mind on any
particular achievement. Things just fell into place naturally. The year I
turned fifty-eight, I relinquished my position as abbot of Fo Guang
Shan, but even then I was merely stepping down in accordance with the
system. I then left Fo Guang Shan and went directly to Beihai Temple. I
wanted to let my successor get on with the job, which is why I did not
want to linger at Fo Guang Shan. In Buddhism there is a saying that one
should “rely on the Dharma rather than an individual”; organizations and
enterprises, likewise, need clearly defined and implementable system as
they pursue success.

The Buddha’s Light International
Association, a Buddhist organization founded to encourage the
participation of lay Buddhists, has a membership now in the millions,
while the entire Fo Guang Shan organization operates harmoniously. We
have furthered the work of spreading the Dharma to all parts of the
world, and each of our successes has been achieved by operating within
our system. In this way the Dharma has been able to break through the
barriers of race, language, and culture, and we have been able to use
Buddhist chanting, calligraphy, writing, publishing, and visual and
performing arts to spread Humanistic Buddhism to every corner of the
world.

The success of Fo Guang Buddhists can be seen as an
example of “cultivation without attainment”: in Fo Guang Shan, we have a
policy that glory belongs to the Buddha, and the success belongs to the
community. In this instance these achievements “belong” in the sense
that each person contributes their cultivation without expecting to gain
anything in return. In this way, Fo Guang Buddhists are one with all
living beings, and can coexist together in harmony.

Building One Brick at a Time

In
Chinese there is an old saying: “When the eggs are not ready to hatch,
do not crack the shell; when the rice is not fully cooked, do not lift
the lid.” Trying to break open the eggs when they are not ready to hatch
will bring an untimely death to these small creatures, and trying to
lift the lid of the pot before the rice is fully cooked will make it
hard for the rice to be cooked tender.

There is no free lunch in
this world. If you want to get something you must give something. I
would suggest that, when a person is young, he or she should fear
neither hardship, nor being at a disadvantage. One should harden oneself
with real experience with no expectation of compensation. One should
increase one’s own knowledge and experience, no matter if that be
through reading books, starting a major undertaking, or engaging in some
sort of work. Do not be eager for success: success that comes too
easily can lead to pride and disdain for others, and with such
irresolute aspirations, one will quickly fail and be laid low. A lofty
tower is built from the ground up: no real success in this world is
achieved all at once. Success does not happen by mere chance, nor is it a
product of instant results. Rather, it is solidly built one brick at a
time. Great minds often develop gradually. Likewise, there is a saying
in Taiwan that goes: “a big rooster takes its time crowing.”

Quick
success is not really all that good. Take trees for example: those that
mature in a year are only good for firewood, while those that mature in
three to five years can be made into tables and chairs. Only trees that
take decades and decades to mature can be made into pillars and beams.
That is why we should “cultivate without attainment,” and free ourselves
of that win or lose mentality that leads to hasty work. We must
gradually cultivate and refine ourselves, and wait until the conditions
are right. As it is said, the journey of a thousand miles begins with
the first step; so never get ahead of yourself nor delude yourself with
the idea that chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name for two days will give you
a diamond-like mind capable of overcoming evil.

After Hongren,
the Fifth Patriarch of the Chan School, gave the monastic robe and alms
bowl to Huineng, signifying that he was now the Sixth Patriarch, he
escorted Huineng to a riverbank and said to him:

Henceforth, you
shall spread the Dharma far and wide. You should depart now and quickly
travel south. Do not start teaching too quickly because it is difficult
to spread the Dharma.

The Fifth Patriarch was telling Huineng not
to be too eager to spread the Dharma publicly. It is important to wait
for the right opportunity. This was why Huineng lived in seclusion among
a band of hunters, eating some vegetables that he added to their pot of
meat, as he bided his time. A favorable opportunity is when all the
conditions are right. Any matter can easily succeed, if it happens at
just the right moment when the causes and conditions are in place.

The Ten Directions and Three Time Periods

People
often ask me, “The Fo Guang Shan monastic order is large and its
activities are on an immense scale, how do you manage it all? How do you
keep everyone focused, harmonious, and without contention?”

I
always like to reply by sharing an old Buddhist expression: “Pervade
across the ten directions and extend down through the three time
periods.”3

The expression “Pervade across the ten directions and
extend down through the three times periods” describes our own intrinsic
Buddha nature. The size of everything in the world is limited, the only
things large enough to “pervade across the ten directions” are prajna,
our intrinsic nature, and the Dharmakaya. Such things are so large that
nothing is outside them and so small that nothing more can be contained
within; for they pervade everyplace and exist everywhere. In terms of
time, although our physical bodies are born and die and our lives come
to an end, our intrinsic Buddha wisdom can transcend the temporal
limitations of past, present, and future. It neither arises nor ceases
and does not come or go, which is why it “extends down through the three
time periods.”

The year I stepped down as abbot of Fo Guang Shan
my successor, Venerable Hsin Ping, would come and ask me the same
question whenever any major event was about to take place at the
monastery. He would ask,  “How should we handle it this year?”

I would always answer, “Look to what was done before.”

Referencing
earlier precedents means striving for consistency with the monastery’s
guiding principles, yet as times change, all things should also undergo
some reform and innovation. This is why I said to look to what was done
before, not to follow what was done before.

