HINDU HERETICS & RULERS PLAN TO DESTROY BUDDHISM
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Author: Sona Kanti Barua
Introduction
A Buddhist who is too attached to the
passing of time will certainly not to be a good Buddhists. Our great
Bodhisattva Vimalkirti says in his Nirdesa, “Where one seeks the gnosis of omniscience,
yet does not attain this gnosis at the wrong time, there is the domain of the
Bodhisattva. The domain of voidness, yet where one cultivates all types of
virtues, such is the domain of the Bodhisattva.” (R. Thurman, the Holy teaching of Vimalkirti, p.48.).
There
are four kinds of sattvas (beings) besides the Mahayana Bodhisattva among,
those who seek for the way of non-obstruction. They are: Fanatic Brahmins
(1) Icchantikah
(Destroyer of the Dharma): Icchantika’s obstacle is caused by rejecting the
Mahayana dharma. This obstacle is remedied by having faith in the Mahayana as
it is said in the Gatha of the sastra (book).
(2) Tirthya (Heretics) : Their obstacle is
caused by the false belief of the Atmans
Existence (Brahmanism) in the body of all living
beings. This obstacle is remedied by the practice of the Prajnaparamita Sutra
as it is emphasized in the Gatha of the Sastra
(3) Sravakah (follower of the Early Buddhism):
Their fear of suffering of in this world. This obstacle is remedied by the
practice of Samadhi, such as Akasagarbha or Surangamana as it is indicated in
the Gatha of the sastra.
(4) Pratyeka Buddha: Silence Buddha’s obstacle
is caused by his abandonment of the altruistic task. This obstacle is remedied
by the practice of great compassion (Mahakaruna) and great kindness
(Mahamaitri) as it is declared in the Gatha of the Sastra.
There is an
unanimous opinion in the Mahayana Sutras on the types of Bodhisattva. A
Bodhisattva moves ahead step by step through four stages:
1.
Bodhisattva who has just raised Bodhicitta
2.
Bodhisattva
who has begun to go on the way of six Paramitas (Perfections).
3.
Bohisattva
who never slips back to a previous stage.
4. Bodhisattva who lives his last life in
Samsara.
Scientific outlook on Buddhism
On
May 19, 1939 Albert Einstein, the great scientist of the nuclear age, was
delivered a remarkable speech entitled, ‘Science
& Religion’ at the Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey,
U.S.A. He later included it in his book Out
of my Later Years. In that speech he asserted that there is no basic
conflict between science and religion, science
asks what the world is, and religion asks
what humankind and society should become.
Einstein found that, among
religions, only Buddhism emphasized the importance of the scientific outlook in
dealing with problems of religious views. He said, “Science without religion is
lame and religion without science is blind.”
Looking for a cure for cancer in educational policy, westernized
Buddhist educators are now turning to a 2544 year old medicine – Buddhism. Buddha said, “Suffering lies
in clinging to views.” Thus Einstein
expressed this appreciation of Buddhism. He said, “The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should
transcend a personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both natural
and the spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the
experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description.” 1
It
is surprising how Rev. Asanga, a great Buddhist philosopher monk of the 4th
century A.C., speaking of the atom (Paramanu) says that it has not physical
body or bodily form (nisharira). The atom is conceived by the intellect
(buddhi) through the ultimate analysis of matter.
Heart of Buddhism:
The Buddha Sakyamuni taught the
doctrine of Dukkha ( unsatisfactoriness , pain etc.), its origin ( including dependent
origination ), its cessation and the Path to its cessation for 45 years in the 6th century B.C.
The teaching of ultimate absence of a permanent self is central to early
Buddhism. Nirvana (Non -
conditioned), the absolute cessation of suffering as the goal of the early Buddhist teaching.
“Ananda , dwell making yourselves your
island (support), making yourselves (not – atman)not anyone else, your refuge;
making the Dhamma your island (support), the Dhammayour refuge, nothing else
your refuge. … Attadipa viharatha,
attasarana anannasarana ; really
means One is one’s own refuge. “[1]
It is also remarkable that after the Buddha’s
Mahaparinibbana (died ), he left no one to take his place as the supreme
authority. In fact he told his personal
attendant, Ananda, that the Dharma and Vinaya would be the supreme authority in
the future. Later many ideas came from Buddhist monks and community leaders in the
of Buddhism. Somebody said, “I am a big,Emperor Asoka‘s auspices the third
Buddhist convocation (Sangiti) assembled at Pataliputra pre -sided over by Most
venerable Moggaliputta Thera to evaluate and settle the true doctrine of the Buddha. The Pali canon as it exists today
is considered the final redaction of the council.
