Download The main schools of Buddhism

FORMATION OF THE
SANGHA
At the end of his life, the Buddha had gathered many
disciples around him. These people formed the sangha or
the original community of monks and nuns. Buddhist
texts explain that, after his night of enlightenment, the
Buddha sat under his tree for several weeks, experiencing
the bliss that came with enlightenment. Soon, five men
who had been companions of the Buddha before his
enlightenment joined him. They had left Siddhartha when
he began eating normally again. The Buddha preached to
them of the Four Noble Truths. Ajnata Kaundinya was the
first of these five men to become a disciple of the
Buddha.
The sangha’s most important task was to recite the words
of the Buddha and agree on what the members of the
sangha remembered he had said. For part of the year, they
wandered around India telling people about the Buddha’s
philosophy. During the rainy season, they returned to
communal areas such as parks and to monasteries that had
been built for them.
In this way the idea of monastic life developed in
Buddhism. Until this point in India, religious people had
either wandered the streets or, if they were Brahmin
priests, had lived at temples or royal courts. The
monastery or group of Buddhist teachers became the most
important institution in early Buddhism. The earliest texts
and discussions were not so much about how the
Buddha’s teachings should be interpreted but about how
monks and nuns should live. These are called the Vinaya
texts (see below). There are a few hundred rules for
monks, including not using money, not drinking alcohol
and not having sex. There are dozens more for nuns.
What was clear was that the Buddha had said his system
was open to all souls. Although women were seen as
having a lower status than men, the Buddha had
eventually invited women to use his teachings on an equal
footing with men.
MAHAPAJAPATI
REQUESTS
A FEMALE SANGHA
Mahapajapati was both the Buddha’s aunt and his
stepmother, having married his father the King alongside
her elder sister, Mahamaya, the Buddha’s birth mother.
Mahapajapati raised the prince from infancy when his
mother the Queen died seven days after his birth.
Mahapajapati was eager for there to be a female order of
the sangha. It is said that she approached the Buddha and
asked three times if women could join the sangha. Three
times the Buddha refused.
Later, Mahapajapati approached him again. This time she
waited nearby with other women, their heads shaved and
dressed like monks. At this point the Buddha agreed that
there would be a female sangha.
For those times, the idea that women could join a
wandering order of philosopher-monks was a radical one.
It has been discussed above that the Buddha provided a
system of thought and views that was open to all – not
only the priestly caste of India. Because of
Mahapajapati’s request, Buddhism began to eradicate
sexual as well as class differences. The move to admit
women, however, was not immediate, and there remains
in certain sections of Buddhism the view that women can
never be as spiritually developed as men.
THE EARLY
COUNCILS
Soon after the Buddha died, councils of Buddhists were
occasionally held so that everyone could agree on the
words the Buddha had said, and debate rules on how
members of the sangha (nuns and monks) should live and
behave.
The first council was at Rajagriha immediately after the
death of the Buddha. At this meeting, those present
settled the contents of the dhamma (the Buddha’s
teachings) and codified most of the rules for how a monk
or nun should live, in the Vinaya. It is said that one of the
Buddha’s closest companions, Ananda, recited from
memory all the Buddhist scriptures to that date, and these
were accepted by all the monks. It is doubtful whether
this council actually took place in the way it is described.
The first council was responsible for the formation of the
Pali Canon (Tripitaka).
PALI CANON
THE BUDDHIST
SACRED TEXT,
OTHERWISE
CALLED THE
TRIPTAKA;
PALI IS THE
LANGUAGE IN
WHICH IT IS
WRITTEN
TRIPITAKA
LITERALLY
‘THREE
BASKETS’,
THIS IS THE
BUDDHIST
SACRED
WRITINGS
THAT
CONTAIN THE
TEACHING OF
THE BUDDHA;
SOMETIMES
The second council was held at Vaishali perhaps seventy
years later, and another great recitation of texts took
place. The council was memorable as some monks were
attacked for receiving money. This point was debated
heatedly and eventually those monks who had touched
money (against the Buddha’s wishes) were judged as
being in the wrong. The splits at this council led,
eventually, to the formation of Mahayana Buddhism.
A few centuries after the Buddha, the Emperor Asoka, a
king who inherited or conquered most of northern India,
ruled as a new convert to Buddhism. He established the
third council. It was during and after this time, 200 BCE
to 100 CE, that Buddhism flourished in India. It also
spread outside the country as Asoka sent missionaries to
both the East and the West. The third council also
resulted in an affirmation of ‘the approved teaching of the
elders’ (Theravada) and the addition of the third part of
the Pali Canon, the Abhidhamma, a discussion of the
Buddha’s sermons.
The first two Buddhist councils were important because
they allowed members of the community to overcome
problems that arose after the death of the Buddha who
was, while he lived, the ultimate source of authority.
When he was dead, the members of the sangha had to
agree precisely on what he had said. Once these teachings
were authenticated, the texts they formed became the new
