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Summary
Zen is one of the practices within Mahayana Buddhism, which aims at a higher state of being in relation to the early Buddhist teachings preached by the Buddha, and has a deeper philosophical and practical background than any other branch of Buddhism.
The central teaching of Mahayana Buddhism is the Bodhisattva path. The Bodhisattva path is to cultivate a mind of compassion to save all sentient beings and to continue to practice it at the expense of oneself. This can be said to be the practice of “altruistic acts” that avoid self-centered thinking and behavior, treat others with good will, and act to help others. At the root of this idea of altruism is the basic Buddhist idea that the distinction between self and others is blurred, and to practice these ideas, teachings using various sutras and practices such as contemplative meditation and recitation of the Heart Sutra, etc. are offered.
This altruistic behavior has been proven to be the optimal strategy from the perspective of game theory, which is a theory of maximizing one’s own profit, as a model called “Prisoner’s Dilemma. The results of experiments have also confirmed that altruistic behavior creates social trust and brings long-term benefits. In other words, Buddhist thought and practice can be one of the measures (strategies) to make society happy (maximize profits).
The following overview of Mahayana Buddhism is based on “NHK 100 de Meitaku: Mahayana Buddhism: How Buddha’s Teachings Transformed“.
In the previous article, I discussed Jodo-kyo and the power of Amitabha Buddha, which introduced the concept of parallel worlds. In this issue, I will discuss the Internet and Vairocana Buddha – the Kegon Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism.
The Great Buddha of Nara, a symbol of the Kegon Sutra
The Kegon-kyo Sutra is said to have been composed in Central Asia in the third century AD. The Great Buddha of Nara is closely related to the Kegon Sutra.
The official name of the Great Buddha of Nara is the seated statue of Rushanabutsu (“Rushana” is a phonetic transcription of the Sanskrit word “Vairocachi” and is sometimes written as “Vairocana”), and it was created as a symbol of the Kegon-kyo. The sect whose fundamental religion is the Kegon Sutra is the Kegon Sect, whose head temple in Japan is Todaiji Temple (the Sanskrit for “Kegon Sutra” is “Buddha Avatamsaka Sutra”), and its Chinese name is “Dafangbutsu Kegon Sutra” (or “Kegon Sutra” for short). In Chinese, it is called the “Mahavairocana Sutra,” meaning “the magnificent assembly of innumerable buddhas.
There are two complete translations of the Kegonkyō (60-volume and 80-volume) and a 40-volume translation of only the final chapter, “Nyuhokai-bon,” but they are all quite voluminous and require a great deal of effort to read with proper understanding.
To begin with, the Kegonkyō was not a single sutra, but rather a collection of several independent sutras. The only Sanskrit texts that remain are the “Jichi-bin” and the “Ippo-kai-bin,” and the “Kegon-kyo” is the result of adding various sutras to these two and making a single large sutra.
The Kegon-kyo was introduced to Japan in the mid-8th century when Shinjo, who is said to have studied in Silla, was invited to give a lecture on the Kegon-kyo by Ryoben of Konshu-ji Temple (the predecessor of Todai-ji Temple).
Although the Kegon-kyo Sutra was emphasized as a national Buddhism during the Nara period (710-794), it did not receive much attention after that, and is generally unfamiliar to the general public. However, the Kegon-kyo Sutra is positioned as a Mahayana scripture that is a twin to the Lotus Sutra, and has greatly influenced the mentality and views of Japanese people.
The “Ten Earthly Precepts” and “Iriho-kai-bin” that explain bodhisattva conduct.
First, I will discuss the “Ten Realms” and the “Entry into the Dharma Realm,” which are the roots of the Kegonkyō.
In the Ten Treasures, the process of a bodhisattva’s ascent toward ultimate enlightenment is divided into ten stages (jichi), from “kangi-ji” to “ho-un-ji”. The story goes roughly as follows: an ordinary person meets Buddha and begins Buddhist practice, eventually shifting from self-interested practice to altruistic practice, and finally, at the Dharma Cloud Realm, he or she fully embraces the Buddha’s teachings and reaches the highest state of enlightenment as a bodhisattva. The Ten Earthly Attributes of the Kegonkyō are considered to be an adaptation of existing sutras, since there is a separate sutra called the Ten Earthly Attributes.
The story of the Iriho-kai-bin is that of a boy named Zenzai-dozhi.
The story is based on the time when Monju Bodhisattva urged him to embark on a journey in search of enlightenment.
