Buddhism

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Buddhism > Ahimsa

Sources

The teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, known as the Buddha, were initially transmitted orally and later compiled into various texts by his followers. The earliest and most authoritative records of his teachings are found in the Pāli Canon, also known as the Tipiṭaka, which is the primary scripture of Theravāda Buddhism. This canon is divided into three "baskets":

1. Vinaya Piṭaka: Contains rules and regulations for monastic discipline.

2. Sutta Piṭaka: Comprises discourses attributed to the Buddha, including collections such as:

• Dīgha Nikāya (Long Discourses)
• Majjhima Nikāya (Middle-Length Discourses)
• Saṃyutta Nikāya (Connected Discourses)
• Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numerical Discourses)
• Khuddaka Nikāya (Minor Collection), which includes texts like the Dhammapada.

3. Abhidhamma Piṭaka: Offers systematic philosophical and psychological analyses of the teachings.

The Majjhima Nikāya, for instance, consists of 152 suttas and is among the oldest records of the Buddha's teachings, providing a rich variety of contexts and comprehensive teachings.

In addition to the Pāli Canon, other early Buddhist texts have been preserved in languages such as Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan. The Āgamas, for example, are collections of early Buddhist discourses preserved in Chinese and are considered counterparts to the Pāli Nikāyas.

It's important to note that while these texts are considered the earliest and most authentic records of the Buddha's teachings, they were compiled several centuries after his death. As such, while they provide a close approximation, they may not represent his teachings verbatim. Nonetheless, they serve as the foundational scriptures for various Buddhist traditions and continue to be studied and revered by practitioners worldwide.

Collection of Suttas https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/

Schools

Buddhism has evolved into various schools over time, each with distinct interpretations and practices. Here's a chronological overview of the major Buddhist schools and key figures associated with their development:

Early Buddhist Schools (circa 4th century BCE onwards):

• Sthavira (Elders): One of the earliest divisions in the Buddhist community, emphasizing strict adherence to monastic rules.
• Mahāsāṃghika (Great Community): Another early group that advocated for more liberal interpretations of monastic discipline.

These initial splits were primarily due to differences in monastic discipline and interpretations of the Buddha's teachings. Over time, both Sthavira and Mahāsāṃghika further subdivided into various schools.

Theravāda (Doctrine of the Elders):

Formation: Emerged from the Sthavira lineage.

Key Figures: While not attributed to a single founder, figures like Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka, were instrumental in spreading Theravāda to Sri Lanka.

Theravāda emphasizes the Pāli Canon and is prevalent in countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar.

Sarvāstivāda (Doctrine That All Exists):

Formation: Developed from the Sthavira branch.

Key Figures: Philosophers like Vasubandhu contributed significantly, especially with works like the Abhidharmakośa. This school was prominent in Northwest India and Central Asia, focusing on Abhidharma teachings.

Mahāyāna (Great Vehicle):

Formation: Began around the 1st century BCE as a movement within existing schools.

Key Figures:

• Nāgārjuna: Founded the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school, emphasizing the concept of emptiness.
• Asaṅga and Vasubandhu: Developed the Yogācāra (Mind-Only) school, focusing on consciousness and perception.
• Mahāyāna introduced new scriptures and concepts, expanding the path to enlightenment to all beings.

Vajrayāna (Diamond Vehicle):

Formation: Emerged around the 6th century CE as an extension of Mahāyāna, incorporating esoteric practices.

Key Figures: Padmasambhava: Credited with establishing Vajrayāna in Tibet, blending Buddhist teachings with local traditions. Vajrayāna is characterized by tantric practices and rituals, aiming for rapid enlightenment.

East Asian Schools:

• Tiantai: Founded by Zhiyi in 6th century China, emphasizing the Lotus Sutra.
• Chan (Zen in Japan): Developed in China, with Bodhidharma traditionally regarded as its founder, focusing on meditation and direct realization.
• Pure Land: Popularized by figures like Honen in Japan, emphasizing devotion to Amitābha Buddha for rebirth in the Pure Land.

These schools adapted Buddhist teachings to East Asian cultures, leading to diverse practices and interpretations.

Notes

"... the basic teachings of the Buddha consist of his forty-five-year-long effort to clarify to others what he considered to be the essential knowledge (buddhi) for human well-being."