authority for the young community.
THE MAIN SCHOOLS OF
BUDDHISM
Buddhism is divided into three main groups or schools,
sometimes called variants. These groups have long been
understood according to their regional locations:
1 Theravada Buddhism: in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand,
Cambodia and Laos
2 Mahayana Buddhism: in Vietnam, China, Korea and
Japan
3 Vajrayana (a form of Mahayana Buddhism): in Tibet.
More recently these schools have spread throughout the
Western world to Europe, the Americas and Australia.
An arahat (Sanskrit) or arahant (Pali) is someone who
has eliminated their desire for reincarnation, that is, they
have achieved enlightenment. The progress to becoming
an arahat in the Theravada tradition marks it as different
from the Mahayana tradition. In this latter tradition, the
It is estimated that there are 100 million Theravada
Buddhists in the world, and up to a billion Mahayana
Buddhists. The Theravada tradition (literally, ‘way of the
elders’) is considered the original school of Buddhism. It
claims to be more traditional, more in keeping with the
teachings of the Buddha. Its concentration on monastic
life, however, is seen as limiting the Buddha’s message.
Mahayana (literally, ‘great vehicle’) Buddhism developed
in India as a breakaway movement in the centuries after
the Buddha’s death. It also strongly respects the Buddha’s
teachings, but adapts more flexibly to local influences,
particularly in China.
goal is not to work only for personal development, but to
achieve nirvana for all beings.
theravada buddhism
It has been suggested by modern, Western Buddhists that
these latter comments were later added by men
uncomfortable with women becoming arahats.
Theravada Buddhists claim that their form of teaching
and monastic behaviour is the oldest of all the Buddhist
ARAHAT A
PERSON WHO
traditions. They promote the idea that nirvana, or
liberation to the realm of non-desiring, can only be
achieved by those who dedicate themselves totally to the
Buddha’s message. Through personal experience and
analysis, thought and meditation, Theravadins can attain
nirvana, but this requires assistance from the wise
members of the sangha. The Buddha is revered because
he was the only person able to achieve enlightenment on
his own.
In Theravada Buddhism there is a strong emphasis on
monks, so much so that many nunneries in the Theravada
world have closed down. This issue is not helped by the
fact that the Buddha seems to have been ambivalent about
the status of women. In some passages of scripture he
clearly encourages nuns, while in others he suggests that
Buddhism will suffer by accepting women into the
sangha.
mahayana buddhism
Mahayana began in India. It developed as a breakaway
movement within the early Buddhist community. This
group changed monastic rules, adapted texts and rejected
some changes that had been made in the first council of
Buddhists. Mahayana then developed into two general
groups. One of these is the Madhyamika school of
Buddhism. This school keeps to a middle way between
self and non-self – thus resolving a controversy that
erupted early in Buddhist history. The other main group is
the Yogacara. This school suggests that rigorous
meditation (yoga) is the most effective method for
approaching the truth of existence. Before a Buddhist
reaches this stage, Yogacara Buddhists say, they must
pass through the ten stages along the path to becoming a
bodhisattva – one who has achieved enlightenment but
remains dedicated to helping other souls.
Mahayana Buddhists in India took their form of
Buddhism to Tibet, Vietnam and China, where it began to
develop from 100 BCE onwards. As it adapted to Chinese
culture, Mahayana became more and more popular. By
the time of the Sui Dynasty in China (from 570s CE)
Buddhism had been adopted as a major court religion and
passed into Korea. From there, it passed into Japan, where
it became a success. Madhyamika thinking had numerous
elements in common with Taoism, a religion already
established in China.
Mahayana is connected very closely with the bodhisattva
path. When the Buddha achieved enlightenment, he
taught for a further 40 years before he died. Once he had
died, however, he achieved nirvana. Thus, each
individual could achieve enlightenment but the path was
centred on self-discovery. Early Mahayanists wondered
about the rest of humanity; how could becoming
enlightened help the rest of the world? A bodhisattva,
therefore, is one who achieves enlightenment but, unlike
the Buddha, takes an oath to reincarnate, or abide in
spiritual form, to assist all beings in achieving
enlightenment. In this way the bodhisattva is delaying
their own nirvana for the sake of every other soul.
Mahayana Buddhists promote the Buddha not simply as a
teacher but as an all-knowing transcendent being. We
might say that Mahayana Buddhism is driven more by the
personalities of bodhisattvas and other religious and
mystical beings, but Mahayana is also joined to a strong
system of philosophy. Mahayanists developed the idea
that most phenomena on Earth are ‘empty’ of substance.
This doctrine suggests that what seems real is, as the
Buddha said, illusory and exists only to cause suffering.
Many Mahayana schools suggest that nirvana can be
easily and sometimes suddenly achieved. Enlightenment
is available to everyone: monk, nun, layperson, farmer
and king.
It is argued by Theravada Buddhists that there is much in
Mahayana practice that goes beyond the teachings of the
Buddha. This includes the ideas of bodhisattvas and
