SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction to World
Religions and Belief
Systems
Quarter 2-Week 2
Self-Learning Activity Sheet

Mahayana
Buddhism

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At the end of the lesson the learners should be able to: Analyze the
brief history, core teachings, fundamental beliefs, practices and related issued of
Mahayana Buddhism. (Melc_week9)

Learning
Activity Mahayana Buddhism
Sheet

CONCEPT MAP

MAHAYANA BUDDHISM

Sacred Worship and Beliefs and Subdivisions

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

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The Mahasamghika (“of the Great Sangha”), one of the early Buddhist schools, may have been the
source for the initial growth of Mahayana Buddhism, especially during the “Second Buddhist
Council” that occurred a hundred years after Buddha’s parinirvana. Considered a historical event, a
religious schism between the Mahasamghika and Sthavira nikaya (“Sect of the Elders”), another
major Buddhist school, transpired during the said council. These new ideas eventually concretized
resulting in a new form of Buddhism quite different from the original teachings taught by Siddhartha
Gautama and to those accepted by Theravada Buddhists. In short, Mahayana Buddhism practically
became a new religion.
These new developments within the newfound Buddhist sect comprise a set of differing notions
pertaining to the original founder and great teacher Siddhartha Gautama himself. Firstly, Mahayana
Buddhists believed that Siddhartha secretly taught key principles to chosen people, to his most
dedicated disciples, or to the most faithful who could completely interpret these teachings in time
(Hopfe 1983; Losch 2001). Simply put, any new teaching can now be added to the emerging Buddhist
faith. Secondly, Mahayana Buddhists forwarded the concept that Siddhartha Gautama was actually a
benevolent celestial being, not just a mere human being. Because of his love for humankind and zeal
to help the people, he came to our world in human form. Thirdly, Mahayana Buddhists advanced the
radical idea that Siddhartha Gautama was not the only Buddha. There were other divine beings that
came to our world even before Siddhartha, some of them came after him, and still others will come in
the future. Principally, these beings came to earth to help lessen people’s sufferings and lead them to
salvation. This unique concept impressed many followers because they can now revere these beings,
study their lives, construct temples, and develop an innovative belief system replete with rituals and
hymns, among others (Hopfe 1983).
In time, missionaries of Mahayana Buddhism were able to penetrate new places without fear of
reprisal from native religions since deities or local gods can be treated as manifestations or
incarnations of Buddha. Other religions could be absorbed by Mahayana Buddhism by way of this
key principle in their proselytizing activities. While Theravada was the first to enter China during
the first century C.E., Buddhism did not

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gain much ground here not until the arrival of Mahayana in the third century C.E. In time, Mahayana
Buddhism took a major foothold of China while local beliefs were relegated to lesser stature (Hopfe
1983). Korea was the next territory to be influenced by Mahayana school around the fourth century
C.E. and followed by Japan in the sixth century C.E. Mahayana Buddhism existed alongside Japan’s
native religion Shintoism. Mongolia and Tibet likewise embraced Mahayana Buddhism. All these
places developed their own versions of Mahayana Buddhism that exist up until the present day.
Mahayana Buddhism disappeared in India during the eleventh century. Quite expectedly, only a
handful of Indians became truly Buddhists leading to contemporary times. Nonetheless, Mahayana
Buddhism is still the most popular branch of Buddhism in the world today.
SACRED SCRIPTURES
While the Mahayana branch accepts the canonical texts of the Theravada school, such as the Tripitaka
(Sanskrit word for “Three Baskets”) which is the collection of Buddha’s teachings, it also has a wide
array of philosophical and devotional texts, especially since Mahayana Buddhism initially became
more receptive to change and to subsequent innovations even from indigenous culture. Mahayana
Buddhism includes many sacred writings which are nearly identical in content with the Pali Canon of
the Theravada sect. The canon of Mahayana Buddhism also consists of the Tripitaka, namely, Sutra
Pitaka (Discourse), Vinaya Pitaka (Discipline), and Abhidharma Pitaka (Ultimate Doctrine).
Meanwhile, Mahayana Buddhists have teachings or sutras not present in the Theravada school and the
followers believed they have recovered the original teachings of the Buddha. In fact, principal
scriptures of the Mahayana sect have no parallels in the Pali Canon (Jurji 1946).
As the original language of transmission, Mahayana Buddhism adopted the Sanskrit rather than the
Pali form of common terms strictly used in Theravada Buddhism, such as sutra (or sutta in Pali) and
dharma (or dhamma in Pali). Buddhist texts were also translated in the local vernacular. The
Mahayana school possesses innumerable figures often lacking in the Theravada literature, including
the bodhisattvas, demons, divinities, and other spirits.
One of the most popular and prominent Mahayana Buddhist texts (or sutra) is the Lotus Sutra, or the
Saddharmapundarika-sutra that literally means "correct dharma white lotus sutra" or “Sutra of the
Lotus of the Wonderful Law” in Sanskrit. A sutra pertains to one of the discourses of the historical
Buddha that comprise the basic text of Buddhist sacred writing. The teachings of Siddhartha Gautama
are generally recorded in a wide corpus of sutras and often taking the form of dialogues instead of
analytically explicating a certain viewpoint. Siddhartha sought to provide answers even to the most
basic questions concerning human existence. The Lotus Sutra is presented as a discourse conveyed by
Siddhartha Gautama before his eventual death. Mahayana tradition maintains that while the sutras
were recorded during Siddhartha Gautama’s lifetime, these sutras were kept for 500 years and
reintroduced only during the “Fourth Buddhist Council” in Kashmir in 78 C.E.
While these sutras were assembled years after the death of Siddhartha Gautama, the Lotus Sutra may
have been authored by more than one writer and compiled between the first and second century C.E.
In fact, the oldest portion of the Lotus Sutra may have been written between 100
B.C.E. and 100 C.E. A Chinese version was translated from the original