To build people’s
faith in the Dharma I have gone from riding a bicycle down to the
village in my early years to taking automobiles. Because of this
modernized society, instead of walking, I can now fly to and fro through
the sky. I deeply appreciate how these modern forms of transportation
offer many conveniences for teaching the Dharma. However, an appropriate
respect for tradition can allow people to see the true meaning of
Buddhism. For example, beginning in 1988 and continuing every other year
afterwards, Fo Guang Shan has an alms procession, in which monastics
collect donations with their bowls as in the time of the Buddha. Not
only does this activity serve to bring the light of the Buddha’s
compassion to every corner of Taiwan and give Buddhists an opportunity
to make offerings and generate merit, it is a good experience for the
monastics as well. In 1988 I launched a series of events across Taiwan
entitled “Returning to the Buddha’s Time,” featuring ceremonies,
performances, and a Dharma talk. The events used modern audio-visual
multimedia to enable the audience of tens of thousands to travel back in
time and return to the sacred site of Vulture Peak where the Buddha was
teaching twenty-five hundred years ago and share in the Dharma joy of
Buddhist chanting.

The policy of referring to past precedents is a
manifestation of “extending down through the three time periods.”
Whenever some improvement is introduced, it goes through a process of
discussion and coordination and then later becomes widely known to
everyone. Meetings are an indispensable part of this process. There are
times when students ask to attend our meetings, and I do not refuse
them.

In the past I served on the monastery staff, and while
taking care of guests I developed a keen awareness as to how all things
are connected. Each moment can be considered as a point that leads to
some other point, together these points make a line, and by observing
many of these lines, one comes to an understanding of the whole. By
seeing some individual matter as part of the whole, then one can tweak
its temporal and spatial qualities in just the right way so that nothing
will be left out.

Buddha nature permeates everywhere, “pervading
across the ten directions and extending down through the three time
periods.” Because of this, in terms of our essence, both the Buddha and I
possess the same Buddha nature. Therefore, I need not submit to force,
nor become beguiled by wealth and honor. I am one with all living
beings. Sometimes I may sit upon a high throne and expound the sublime
truths of the Buddha, while at other times I can toil and work for the
benefit of living beings and contribute through my sacrifice. I can be
great or be small, I can come first or come last, I can do with or do
without, I can handle happiness or suffering, I can expand or contract,
and I can bear being full or being hungry. I was not born with the
ability to do everything, but I am always willing to try.

It is
because of the maxim “pervade across the ten directions and extend down
through the three time periods” that we must throw open the universal
gate. There can be no racial barriers or special treatment. We must be
able to lead people from all walks of life, regardless of their
religious and social backgrounds, into sharing equally in the benefits
of the Dharma. This will enable all living beings from different regions
of the world and different stations in life to benefit from the
Dharma’s various positive connections, and bestow them upon society.

Buddhist Success: Paramita

As
mentioned previously, paramita is a Sanskrit word that means “success,”
“crossing from this shore to the other shore,” and “the perfect
tranquility of nirvana.”

We know that we must go from this shore
of delusion and cross to the other shore of enlightenment, but can we do
this just by thinking about it from time to time?

The Diamond
Sutra says we should “Give rise to a mind that does not abide in
anything.” In this instance, “abide” means to be attached to something,
particularly attached to an independent self. When we become too focused
on this sense of an independent self we become attached to the
perceived value of this “self,” and thus cling to certain ideas and
never let them go. When we worry too much about the gains and losses of
 this “self” our feelings become deluded by love, hate, sadness, and
happiness. Having a mind that does not abide in anything calls upon us
to live in the world according to the selflessness of prajna, for this
is the only way to reach the state of nirvana. Nirvana is:

Complete tranquility
The highest bliss
Everlasting happiness
Complete merit and wisdom
Total freedom from desire
The ultimate state of liberation
True reality
Success
in Buddhism is transcending this shore with its affliction, delusion,
and suffering, and crossing to the other shore of purity and
tranquility, where no afflictions appear and all suffering has ended.
The specific practice to accomplish this is a group of virtues called
the “six paramitas” or “six perfections.” The six paramitas are:

Giving
(dana-paramita)Giving is to take what one has or knows and give it to
others. Besides the giving of wealth and property, this also includes
giving the Dharma and confidence or fearlessness to others. The paramita
of giving can help to eliminate the defilement of greed.
Morality
(sila-paramita)The basis of Buddhist morality is the five precepts, but
it is not enough to think that the five precepts are just about not
doing this or not doing that. The five precepts should be viewed in
positive terms, for that is the path to happiness. For example, one
should go beyond the first precept “not to kill” and in addition
actively protect life. One can go beyond “not stealing” and practice
giving. One can go beyond “not committing sexual misconduct” and be
respectful. One can go beyond “not lying” and give praise. Going beyond
not killing to protect life leads to a long life; going beyond not
stealing to practice giving brings riches; going beyond not committing
sexual misconduct to being respectful leads to a pleasant family life;
and going beyond not lying to giving praise means that one will have a
good reputation.
Patience (ksanti-paramita)In Buddhism there are
three kinds of patience: the patience for life, the patience for
phenomena, and the patience for non-arising phenomena.4 A bodhisattva is
one who patiently endures all the humiliations of life, as well as
cold, heat, hunger, thirst, and so on. The paramita of patience can help
to eliminate the defilement of anger.
Diligence (virya-paramita)The
paramita of diligence includes physical diligence and mental diligence.
Mental diligence means earnestly practicing wholesome teachings while
taking care to eliminate the roots of unwholesomeness. The paramita of
diligence is the antidote for laziness and idleness.
Meditative
Concentration (dhyana-paramita)The paramita of meditative concentration
comes from making one’s mind free of distractions such that it does not
become confused or deluded by worldly matters. The paramita of
meditative concentration can remove the defilement of doubt.
Prajna
(prajna-paramita)The paramita of prajna is the most important of the
paramitas, and the forerunner of the other five. By using prajna wisdom
one can eradicate the defilement of ignorance.
I loved playing
basketball when I was young, so I often draw my analogies from
basketball: be it spiritual cultivation, academic study, or interacting
with others, they’re all like playing basketball. For example, when
trying to get along with others, you should not go off to fight your own
battles, for it is important to remember team spirit. One should wait
for the right time to act, just as when one has possession of the ball,
one must wait for any opportunity to make a shot. And if you break the
rules, you must admit your fault, just as in raising one’s hand in a
game.