Buddhism has been colonized. This occurred in Sri Lanka as western influences gradually penetrated and corrupted the ancient teachings.

By the early nineteenth century, under British rule, Buddhism in Sri Lanka was, Bechert writes, “exhibiting serious signs of decay.”10 Significantly, at the same time “the influence of Christian schools and missionaries on the country’s educated classes was rapidly increasing.”11 By mid-century, members of this new Anglophile elite feared that Buddhism would disappear altogether from the island by the end of the century. Precisely the opposite occurred: Buddhism underwent radical reforms, eventually strengthening its standing on the island and beyond. From a traditionalist’s perspective, however, this preservation of Buddhism must have seemed a deal with the devil. The Westernized Sri Lankan leaders of this Buddhist “renewal,” writes Bechert,

used, for the most part and without being fully aware of the fact, methods and arguments copied from their opponents. It benefited these reformers, moreover, that, at that time, there were several highly educated Buddhist monks who possessed the ability to formulate the reformers’ concerns in modern terms, and to bring these concerns closer to their contemporaries whose ways of thinking had been strongly influenced by the European mindset. They recognized the necessity of compromising with modern civilization in order to secure the survival of the Buddhist tradition.12

Following the designation for similar compromising tendencies unfolding within the Catholic Church at the same time, Bechert employed the term “Buddhist modernism” to capture the basic character of this emerging form of Buddhism.13 He adds that this modernizing tendency would “eventually gain a foothold in every Buddhist country,”14 from where, of course, it would eventually be exported to the West. Perhaps the most striking claim made by Bechert here is that the Westernized Sri Lankan instigators of the reform had so internalized their former opponents’ values that these values were introduced imperceptibly back into the reformed Buddhism as preeminently Buddhist.

Theravada Buddhism, a conservative variety of Buddhism that became dominant in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, and Laos), linked to the "great Indian emperor Asoka (270-232 B.C.E), developed and solidified because of his patronage (elite roots of Theravada Buddhism).

Mahayana Buddhism, the "Great vehicle" as opposed to the pejoratively named "older sects" or Hinayana (small vehicle), emerged in the first millennium and spread to regions in northern INdia, Tibet, China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Vajrayana Buddhism (diamond vehicle)."The second great innovation flourished in India from the sixth to the twelfth centuries, after which Buddhism largely disappeared from the subcontinent. This revolutionary form of Buddhism is known as Vajrayna, “the diamond (vajra) vehicle (yna),” in reference to its claim to be in possession of practices that lead the practitioner to the indestructible (adamantine, or diamond-like) mind of a buddha. The popularity of the Vajrayna in India corresponds precisely to the period when Tibetans were scouring India in search of Buddhist teachings, texts, and teachers to bring back to Tibet. "

"Both of these new forms of Buddhism were characterized by creative literary developments. In Mahyna stras and Vajrayna tantras, ingenious fashionings of ancient doctrines and practices were worked out and fresh, often startling, innovations developed. In contrast, the Theravda endeavored to preserve what it understood to be the ancient forms of the teachings as expressed in their most ancient formulation, namely, the suttas. So, the threefold grouping of Buddhism into Theravda, Mahyna, and Vajrayna as a means of arranging the many Buddhist sects and schools into basic family types can be used to organize the thousands of volumes that constitute Buddhist literature. Such a division is borne out in the three great collections of Buddhist literature, referred to by scholars as the Pli canon, the Chinese canon, and the Tibetan canon. (These collections are discussed further shortly.)"

The Buddha's Words?

"...we do not know what that wording was; in fact, we do not even know in which language the Buddha uttered those words. None of the versions of the teachings as we now have them is in a language that the Buddha would have spoken, and each reveals considerable editing over a considerable span of time. "

"all Buddhist literature, whatever its origins, is just that: literature. It is always words on the page, words in the ear. The terms used by the world’s religious traditions, such as “canon,” “scripture,” “sacred work,” “holy book,” “the revealed word,” are at heart just ways of dressing up crafted human compositions as pristinely “religious.” Whether Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or Christian, such works are neverpristine: every page of every “sacred” work is smudged with the handprints of its creators through the ages. "

Additional Reading

Wallis, Glenn. Basic Teachings of the Buddha. New York: The Modern Library, 2007.

Wallis, Glenn. A Critique of Western Buddhism. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018.

Footnotes

References