sudden enlightenment. Another thing that is exceptional
YOGAMahayana is its popularity: it is by far the most
about
ANY OF
popular
school of Buddhism. Most Mahayana groups
VARIOUS
agree
that women can achieve enlightenment as easily as
SYSTEMS
OF DISCIPLINE
men.
Some groups even suggest that enlightenment can
IN THE
come
suddenly whether or not one is in a monastery.
HINDU
Mahayana
Buddhism is a more inclusive form of
PHILOSOPHICA
Buddhism
than
Theravada.
L
SYSTEM
CONCERNED
WITH
ACHIEVING
THE UNION OF
THE MIND AND
BODY WITH
THE
UNIVERSAL
Vajrayana
(literally, ‘thunderbolt’) is a form of Buddhism
SPIRIT
that
has developed mainly in Tibet. ‘Vajra’ is also a
Bodhisattva
bright,
indestructible substance, so Vajrayana came to be
one who has
understood
as ‘diamond’ Buddhism. It arose from
achieved
Mahayana
thinking
and concentrates on accessing the real
enlightenment
but
core
of nirvana
existence
forgoes
to – cutting away the fictions that people
help others about themselves, their status and their desires.
construct
achieve
A
key to Vajrayana Buddhism is the idea of prajna. This
enlightenment
VAJRAYANA
BUDDHISM
kind of wisdom involves developing the ability to
discriminate between the world of reality and illusion. It
includes the idea of compassion and the realisation that
the
world is ultimately illusory.
TAOISM
MAJOR
CHINESE Buddhism is also a version of Mahayana
Vajrayana
RELIGION/PHIL
Buddhism
that is more spiritualised and mystical. It is
OSOPHY,
infused
with elements of Hinduism, animism, occultism
FOUNDED
and
magic
ABOUT
600and is influenced by the Bon religion of Tibet.
Vajrayana
BCE; ALSOBuddhism also emphasises experience over
KNOWN ASGenerally, Vajrayana Buddhism is considered
emptiness.
aDAOISM
more mystical form of Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism has become well known through the
person of the Dalai Lama who, since his exile from Tibet,
has become a well-known traveller and Buddhist
spokesman.
CH’AN (ZEN)
BUDDHISM
Ch'an, also known as Zen, is a way of looking directly at
one's own True Nature. Each of us is born, lives and dies,
and yet we may go an entire lifetime without ever
realizing that there's more to ourselves than we think.
Indeed, we have the capacity to come to a very direct
understanding of what we really are and what our
relationship to the universe around us truly is if we will
just look. Ch'an is a way of looking, a way to focus our
attention on the truth of our own life. It is direct
realization of our true nature.
The origins of Ch'an can be traced to the teachings of
both Buddhism and Taoism. The ancient Chinese paid
close attention to the cycles of life and their effects upon
those who live in the world. Books such as the I Ching
and the Tao Te Ching described the nature of change and
its cyclical characteristics. Thus was born Taoism, from
the Chinese word Tao which means "way," referring to
the way of nature, the way of the universe. The teachings
of Taoism are based on the interplay of yin (that which is
yielding in nature) and yang
(that which is dynamic in
nature).
Over 2500 years ago in India,
Shakyamuni Buddha began
teaching the Middle Path to
Enlightenment. Centuries after
the Buddha's demise, the
meeting of Buddhist and Taoist
thought in China would form
the foundation for the practice
of Ch'an as we know it today.
Bodhidharma
Whether or not the man named Bodhidharma actually
existed is still a matter for some debate, but it is very
useful in our exploration of the origins of Ch'an. As the
legend goes, Bodhidharma was a Buddhist scholar from
India who visited the court of the Chinese Emperor Wu of
Liang in the sixth century C.E. Following this visit,
during which he is said to have debunked the Emperor's
view of Buddhist teachings, he traveled west and took up
residence in a cave near the fabled Shaolin Monastery. He
spent nine years in that cave meditating. Bodhidharma
was an expert in
the teachings of
the Lankavatara
Sutra which
stressed the direct
realization of
one's Buddhanature, and the
subsequent
meditative school
which took root
actualized these
teachings.
mean "awareness." Thus the Ch'an school was centered
around the utilization of meditative concentration, rather
than relying on sacred texts, in order to attain a direct
awareness of one's true nature.
The Spread of Ch'an
By the seventh century C.E.,
significant numbers of Ch'an monks
were gathering in local Buddhist
monasteries to practice and study.
Ch'an emphasized direct seeing
through meditative practice, as well is
what is known as "mind-to-mind
transmission" between teacher and
student. This transmission was
epitomized by the story of how the
Buddha once held up a flower instead
of giving a verbal teaching. His disciple Mahakashapa
simply smiled, confirming that his understanding was the
same as the Buddha's
For the next hundred years Ch'an grew rapidly, eventually
coming to dominate the Chinese Buddhist landscape. By
the beginning of the 8th century Ch'an had spread to
Korea where it was called Son. In Vietnam it was known
as Thien, and when the teachers Eisai and Dogen brought
it to Japan from China it was called Zen. After some
internal struggles, Zen grew rapidly in Japan, 21 of the 24
lines of Ch'an having been established there. After a total
of 1200 years of development in Asia, the practices which
stemmed from the Ch'an tradition were ready for another
significant step: expansion to the West.
Pure Land Buddhism
The Basics
What exactly is a "Pure Land?" It's actually two things at
once:

