The Mahayana Ideal: An Ancient Spirituality for Contemporary Concerns Ozmo Piedmont Prajna Institute for Buddhist Studies

January 29, 2012

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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The Mahayana Ideal: An Ancient Spirituality for Contemporary Concerns The Mahayana path of Buddhism has made rich contributions to world spirituality in the in the form of the Bodhisattva ideal, which places a high valuation on compassion, tirelessly working for the salvation of all sentient beings, placing their welfare before ones own. The Bodhisattva ideal is well suited for a contemporary society concerned for its survival as a species and a planet. Buddhism in general, and the Mahayana school in particular, provide the means and techniques to carry out a new and evolving spirituality based on reason, science, tolerance and direct experience, important ingrediants for a world religion that can serve as a psychology of healing, as well as, an ethical way of life. The Mahayana school of Buddhism emerged as a movement between 150 BCE and 100 CE based on three innovations different from previous traditions: a major emphasis on the Bodhisattva ideal, a cosmology that included the Buddha as a transcendent being, and the concept of emptiness of all phenomena (Harvey, 1995, pp. 89-90). This shift in philosophy effected the Vinaya rules of monastic discipline, as well as the teachings and spiritual practice of the Dharma. The following essay will touch on some of the unique qualilties of Mahayana Buddhism as it pertains to the practicants aspirations, his or her role and relationship to a teacher, and the stages of spiritual development on the road to becoming a Buddha. The last part of the essay will define, contrast, and compare the Buddhist concepts of good and evil, and will end with a discussion of the unique contributions the Buddha made to world spirituality through his exposition of the Four Noble Truths.

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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What is the aspiration of someone practicing the Mahayana path? One practicing the Mahayana path aspires to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. This involves the Bodhisattva vow, of putting off ones own enlightenment until everyone else is enlightened first. This is ironic, since in this vow of postponing enlightenment, one ends up enlightened in spite of oneself, as something that cannot really be stopped. This is because ones suffering and enlightenment is intimately tied up with everyone elses, and ones own spiritual progress is impeded by trying to advance in ones own spiritual progress (Foster). The Zen Roshi Jiyu-Kennett (1999) wrote that through the practice of the Bodhisattva ideal, one realizes the true spiritual meaning of Nirvana: So, just by being a Bodhisattva, one is already in NirvanaNirvana and Samsara not being two different states of existence. Here we see that nothing is, in fact, outside Nirvana and, later, we shall see that even Nirvana does not exist. By giving up Nirvana for the sake of others, one finds oneself in Nirvana in its true spiritual meaning (p. 19) It is only by forgetting ones own progress, though tirelessly working for the benefit of other people, that one begins to experience enlightenment not as an idea or a goal, but rather as the expression of compassion and service, in the doing rather than the getting, in the forgetting of self, that one finds ones true meaning and joy and liberation through helping others. This is the last vestige of desire, grasping, and attachment that must be released. Up until now, this aspiration for Nirvana has brought one to the path of spiritual practice of the Buddhas, and one has grown and matured in ones purification of the defiling passions, the kleshas. But at a certain point this spiritual desire must itself be sacrificed and released, since it is the very

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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thing that keeps one from attaining the goal of what one seeks. Since Nirvana is not based on any idea, form, or desire, it is only in the complete release from all striving and attachment that one can finally open to that which was always present, the Buddha Nature within, that which is Enlightenment and Nirvana itself. In this goalless goal, one experiences complete freedom and release. Now one is no longer seeking something outside oneself, one is completely identified with and an expression of Nirvana within the world. This realization may be a sudden insight, or it may be a gradual unfolding over time. At any rate, it becomes more and more ones realization of the Eternal Truth that continually manifests itself through ones spiritual practice and study, which is all dedicated to the service of others, their alleviation of suffering, and their awakening to the Truth of their at-one-ment with the Unborn. What is the role of the student/practitioner of the Mahayana path? The student is someone who has resolved his or her own confusion and suffering to some degree. It is someone inspired to work with and for others. It is someone who pays attention to and works with the kleshas (i.e. conflictive emotions: anger, lust, greed, and confusion). These are not avoided, but rather worked and engaged with as inspirations on the path. When one gets angry, one sees it as a sign revealing that which makes one angry, and therefore, what needs to be worked on. It is like a carpenter sanding a piece of wood. When he thinks he is finished, he runs his hand over the surface to see where he may need to sand more. Seeing that there is still roughness, he does not get angry about it, but rather continues to sand until it