Zenya-dozhi visits 53 people of good knowledge (predecessors who guide him to enlightenment), including ascetics, pagans, doctors, girls, and prostitutes, and eventually reaches the entrance to enlightenment. Some say that the number 53 in the 53 Stages of the Tokaido, which is very familiar to the Japanese, is derived from this story.
Thus, the Kegon Sutra is characterized not so much by the essence of “this is the teaching that leads to sato,” but rather by the “magnificent and cosmic worldview” presented in it. A large part of the sutra is devoted to describing how wonderful and glorious is the world that is ultimately attained as a result of bodhisattva practice.
One is many and many are one
In previous sutras such as the Hannya Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, in order to meet Buddha whom we cannot actually meet, they looked longingly at the time axis and thought that we have already met Buddha in the past, while Pure Land Buddhism focused on the rolling of the space axis and thought that Buddha was in a world other than this world.
Unlike them, the worldview of the Kegonkyō is the same as that of Jōdoism in that it believes that there is another world outside this world where Buddha exists, but Jōdoism taught that we meet Buddha after we die, while Kegonkyō taught that we can meet Buddha while still alive in this world without dying. Buddha is the same as the Pure Land teaching, but the Pure Land teaching teaches that we meet Buddha after death.
Since the Buddha is like the landlord of his own world and cannot be absent from his own world without permission, the Kegonkyō developed the idea that if he is in another world and cannot move, he can send his own images to our world.
In response to such a virtual Buddha, the Hua Yan Sutra took the view that “virtuality is reality. As the basis for such a view, the Kegonkyō considered that although there are various buddhas in the universe, they are all converged in one buddha, Vairocana Buddha. In other words, although there seem to be many Buddhas in the universe, the Buddha is one in origin.
The relationship between the countless Buddhas scattered throughout the universe and Vairocana Buddha is that the Internet has no network center, and the entire network is a single entity. This is Vairocana Buddha, and the buddhas of each world exist beyond the main body of the network, Vairocana Buddha. From each Buddha, another Buddha radiates out, and an infinite number of Buddha worlds spread throughout the universe.
At first glance, each Buddha world seems to be independent, but since all Buddhas are connected to Vairocana Buddha, Vairocana Buddha can be regarded as a gigantic being that covers all networks, even though he exists as an individual. In this way, we can say that “all the infinitely existing buddhas are Vairocana Buddha himself.
Therefore, the Kegonkyō taught that even if the Buddha who appeared in this world was a virtual image, it was immediately real. Assuming that the infinite number of buddhas in the universe are connected to each other, just by making an offering to one buddha who appeared in this world, one has made an offering to an infinite number of buddhas.
In Kegon Buddhism, this view of the world is expressed as “one equals many, many equals one” (one is many, and many is one), which explains a worldview that transcends time and space. One of the best-known examples of this easy-to-understand explanation is the “Parable of the Indaramat”.
The word “indara nets” means “Indra’s nets. Each knot in the net is adorned with a jeweled ball, the surface of which reflects other jewels. The surfaces of these jewels reflect other jewels, and the reflection repeats endlessly, as other jewels seek out yet another jewel. The Kegon Sutra describes this as “one equals many, many equals one,” where one jewel reflects an infinite number of jewels and at the same time an infinite number of jewels are contained in one jewel.
This “one equals many, many equals one” also overlaps with the image of the concept of fractal in another expression. A fractal is a geometrical worldview in which a single thing contains an infinite number of repetitions, and although there are many cleaning systems that can be seen in detail, from a distance it appears to be a single thing.
To compare it to the existence of buddhas, there is a small world within one buddha, each of which has another buddha, and furthermore, within each buddha, there are infinite worlds, all of which come together to form a single universe (Vairocana Buddha).
Such things exist not only in the world of the buddhas, but also in many living beings and in the universe. These things seem new to me when I hear them again, but there are things in Japanese culture, such as tea ceremony, flower arrangement, bonsai, and suiseki, that were born from the idea of “one equals many, many equals one,” which seeks to find the infinite universe in minute or small things.
Vairocana Buddha, the embodiment of the universe itself
Vairocana Buddha, who oversees all buddhas, is defined as the “cosmic Buddha,” meaning the truth of the universe, the universe itself. He becomes the Buddha as a transcendent power that pervades the entire universe. On the other hand, Buddha Shakyamuni, who we know in human form, is a “human Buddha” in 3D image sent into this world as a messenger from the universe.
The official name of the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple is the seated image of Vairocana Buddha, and the emperor who built it thought that Vairocana Buddha is the greatest Buddha, not Buddha himself, but Vairocana Buddha, who covers the whole universe, and tried to rely on his power by building the world’s largest seated gilt bronze Buddha statue, 50 meters high.