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Sanskrit in 255 C.E. making it the earliest record of such existence in history.
The Lotus Sutra contains the most definitive teachings of the Buddha. Pervading most schools of
Buddhism in China, Korea, and Japan by way of the northern transmission, reciting the texts of the
Lotus Sutra is considered propitious. A key idea within the influential sutra is that all people equally
and inherently possess the so-called “Buddha nature” or “Buddhahood” which is the condition of
complete happiness and freedom from fear and illusions. In short, the attainment of enlightenment is
open to all people regardless of gender, race, social status, and education.
BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES
The Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, born in the fifth or sixth century C.E. in present- day Nepal, is considered the
historical Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism. After he attained enlightenment at the age of 35, he came
to be known as Gautama Buddha and spent the rest of his life preaching across India. He died at the
age of 80. For Theravada Buddhism, only the historical Buddha and past Buddhas are accepted. For
Mahayana Buddhism, there are other contemporary and popular Buddhas apart from the historical
Buddha.
The concept of trikaya (“three bodies”) pertains to the teaching of Mahayana Buddhism about the
nature of the Buddha and reality. While Theravada Buddhism puts very limited emphasis on trikaya,
this doctrine is very well-mentioned in Mahayana Buddhism which states that each Buddha has three
bodies, namely, dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya. The table below summarizes the
nature of the three bodies of Buddha.

The dharmakaya is identical with perfect enlightenment that is absolute and beyond existence or non-
existence. Everyone is capable of attaining this special place which is beyond perceptual forms. As a
body of bliss, the state of sambhogakaya is already enlightened but remains distinctive. Believed to be
a remuneration of one’s aggregated positive deeds, it serves as a crossing point between the two other
trikayas of Buddha. Lastly, nirmanakaya is the physical body that undergoes birth, inhabits the world,
and dies in the end. The great teacher Siddhartha Gautama is an example of a Buddha in a state of
nirmanakaya.
For Mahayana Buddhists, Buddhas are not individuals who actually lived in this world. In some ways,
they are simply expressions of the one Buddha reality, such as that of Siddhartha Gautama (Brown
1975). These great Buddhas are to be found in various heavens enshrined together with other gods
and saints. In China, Amitabha is a very popular Buddha. In Japan, Vairocana is the great Buddha.