When playing basketball, one must have the spirit of the
six paramitas: you must pass the ball to your teammates to help them to
score points on a basket (giving), you need to play by the rules of the
court (morality), you must show restraint to avoid being bumped by
others during the heat of a match (patience), you must practice your
skills if you want to score (diligence), and, in addition to
fundamentals, you must develop basketball strategy in order to win
(prajna).

Why is prajna considered the foremost paramita? The
Treatise on the Perfection of Great Wisdom says, “the other five
perfections are blind without prajna to guide them.” It is impossible to
reach the ultimate goal by relying only upon the other five paramitas
and attempting to do without prajna. This is why prajna is described as
the foundation of the six paramitas and is also the foundation of the
Dharma.

The Lotus Sutra states, “The turmoil of the three realms
is like a burning house.” The three realms of Buddhist cosmology (the
desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm) are like a burning
house. But if we make our minds nice and cool, then the blaze of
suffering that presses upon us will disappear. Only by cultivating
prajna without the expectation of gain can we succeed with the six
paramitas.

Once the Chan master Caoshan Huixia said to his
attendant, “An enlightened person will be unperturbed by heat, no matter
how hot it gets inside or outside.”

Huixia’s attendant agreed. Huixia then asked, “If it were extremely hot now, where would you go to escape it?”

The attendant answered, “I would seek refuge in a burning-hot cauldron.”

Huixia was puzzled. He asked further, “Nothing is hotter than a cauldron. Why would you seek refuge in such blazing heat?”

Pointing at his heart, the attendant answered, “The great mass of suffering cannot reach me here.”

The
Diamond Sutra reveals to us the secret of success: to have a mind that
does not abide in anything. This is prajna. The mind itself is all of
wondrous existence, while abiding in nothing is true emptiness; and
there cannot be wondrous existence without true emptiness. The prajna of
the Buddha can make one understand the mind and body with crystal
clarity, like the moon reflected in water, transporting one from this
shore of delusion and attachment to the other shore that is permanent,
blissful, pure, and has an inherent self. Practitioners are able to turn
a world of blazing heat into a realm that is refreshingly cool, and
transform defilement and affliction into the Pure Land. Such people find
no situation in which they are not content.

1. These are the “five causes of loss”: five things mentioned in the Buddhist sutras that can destroy our wealth. Ed.

2.
The three kinds of supernatural knowledge are knowledge of past,
present, and future lives, heavenly eyes, and the power of ending all
defilement. Ed.

3. 橫遍十方，豎窮三際: The ten directions are the four
cardinal directions, the four intermediate directions, plus above and
below, and the three time periods are the past, present, and future.
There is a suggestion in the Chinese expression that space exists on a
horizontal plane and that time exists on a vertical plane, with the two
together encompassing everything. Ed.

4. This type of patience
comes from the realization that, on a supramundane level, phenomena do
not truly arise or cease, and all things are simply as they are. Ed.

Q 7 Write down Sangha Vadana in Pali as well as in English

Sangha Vandana

Supati-panno Bhagavato sâvaka sangho, Ujupati-panno Bhagavato sâvaka sangho.
Ñâya-patipanno Bhagavato sâvaka sangho. Sâmici-patipanno Bhagavato sâvaka sangho
Yadidam cattâri purisa yugâni attha-purisa-puggalâ Esa Bhagavato sâvaka sangho.
Âhu-neyyo, pâhu-neyyo, Dakkhi-neyyo,añjalikaraniyo, anuttaram puññakkhetam lokassâti

Translation - Homage to the Disciples of the Buddha
The
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the good way; the
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the straight way;
the Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the proper way,
that is to say; the Four Pairs of Men, the Eight Types of Persons; the
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is fit for gifts, fit for
hospitality, fit for offerings, and fit for reverential salutation, as
the incomparable field of merit for the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keaSoeWDbPo
Buddhism - Pali Chantings {Salutations to Sangha of Blessed}

Harshavardhan Devde
Published on Jul 12, 2007
These
verses are recited to pay homage to the Triple Gem - Buddha, Dhamma and
Sangha. These words explain some of the great qualities and virtues
pertaining to the Triple Gem. By reciting these words, one can
understand the admirable qualities of the Triple Gem and so develop
one’s confidence in their intrinsic worth.

The Buddha himself
explained these qualities in many of His Suttas. He also advised his
followers to recite these words to be mindful of the Buddha, Dhamma and
Sangha in times of fear or disturbance, whether arising from external
sources or through evil influences so that such disturbances can be
vanquished. This is because the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are free from
all kinds of defilements and hindrances such as greed, anger and
ignorance.

