comparison concept of buddha between theravada and mahayana tradition

COMPARISON CONCEPT OF BUDDHABETWEEN THERAVĀDA AND

MAHĀYĀNA

Lector: Asst. Prof. Dr. Sudarat BantaokulGROUP 1

Ven. Bulnewe Dhammika (5501201044)

Ven. Vo Huu Danh (5501201045)Ven. Nguyen Hoang Phuc

(5501201046)

INTRODUCTIONThe two major schools of Buddhism, Theravāda and the Mahāyāna, are to be understood as different expressions of the same teaching of the historical Buddha. Because, in fact, they agree upon and practice the core teachings of the Buddha’s Dhamma. And while there was a schism after the First Buddhist Council on the death of the Buddha, it was largely over the monastic rules and academic points such as whether an enlightened person could lapse or not. Time, culture and customs in the countries in Asia which adopted the Buddha-dhamma have more to do with the apparent differences.

1. CONCEPT OF BUDDHA

The word Buddha (Chinese: 侼 , Korea: 부 처 , Thai: พระพุทธเจา้, Lao: ພຣະພຸດທະເຈົ້າ, Sinhalese: බුද්ධ, Cambodia: ព្រ�ះ�ុទ្ធ, Vietnamese: Ph t) means "Awakened One" or ậ"Enlightened One".

A Buddha is a person who is completely free from all faults and mental obstructions. There are many people who have become Buddhas in the past, and many people will become Buddhas in the future…

The Buddha is not a Creator God, and he is not a Saviour of human beings. He cannot punish or forgive persons who act contrary to the teaching. The Buddhist teaching does not have the concept of punishment.

There are three types of individuals who attain Enlightenment:

Sammāsambuddha – Perfect fully BuddhaPaccekabuddha – A Silent Buddha

Sāvakabuddha – Enlightenment of Disciple

Sammāsambuddha

Perfect fully Awakened One who attains Enlightenment, by his own efforts, at a time when the teaching is not known in the world. He has the greatest and most extensive powers, teaches the Dhamma and goes on to establish a Buddha Sāsana or Community.

Paccekabuddha

A Silent Buddha who attains full enlightenment, but does not teach others and does not go on to establish a Buddha Sāsana or Community.

SāvakabuddhaFully enlightened person who might teach others, but not as the one who rediscovered the teachings, just as one who learned it from a Sammāsambuddha. He attains Enlightenment at a time when the Buddhist teaching, Dhamma, is known in the world, and with the guidance and benefit of the teaching of a Sammāsambuddha.

There is nothing that Buddha does not know. Because he has awakened from the sleep of ignorance and has removed all obstructions from his mind, he knows everything of the past, present, and future, directly and simultaneously. Moreover, Buddha has great compassion which is completely impartial, embracing all living beings without discrimination.

2. BUDDHA–NATUREBuddha–nature literally corresponds to the Sanskrit Buddha–dhātu. The Buddha–dhātu is also usually translated as ‘Buddha–element’, and ‘Buddha–principle’, a term first used in the Nirvā a Sūtra with the famous ṇphrase “all beings possess Buddha–nature.”

The idea of the Buddha–nature may be traced to Abhidhamma thought, and ultimately to statements of the Buddha in the Nikāya. Buddha–nature is not held as doctrinal by Theravādin schools of thought because the idea comes from later Mahāyāna sūtras.

In the 5th century, a text called the Mahāyāna is the Mahāparinirvana Sutra – or the Nirvana Sutra – was translated from Sanskrit into Chinese. The Nirvana Sutra is one of three Mahāyāna sutras that make up a collection called the Tathāgatagarbha (womb of the Buddhas) sutras.

The Tathāgatagarbha sutras are credited with presenting the fully developed doctrine of Buddha–dhātu. Buddha–nature remains an essential teaching in the several schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that emerged in China, such as T'ien T'ai and Chan (Zen).

3. BUDDHA'S BODIES

Theravāda Buddhism views the Dhammakāya as a figurative term relating to the manner in which the Buddha exemplifies or embodies the Dhamma. Theravada Buddhism does not usually invest the term Dhammakāya with a metaphysical connotation.

In the Dīgha Nikāya, Buddha tells Vāse ha that the Tathāgata or the ṭṭBuddha is Dhammakāya, the "Truth–body" or the "Embodiment of Truth", as well as Dhammabhūta, "Truth–become", that is, "One who has become Truth.“

After the Buddha's Parinibbāna a distinction was made between the Buddha’s physical body or rūpakāya and his Dhammakāya aspect. As the Buddha told Vakkali, he was a living example of the "Truth" of the Dhamma.

Theravāda tradition recognized three class of objects that make up the Buddha's rūpakāya, namely:

SarīradhātuParibhogadhātuUddesikadhātu

Sarīradhātu - Buddha's physical relics like teeth, bone, hair…

Paribhogadhātu – objects Buddha used like as bodhi tree, robes and bowl of Buddha.

Uddesikadhātu – such as footprint of the Buddha.

The Mahayana Buddhist traditions reconciled these ideas in the concept of

the Trikaya, the three bodies of the Buddha:

Dharmakāya

Sambhogakāya

Nirmā akāyaṇ

Dharmakāya

The dharmakāya often translated as the "truth body," refers to the absolute nature of the Buddha or body of essence. His dharmakāya was collection of the Buddha's dharma and perfected qualities such as his purification, compassion, wisdom.

Sambhogakāya

The "enjoyment body" of the Buddha. The sambhogakāya is a body made entirely of light. This form is often visualized in tantra and sutra practices and is characterized by symbolic ornaments and postures.

Nirmā akāyaṇThe nirmā akāyaṇ  is the "emanation body" of the dharmakāya. Usually this refers to the visible, physical manifestation of a Buddha. The term is also resonant with the dimension of physicality.

These terms are found in sutras such as the Lankavatara, Gandavyuha, Angulimaliya, Srimala and Mahaparinirvana, where they are used to describe the Buddha, the Truth Body (dharmakāya) and the Buddha–nature. They are the transcendent results of spiritual attainment.

Buddha Sakyamuni

Life and work of Gotama Buddha was written in Tripitaka,

Pāḷi Canon and many place, which

Buddha used to come still in India

Buddha Sakyamuni

Middle Way, Four Noble Truths,

Eight Fold Paths. Everyone must Practice by self.

Buddha is only the guider.

Buddha Sakyamuni

Attend Nibbāna

Buddha AmitabhaOnly told in

the Amitabha Sutra. No

have history.

Buddha Amitabha

Reciting the nenbutsu invocation, "Namu

Amida Butsu" (Homage to Amitābha Buddha). The Buddha Amitabha has ability salvage all

human being who nearly moribund can call his

name

Buddha Amitabha

Rebirth in Pure Land

Buddha Future Metteyya

In Theravada: told by Buddha Sakyamuni.

In Mahayana: such as the Amitabha

Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he is referred

to as Ajita.

Buddha Future Metteyya

Theravada: Attend Nibbāna.

Mahayana: Help all being

become Buddha

Medicine Buddha Bhaisajyaguru

No have history.

Cure all mental and physical distress of all

beings.

Medicine Buddha Bhaisajyaguru

Rebirth in Pure Land

CONCLUSIONBuddhism is divided into two main religious groups Theravada

Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. These two religious groups both share a lot of similarities. But have a few differences. One of the differences is that Mahayana Buddhists believe that Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) is a God but Theravada Buddhists believe that He was an ordinary Human. Theravada and Mahayana are attitudes of mind or levels of consciousness, not sects or schools of Buddhism. Actually, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism both started of with one goal, Nirvana. But both took different ways to get there.