Bodhisattvas

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One distinct feature of Mahayana Buddhism concerns its teaching about an enlightened being or
bodhisattva (“enlightened existence”) which is the ultimate way for any Buddhist to live in this world.
A bodhisattva has generated bodhicitta or the spontaneous desire to achieve the state of being
enlightened. The concept of bodhicitta greatly differs between the two main schools of Buddhism.
The teachings of Theravada place a great emphasis on self-liberation where there is a total reliance on
one’s self to eradicate sufferings. On the other hand, apart from self- liberation, it is also essential for
Mahayana adherents to assist other sentient beings in their quest for liberation. The attainment of
nirvana is not confined to one’s self as an arhat (“perfected one”) but must be shared to all striving
beings (Bowker 1997).
A bodhisattva, who is already eligible to enter final enlightenment by perfecting himself through
countless incarnations, opts to forego the right to enter nirvana and decides to be born again into this
evil world to assist others in attaining the same state, even descending to the depths of lowest hells to
rescue ill-fated victims imprisoned there (Jurji 1946; Murphy 1949). Through skillful ways, a
bodhisattva has the capacity to determine the state of mind and emotion of each person thereby
facilitating assistance based on the actual needs. The concept of bodhisattva helped in explaining the
life of Siddhartha Gautama before he died, as depicted in the jataka tales or birth stories of the
historical Buddha.
While Maitreya (“Buddha of the Future”) is the only accepted bodhisattva in Theravada Buddhism,
oriental Mahayana Buddhism has four other principal bodhisattvas, namely, Avalokiteshvara,
Manjushri, Ksitigarbha, and Samanthabhadra. Avalokiteshvara is the most revered and most popular
Buddhist deity among all bodhisattvas, being the personification of perfect compassion, probably
representing in Buddhism the sun-god Vishnu of the older Hinduism (Murphy 1949). Manjushri is the
embodiment of wisdom, intelligence, and willpower. Ksitigarbha is the one who helps and liberates
all sentient beings residing in hell. Samanthabhadra is the representation of love, virtue, and
diligence. Mayahana Buddhism encourages everyone to pursue the path of a bodhisattva, assume
their vows, and work for the absolute enlightenment of all living beings.
Bhumis and Paramitas
Based on the Mahayana tradition, a bodhisattva must pass 10 bhumis (“grounds” of “land”) before
attaining the so-called “Buddha-hood.” These are extensions of the “Eightfold Path” as discussed in
the previous lesson on Theravada Buddhism. The bhumis are frequently associated with the paramitas
(“perfections”). Translated as “to cross over the other shore,” paramitas imply crossing from the “sea
of suffering” to the “shore of happiness.” One is lifted from the cycle of rebirth to finally achieve
liberation. While the first five paramitas are principally concerned with the accumulation of merits,
the sixth paramita involves the attainment of wisdom.
Several Mahayana texts identify 10 bhumis, but many schools list their own path to development. A
boddhisattva vow is stated as “May I attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.” The
10 bhumis as lifted from Avatamsaka Sutra or “Flower Garland Sutra,” one of the most influential
sutra of Mahayana Buddhism in East Asia, are listed below:

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WORSHIP AND OBSERVANCES
Buddhism integrates an assortment of religious practices and devotional rituals with the objective of
aiding worshippers in their journey toward enlightenment and in bringing blessings to each and every
one. In Buddhist temples, they pray and chant to pay their respect to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas,
such as Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Amitabha. They also offer vegetarian food and light incense
to pay homage to these important divine beings. Mahayana temples are sacred spaces. While only a
simple temple layout can be seen in Theravada Buddhism with an image of Siddhartha Gautama as
the focal point of worship, Mahayana rituals can be quite elaborate with the addition of other disciples
of Siddhartha Gautama and important bodhisattvas.
Worshippers also recite chants and undertake pilgrimages to sites of Buddhist importance.
Meditational activities are fundamental in almost all popular forms of Buddhism. For Theravada
Buddhism and Zen Buddhism, the practice of meditation is the only means to attain liberation. With
the introduction of Mahayana Buddhism in other places, local culture influenced the development of
Mahayana Buddhist practices. The lotus that symbolizes purity, the eight-spoke wheels that represent
the dharma,