Pali

Supatipanno Bhagavato savaka-sangho

Ujupatipanno Bhagavato savaka-sangho

Ñayapatipanno Bhagavato savaka-sangho

Samicipatipanno Bhagavato savaka-sangho

Yadidam cattari purisayugani attha

purisa-puggala, esa Bhagavato savaka-sangho

Ahuneyyo, pahuneyyo, dakkhineyyo,

Anjalikaraniyo, anuttaram punnakkhettam lokassa ti

English Translation

The
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the good way; The
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the straight way;
The Sangha of the Blessed Ones disciples has entered on the right path;
The Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples has entered on the proper way;
That is to say, the Four Pairs of Men, the Eight Types of Persons; The
Sangha of the Blessed One’s disciples is fit for gifts, fit for
hospitality, fit for offerings and fit for reverential salutation As the
incomparable field of merits for the world.

Pali Chantings

Sangham jivitam yava nibbanam

saranam gacchami

Ye ca Sangha atita ca

Ye ca Sangha anagata

Paccuppanna ca ye Sangha

Aham vandami sabbada

English translations

The Sangha of the ages past,

The Sangha that are yet to come,

The Sangha of the present age,

I always pay homage to them.

Pali Chantings

Natthi me saranam annam

Sangho me saranam varam

Etena sacca-vajjena

Hotu me jayamangalam

English translations

No other refuge do I seek;

The Sangha is my matchless refuge;

By the might of this truth,

May joyous victory be mine!

Pali

Uttamangena vandeham

Sangham ca tividhuttamam

Sanghe yo khalito doso

Sangho khamatu tam mamam

English translation

With my bows I humbly worship,

The Sangha triply unrivalled;

If I have done wrong to the Sangha

May the Sangha forgive me.
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Buddhism - Pali Chantings {Salutations to Sangha of Blessed}
These verses are recited to pay homage to the Triple Gem - Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. These words…

Q 8 Write an essay on what you understand about the meaning of each of the nine qualities of the Sangha

Supreme Qualities of the Sangha (Sangha Guna)

1.
Here it must be noted that Sangha is not bhikkhus. Sangha means the
Nobles or Ariyas, those who have attained one of the magga phala.
(Sangha means one who has removed  “san“, i.e., “san” + “gha“).

Supatipannō,
Bhagavatō Savakasanghō. Ujupatipannō, Bhagavatō Savakasanghō.
Nayapatipannō, Bhagavatō Savakasanghō. Sämichipatipannö, Bhagavatō
Savakasanghō. Yadidam chattari purisayugāni atta purisapuggalā, esa
Bhagavato Savakasanghō, Āhuneyyō, pāhuneyyō, dakkhineyyō,
anjalikaraneeyō, anuttaram punnakkhettam lokassa ti.

2. Bhagavatō
Savakasanghō means Noble disciples of the Buddha. The first four
phrases describe four Noble qualities: Supatipannō, Ujupatipannō,
nāyapatipannö, and Sämichipatipannö.

Patipannö means “having such
quality”: “Su” means goodness and morality; “uju” means straightforward
and not crooked in character; “nāya” means nana or wise; “sāmichi”
means pleasant to associate. Thus it is easy to what is meant
(succinctly) by those phrases. But as with all these qualities, it is
not possible to describe them fully in words.
3. “Yadidam chattari
purisayugāni atta purisapuggalā” means thus described eight types of
persons (attapurisa puggala) of four Noble (purisa) lineages. Eight
types comes when each stage is divided into two, for example, Arahant
magga and Arahant phala.

4. Then starting with “esa Bhagavato
Savakasanghō” (i.e., those Noble disciples of the Buddha), five more
qualities are stated:  Āhuneyyō, pāhuneyyō, dakkhineyyō, anjalikaraniyō,
anuttaram punnakkhettam lokassa.

In those words, “neyyō” means
niyama dhamma or core principle of nature; also called “nyāma“. Then
“āhu” means “grasped”, “pāhu” means “inseparable” or “fused together”,
“dakkhi” means “see”. Thus those disciples have clearly seen the core
principles of nature (paticca samuppada), have grasped them and will not
be separated from them ever.
Because of that, they can dissolve and
remove the causes (food) that fuel the sansaric journey:
anjalikaraneeyō. Here “an” means “āhara” or causes, “jali” is water
(dissolve), and karenneya means “do”. Another meaning of “an” is “horn”
with sharp tips (as in a bull), which can hurt others; here
anjalikaraneeyō means dissolving them (by cultivating metta) so that
they cannot hurt others.
anuttaram punnakkhettam:  anuttara is
unmatached, punna is meritorious, and ketha is for a field. Thus it
means these disciples are like fertile fields, that can provide
unlimited resources to others (just like a well-cultivated field can
provide food for many).
You can download the above audio files below
by clicking “DOWNLOAD”. You can play it there or right-click on the
screen and choose “save as..” to save to your computer.

DownloadDownload

More audio files are at: “Sutta Chanting (with Pali Text)“.

DownloadDownload
More audio files are at: “Sutta Chanting (with Pali Text)“.

puredhamma.net
Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha | Pure Dhamma
The
24 supreme qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha (called “suvisi
guna”) are discussed. Audio recordings of the Pali recitals are
provided.
puredhamma.net
Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha | Pure Dhamma
The
24 supreme qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha (called “suvisi
guna”) are discussed. Audio recordings of the Pali recitals are
provided.

Q 9  What was Siddhartha in his immediate past life ? What was his role ?

Siddhartha is a  name meaning “one who has accomplished a goal,” and Gautama is a family name.
His
father, King Suddhodana, was the leader of a large clan called the
Shakya (or Sakya). It’s not clear from the earliest texts whether he was
a hereditary king or more of a tribal chief. It is also possible that
he was elected to this status.
Suddhodana married two sisters, Maya
and Pajapati Gotami. They are said to have been princesses of another
clan, the Koliya, from what is northern India today. Maya was the mother
of Siddhartha, and he was her only child. She died shortly after his
birth. Pajapati, who later became the first Buddhist nun, raised
Siddhartha as her own.

