Buddhism

Question 1: Describe the major historical schools of Buddhism and their basic theological differences.

Answer 1: The two main schools of Buddhism are:Theravada—Conservative school, broke away from the Mahayana school around the time of the Second Buddhist Council. Monastic life is central; monks are closer to enlightenment than laypeople are. The Buddha was an enlightened human. The individual is responsible for his own enlightenment. Theravada Buddhism is prevalent in Southeast Asia.Mahayana—Oldest school. Buddha is a divine figure. Mahayana Buddhism is prevalent in lands influenced by China.Mahayana Buddhism has several subschools:Tantric or Vajrayana—Emphasizes ritual. All practice is undertaken with the explicit goal of achieving Buddhahood. A distinctive form has developed in Tibet. Learning is passed directly from teacher to student, giving Tantric Buddhism an air of secrecy.Shingon—A form of Mahayana in Japan that emphasizes the possibility of enlightenment in this lifetime through body and mind training.Pure Land—Emphasizes worship of the Buddha, who reigns over the afterlife paradiseCh’an/Zen—Emphasizes the importance of personal, nonrational insights to achieve enlightenmentYogacara—Emphasizes the use of yoga to empty the mind of conscious thought. It is influential on many of the other Mahayana schools, especially Zen.

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Question 2: Describe the major tenets of Theravada Buddhism.

Answer 2: Theravada is the more conservative branch of Buddhism. All Buddhas are merely enlightened humans. Therefore, anyone can become a Buddha.The goal of Buddhist practice is to liberate oneself. Deities are of no use to the individual seeking liberation, and ritual is not emphasized in Theravada tradition, as the path to enlightenment is entirely self-directed. Even the Buddha himself is of no use to Buddhists in their quest, as he has achieved nirvana and therefore cannot intervene in human affairs. Theravada emphasizes the importance of a solitary monastic life, and monks are closer to enlightenment than laypeople are.Theravada tradition does not subscribe to a belief in Bardo, the in-between state after death. Its influences are Indian (pre-Vedic and Hindu), which can be seen in the Theravada concepts of karma and sangha (the monastic community).

Question 3: Describe the major tenets of Mahayana Buddhism.

Answer 3: Mahayana Buddhism is the more liberal of the two main branches of Buddhism, and it contains several subschools of thought. Mahayana emphasizes the importance of helping other beings to attain enlightenment, in addition to achieving enlightenment oneself. It also accepts the existence of several bodhisattvas in addition to Maitreya. These enlightened beings help others to achieve liberation themselves and can be appealed to for help.Sunyata, or emptiness, the indivisible nature of reality, is a central tenet of Mahayana. Sunyata is a rejection of dualism, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things instead. Language is therefore inadequate in spiritual matters.Mahayana subscribes to the concept of trikaya, or the three bodies of Buddha (physical, celestial, and “truth body,” or the body of enlightenment). It emphasizes ritual more than does Theravada. Mahayana’s understanding of death includes the concept of Bardo. Its foreign influences are northern: Taoism and Confucianism, as well as Shinto in Japan.Mahayana emphasizes the Buddha nature of all beings and the divine nature of Buddha, though Buddha is not a god: Buddha is the essence of all things, and anyone can become a Buddha.

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