Kathavatthu
, one
of the seven books comprising the Abhidhamma refuting heretical views, was a work of Moggaliputta Tissa Thera. According
to the Kathavattu, there were altogether eighteen sects, all claiming to be
followers of the Buddha. “Among them only the Theravadins
were truly orthodox, while the rest were
all schismatic. The Emperor Asoka set
about removing the impure elements from
the Order with the guidance and
assistance of the Elder Moggaliputtatissa who was an accomplished
Arahat. It is argued that Arahantship is
selfish and that all must strive to attain Buddhahood to save others.
Selfishness died in them so they are Arahat or Buddha.
Under his direction , the order
(Sangha) was held in concord the Assembly (uposatha) ceremony
which had not been held for seven years because of dissensions and the presence of false
bhikkhus (monks) in the order.“2 At that assembly, the most venerable
Moggaliputtatissa Thero expounded on points of views, made up of five hundred
orthodox statements and five hundred statements of other views, in order to
refute the wrong views that had crept into the Sangha and might in the future
arise. He followed the heads of discourses, matika (introductory sentences in
Pali) as was outlined by the Buddha himself and analyzed them in
details into one thousand statements of views. This collection of statements of views
was recited by one thousand selected highly educated and experienced elder
monks who formed the Third Great Council (synod), to be incorporated into the
Abhidhamma Pitaka.
The
style of compilation of this Kathavatthu treatise is quite different from that of
other Treatises , was written as it is in the form of dialogue between two
imaginary debaters, one holding the heterodox
views of different sects and other
representing the orthodox views.
Rise of Mahayana Buddhism
It
is universally believed that Mahasanghikas
were the earliest founders, and
forerunners of the Mahayana. The
historical truth of the Third Council has been proved beyond all doubt by the discovery of the relic caskets in
Sanchi , India. Those monks who were expelled from the third Council gained
admission into the Mahasanghika and other non-Theravada sects. Moreover the
Mahasanghikas made alterations in the arrangement and new interpretation of the
Sutta (Buddha’s words) and the Vinaya texts.
Conception of the Bodhisattva:
Buddhahood
is indisputably the best and the noblest of all the Buddhist schools’ ideals,
but all are not capable of achieving this highest ideal. As a worldly example,
all scientists cannot be Einsteins and Newtons. There must be also lesser
scientists who help the world according to their capabilities.
The
Pali or Sanskrit term Bodhisatta or Bodhisattva is composed of Bodhi which
means wisdom or enlightenment, and satta or sattva which means devoted to or
intent one. It should be noted that Buddhists do not believe that there lies
dormant in us all a divine spark that needs development, but they are conscious
of the innate possibilities and the creative power of man.
Those
who aspire to supreme Enlightenment and Buddhahood for themselves and all
beings. The six perfections of wisdom are understood to be the Bodhisattva’s
practices. They are : (1) Giving or donation & Compassion (2) Keeping precepts or Moral development (3)
Patience or Perseverence (4) Endeavoring (5) Mental Development or Concentration o& meditation (6) Wisdom.
There
are thirty seven Bodhipakkhiya dhamma (totalling 37 Factors of the Requisites of Enlightenment), which should be
practised with energy and determination by those persons who wish to cultivate Samadhi (Tranquility) and Prajna (Insight) and thus make
worthwhile the rare opportunity of rebirth as a human being within the present
Buddha Sasana.
The Bodhipakkkhiya dhammas consist of
seven groups, namely:
1.
Sathipattana,
Foundations of Mindfulness (4 factors)
2.
Sammappadhana,
Right Efforts (4 factors)
3.
Iddhipada,
Bases of Success (4 Factors )
4.
Indriya,
Controlling Faculties (5 factors)
5.
Bala,
Mental Powers (5 factors)
6.
Bojjhanga,
Factors of Enlightenment (7 factors )
7.
Magganga,
The Noble Eightfold Path, (8 factors).
Paticcasamuppada (The Law of the Dependent Origination)
Buddhism teaches that all compounded
things come into being , presently exist and cease Uppada, thiti, and bhanga), dependent
on conditions. The Paticcasamuppada is the Heart of Buddhism. The Buddha said to Ananda, “
Deep indeed , Ananda, is this Paticcasamuppada and deep does it appear. It is
through not understanding, through not penetrating this doctrine, that beings have become
entangled like a matted ball of thread, become like munja grass and rushes,
unable to pass beyond the woeful states of existence and Samsara, the cycle of
existence. “ ( Maha Nidana Sutta, Digha Nikaya).