By all accounts, Prince Siddhartha and his
family were of the Kshatriya caste of warriors and nobles. Among
Siddhartha’s more well-known relatives was his cousin Ananda, the son of
his father’s brother. Ananda would later become the Buddha’s disciple
and personal attendant. He would have been considerably younger than
Siddhartha, however, and they didn’t know each other as children

Everyone
in their village loves Siddhartha. But although he brings joy to
everyone’s life, Siddhartha feels little joy himself. He is troubled by
restless dreams and begins to wonder if he has learned all that his
father and the other Brahmins can teach him. As Hesse says, “…they had
already poured the sum total of their knowledge into his waiting
vessel; and the vessel was not full, his intellect was not satisfied,
his soul was not at peace, his heart was not still” (5).

Siddhartha
is dissatisfied with the Brahmans because despite their knowledge, the
Brahmins are seekers still, performing the same exercises again and
again in order to reach their goal‹Nirvana: the peace of oneness with
Atman the Divine within‹without ever finding it. But if Atman is within,
then oneness with it must proceed by focusing on the world within. As
Siddhartha says, “One must find the source within one’s Self, one must
possess it. Everythig else was seeking‹a detour, error” (7). It is
Siddhartha’s search for this new path that leads him to the ascetic
Samanas.

When Siddhartha announces his intention to join the
Samanas, his father becomes very upset and forbids Siddhartha’s
departure. In respectful defiance, Siddhartha does not move. His
frustrated father leaves him, gazing out of his window periodically to
see if Siddhartha has left. The obstinate youth, though, remains
motionless. Night passes. In the morning, Siddhartha’s father returns to
his intransigent son and realizes that while Siddhartha’s body remains
is present, his mind had already departed. Siddhartha’s father
acquiesces to his son’s wishes and allows him to leave, reminded him
that he is welcome back should he find disillusionment with the Samanas.
Govinda joins Siddhartha as they disappear into the forest in search of
the Samanas.

With the Samanas

As Samanas, Siddhartha and
Govinda relinquish all their possessions and dedicate themselves to
meditation, fasting, and other methods of mortification. As a result of
this, the normal human world becomes anathema to Siddhartha. It is all
illusory and destined to decay, leaving those who treasure it in great
pain. With the Samanas, “Siddhartha had one goal - to become empty, to
become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure, and sorrow‹to let the
Self die” (14). His path to self-negation was through physical pain,
pain he endured until he no longer felt it as pain. When pain is gone,
the Self fades into oblivion and peace is attained. But while pain
became a memory for Siddhartha, peace did not come.

After having
been with the Samanas for some time, Siddhartha expresses concern that
he is no closer to his goal than he was before joining the Samanas.
Govinda replies that while they have grown in spirit, they still have
much to learn. In response, Siddhartha derisively comparesthe Samanas’
 life to that of a drunkard, a series of temporary respites from the
pains of existence. Ultimately, Siddhartha reasons, one cannot really
learn anything from teachers or the doctrines they espouse. As
Siddhartha tells Govinda, “There is, my friend, only a knowledge‹that is
everywhere, that is Ataman, that is in me and you and every creature,
and I am beginning to believe that this knowledge has no worse enemy
than the man of knowledge, than learning” (19). Siddhartha is unsettled
by the implications of his thoughts but feels certain that the Samanas
have nothing for to teach him. For this reason, Siddhartha declares that
he will leave the Samanas soon.

Three years after joining the
Samanas, Siddhartha and Govinda hear intriguing rumors of a great man,
Goatama, the Buddha, who, having attained enlightenment, teaches others
the way to peace. Govinda is immediately entranced by this tale and
tells Siddhartha of his intent to seek out Goatama. Siddhartha,
surprised by Govinda’s uncharacteristic initiative, wishes his friend
well. Govinda, though, wishes Siddhartha to seek the Buddha with him.
Siddhartha expresses his doubt that anything new can be learned from
this man, but surrenders to Govinda’s enthusiasm and agrees to go. The
leaders of the Samanas scolds Siddhartha and Govinda for their
departure. Siddhartha then demonstrates his mastery of the Samana ways
by hypnotizing the old master.

Goatama

Siddhartha and
Govinda travel to Savathi, where they discover that the Buddha is
staying in Jetavana, in the garden of Anathapindika. Arriving in
Jetavana, Siddhartha recognizes Goatama immediately despite his
nondescript dress: “he wore his gown and walked along exactly like the
other monks, but his face and his step…spoke of peace, spoke of
completeness,…an unfading light, an invulnerable peace.”(28). And
while Siddhartha is not terribly interested in what the Buddha has to
say, he is completely taken with the Buddha’s demeanor.

The two
men hear Gotama’s sermon, after which Govinda announces his intention to
join in Goatama’s discipleship. Siddhartha commends Govinda for his
decision, but says that he will not join up. Govinda asks Siddhartha
what fault he finds in the Buddha’s program that makes him resist
pledging his allegiance. Siddhartha says that he finds no fault; he just
does not want to join. The next day Govinda takes his monk’s robe and
bids Siddhartha a sad farewell.

