Download Where do Buddhas come from .... and go?

Where do Buddhas come from
.... and go?
The Destiny of a Tathagata
Buddhist Tradition
Fall 2003
What is the Buddha?
Diachronic & Synchronic Views of the Buddha
I. Tathagata: The Thus Come, or Thus Gone
II. Diachronic and Synchronic Views of "Buddha"
III. The Diachronic View of Buddhas
IV. The Synchronic View of "Buddha"
I. Tathagata: The Thus Come, or Thus Gone
Buddhaghosa (4th-5th c. CE scholar of Theravada Buddhism and author of many commentaries on the sutras) has a long discussion of
tathagata at pp. 59-68 of Sumangala Vilasini (a commentary on the Digha Nikaya , vol. i
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
‘one who has arrived in such fashion,’ i.e. who has worked his way upwards to
perfection for the world's good in the same fashion as all previous Buddhas
‘one who walked in such fashion,’ i.e. (a) one who at birth took the seven equal steps
in the same fashion as all previous Buddhas, or (b) one who in the same way as all
previous Buddhas went his way to Buddhahood through the four Jhanas and the
Paths
‘one who by the path of knowledge has come at the real essentials of things’
‘one who has won Truth’
‘one who has discerned Truth’
‘one who speaks even as things are’
‘one whose words and deeds accord’
‘the great physician whose physic is all-potent’
“Tathagata.”
Chalmers, Robert. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
(1898), pp.103--115
II. Diachronic and Synchronic Views of "Buddha"
1.
Theravada -- Buddhas arise over time, coming into being at different
times and places (Diachronic)
2.
Mahayana -- Diachronic accepted, but only as relative truth; on a
higher level, Buddhas are generated eternally, every moment,
everywhere (Synchronic)
III. The Diachronic View of Buddhas
A. The Antecedents of Sakyamuni
B. The Prior and Future Buddha
C. The Decline of the Dharma
A. The Antecedents of Sakyamuni
1. Previous lives of the Buddha: Jataka tales
2. Siddhartha as last of the historical Buddhas
(8th? 24th?)
acrobat
ascetic
barber
caravan leader
carpenter
conch-blower
chaplain
councilor
courtier
dice player
drummer
elephant-trainer
farmer
forester
gardener
gold-smith
hawker
tumbler
horse-dealer
house-holder
judge
mariner
minister
musician
physician
potter
robber
smith
stone-cutter
teacher
treasurer
king
menial
lord
deva
Brahma
air sprite
mountain sprite
tree spirit
buffalo
bull
rooster
crow
elephant
fish
frog
eagle
goose
hare
horse
jackal
wild duck
monkey
lion
parrot
peacock
pig
quail
cat
vulture
wood-pecker
The Bodhisattva and his virtues: the Vessantara Jataka
Giving the Elephant
From the top, Vessantara
distributes charity in an alms
hall. The central scene shows
Vessantara seating in his palace
attending to the delegation of
Brahmins asking for the
precious white elephant. Below,
Vessantara in the white elephant
pours water signifying the
granting and blessing of
precious gift. Opposite this
scene shows the Brahmins
riding away with the elephant .
B. The Prior and Future Buddha
•
•
The Buddha Dipankara
(Enlightener, Lamp-Lighter)
The Buddha Maitreya
(Aramaic meshia – messiah ?)
C. Sakyamuni and the Decline of the Dharma
1.
2.
the decline of the Dharma in Indian sources
Chinese elaborations: the three stages of the Dharma
a. (zheng-fa): True Dharma
b. (xiang-fa): Counterfeit Dharma
c. (mo-fa): End of the Dharma
Evidence we are living in the “last stage”
– the monastic community is made up of demons in disguise, drinking wine and
eating meat, wearing fancy clothes, killing living things, slandering the good
monks and driving them away;
– the five capital sins (killing, stealing, adultery, lying, intoxication) are flourishing;
– monasteries and temples are in ruin;
– monks are dealing in the slave trade, coveting wealth and fame;
– they are plowing fields and destroying forests;
– rain is untimely; grain does not ripen;
– women seek advancement and their lives are long;
– men are weak and their lives are short;
– the dead are multitudinous and the people toil in vain.
