Life Tips & Miscellaneous Travel , History , Sports and Arts Navigation of this blog Zen, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning, and Life Tips
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 described the flow of the Mahayana Buddhism from the Hinayana Buddhism (the Buddhism of the Buddha) to the Mahayana Buddhism in terms of the Prajnaparamita Sutra. This time, I will discuss the Lotus Sutra, which was composed in northern India 50 to 150 years after the Prajnaparamita Sutra. The Lotus Sutra is an evolution of the Prajnaparamita Sutra with some modifications to the teachings of the Prajnaparamita Sutra.
King of the Sutras
The Nichiren and Lotus sects are the only sects that chant the famous title of the Lotus Sutra, “Namu Myoho Renge Kyou,” but the Lotus Sutra itself is also known as the “King of all sutras,” and is treated with great importance not only by the Nichiren and Lotus sects, but by various Mahayana Buddhist sects as well.
Buddhism was introduced from India to China in the 1st to 2nd century A.D., when the Silk Road was opened, 500 to 600 years after the birth of “Sakyamuni’s Buddhism. In the meantime, “Buddha’s Buddhism” was introduced to Sri Lanka, but it was still waiting for the opening of the Silk Road gate in the north. Since Mahayana Buddhism had already been born by the time the Silk Road opened, both new and old types of Buddhism, “Sakyamuni’s Buddhism” and Mahayana Buddhism, flowed into China at the same time.
Various kinds of Buddhism were introduced into China at the same time, and for several hundred years China entered a period of confusion. However, because “Sakyamuni’s Buddhism” was a coherent but highly suspect teaching, and because the later Mahayana Buddhism taught in an attitude that looked down on the “Sakyamuni’s Buddhism” of the previous period, Mahayana Buddhism came to be regarded as more important.
Here, Chigi, the founder of the Chinese Tendai sect, classified and judged such sutras as the “Prajnaparamita Sutra,” “Lotus Sutra,” “Kegon Sutra,” “Vimala Sutra,” and “Agong Sutra,” and held that the “Lotus Sutra” was the most superior teaching, which the Buddha really meant. (Because the “Lotus Sutra” was the most strongly asserted teaching that “anyone can become a Buddha.”)
The content of the Lotus Sutra was transmitted to Japan via the Korean Peninsula during the reign of Prince Shotoku, but it did not widely penetrate Japan until the Heian period (794-1185), when Saicho established Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hieizan was originally established by Saicho as a “general university” to study Buddhism in general, focusing on the Lotus Sutra, which he regarded as a synthesis of all Buddhist teachings. Subsequently, Honen of the Jodo sect, Shinran of the Jodo Shin sect, Eisai of the Rinzai sect, and Dogen of the Soto sect were all graduates of Hieizan College. In other words, most of the sects in Japan are more or less influenced by the “Lotus Sutra” and have incorporated its teachings into their own doctrines in some form or another, and it can be said that it is the basis of all Japanese Buddhism.
The “One Buddha Vehicle” that can save all people equally.
The original Sanskrit title of the Lotus Sutra is “Sadharma Bundarika Sutra,” which translates into Japanese as “the sutra that teaches the white lotus flower of right teaching. The original Sanskrit sutra, as well as various translations in Tibetan, Uighur, Mongolian, Xixia, Korean, and other languages, have been transmitted throughout Asia. Among the three existing Chinese translations in their complete form are the “Shōhōhōkekyō,” the “Myōhōhōhōkekyō,” and the “Myōhōhōhōkekyō in its original form,” the “Myōhōhōhōkekyō” translated by Kumārajīva is the most widely distributed in Japan.
The “Myoho-hoke-kyo” consists of 28 chapters (han). When read in its entirety, the sutra can be interpreted differently depending on which part of the sutra one focuses on, since some teachings are only partially mentioned in the sutra, and the contents of the first half and the second half differ from each other. One of the reasons for this division is the difference in interpretation of which part of the sutra is the focus of attention.
The Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita Sutra share the same basic idea that the process of enlightenment is based on the belief that one has already met Buddha, made a vow, and become a bodhisattva (a candidate for Buddhahood) in the past, and that anyone can eventually become a Buddha if they continue to do good deeds in their daily lives.
The Lotus Sutra also shares the same concept: “If you feel something in your heart when you read the sutra, it is proof that you have met Buddha in the past and have made a vow. If we compare them to automobiles, the “Lotus Sutra” and the “Prajnaparamita Sutra” have almost the same type of engine. However, in some areas, the “Lotus Sutra” introduces a new basic concept. The most important of these changes is in Chapter 2, “Hoben-bin.
The biggest difference between the “Lotus Sutra” and the “Prajnaparamita Sutra” is that the “Lotus Sutra” teaches a new idea called “monobuddhism. In a nutshell, “monobuddhism” teaches that all people are equally capable of becoming Buddhas (shujojyobutsu). Since “vehicle” refers to a vehicle, one-buddhahood can be taken to mean “the one and only vehicle for becoming a Buddha.