Vairocana means “shining one,” and since the Kegon Sutra, the symbol of the sun, is a sutra on the theme of the universe, it is quite natural that he began to think of the sun as the most powerful being in the center of the universe that casts energy on everything on average, superimposed on Vairochana Buddha. It is quite natural that the sun is superimposed on Vairocana Buddha.
Scripture linked to the “state of requital.”
In the Kegon sect, the splendor and splendor of the world reached after advancing on the path of the bodhisattva is repeatedly talked about, but the crucial issue of “enlightenment” is rarely addressed.
Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th century, and after the Asuka period, during the Nara period (710-794), a school of Buddhism known as the “Nanto Roku-shu” (the six sects of Buddhism in the southern capital) emerged in the large temples of Nara: the Sanron-shu, Seijitsu-shu, Hosso-shu, Kusha-shu, Kegon-shu, and Ritsu-shu. The purpose of these schools of Buddhism, however, was to protect the state. In other words, they were religions that stood on the side of those in power who wanted to “use Buddhism to govern the nation.
Among them, the “Kegon sect” suited the centralized idea more than any other scriptures. The part of the scripture that “there is Vairocana Buddha as the main body of sleeping-sat-work, which sends messages to each world” was compared to the structure of a centralized state system in which the center controls the regions, and national branch temples were built throughout the country, and the By enshrining Vairocana Buddha, the head of the system, in Todaiji Temple, the world view of the Kegon-kyo was reproduced throughout Japan, and Nara became the place where everything was controlled.
However, from the late Heian to Kamakura periods, the purpose of Buddhism shifted to saving people, and the Kegon sect, which did not describe the methodology of enlightenment, fell into disuse. The Kegon sect, which did not contain a methodology for “enlightenment,” became obsolete.
Esoteric Buddhism, which established its doctrine in connection with the “Kegon Sect.”
Here I will discuss “Esoteric Buddhism,” which is similar to the worldview of “Kegon Shu. Dainichi Nyorai, the most important Buddha in Esoteric Buddhism, is “Mahavairocana” in Sanskrit, the same Buddha as Vairocana Buddha.
Esoteric Buddhism was born in India in the 4th to 5th century. At that time, Hinduism was gaining power in India, and Buddhism gradually began to decline. It is said that the origin of esoteric Buddhism was born when Mahayana Buddhism, which was trying to survive in such a situation, incorporated the magical elements of Hinduism and Brahmanism. At first, the doctrines were not organized, and it was not until the 7th century that major sutras were created and systematized.
The key person who introduced esoteric Buddhism to Japan was Kukai, the founder of Koyasan, but it was Saicho, the founder of the Tendai sect, who first brought esoteric Buddhism back to Japan. Since Saicho’s stay in China was short and he did not have sufficient knowledge, his disciples Ennin and Enchin later went to Tang China to study esoteric Buddhism, and the Tendai sect gradually became more esoteric. Therefore, esoteric Buddhism in Japan includes not only Shingon esoteric Buddhism (Tōmikyō) but also Tendai esoteric Buddhism (Taimikyō).
In Shingon Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism is considered to be a teaching in contrast to Kengyo. Esoteric teachings are those that Dainichi Nyorai taught only to those who had advanced training. In a word, the most important characteristic of esoteric Buddhism is that the teachings are not open to the public.
The fundamental scriptures of Shingon Buddhism are the “Dainichikyo” and the “Vajrasekhara Sutra.” The Tang Dynasty monk Keikaku combined these two scriptures to form the basis of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, which was succeeded by Kukai, the founder of Shingon Buddhism. Esoteric Buddhism developed in three stages: early, middle, and late, and these two sutras are considered to be from the middle esoteric period.
In the early stages of esoteric Buddhism, people chanted incantations and performed magical rituals to achieve worldly benefits, but in the middle stage, esoteric Buddhism established a systematic Buddhist doctrine in combination with Vairocana Buddha of the Kegonkyō Sutra. Kukai taught that “Dainichi Nyorai is the universe itself, and every speck of dust is Dainichi Nyorai,” which means that Esoteric Buddhism inherited the fractal worldview of the Kegon Sutra. One of the characteristics of Esoteric Buddhism is the use of mandalas in its sutras, and the Tainzo Mandala of the “Dainichi Sutra,” in which various Buddhas are radially connected around Dainichi Nyorai, shows that it was influenced by the worldview of the “Kegon Sutra.
It is important to realize that “I am Buddha.”