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and the different hand gestures (mudras) are important symbols for Mahayana Buddhism.
SUBDIVISIONS
Mahayana Buddhism consists of a variety of schools and family of religions. When the teachings of
Mahayana Buddhism spread in many Asian nations, it acquired new concepts from these localities
that found articulation in many ritualistic practices and divine figures.
The more philosophical side of Indian Mahayana Buddhism was developed within the context of the
two major schools, namely, the Madhyamika and the Yogachara (Adams 1965). The first school to
emerge is the Madhyamika (“Intermediate”) whose adherents stress the transformation of human
perception to handle the truth of that which is ultimately real beyond any duality. On the other hand,
Yogachara (“Practice of Yoga”) thinkers emphasize that the truth a human being perceives does not
exist.
The Pure Land Sect
Pure Land Buddhism began in India around the second century B.C.E., spread to China by the second
century C.E., and reached Japan around sixth century C.E. When believers die, it is their objective to
live in the “Pure Land of the West” or Sukhavati. By simply reciting the name of the Amitabha with
utmost attentiveness many times during the day, they may be reborn in this paradise where they can
work to achieve enlightenment much easier. Amitabha, the god who supervises over a western
paradise, is the focus of this sect. Once in Sukhavati, people can experience the delight in hearing
Amitabha teach the dharma in preparation for their entry to nirvana. Aside from meditations, this
Buddhist sect utilizes chants and recitations to focus on helpful thoughts (Losch 2001).
In Japan, by simplifying sect practices, such as those done by the monk Honen in the twelfth century,
this attracted many followers to the sect Jodo Buddhism or Jodo-shu (“The Pure Land School”)
founded in 1175. Those people who are not able to carry out meditational intricacies and the long
ritualistic practices can still attain enlightenment by simply reciting the name of Amitabha with
utmost and genuine faith. It was a form of Buddhism made accessible to everyone.
An offshoot of Pure Land Buddhism is the Shin Buddhism or Jodo Shin-shu (“True Pure Land
School”) founded by another Japanese monk Shinran during the thirteenth century. A disciple of
Honan, Shinran preached the primacy of faith and considered the act of chanting having no value at
all.
The Intuitive Sects
The establishment of intuitive sects of Buddhism can be traced around sixth century C.E. to the work
of an Indian monk named Bodhidharma whose life stories are shrouded with mysteries and numerous
legends (Murphy 1949). This concept entered China from India, and then carried onward to Korea
and Japan. In China, it came to be known as Ch’an. Ch’an Buddhism has close affinity with Taoist
philosophy because both are kinds of mysticism (Jurji 1946). In Japan, it reached its peak with the
development of Zen which is a blend of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Daoism. Followers of this
school are called meditative Buddhists. Focusing on meditation as the path to liberation, Zen
Buddhism is basically a monastic discipline (Losch 2001). The word for “meditation” in India is
dhyana, ch’an in China, and zen in Japan.
The intuitive sects emphasize that salvation is a personal matter and one cannot receive assistance
from other entities, such as another person

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or institution, to realize the inner truths of religion. In short, most elements of religion—from
scriptures, temples, statues, prayers, and rituals—are not essential to achieve enlightenment. An
individual may be spiritually enlightened by a sudden spark of insight, either through meditation or
even by accident, beyond words or thoughts. Modern European thinkers have been attracted to Zen
Buddhism because of its concept on simplicity and intuitive inspiration (Brown 1975).
The Socio-political Sect
A Japanese Buddhist monk by the name of Nichiren Daishonin who lived during the thirteenth
century during the Kamakura period began to teach that the path towards attaining enlightenment
rested solely on the devotion to the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren (“sun lotus”) Buddhism, which is purely a
Japanese phenomenon, perceives itself as the only rightful version of Buddhism.
Nichiren Buddhism teaches that individuals must take responsibility to enhance themselves, or what is
called “human revolution,” and, in turn, to improve the world’s lot. Enlightenment is accessible to
every individual on earth simply by opening one’s inherent Buddha-nature in this world. A scripture
scholar and an activist, Nichiren himself is considered a Buddha.
Nichiren taught that he alone understood Buddhist truths. He believed that other Buddhist sects in
Japan were corrupting the people towards hell. As he was living in a degraded stage, Japanese society
was also in a state of disarray. For his missionary work and excessive criticism of rival Buddhist sects
in Japan, he made many influential enemies. Nichiren also reproached Japanese authority because of
its failure to promote the Lotus Sutra and for allowing fraudulent Buddhist sects to flourish in the
country. To him, religion and patriotism were one (Jurji 1946). For his staunch belief and frequent
government opposition, he was twice exiled and twice condemned to death. Although some of his
disciples were executed, he refused to renege in his principles. In 1274, he was given freedom and
cleared of his wrongful acts. He died in 1282.
The Nichiren sect of Buddhism is an example of a religious group that came to have an effect in the
socio-political dimension of Japan (Hopfe 1983). Present-day schools of Nichiren Buddhism include
Soka Gakkai, Nichiren Shoshu, and Nichiren Shu