In contrast, the Prajnaparamita Sutra is based on the idea of the “three vehicle” concept, which did not believe that all people could become Buddhas equally. The Prajna-sutra believed that there were three ways (vehicles) of practice to attain enlightenment. The first is “Shomo-jyo,” in which one listens to the Buddha’s teachings while striving to become an arhat; the second is “Dokkaku Engak-ryo,” in which one becomes enlightened independently without depending on anyone else; and the third is “Bodhisattva-ryo,” in which one becomes a Bodhisattva by recognizing oneself as one and accumulating good deeds in one’s daily life. The third is “Bodhisattva Vehicle,” in which one aims to become a Buddha by recognizing oneself as a Bodhisattva and accumulating daily good deeds.
In the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the “bodhisattva vehicle” was regarded as the highest, and the “koei hearsay” and “dokugaku” were regarded as inferior to the Buddha’s way. The Lotus Sutra, however, abolished this hierarchical relationship between the three vehicles and taught that there is a way (vehicle) to treat both koei hearsay and dokugaku equally.
Shotenboryin” as a method
According to this one-buddhist view, “Koei Hin and Dokugaku have actually already become bodhisattvas, and all of them will eventually become buddhas. However, it does not say that “Koeimon practiced as Bodhisattvas” or “finally became Buddhas,” which causes a discrepancy.
Therefore, the Lotus Sutra rewrites “Shoten-borin” to make it consistent with “Shakyamuni’s Buddhism. The first turning of the wheel refers to the event when the Buddha first preached his teachings to the people. According to “Shakyamuni’s Buddhism,” after the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, he visited a place called Rokyuan, about 200 km away from Bodh Gaya, to preach the path of enlightenment for the first time to five practitioners.
According to the Buddhist tradition, when the Buddha attained enlightenment, Brahma (the supreme deity worshipped in ancient India) appeared and asked the Buddha, “Please preach and spread the teachings to save people. The Buddha is said to have decided to release his teachings.
In the “Shakyamuni’s Buddhism,” the first Dharma wheel for the five practitioners at this time says that they were enlightened and became arhats, not that they became buddhas. In order to make this a one-buddhist teaching in the Lotus Sutra, which says that the disciples and others are actually bodhisattvas and can eventually become Buddhas, the first turning of the wheel is merely a dialectic, and the story is told in two stages that the Buddha taught the truth in the “second turning of the wheel” that took place later.
This dialectic does not strictly mean a lie, but is used as a “means to lead people to the true teaching,” which is a more positive form of the phrase “a lie is also a convenience. This dialectic was used to create a teaching (the Lotus Sutra) that surpassed the previous teaching (the Prajnaparamita Sutra).
Sansha Kataoka Metaphor
In the Lotus Sutra, parables are scattered throughout the chapters in order to make difficult stories understandable. It is no exaggeration to say that the Lotus Sutra is characterized by its many parables, and among them, seven stories called “Shichiyu (seven parables of the Lotus Sutra)” are widely known.
Among them, the most famous is “Sansha hiyake no shichiyu. The story goes, “Once upon a time, the residence of a chief was on fire. The children inside were so absorbed in playing that they did not notice the fire. The children were so engrossed in their play that they did not notice the fire, and they did not want to go outside even though the chief tried to persuade them. The chief then told the children what they wanted: “There are three chariots outside the gate: a sheep chariot, a deer chariot, and an ox chariot. After that, he gave them an even more splendid oxcart, the Great White Oxcart. The story goes as follows.
The elder who escaped from the house on fire was the Buddha, who had attained enlightenment after being ordained, and the children who remained at home were us sentient beings. The children who remained at home are us sentient beings. The elder, thinking of helping the children, says, “I will give a sheep cart, a deer cart, and an ox cart to those who come forth.” The sheep cart and deer cart shown here are the rider of the voice and the Dokkaku rider, and the ox cart is the rider of the Bodhisattva. The ox cart shown here is a Bodhisattva’s cart, while the sheep and deer carts are for the Hearing and Dokkaku rides, and the ox cart is for the Bodhisattva’s ride.
In his first Dharma Wheel, the Buddha, realizing that ordinary people would not be able to understand his advanced teachings if he suddenly preached them, first preached the “Buddha’s Buddhism” as a preparatory step.
I just believe in the power of the sutras.
The method of training to become a Buddha is basically the same as that of the Lotus Sutra, which says that one should accumulate righteous deeds (good deeds) as a human being. Among these good deeds, the Lotus Sutra places particular emphasis on “stupa offerings. The Lotus Sutra teaches, “Since a stupa refers to a stupa where the remains of Buddha are enshrined, making offerings to the remains of Buddha is the greatest merit and virtue as a bodhisattva.