The specific goal in esoteric Buddhism is “Sokushin Seibutsu. Some people think of mummies when they hear the word “sokushin-jyubutsu,” but that is “sokushin-butsu,” which is different from sokushin-jyubutsu. Sokushin Seibutsu in Shingon Buddhism means “to attain the state of Buddhahood in one’s own body.
Shingon Sect teaches that the basic practice for this is the “Sangmikazoku Kajo” (the three elements of the three elements). The three practices of the Sangon sect are the three practices of “samimikumi” (hand-tying a seal), “kuchimikumi” (chanting the mantra), and “imikumi” (imagining the truth of the universe in the mind), which are mystical special rituals to realize that “I am the Buddha. Esoteric Buddhism believes that everyone can become a Buddha if they realize that they are already living in the universe where Buddha exists.
Esoteric Buddhism takes the stance that the question of how we can become a Buddha has already been solved, and the only essential task is to realize that we are already a Buddha. However, after becoming aware that one is a Buddha, one must engage in some kind of activity as a Buddha, which has led to the introduction of practices unique to esoteric Buddhism, such as the burning of gomas and prayers for blessings, and the performance of rituals. Therefore, of course, blessing prayers are for the benefit of the present world, not for enlightenment.
By stating that “the problem of enlightenment has already been solved,” esoteric Buddhism has become more and more a pragmatic religion that puts worldly benefits first. This is evident in the more than 300 “Legends of Kobo-Daishi” that have been handed down throughout Japan, where nowhere do we find stories of Kukai gathering people together and telling them how to become Buddha. This is also evident from the fact that the people of that time were not so keen on the idea of “the Buu”. This is partly due to the fact that people at that time were seeking worldly benefits by worshipping Kukai, the superhuman of this world, rather than Buddha of the other world.
Most people living today are more concerned with how they live today and tomorrow than with what happens after reincarnation. If they can live in the present with hope by praying for blessings and believing in Kukai’s deeds, and by believing that there are various benefits in this world, then there is value for their existence as a religion.
Indian Buddhism swallowed up by Hinduism
Here I will discuss the decline of Buddhism in India. In the above discussion of esoteric Buddhism, I mentioned that Hinduism came to power in India in the fourth and fifth centuries, and Buddhism lost its momentum. Buddhism in India continued to decline and eventually disappeared. In India today, 80% of the population is Hindu, with Buddhists accounting for less than 1%.
Hinduism was born out of a fusion of indigenous folk beliefs with the Brahmanic scriptures and the caste system, a social system inherited from Brahmanism, which was widely practiced before the birth of Buddhism. Both Hinduism and Buddhism share the concept of samsara, or karma, and the idea of enlightenment to stop samsara, but they differ in the method of attaining enlightenment.
Hinduism teaches that Brahman (Brahman) is the fundamental principle that pervades the universe, and that we as individuals have our own personal principle, Atman (the eternal and unchanging ego), and that when these two are united in a certain way, we attain enlightenment. Such a teaching is called “Bonga-ichinyo.
In the original Buddhism of the Buddha, the path to enlightenment was to overcome the illusion of the ego by one’s own power and to cut off all worldly desires, but in Hinduism, the ego (atman) is considered eternal and unchanging, which is a major difference. In other words, while Buddhism is the solution to the problem of no-self, Hinduism recognizes the existence of self.
By allowing transformation, Buddhism lost its identity.
Buddhist teachings expanded in East Asia as it transformed into various forms and became a religion with many options, but in India, the opposite transformation led to its disappearance. This is because Buddhism, which was a completely separate teaching from Hinduism during the time of the Buddha, gradually came closer to Hinduism after the establishment of Mahayana Buddhism, which in turn was absorbed by the surrounding Hinduism before long.
This is because the idea that “this whole universe is one Buddha world in which we live,” as presented by the Kegon Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism, is the same as the “Brahma-self-identity” in Hinduism, where the principle of the universe and the ego coincide, and the “Nirvana Sutra,” which was composed at about the same time as the Kegon Sutra, states in its “Nyorai Zang Idea” In the “Nirvana Sutra,” which was written at about the same time as the Hua Yan Sutra, the idea that “Buddha originally existed within us, and that I and Buddha are one” is in perfect agreement with “Brahma-self-unity.
With this “Nyorai-zo idea,” Mahayana Buddhism in India lost its identity and proceeded in the direction of assimilation with Hinduism. This means that the reason for the decline of Indian Buddhism was Buddhism itself. In other words, while Buddhism became a religion of diversity and choice by accepting change and spreading outward, it also caused the doughnut phenomenon of decline in the central part of the country.
In the next article, I will discuss Mahayana Buddhism, the Nirvana Sutra, and Zen teachings.
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