As Siddhartha is leaving, he
runs into Goatama in the woods and questions the Buddha about his
teachings. Siddhartha compliments the theoretical coherence of Gotama’s
worldview, the ultimate unity of creation and the incessant chain of
causes and effects, but remarks that Goatama’s doctrine of salvation,
the transcendence of causation, calls into question the consistency of
his position. Goatama responds by saying that he goal of his teaching is
not “to explain the world to those who are thirsty for knowledge. It’s
goal is quite different; its goal is salvation from suffering. That is
what Goatama teaches, nothing else” (33). Siddhartha, afraid that he has
offended the Buddha, reiterates his confidence in the Buddha’s
holiness, but expresses his doubt that any teaching can ever provide the
learner with the experience of Nirvana. And while Gotama’s path may be
appropriate for some, Siddhartha says that he must take his own path,
lest self-deception overtake him and he admit to Nirvana before having
actually attained it. The Buddha admonishes Siddhartha to beware his own
cleverness then wishes him well on his path.

Awakening

As
Siddhartha leaves the Buddha, he realizes that a change has overcome
him: he has outgrown the desire for teachers. From teachers he had
sought to discover the mystery of his Self. As Siddhartha says, “Truly,
nothing in the world has occupied my thoughts as much as the Self, this
riddle, that I live, that I am one and am separated and different from
everybody else, that I am Siddhartha” (38). But in seeking this Self,
Siddhartha has only succeeded in fleeing from it. He was so consumed in
annihilating this Self that he had lost sight of it completely. The path
to self-knowledge‹and with it a knowledge of everything: Atman and
Brahman are one‹cannot proceed by listening to the voice of others.
Instead, as Siddhartha puts it, “I will learn from myself, be my own
pupil; I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha” (39).

This
awakening leads to a change in Siddhartha’s perception of the world.
Whereas he formerly reviled the world as a painful illusion, a
distraction from a submerged, unitary reality, he now sees that the
value in the world of the senses. Unlike the Brahmins and Samanas who
ignored the wondrous  diversity of shapes and colors around them,
seeking to reduce everything to the common denominator of Braham,
Siddhartha became convinced that truth was in the plurality rather than
the commonality of nature. As he says, “meaning and reality were not
hidden somewhere behind things, they were in them, in all of them” (40).

This realization set Siddhartha apart from all of his previous
associations. He was no longer a Brahmin or a Samansa, and he had
resisted following his friend Govinda into the Buddha’s discipleship.
While this consciousness of solitude was frightening, it was also
exhilarating; untethered from these communities and languages of
thought, Siddhartha was more himself than ever. Enlivened by this new
feeling of authenticity, Siddhartha “bean to walk quickly and
impatiently, no longer homewards, no longer to his father, no longer
looking backwards” (42).

https://www.answers.com/Q/What_was_Prince_Siddharthas_life

What was Prince Siddharthas life?

Prince
Siddhartha’s life was different than most peoples. When he was born his
mother Maya died. So then his dad had to take care of him and he said
that he would only let his son have the best of everything best food,
the best education, and of course the best clothes.His dad also said
that he would have nothing less than the best and that he was not
allowed to see the world outside the walls of the palace. One day Prince
Siddhartha made his bus driver take him around in the city.First he
came accross two old men aging. But the prince did not know what aging
was and when he say it he did not like it. On his second trip he saw a
person with a sickness but he did not know what sickness was either. And
he did not like that either. On his  third trip he saw and old person
die .And he definetly didnt like that either.(who does!) And on his last
trip he saw an astetic.

An astetic is a person that gives up
worldly pleasures to find enlightenment.When Siddhartha saw this he
wanted tobecome an astetic. One day the prince asked a taxi driver to
take him to the forest. When he was there he took of all of his jewelry
and he vauluable stuff. When he was done he took of his clothes and put
on a white robe.Then he started walking around to start his new life.
(More stuff astetics can do is……………………….……………………………………. Hold their breath for long periods of time. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..)
After a while the prince did not reach enlightenment beign and astetic
and he didnt reach it beign a prince so he made a middle way. This way
was becoming the BUDDHA! Siddhartha walked under a Bodhi tree and then
he started to medidtate.Then and evil sprirt named Mana tried to delude
Siddhartha into become evil but Siddhartha didnt pay attention to any of
them. AND FROM THERE ON PRINCE SIDDHARTHA HAS BEEN TEACHING PEOPLE HOW
TO BECOME AWAKENED. UNTIL HE DIED AT AGE 80. THE END!

Q10 Give an account of Bodhistta Setaketu

http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php…

Buddism 14172.jpg
Svetaketu
(Pali: Setaketu), who was reborn as Siddhartha, who would become the
Buddha Sakyamuni; since then the Bodhisattva has been Natha (or
Nathadeva) who will be reborn as Ajita and will become the Buddha
Maitreya (Pali Metteyya). While this Bodhisattva is the foremost of the
dwellers in Tusita, the ruler of this world is another deva called
Santusita (Pali: Santusita). The beings of this world are 3,000 feet
(910 m) tall and live for 576,000,000 years (Sarvastivada tradition).
The height of this world is 320 yojanas above the Earth.

chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com
Svetaketu - Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia
Svetaketu
(Pali: Setaketu), who was reborn as Siddhartha, who would become the
Buddha Sakyamuni; since then the Bodhisattva has been Natha (or
Nathadeva) who will be reborn as Ajita and will become the Buddha…

Q 11. How many types of Bodhisattas are tere ? Elaborate on each of them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bodhisattvas
List of bodhisattvas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Relief image of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara from Mount Jiuhua, Anhui, China

In
Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist thought, a bodhisattva (Chinese: 菩薩;
pinyin: púsà; Japanese pronunciation: bosatsu; Korean pronunciation:
bosal) is a being who is dedicated to achieving complete Buddhahood.
Conventionally, the term is applied to beings with a high degree of
enlightenment. Bodhisattva literally means a “bodhi (enlightenment)
being” in Sanskrit. Mahayana practitioners have historically lived in
many other countries that are now predominantly Hindu, Muslim or
Theravada Buddhist; remnants of reverence for bodhisattvas has continued
in some of these regions.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of bodhisattvas primarily respected in Indian, Tibetan Buddhism and East Asian Buddhism.