However, it is only in the first half that it teaches the importance of stupa offerings, and in the latter half, the words “Rather than stupa offerings, the greatest merit for becoming a Buddha is to worship the ‘Lotus Sutra’ itself. This is a story that also appears in the Hannya Sutra, but the Lotus Sutra further boosts the power of the sutra. The Lotus Sutra’s power is positioned as absolute and mysterious beyond reason, and it goes beyond the concept of “emptiness,” an important keyword in the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and says, “If you follow this sutra, all problems will be solved without thinking about this and that. Living while praising this sutra is the path of a bodhisattva on the way to Buddhahood.
There are many who have doubts about this idea that the Lotus Sutra is a panacea. For example, Atsutane Hirata, a national scholar in the Edo period (1603-1868), said, “The Lotus Sutra is like going to an apothecary and buying medicine, but forgetting what is inside and coming back only with the book of Noh. The Lotus Sutra only says that we should be thankful.” Other scholars such as modern historian Tsuda Yokichi and ethicist Watsuji Tetsuro have also expressed negative views on the Lotus Sutra.
The Lotus Sutra, when read in its entirety, says only that “this sutra is a very excellent and gratifying sutra,” without saying “do this or that,” and this part alone would fall under the aforementioned criticism. However, behind the Lotus Sutra’s words, “Worship the sutra,” there is a desire for enlightenment: “Believe in the mystery of the Lotus Sutra and be aware that you are a bodhisattva.
Buddha pretending to be dead.
Along with “monobuddhism,” there is another important keyword in the Lotus Sutra. It is the teaching called “KYUON JITSUJO,” which is found in the latter half of the Lotus Sutra in the “Nyorai Jujyohan. In a nutshell, this is the idea that Buddha Shakyamuni existed as an enlightened Buddha from the eternal past, that he is not actually dead, and that he is always present around us.
From a historical perspective, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at the age of 35, taught his disciples and the people, and died at the age of 80. In fact, in the first half of the Lotus Sutra, Shakyamuni is supposed to have died, and it says, “Rest assured that the Lotus Sutra will take Shakyamuni’s place and ensure his existence as a bodhisattva.
However, in the latter half of the book, the story that “Buddha (Shakyamuni) has an infinite life span after enlightenment and preaches his teachings without entering into nirvana (death), Buddha is an eternal being that transcends time and space, and can appear before people in any place and at any time to save everyone” appears from the mouth of Shakyamuni Earthquake.
Furthermore, in the latter half of the book, the Buddha says, “The world seems to think of me as having lived a life and attained enlightenment as described in the Buddha’s biography, but that is not true. In fact, I became a Buddha by practicing the Bodhisattva path long before you can even think of it, and ever since then I have been preaching the Dharma and transforming people in this world.
This means that the Buddha’s death and enlightenment were all just a coincidence. In response, the Buddha replied, “I appeared in the world and showed everyone my enlightenment in order to show them a concrete way to salvation, and I pretended to be dead because people would be relieved and neglect their practice for a day if they knew that I was always around.
If we assume that Buddha is not dead and is always present in the world, we can make offerings to him at any time, and since Mahayana Buddhists consider that “worshiping Buddha is the highest good deed,” being able to see him at any time will greatly speed up the process of becoming a Buddha. Therefore, if one can meet Buddha at any time, the speed of becoming a Buddha will increase dramatically.
The Mahayana sutras were created by “adding to” the sutras.
The Lotus Sutra has evolved in the direction of more speedy enlightenment compared to the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and has thus moved in a direction far removed from the Buddha’s original Buddhist teachings. It can be said that it is a kind of fate that the more newly created sutras are further away from the original teachings. In contrast, an Edo-era scholar by the name of Nakamoto Tominaga advocates a theory called “kajo no kyogen” (“the theory of kajo”).
This theory holds that “all ideas and religions were created in an attempt to surpass and add on to what came before. Using this logic, he developed the “Mahayana non-Buddhist theory” (the theory that Mahayana Buddhism was not preached by the Buddha himself, but was a product of later generations), which was not well supported in Japanese Buddhist circles.
When Tominaga studied Buddhism and thought, he did not read what someone else had written with an agenda, but rather read the material with a dispassionate eye, believing that “the truth is hidden behind history.
This attitude should be the basis of all research. For example, in the case of the “Lotus Sutra,” even if one reads the entire text in a rambling manner, the essence of the teachings cannot be seen because so many different people’s intentions have been added to it. We must first pay attention to which part of the Lotus Sutra was first written historically, and then go back through history to find out why it was written. Only by following such a process will we be able to clearly see what we could not see before.
The “Lotus Sutra” is no longer a “faith in Buddha,” but has been transformed into a “faith in the Lotus Sutra” that believes in the sutra itself. If one tries to forcibly combine this with “Shakyamuni’s Buddhism,” one is forced to use various theories to make a strong argument, which in turn undermines the value of the sutra.
In the next article, I will discuss Pure Land Buddhism and the power of Amitabha Buddha, which introduced the concept of parallel worlds.
コメント