Source: 5th c. CE Chinese apocryphal sutra sutra entitled Fo-shuo fa-mieh chin ching
(The Scripture of the Utter Extinction of the Dharma, as Spoken by the Buddha)
IV. The Synchronic View of "Buddha"
A.
Mahayana Views of the Pari-Nirvana and
Eternal Generation of Buddhas
1.
2.
spatial/static/horizontal model: simultaneous and
eternal generation of buddhas in all directions
temporal/dynamic/vertical model: three levels of
reality (the Trikaya doctrine)
2. The Mahayana Trikaya Doctrine
a)
b)
c)
Dharma-kaya (Dharma body): beyond form, time, space
Tathata, Dharmadhatu, Vajrasattva
Sambhoga-kaya (Enjoyment body): manifestation of karuna
Amitabha, Avalokitesvara
Nirmana-kaya (Physical manifestation body): descents of
celestial Buddhas and bodhisattvas into the world
B. The Buddha-nature Within: I am Buddha, You are
Buddha (Chan/Zen elaborations)
1. the "mind like a mirror": Fa-zang's Hall of Mirrors
2. the mirror shattered: self as sun, self as dharma-kaya
The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi, "Listen carefully, listen carefully and ponder
deeply. I, the Tathagata, shall discourse on pure karma for the sake of all sentient beings of
the future who are afflicted by the enemy, evil passions. It is very good, Vaidehi, that you
have willingly asked me about this. Ananda, you must receive and keep the Buddha's words
and widely proclaim them to the multitude of beings. I, the Tathagata, shall now teach you,
Vaidehi, and all sentient beings of the future how to visualize the Western Land of Utmost
Bliss. By the power of the Buddha all will be able to see the Pure Land as clearly as if they
were looking at their own reflections in a bright mirror. Seeing the utmost beauty and bliss
of that land, they will rejoice and immediately attain the insight into the non-arising of all
dharmas."
One day, Empress Wu asked the monk Fa-zang the following question:
“One cannot really understand totality in an immediate sense before reaching Enlightenment. With your genius,
however, I wonder whether you can give me a demonstration that will reveal the mystery of the Dharmadhatu -including such wonders as the "all in one" and the "one in all," the Non-Obstruction of Space and Time, and so on?”
Your Majesty, this is a demonstration of Totality in the Dharamdhatu. In each and every mirror within this room you
will find the reflections of all the other mirrors with the Buddha's image in them. And in each and every reflection of
any mirror you will find all the reflections of all the other mirrors, together with the specific Buddha image in each,
without omission or misplacement. The principle of interpenetration is clearly shown by this demonstration. Right
here we see an example of one in all and all in one. The principle of the simultaneous arising of different realms is so
obvious here that no explanation is necessary.
As for the principle of the non-obstruction of space, it can be demonstrated in this manner ... (saying which, he took a
crystal ball from his sleeve and placed it in the palm of his hand). Your majesty, now we see all the mirrors and their
reflections within this small crystal ball. Here we have an example of the small containing the large as well as of the
large containing the small. This is a demonstration of the non-obstruction of "sizes," or space.
As for the non-obstruction of times, the past entering the future and the future entering the past cannot be shown in
this demonstration, because this is, after all, a static one, lacking the dynamic quality of the temporal elements. A
demonstration of the non-obstruction of times, and of time and space, is indeed difficult to arrange by ordinary means.
One must reach a different level to be capable of witnessing a "demonstration" such as that. But in any case, your
Majesty, I hope this simple demonstration has served its purpose to your satisfaction.
Garma Chang,
The Buddhist Teaching of Totality
DHARMAKAYA
Supreme wisdom
Non-dual
Quiescent
Dharma-dhatu
Tathata
Nirvanic
SAMBHOGAKAYA
Compassion
Dynamic
Celestial
Buddhas/Bodhisattvas
Bliss realms
NIRMANAKAYA
Compassion
Become flesh to teach
dharma
•Dipankara
•Sakyamuni
•Maitreya
Saha-world
(World of Suffering)