Even the later form of Buddhism
(Mahayana Teaching ) laid on the Middle
view (Madhyama pratipada). Wheel of Law was set in motion by Nagarjuna ,
the revitalization of Buddhism was based upon the Dependent origination in the opening verse of his Mulamadhya –mika
– karika, in which he says :
“Without
destruction and without origination, without being cut off and without being
eternal, Neither being one thing , nor different things, Neither coming , nor going, He Who can thus teach the Dependent
Origination, The blissful coming to rest of all illusory unfoldment, before
Him, the Enlightened One, the best of all teachers, I reverently bow down.” 1
Vedalla or Buddhist metaphysics is one of the Nine
categories of teaching adopted by the Buddha to suit the circumstances and
tendency or maturity of the listeners. The other eight are :
1.
Sutta :Discourses of
the Buddha i.e. the thematic teaching, with explanations and conclusion.
2.
Geyya : teaching with
poem added.
3.
Veyyakarana : the teaching
that is all al prose.
4.
Gatha : the teaching
that all verses.
5.
Udana : exclamations uttered on various
occasions.
6.
Itivuttaka
: citation of some other teachings supported by Buddha.
7. Jataka
: stories to support and exemplify the laws of morality.
8. Abhutadhamma
: the seeming miracles as a result of virtuous qualities &
9. Vedalla
: the teaching that requires a depth of understanding comparable to the
Abhidhamma
Or metahysics.
The Madhyamika School:
It
is believed that Mahayana Doctrine was put into a systematic shape in South India. Nagarjuna who is the celebrated founder of the Mahayana Buddhism
was born in the south second century A.D.
His original work called the Madhyamakarika and his commentary on Prajnaparamita
Sutra include all the essentials of the Mahayana. The Mahayana Buddhism is divided into two systems of thought :
the Madhyamika and the Yogacara. Essentially, there is only
non-origination which is equated with sunyata. Hence sunyata, referring as it
does to non-origination, is in reality the middle path which avoids the two
basic views of existence and non-existence.
In this effect, the Madhyamika
view holds sunyata to be the central
idea of its philosophy and is therefore designated the sunyavada. the
Madhyamika – karika further deals with two kinds of truths :” Conventional
(Samvrti) and transcendental truth (paramartha ) . The former refers to ignorance or
delusion which envelo- ps reality and gives a false impression, while the
latter is the realization that worldly things are non-existent like an illusion or an echo. Transcendental
truth can not be attained without resort –ing to Conventional truth.
Conventional truth is only a means, while transcendental is the end. Thus, viewed from the relative
standpoint , but looked at from the absolute standpoint , it means non- origination at all times and is equated
with nirvana or sunyata. 2
Throughout his writings Nagarjuna
analyzed the basic errors acting as hindrances to Enlightenment. In the process of this analysis, a different
understanding of ignorance came forth. In early Buddhism the term generally was
applied to mean ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. Nagarjuna’s understanding
of the term was far more philosophical.
“ Ignorance (avidya) became the natural tendency of the individual to posit an
objective world independent or apart
from his phenomena outside of itself could the human subjectivity. However, the
middle path , as advocated by the adherents of the Madhyamika system, is not
quite the same. Here, the middle path stands for the non – acceptance of the
two views concerning existence and non-existence, eternity and non-eternity,
self and non-self, and so on. In short,
it advocates neither the theory of reality nor that of unreality of the world, but merely or relativity. “2 The realization of Sunyata naturally
entails the destruction of the barrier between
subject and object, between the ‘you ‘ and ‘I’. In other words, the person experiencing
Sunyata no longer finds a division
between himself and others, since he now realizes the principle of relativity (dependent origination). “ 1Fortunately Nagarjuna was followed by a
galaxy of MAdhyamika thinkers, such as Arya –deva (3rd century A.D.), Chandrakiti (6th
Century A.D.) , Santideva (7th Century) and others. It is also most
remarkable that the Yogacara School was formally founded by Vasubandhu the elder brother of Asanga – and his
ideas are set out in the ‘Yogacarabhumi – Sastra.’ Vasubandhu also annotated a
work by his brother named ‘Mahavanasamparigraha’ which sets out the basic trend
of Sunya orientation. Yogacara both innovated many ideas which passed into
other schools ( including the
notion of a Buddha’s different bodies
and the division consciousness into 8
levels and realities) and re-popularised
the teachings of Nagarjuna , the
originating impetus of the school.
Mahayana : radical break in the Evolution of Buddhism:
The Buddha Sakyamuni taught the doctrine
(Dhamma) of four Noble Truths for 45 years.
During the time of the Buddha, Bhikkhu
Devadatta (according to the commentary of the Dhammma Pada ) declared, he was a Buddha. Even Devadatta (Sakyamuni
Buddha’s disciple), wanted to kill Buddha.
He took five hundred monks from the Buddha. Later his selfish conspiracy was foiled.