SELECTED ISSUES
Tibet Invasion
For centuries, both China and India have been claiming Tibet as part of their territories. Tibet
practically enjoyed some degree of independence as none of the claimants pressed their claim. In
1950, however, China annexed Tibet and negotiated the so-called “Seventeen Point Agreement” with
the government of the fourteenth Dalai Lama. Rejected repeatedly by the Dalai Lama, this document
confirmed China’s authority over Tibet, but the area was granted autonomy. In 1959, the Dalai Lama
failed in his bid to oust China’s puppet rule as the Tibetan uprising was defeated by the more
powerful Chinese force. The Dalai Lama, together with his followers escaped to India, and are now
living there as refugees.
With the implementation of Mao Zedong’s “Great Leap Forward” from 1958 to 1961, or China’s
socio-economic campaign to transform the country

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into a socialist society, between 200,000 to 1,000,000 Tibetans tragically met their death. During Mao
Zedong’s “Cultural Revolution,” a sociopolitical movement from 1966 to 1976 aimed at eliminating
capitalism and traditionalism from China, around 6,000 monasteries were destroyed. Tragically,
China’s occupation of Tibet has led to countless deaths of many Buddhist monks, nuns, and laiety
who wished to continue their religious practices in their native land (Douglas 2007).
From 1959 to 1977, almost all elements of Tibetan Buddhism were obliterated. While many hundred
thousand Tibetans were killed, others were driven to exile. Presently, the Dalai Lama has been
continuously visiting other countries preaching a message of hope and peace. He has been given
numerous citations for various international advocacies and teaching activities, such as the Ramon
Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1959), Nobel Peace Prize (1989), U.S. Congressional
Gold Medal (2007), and Templeton Prize (2012).
Engaged Activism
Ritual suicides led by Buddhist monks have transpired in the twentieth century as a form of protest to
governmental actions. For example, a crisis occurred between Buddhists and the South Vietnamese
government led by Ngo Dinh Diem in the 1960s that had tremendous effect in politics, militancy, and
religious tolerance (Braswell 1994). As a result of persecutions undertaken by the government against
Buddhists, monks began to lambast the regime that eventually resulted in the self-immolation of
Thich Quang Duc, a Vietnamese Mayahana Buddhist monk. He voluntarily burned himself to death in
a busy Saigon road intersection in 1963. Later on, several other monks followed his example. The
regime tried in vain to suppress Buddhist resistance through massive retaliation and nation- wide
assaults in Buddhist pagodas. Temples were defaced, monks were beaten, and Quanc Duc’s cremated
remains were confiscated. Eventually, the regime lost support from the US and an army coup brought
down Diem. Amid religious protests and non-violent struggle, Diem was assassinated in 1963.
In Japan, a militant and missionary form of Buddhism was founded in 1930 called the Soka Gakkai, a
religious movement based on the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism. During the Second World War, the
group temporarily disbanded only to emerge mightily after the war. After its hiatus, the members of
this group grew rapidly while employing hard-line and contentious recruitment methods, including
coercion, fear, intimidation, and the use of threats. A political party was even formed by Soka Gakkai,
the Komeito, that became the third most powerful in Japan.

Critical Thinking
1. What aspects of Mahayana Buddhism could make it more appealing than Theravada Buddhism?

2. How did Mahayana Buddhism shape Asian history in terms of activism?

3. How do you think Mahayana Buddhism’s concept of bodhisattva contributed to it being one of
the most successful missionary religions in the world?

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ASSESSMENT

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REFERENCES

BOOK
Jose, Mary Dorothy dL. and Jerome Ong. Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems
Textbook. Quezon City: Vibal Group Inc.

TEACHERS GUIDE

Most Essential Learning Competencies

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