qns abt buddhism
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Originally posted by despondent:
ok…but i read tat the dalai lama n guanyin belong to mahayana buddhism…the author made it clear tat tis part of mahayana buddhism contradicts original buddhism…original buddhism which is embraced by theravada buddhists believe tat sakyumani buddha is the 10th reincarnation of a man n since he became buddha, he has ceased to exist on tis earth…which do u believe in?
there was a small portion abt zen buddhism…wad r ur comments on it n how different/similar it is from original buddhism???
10th incarnation of Vishnu? That's some tales the Hindus came up with to fit Buddha into their pantheon of gods, but it is not true. No Buddhist believe in it, and Buddha has never claimed that. Buddha has gone beyond gods/devas/brahmas/celestial planes, he has awakened and is liberated from all the cycle of rebirth in all planes of existence.
Also, Guan Yin never contradicts Theravada Buddhism. Why? Though Guan Yin is not mentioned in Theravadin scriptures, they accept the idea that one can practice as a Bodhisattva and attain Buddhahood. However, they put more focus on attaining personal liberation, the path leading to Arhatship.
Whereas, Guan Yin is a Bodhisattva role model in Mahayana Buddhism, Mahayana being the school of Buddhism which emphasizes on great compassion for all beings, emphasizes not just personal liberation but liberation for all beings through practicing as a Bodhisattva, eventually attaining Buddhahood. This path is spoken in Theravada but just not focused.
But then, Guan Yin has become very universal and even the Taoists fit Guan Yin into their pantheon and treated him/her like a god. Guan Yin is not a deity, is not a god, he/she is a great Bodhisattva on the path to Buddhahood and we as Buddhists wants to follow her example... she symbolizes great compassion and so we all must practice that.
As for Zen: it is just as valid as any other orthodox schools of Buddhism. Zen emphasizes on directness and intuitive experience of our Buddha-Nature transcending words, concepts and theory. 'Directness' is perhaps what is unique about Zen, but it is in essence the same as any other schools.
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Originally posted by despondent:
hi, i read tat mahayana buddhism also involves the worshipping of idols etc. my qn is…how is mahayana buddhism different from religious taoism? by tis i mean, can u differentiate the idols tat r worshipped in mahayana buddhism n religious taoism??? thanx
When they see a buddhist bowing to a buddha statue, they only see the physical appearance, they can't see our mind and attitude. They treat this physical appearance as the essence that's why it leads to wrong view.
People salute to national flag, is the flag just a flag?
Christian also pray in front of cross, can we say they pray to idol?
When one bow to buddha statue, he treat it as a real buddha. The physical movement is a method to help the person visualize, at the same time reduce his self attachment and develop devotion to buddha. -
Regarding idols I also posted this before:
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no4c.htm
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\Volume 7 no 4
Voice of Bliss
All forms are illusions
Buddhism is truly detached from idols
People who think that Buddhism is the worshipping of an image of the Buddha, or that the Buddha is somebody whom we can appeal to for favours, should know of two very profound verses from the Diamond Sutra that contradict these popular beliefs. To the intellectual, they can lay to rest the suspicion that Buddhism is superstition. To those who are used to praying for divine intervention, they can become self reliant through their own virtuous karma.
\ It is stated in the Diamond Sutra, “He who sees me (Buddha) in forms or seeks me in sounds is on a heterodox path and cannot see the Tathagata (Buddha).” It further states that, “All forms are but illusions, in seeing that all forms are illusory, one sees the Tathagata”. It is only when we have attained a certain advanced level in the learning and practising of Buddhism that we will be able to understand the profound meaning of these verses. If you were to tell a person who has just started to learn Buddhism that learning Buddhism is like these verses, then he would find them too profound. He would not be able to make out what Buddha is like. Of course, he knows what human beings are like and quite naturally he will assume that only those who are similar in form to human beings are Buddhas. We can say that this is correct, but we can also say that this is wrong. For example, kindergarten teachers may use drawings of an old man and old woman when teaching the young children about grandfathers and grandmothers. Thereafter, when the children see other old folks in such resemblance they know that they are someone else’s grandparents. But, to university students it would be inappropriate for professors to use the same approach when talking about such blood relationships.
It is the same in learning Buddhism. When we encourage a new student of Buddhism to pay respect to the Buddha in the temple or monastery, he will not be frightened when he sees that the Buddha is the same as a human being. At the same time, when he sees that the Buddha and Bodhisattva images are so dignified and compassionate, it will give rise to a feeling of joy and reverence and lead him to learn Buddhism.Often we come across people who have been learning Buddhism for a long time saying that they saw this Buddha or that Bodhisattva in their dreams. Initially, when we do not know about their level of understanding of Buddhism, we may praise them by saying, “Oh! You have such good affinity with Buddha and Bodhisattva that you can even see their images!” But it is wrong if we always praise them like this. If they report dreams like this for more then 3 times, you have to tell them, “The Mara is here, you have seen the Mara! All the Zen masters advise to obliterate the Buddha when the Buddha appears, and obliterate the Mara when the Mara appears [1].” We cannot praise them any more because they have already developed an attachment to forms.
In the same way, when we are dealing with people who are already advanced in Buddhism, we should use the method of the Diamond Sutra rather than the kindergarten method:
“He who sees me (Buddha) in forms or seeks me in sounds is on a heterodox path and cannot see the Tathagata (Buddha).”
“All forms are but illusions, in seeing that all forms are illusory, one sees the Tathagata.”At this level, people will realize that Buddhism is the only religion that eradicates superstition and attachment to all forms.
Critics often say that the Buddha image is an idol. They criticize that Buddhism worships idols. In reality, the cross, the Jesus Christ image and Mother Mary, they are also idols. In this sense, is there a religion that does not worship idols? Therefore, we cannot say that Buddhism is the only religion that worships idols. The fact is that only Buddhism does not worship idols. The Diamond Sutra states, “All forms are but illusions, in seeing that all forms are illusory, one sees the Tathagata.”!
The essence of the Buddha, the Buddha Nature is omnipresent in the space of the Dharma realm, and the Dharma Nature is omnipresent in the space.
Notes:
1. To ignore and not to be attached to such forms;. Mara is the Evil One, described as a murderer, hinderer, disturber, destroyer, etc.
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