The Bhikkhus of Kosambi (In India,
during the time of the Buddha) , had
formed into two groups. One group followed the master of Vinaya (Rules of the
Bhikkhu Sangha ) and the other group followed the teacher of the Dhamma (
Doctrines of the Buddha), and they were often quarreling among themselves. Even the Buddha could not stop them from
quarreling ;so he left
them and spent some time, residence
period of rains, all alone in the Rakkhita Grove near Parileyyaka forest (
Verse No. 6 Commentary of the
Dhammapada).2
After the Demise of the Buddha, a number of
schools arose, the traditional number given at 18 sub –sects of the Theravada.
A number of factors which tended to promote such change. First, from the very beginning, there was the
division of monks into groups, each
with the responsibility for preserving through recitation of particular sections of the remembered things.
There are references to the worship of texts from very early date, and this reverential attitude indicates that
the nascent mahayana was centered on a
number of books, cults, groups, which paid homage to and studied particular
sutras. ‘One has only to glance at the
extolling of the merit to be gained from reading , reciting, or copying various
Mahayana Sutras to see this
attitude as an important element in
propagation of Mahayana ideas. ‘1
Among the sutras which are explicitly
Mahayana and constitute the earliest strata of such texts are those included in
what was later called the Maharatnakuta,the
Heap of Jewels collection which enunciates in their Mahayana formation the
themes of Bodhicitta; which is the thought of enlightenment for the sake of all
beings; the resulting conduct of a Bodhisattva and the doctrine that all
phenomena are empty of independent existence. The Sukhavativyuha, the display
of Sukhavati which introduces Pure Land doctrines. These later are popularly
understood to teach a sort of Buddhist
heaven , but are more esoterically understood to pertain to purification of
vision . The Sadharma Pundarika, (the
Lotus of True Law) , another early Mahayana text , introduces the notion of one
supreme path, the Ekayana, and elaborates the doctrine of skillfull means to
distinguish the types of teaching of the Buddha. The Buddha is rising within our minds of no greed, no hatred, no delusion and
no attachment. Should a Mahayana sutra
express that the Arhat Way is the poorest way in the Lotus
Sutra. Lord Buddha appreciated his
disciple became an arahat but unfortunately the Mahayana was started to condemn
an Arhat (Enlightened One ) and his
way ?
The positive thesis of the philosophy of
Nagarjuna, who is not without reason honored in the Lankavatara Sutra as the
second Buddha, is generally missed. This
is , however, clearly started in the two opening verses of his Madhyamika. These indicate that Nagarjuna’s primary interest was to call attention to the dependent
origination as the fundamental nature of reality
which is not capable of verbal
representations and not apprehensible by the intellect, the mode of
understanding. ‘It refuses to accept all the predicates the intellect can
devise , e.g. cessation, origination, annihilation , eternality, singlness,
manifoldness, advent and egress. The
only mental mode of witnessing or being face to face with it is intuition,
immediate perception, firsthand experience or direct vision, all being means
within the reach of mysticism. ‘1
The aim of my Buddhist studies:
Individually I like every school of Buddhism. I like to
study the best of every school of Buddhism.
I humbly and respectfully pay homage to
teachers of every school. I like to see united schools of Buddhism in future for
the welfare of the many. The Buddha said
to monks, “ Go forth, O Bhikkhus, for the good of the many, for the happiness
of the many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit and
happiness of gods and men. “ 2
No Reconciliation, but:
Can
there be a reconciliation of the two (Theravada and Mahayana ) concepts ?
During the centuries that followed
the schism between the Theravadins
and the Mahayanaists a hundred years after the Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana
(Great Demise ), the two traditions developed their Own ways. The Theravadins based their concept on the Pali version of
the scriptures , while the Mahayanaists based theirs on the Sanskrit one. Both the Theravada and Mahayana schools have The
same goal , namely Nirvana or final
deliverance from suffering. They teach the same practices, namely “Avoid evil,
do good and purify the mind.”1 They
also recommend the same Middle Way or the Eightfold Path to follow, which may
be summed up into Morality, Meditation and Wisdom.
2. P.V. Bhagat,
2500 years of Buddhism p. 305
1. Alicia Matsunaga,
The Buddhist Philosophy of Assimilation , p. 68
1969 CharlesE.
Tuttle Company , Tokyo Japan.
2. Burma Pitaka Association, The
Dhammapada (Verses & stories) p. 139
Rangoon, Burma 1986
1 The World
Fellowship of Buddhists, W.F.B. REVIEW
p. 17
1997, Bangkok,
Thailand.
Birth
Centenary Commemoration Volume 1989.
2 Mrs. I.B.
Horner, Vinaya, Mahavagga,
Pali Text
Society, London.
U.K.
Rangoon, Burma 1986
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