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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becomes totally smooth. The Mahayana path is like looking for ones rough spots so one knows where to work more (Foster) What is the general practice of someone on the Mahayana path? The general practice of someone on the mahayana path begins with the arising of bodhi-citta, the aspiration to strive for Buddhahood in order to help other human beings. Then one takes general vows to overcome defilements that obscure ones buddha nature and to dedicate oneself to the service of others, beginning with the intention to practice The Eightfold Path, following the Middle Way, and practising certain perfections that bring merit, which is dedicated to the future buddhahood of oneself and others, and which leads one through ten stages of development toward Buddhahood. These include: Stage One: the perfection of generosity (dana) in the form of giving away wealth, teachings, life, limb, spouse and family. Stage Two: the perfection of moral virtue (sila) in order to purify ones conduct. Stage Three: the perfection of patience (ksanti), through lovingkindness, compassion, forbearance, perseverence in the study of Dharma, and avoiding anger. Stage Four: the perfection of vigour (virya) through increased aspiration, compassion, mindfulness. Stage Five: the perfection of meditation (dhyana) where meditative trances are mastered, rejection of the heavenly rebirths these can lead to, comprehension of the Four Holy Truths, movement between conventional and ultimate truth, as well as the cultivation of maths, medicine, and poetry, in order to help others and to teach Dharma. Stage Six: the perfection of wisdom where one gains insight into Dependent Origination, not-self, emptiness, and attaining the level of development of an arhat, where one could enter Nirvana, leaving the rounds of rebirth, but chooses not to, due to great compassion for others. One becomes free of self-consciousness or ulterior motive. Stage Seven: one becomes a Great Being, a heavenly saviour, perfect in skillful means, attains Nirvana, and projects him or herself into many worlds to teach and help others. Stage Eight: non-relapsing knowledge which guarantees eventual attainment of Buddhahood, and allows one to appear anywhere in the

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universe at will, appearing in whatever form is necessary to teach and help others, and can fully transfer merit to others that begin to pray to him or her for help. Stage Nine: the perfection of power (bala) which gives great insight into others character to guide and teach them in the best ways possible according to their needs. Stage Ten: one dwells in the Tusita heaven, has a resplendent body, is surrounded by spiritual beings, has omniscience, perfect knowledge (jana), and is ready for consecration by other Buddhas as being ready for perfect Buddhahood, which is attained in the final Tathagata-stage. (Harvey, 1995, pp. 122-124) What is the role of the teacher of the Mahayana path? The role of the teacher in the Mahayana path is that of a spiritual friend who is compassionate, knows the Buddhist teachings, embodies the virtues of the Buddhist ethics of sila, has taken and kept the vows of a Boddhisattva, knows and has practiced well the spiritual path and has skillful means to help teach others to follow their own spiritual path. What is the relationship between student and teacher? The relationship between student and teacher is based on trust, friendship and committment. The student must be able to trust the teacher and his or her instructions. Their relationship is one of friendship, wherein the student emulates the teacher, admiring and often behaving like the teacher, and the teacher is an experienced friend that has walked further in the path of enlightenment, and is willing to share his knowledge and training with the student. The teacher has a commitment to the student, to help guide and direct the student in his or her development. The student has a commitment to the teacher, to honor the teacher, respect the teacher, and listen to the teachers instructions, applying the teachings to his or her own life. The student, upon taking both the Pratimoksha vows of individual liberation, as well as

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the bodhisattva vows to help others, must receive them from someone who has already taken these vows. They are like precious pots, which are passed on from teacher to student, and each successive generation preserves them, and knows that if they are broken, they are lost. The pratimoksha vows are taken on the body, meaning that when you die, they are gone. The bodhisattva vows are taken on the mind, so that when the body dies, the vows continue into future births. The very fact that one decides to take bodhisattva vows in this life, implies that they were already taken in a prior life (Foster). In the Theravada tradition, one receives guidance for instruction in meditation and spiritual practice from a qualified teacher known as a kalyanamitta, i.e. good friend. The Buddha placed high importance on such a teacher in order to aid in the purification of the students heart and to progress on the students spiritual path. One needs personal guidance, since the skills required cannot be learned simply through reading books. The teacher gets to know the pupil, guiding the pupil through difficulties, and steers the pupil clear of inappropiate use of power that may arise through the practice of meditation and skillful means. The pupil, on the other hand, applies him or herself to the practice, and keeps an open mind as to where it may lead (Harvey, 1995, p. 244). In the Vajrayana tradition, which uses all kinds of skillful means, such as visions, mantras, visualizations, identifications with tutelary deities called yi-dams, mandalas, and mudras, this relationship is even more intensified, since the goal is not just enlightenment in the future, but rather enlightenment in this very life, as the starting point for helping others. One functions as if one is already enlightened, and