Primary Bodhisattvas

Ākāśagarbha

Chinese:
虛空藏; pinyin: Xūkōngzàng; Japanese pronunciation: Kokūzō; Korean: 허공장,
Tibetan: ནམ་མཁའི་སྙིང་པོ།, THL: Namkha’i Nyingpo) is a bodhisattva who
is associated with the great element (mahābhūta) of space (ākāśa).

Avalokiteśvara (Padmapani)

(Chinese:
觀音; pinyin: Guanyin; Japanese pronunciation: Kannon; Korean: 관음;
Vietnamese: Quán Thế Âm, Tibetan: སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས་, THL: Chenrézik)

The
bodhisattva of compassion, the listener of the world’s cries who uses
skillful means to come to their aid; the most universally acknowledged
bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism and appears unofficially in Theravada
Buddhism in Cambodia under the name Lokeśvara. This bodhisattva
gradually became identified predominantly as female in East Asian
Buddhism and its name may originally have been Avalokitāśvara.

Kṣitigarbha

(Chinese:
地藏; pinyin: Dìzáng; Japanese pronunciation: Jizō; Korean: 지장;
Vietnamese: Địa Tạng, Tibetan: ས་ཡི་སྙིང་པོ, THL: Sayi Nyingpo).

Kṣitigarbha
is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually
depicted as a Buddhist monk. His name may be translated as “Earth
Treasury”, “Earth Store”, “Earth Matrix”, or “Earth Womb”. Kṣitigarbha
is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all
beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the
rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all
hells are emptied. He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of
hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of
deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture.

Mahāsthāmaprāpta

(Chinese: 大勢至; pinyin: Dàshìzhì; Japanese pronunciation: Daiseishi; Korean: 대세지; Vietnamese: Đại Thế Chí)

Mahāsthāmaprāpta
(Korean: Daeseji) is a mahāsattva representing the power of wisdom,
often depicted in a trinity with Amitābha and Avalokiteśvara, especially
in Pure Land Buddhism. His name literally means “arrival of the great
strength”.

Maitreya, Pali Metteyya

In some Buddhist texts
such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred to as
Ajita. Chinese: 彌勒; pinyin: Mílè; Japanese pronunciation: Miroku;
Korean: 미륵; Vietnamese: Di-lặc, Tibetan: བྱམས་པ་, THL: Jampa).

According
to both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism, Maitreya is regarded as the
future buddha. Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will
appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach
the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor
to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha.[1][2] The prophecy of the arrival
of Maitreya refers to a time in the future when the dharma will have
been forgotten by most on the terrestrial world. This prophecy is found
in the canonical literature of all major schools of Buddhism. Maitreya
has also been adopted for his millenarian role by many non-Buddhist
religions in the past such as the White Lotus as well as by modern new
religious movements such as Yiguandao.

Mañjuśrī

(Chinese:
文殊; pinyin: Wénshū; Japanese pronunciation: Monju; Korean: 문수;
Vietnamese: Văn Thù, Tibetan: འཇམ་དཔལ་དབྱངས།, THL: Jampelyang)

Mañjuśrī
is a bodhisattva associated with prajñā (transcendent wisdom) in
Mahayana Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism, he is also a yidam. His name
means “Gentle Glory”.[3] Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller Sanskrit
name of Mañjuśrīkumārabhūta,[4] literally “Mañjuśrī, Still a Youth” or,
less literally, “Prince Mañjuśrī”.

Samantabhadra

Chinese:
普賢菩薩; pinyin: Pǔxián; Japanese pronunciation: Fugen; Korean: 보현;
Vietnamese: Phổ Hiền, Tibetan: ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ, THL: Küntu Zangpo,
Mongolian: Хамгаар Сайн}

Samantabhadra Universal Worthy is
associated with practice and meditation. Together with the Buddha and
Mañjuśrī, he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism. He is the patron
of the Lotus Sutra and, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra, made the ten
great vows which are the basis of a bodhisattva. In China, Samantabhadra
is associated with action, whereas Mañjuśrī is associated with prajñā.
In Japan, Samantabharda is often venerated by the Tendai and in Shingon
Buddhism, and as the protector of the Lotus Sutra by Nichiren Buddhism.
In the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Samantabhadra is also the
name of the Adi-Buddha - in indivisible Yab-Yum union with his consort,
Samantabhadrī.

Vajrapāṇi

(Chinese: 金剛手; pinyin:
Jīngāngshǒu; Japanese pronunciation: Kongōshu; Korean: 금강수; Vietnamese:
Kim cương thủ, Tibetan: ཕྱག་ན་རྡོ་རྗེ་, THL: Chakna Dorjé)

Vajrapāṇi
(Sanskrit, “Vajra in [his] hand”) is one of the earliest-appearing
bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of
Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha’s power.