By this time,
Taoist thought
was over 3000 years old and was woven into the fabric of
Chinese society. Taoist and Buddhist scholars had
intermingled for several hundred years before
Bodhidharma's time, and many books looking at Buddhist
teachings in a Taoist way had been written. The two
systems were generally considered to be very
complimentary.
Bodhidharma is credited with becoming the First
Ancestor of Ch'an. The word Ch'an was a Chinese
pronunciation of the Sanskrit word "dhyana, which
referred to the Buddha's teaching of meditative
concentration. But the Chinese interpreted the word to

It is the realm of Purified Mind itself, our own
Essential Enlightened Nature. The
Mahavaipula-mahasmanipata Sutra states,
"The triple worlds exist in the mind. Why is
that? One sees in one's mind whatever one
thinks of. It is our mind that sees the Buddha.
Our mind becomes the Buddha. Our mind is
the Buddha; our mind is the Tathagata."
It is a literal realm of rebirth in which the
impediments to cultivation are nonexistent,
enabling one to purify one's karma without
hindrance.
These two aspects of the Pure Land come about as the
result of what is known as the Interpenetration of
Phenomenon and Principle. This teaching points out
the interdependent nature of the relative world and the
true, underlying nature of that world, based on the
teaching of One Mind. The Tang Dynasty master YunMing Yen-Shou, who was a key figure in the synthesis of
the Ch'an and Pure Land schools said, All things of
Principle and Phenomenon are based on the Mind. From
the perspective of Principle, a Sutra says, "Contemplating
that all dharmas are made from the Mind, one
accopmlishes a body of wisdom and becomes enlightened
without the help of others." This is an insight into the
True Mind as the fundamental through the contemplation
of True Suchness. From the perspective of Phenomenon,
a Sutra says, "The Mind is just like a skillful painter who
is able to draw everything in the world. The five
aggregates arise from the Mind. There is nothing that is
not created from it." This perspective takes the rational
cogitating mind as fundamental through the conscious
mind.
this purified realm is the result of the accumulated merit
of the Bodhisattva Dharmakara who became the Buddha
Amitabha after aeons of cultivation. Dharmakara vowed
that when Buddhahood was attained, the resulting realm
of existence would include the finest features of all the
other Buddha-realms, making it easy for those reborn
there to purify their past karma.
The Vows
According to the Sutras, Bodhisattva Dharmakara made
48 vows regarding the nature of the Buddha-realm which
would come into existence. Among these are four very
crucial vows, the 18th, 19th, 20th and 22nd. These vows
are enumerated in the Larger Sukhavati Sutra, one of the
three main Pure Land scriptures.