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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from there through your practice, you are not just imagining, but realize you always were and are enlightened, even though you were just fooling yourself that you were not. This all requires a very skilled teacher who has learned these techniques from others before him or her. This bond between the teacher and the student requires a great deal of trust, because many of the skills to be learned just do not make sense with the rational mind in the beginning. One must be willing to suspend ones disbelief for awhile. It takes a long time to develop such trust, and one must be willing to invest and as much as 12 years time to be able to fully accept the teacher completely (Foster) What are the commitments involved in following the Mahayana path? In the Mahayana path, one must be willing to pledge oneself to ethical, moral and spiritual practice for the realization of Buddhahood, dedicated to the liberation of all sentient beings from suffering. One must be willing to meditate, study the Dharma, and receive guidance from a respected and skilled teacher, and apply those teachings to ones daily life. One must have faith in the teachings and the teacher in order to begin, but also one must be willing to question and doubt the teachings in order to see for oneself if they are true and are leading one to the goal of Nirvana, freedom from suffering, and becoming a Bodhisattva. One must be willing to renounce ones attachments, extinguish ones desires, overcome all obstacles, and help all other beings attain Nirvana. This is represented by the bodhisattva vows which state: Sentient beings are numberless; I vow to save them. Desires are inexhaustible; I vow to put an end to them. The Dharmas are boundless; I vow to master them. The Buddha Way is unattainable; I vow to attain it.

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The Mahayana Ideal CBS: History of Buddhism

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These vows demonstrate that one transcends ones rational ego concerns, going beyond the end result in all of its overwhelming implications, to just set about the work in the present for the liberation of all, for the study and complete realization of the Bodhisattva ideal. What is the fruition of the Mahayana path? The fruition of the Mahayana path is that of becoming an omniscient Buddha, one who can teach and help beings in countless ways (Harvey, 1995, p. 121) The end goal is complete Buddhahood, enlightenment, which is no different from that which attained by Shakyamuni himself (Foster). Define, compare, and contrast the terms Kusala and Akusala The words Kusala and Akusala are literally translated into English as Good and Evil. However, they are not really what one normally associates with these concepts. Bhikkhu P.A. Payutto, in his essay Good and Evil in Buddhism writes that : Kusala and akusala are conditions which arise in the mind, producing results initially in the mind, and from there to external actions and physical features. The meanings of kusala and akusala therefore stress the state, the contents and the events of mind as their basisKusala can be rendered generally as "intelligent, skillful, contented, beneficial, good," or "that which removes affliction." Akusala is defined in the opposite way, as in "unintelligent," "unskillful" and so on. (Payutto, 2012) In order to understand these terms, one must also include the concepts of karma, no-self, dependent origination, and shunyata (emptiness). Karma is cause and effect, but from the Buddhist perspective, only causes related to volitional actions bear fruit in consequences of those the choices one has made based on that

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volition. Those actions that are free of greed, hate and delusion do not cause karma (Rahula, 1959) In addition; akusala is not caused by some supernatural being or god. It is caused by oneself. The Buddha emphasized this when he taught, "By oneself the evil is done, by oneself one is defiled. Purity and impurity belong to oneself, no one can purify another. [Dhammapada, chapter 12, verse 165] (Babbitt, 1936). The Buddha taught that when desire (whether we desire to get something or desire to eliminate something) is accompanied with the delusion of a separate self, we suffer. One is not intrinsically good or bad, there is just action and reaction. That which is unwholesome and causes suffering is that which is specifically related to three poisons (kleshas): greed, hate and delusion. By extension, these three poisons can be developed into hindrances, such as laziness, agitation or fear, which are obstacles to realization and enlightenment. He also taught dependent origination, that everything is interconnected, one thing effecting and being effected by everything else. Finally, if everything is empty, according to the Mahayana teaching of shunyata, the we are empty of any intrinsic being, there is therefore no-self for anything to stick to, all is impermanent, always changing, empty. (OBrian, 2012) This emptiness then allows us to realize enlightenment and Nirvana, since we are empty of any impurity or poison or evil. Only that which inhibits this realization in actual experience is akusala, and that which supports or aids in this understanding and realization is kusala.
What was unique in the Buddha's exposition of the Four Noble Truths?