Vajrapāṇi
is extensively represented in Buddhist iconography as one of the three
protective deities surrounding the Buddha. Each of them symbolizes one
of the Buddha’s virtues: Mañjuśrī manifests all the Buddhas’ wisdom,
Avalokiteśvara manifests all the Buddhas’ compassion and Vajrapāṇi
manifests all the Buddhas’ power as well as the power of all five
tathāgatas. Vajrapāṇi is one of the earliest dharmapalas and the only
Buddhist deity to be mentioned in the Pāli Canon as well as be worshiped
in the Shaolin Monastery, in Tibetan Buddhism and in Pure Land
Buddhism, where he is known as Mahasthamaprapta and forms a triad with
Amitābha and Avalokiteśvara.

Manifestations of Vajrapāṇi can also
be found in many Buddhist temples in Japan as dharma protectors called
the Niō (仁王) or “Two Kings”. The Niō are two wrathful and muscular
guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist
temples in East Asian Buddhism. They are said to be dharmapala
manifestations of Vajrapāṇi. According to Japanese tradition, they
traveled with Gautama Buddha to protect him, reminiscent of Vajrapāṇi’s
role in the Ambaṭṭha Sutta of the Pali Canon. Within the generally
pacifist tradition of Buddhism, stories of dharmapalas justified the use
of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil.
The Niō are also seen as a manifestations of Mahasthamaprapta in Pure
Land Buddhism and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism.[5]

Vajrapāṇi
is also associated with Acala, who is venerated as Fudō-Myō in Japan,
where he is serenaded as the holder of the vajra.[6]
Classification
Four Great Bodhisattvas

There are several lists of four Bodhisattvas according to scripture and local tradition.

Popular Chinese Buddhism generally lists the following, as they are associated with the Four Sacred Mountains:

Avalokiteśvara
Kṣitigarbha
Mañjuśrī
Samantabhadra

The
Womb Realm Mandala of Esoteric Buddhism provides another enumeration.
These bodhisattvas are featured in the Eight Petal Hall in the center of
the mandala. They are as follows:

Samantabhadra
Mañjuśrī
Avalokiteśvara
Maitreya

The
Avataṃsaka Sūtra mentions four bodhisattvas, each of whom expounds a
portion of the Fifty-two Stages of Bodhisattva Practice.

Dharmaprajñā
Guṇavana
Vajraketu
Vajragarbha

The Lotus Sutra provides a list of bodhisattvas that are the leaders of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth.

Viśiṣṭacāritra
Anantacāritra
Viśuddhacāritra
Supratiṣṭhitacāritra

Five Great Bodhisattvas

Chapter
7 of the Humane King Sutra provides an enumeration of five
bodhisattvas, known as the “Five Bodhisattvas of Great Power (五大力菩薩).”
There are two Chinese translations of this text, each providing an
entirely different name to these figures. Their association with the
cardinal directions also differs between versions.[7] They are as
follows:
Old translation (Kumaravija) Direction New translation (Amoghavajra) Direction
無量力吼 West Vajrapāramitā (剛波羅蜜多) Central
雷電吼 North Vajrayakṣa (金剛夜叉) North
無畏方吼 East Vajratīkṣṇa (金剛利) West
龍王吼 South Vajraratna (金剛宝) South
金剛吼 Central Vajrapāṇi (金剛手) East
Sixteen Bodhisattvas

The
Niṣpannayogāvalī provides a list of bodhisattvas known as the “Sixteen
Honored Ones of the Auspicious Aeon.” They also appear in a Sutra with
the same title (賢劫十六尊). They are as follows, along with their respective
associated directions:
East South West North

Maitreya
Amoghadarśana
Sarvāpāyajaha
Sarvaśokatamonirghātana

Gandhahastin
Śauraya
Gaganagañja
Jñānaketu

Amitaprabha
Bhadrapāla
Jālinīprabha
Candraprabha

Akṣayamati
Pratibhānakūṭa
Vajragarbha
Samantabhadra

Another
set of sixteen are known as the “Sixteen Great Bodhisattvas” and make
up a portion of the Diamond Realm Mandala. They are associated with the
Buddhas of the cardinal directions.
Akṣobhya
(East) Ratnasaṃbhava
(South) Amitābha
(West) Amoghasiddhi
(North)

Vajrasattva
Vajrarāga
Vajrarāja
Vajrasādhu

Vajraratna
Vajraketu
Vajrateja
Vajrahāsa

Vajradharma
Vajrahetu
Vajratīkṣṇa
Vajrabhāṣa

Vajrakarma
Vajrayakṣa
Vajrarakṣa
Vajrasaṃdhi

Twenty-five Bodhisattvas

According
to the Sūtra on Ten Methods of Rebirth in Amitābha Buddha’s Land
(十往生阿彌陀佛國經), those people who are devoted to attaining rebirth in the
Western Pure Land are protected by a great number of bodhisattvas.
Twenty-five of them are given by name:

Avalokiteśvara
Mahāsthāmaprāpta
Bhaiṣajyarāja
Bhaiṣajyasamudgata
Samantabhadra
Dharmeśvara
Siṃhanāda
Dhāraṇī
Ākāśagarbha
Guṇagarbha
Ratnagarbha
Vajragarbha
Vajra
Girisāgaramati
Raśmiprabharāja
Avataṃsakarāja
Gaṇaratnarāja
Candraprabharāja
Divākararāja
Samādhirāja
Samādhīśvararāja
Maheśvararāja
Śuklahastarāja
Mahātejarāja
Anantakāya

en.wikipedia.org
List of bodhisattvas - Wikipedia
In
Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist thought, a bodhisattva (Chinese: 菩薩;
pinyin: púsà; Japanese pronunciation: bosatsu; Korean pronunciation:
bosal) is a being who is dedicated to achieving complete Buddhahood.
Conventionally, the term is applied to beings with a high degree of
enlightenment. B…