The object of Pure Land Buddhism is the direct
realization of the Purified Mind and our subsequent
rebirth into the Realm of Bliss. Our Purified mind is the
Pure Land, and our True Nature is Amitabha Buddha.

The Tripod
Pure Land Buddhism rests on what is known as the
Tripod:



Practice - Single-minded effort, using a variety
of techniques such as visualization, meditation
and recitation, aimed at Buddha Remembrance
Samadhi (Buddhanusmrti in Sanskrit, Nien-Fo
in Chinese). Buddhanusmrti means "To stay
mindful of the Buddha," and has been the
central practice philosophy of Pure Land
Buddhism since its inception.
Aspiration - The Vow to be reborn into the
Pure Land through realizing the Pure Land
which is one's True Mind.
Faith - Also known as "Serene Trust" in one's
True Nature, which also means having that
same trust and confidence in the Compassion
and Wisdom of Amitabha Buddha and all
Buddhas. This includes the firm conviction that
the Bodhisattva Vow made by all Buddhas to
lead all sentient beings to Enlightenment either
has been or will be fulfilled.


Other Key Concepts

The Buddha Amitabha
In Buddhist cosmology, the
Buddha known as Amitabha
("Boundless Light/Boundless
Compassion"), also known as
Amitayus ("Boundless
Life/Boundless Wisdom"),
presides over a Buddha-realm
known as Sukhavati, the Pure
Land of Bliss. The existence of
The 18th vow states that anyone who has
vowed to be reborn into the Realm of Bliss and
has dedicated their roots of merit to this rebirth
will indeed be reborn there, even if this vow has
been sincerely made as few as ten times.
The 19th vow states that Amitabha Buddha will
appear at the moment of death to one who
cultivates virtue, resolves to seek awakening,
and single-mindedly aspires to be reborn into
the Realm of Bliss.
The 20th vow guarantees rebirth into the Realm
of Bliss for those who have cultivated virtue,
have sought awakening, and have singlemindedly aspired to be reborn into this realm.
The 22nd vow states that once reborn into the
Realm of Bliss, one may either complete the
Bodhisattva Path and attain Perfect Full
Awakening, or may take what are known as the
Vows of Samanthabhadra, namely to follow the
full Bodhisattva Path and to return to the cycle
of rebirth to assist all sentient beings.

The Existence of Many Buddhas.
Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha of our age,
is not the only Buddha to ever have existed.
Indeed, all beings have the nature to become
totally awakened to the Truth of the Universe.
One of the first Buddhas other than
Shakyamuni to be mentioned in the Buddhist
tradition was the Buddha Maitreya, the next
Buddha who will appear in our own worldsystem which is known as the Saha World.
Merit and the Transference of Merit. There
are a myriad of benefits to be derived from the
non-attached practice of Wisdom and
Compassion, including the Buddhist Precepts
which are guidelines for enlightened living.
These benefits, or "merit," may be accumulated
and subsequently transferred to any or all
sentient beings for their benefit (transpersonal)


or rededicated so as to transform them
into benefits for one's self (personal).
The Existence of Buddha-Realms. Buddhas
spread their influence over a system of worlds
in which they teach Dharma and exert their
benevolence. Shakyamuni is the Buddha of our
own world system. Buddha-Realms may also be
seen as the Realm of Mind.
The Bodhisattva Path. Bodhisattvas are
"Enlightenment Beings" who are on the path
toward Nirvana, the end of all suffering, the
realm of Perfect Peace. Bodhisattvas work not
only for their own Enlightenment, but also for
the Enlightenment of all sentient beings. Once
the Bodhisattva path is begun, the Bodhisattva
is instructed by a Buddha. Shakyamuni
Buddha's teacher was the Buddha
Dipamkara; Shakyamuni Buddha is the teacher
of the Buddha to come, Maitreya. The Buddha
Lokeshvararaja was the teacher of the
Bodhisattva Dharmakara, who was to become
the Buddha Amitabha.
One fact is undeniably clear: Pure Land practice can
accommodate people of any and all capacities. It utilizes
practices which include meditation, visualization,
recitation, devotion and Sutra study, so one may choose a
practice which is consistent with one's capacity and
inclination. This is why Pure Land Buddhism is such a
marvelous path for those who are seeking liberation in
this modern age when there are so very many distractions
and impediments to Enlightenment.