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The Buddhas exposition of the four Noble Truths was unique because it proposed a solution to a problem common to all of humanity, that of suffering, in a way that was scientific, based on observation, sound reasoning, and the application of clear methods for the elimination of the problem, much like a surgeon: the Buddha was able to diagnose the disease, identify its cause, determine whether it is curable, and outlined a course of treatment to cure it. The illness was dukkha, or suffering, the cause of the illness was craving, the cure was possible if one removed the craving, and finally, the course of treatment was outlined in the Eightfold Path, or Middle Way (Harvey, 1995, p. 47). What is also important in this exposition is that the Buddha first cured himself of the disease of suffering, gaining this insight before instructing others in their treatment. Therefore, he was not just philosophising about a possibility, but rather expounded a tried and true technique based on experience and results. Another aspect of his exposition is that it is a spiritual solution that heals the existential pain we all suffer, that of unsatisfactoriness, another aspect of dukkha, while not requiring either a God or the intervention of any external forces to do so. The Buddha recommended that each individual must learn not to hurt him or herself for other people, that one must learn to do good things for oneself and others, and that one must learn to understand the nature of ones mind (Foster). Since this required personal effort and determination, the issue of the existence of God did not enter into the discussion, since it was not necessary for the elimination of suffering. One could choose to believe in God or not, and still practice the teachings of the Four Noble Truths. In fact, every person must take responsibility for his or her own karma and

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suffering, in order to liberate themselves and find Nirvana. No one can do this for one. A Buddha can only point the way, through the teaching of truth, the Dharma, the way things really are. When one sees how things really are, one can align oneself with them, and apply the principles that are needed to come back into harmony with the universe. Every individual must do his or her own practice and therefore reap the benefits or consequences of their own decisions and actions. It is interesting that within the Buddhas exposition of the Four Noble Truths, for the study of the mind, there is no self that exists, no trying to substitute one unhealthy self for a new and better self, because there is no separate and eternal self that exists, the personality being a construct of 5 skandhas, or characteristics, based on form, sensation, perception, discrimination, and consciousness (Maezumi, 2001, p. 82). These characteristics are themselves conditioned by other forces, which are all interconnected and bound by karma, action and reaction. It is only by the practice of the Four Noble Truths that one is able to understand these laws of causality, impermanence, and interconnection, and thereby liberate oneself from their unsatisfactory results as we cling to that which is impermanent, a separate and illusory self which causes us suffering (Harvey, 1995, p. 49-50). The above essay has shown how the Bodhisattva ideal of the Mahayana School of Buddhism has contributed to world spirituality through a philosophy that is scientific, rational, ethical and compassionate. It is an ideal based on personal responsibility and social activism. The Buddhas Four Noble Truths brings an end to suffering for individuals within a society working toward world peace, harmony, and ecological balance. At the same time, its pragmatic approach to the questions of good and evil gives

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the world a tool for spiritual evolution free from prejudice and judgement. One gives thanks to those wise individuals of the past who have preserved this sacred tradition up to the present day. As spiritual friends, may all beings help and assist one another on the path to freedom, joy and Nirvana. References Babbitt, Irving [translator] (1936). The Dhammapada. New Directions Publishing: New York, N.Y. Foster, Rev. Myogak. The Three Yanas. Lecture for the Course CBS 520: Introduction to Buddhism. Harvey, Peter (1995). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices. Cambridge University Press: Great Britain, Cambridge. Jiyu-Kennett, Roshi P.T.N.H. (1999). Zen is Eternal Life. Shasta Abbey Press: Mount Shasta, California. Loori, John Daido. (2002). The Eight Gates of Zen. Shambala Publications, Inc.: Boston, Mass. Maezumi, Taizan. (2001). Teaching of the Great Mountain. Tuttle Publishing: Boston, Mass. OBrian, Barbara. About.com Guide. Buddhism. Accessed Oct. 28, 2012. >>http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhismglossarya/g/Akusaladefine.htm Payutto, Bhikkhu P.A. Good and Evil in Buddhism. Accessed Oct. 28, 2012. >>www.buddhismtoday.com

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>>http://buddhism.about.com/gi/o.htm? zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=buddhism&cdn=religion&tm=220&gps=546_139_1020_5 53&f=11&tt=2&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http %3A//www.urbandharma.org/udharma5/goodevil.html Rahula, Walpola. (1959) What the Buddha Taught. Grove Press: New York, New York. As accessed on Oct. 28, 2012 in >>http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/evil_2.htm

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