Tag Archives: mahayana

Why Theravada Buddhism is my Path.

13 Wednesday Sep 2017

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The Wheel of Dhamma

The Wheel of Dhamma

I came to Theravada Buddhism very slowly. Over the last 25 years or so I have investigated Wicca, the occult Western Tradition (The Golden Dawn etc.), I have investigated Aleister Crowley‘s Thelema, I have investigated Christianity quite heavily in many of its guises (both Protestant and Catholic), and I had a brief, yet wholly unproductive flirtation with Islam. I must admit the Koran, in English, is painfully unreadable but maybe that is just me.

 

Reiki

Reiki

Reiki

For some reason I never considered Buddhism as an avenue to look into until I came across the Japanese complementary therapy known as Reiki. Back in 2010 I was made redundant whilst diagnosed with severe depression and stress anxiety. Being made redundant did those conditions no favours and the medication I am on did not seem to be working too well so I started looking at the alternative market for something to try. My investigations lead me to Reiki. It is a Japanese form of hands on energy therapy that can be used to aid in the healing of almost anything. What surprised me was the founder, Mikao Usui, had Buddhist training and had used Buddhist techniques in developing his methods of assisting in the healing of various ills, including mental problems. Continue reading →

A Small Collection of Mahayana Sutras

21 Monday Aug 2017

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Bodhisattva

Bodhisattva

The Prajñāpāramitā and Mahayana

The Prajñāpāramitā texts demand too much attention to deny them some form of recognition on this site. I state it now that they are NOT Theravadin texts. They were written in Sanskrit at a later date than the Pali Cannon. I include them though because of the immense effect they have had on Buddhist thought over the centuries. As I believe it, the entire Mahayana movement is based on them, that includes Tibetan Buddhism, one of the most well known traditions due to the influence of the Dalai Lama and the exodus from Tibet caused by the Chinese.

The Mahayana tradition started centuries ago around the beginning of the common era, i.e. 100 to 200 BC. The development seemed to be gradual, according to scholars. Theravada Buddhism emerged after the great schism about 100 years after the death of the Buddha, and it is believed to have occurred due to disputes regarding the Vinaya Pitaka, or the rules regarding the Sangha and the constituent monks. Continue reading →

The Prajñāpāramitā

18 Friday Aug 2017

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The Prajñāpāramitā Suttas

Much is made of the Prajñāpāramitā in Mahayana Buddhism. The Suttas are held in very high regard. As a Theravadin, I am not entirely sure how to approach the documents, or whether I actually should. Prajñāpāramitā refers to a method of seeing reality how it actually is and refers to concepts of the Bodhisattva, which plays no part in the Theravadin thought as far as I am aware.

Yet these documents purport to record the words of the Lord Buddha, so should they be ignored by us? Just because they do not fall within the Pali Cannon, should we ignore them? This is a question I have held in mind for some considerable time, and I still don’t have an answer. Continue reading →

Lojong Practice

09 Wednesday Aug 2017

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Mahayana Pure Land

Mahayana Pure Land

For those of a Mahayana leaning, I provide an anthology of texts regarding the Lojong practice, or ‘Mind Training’. This text contains 15 texts regarding the Tibetan Lojong practice. It is not the be-all and end-all of the subject, but having been provided by Lotsawa House, it can be considered authoritative.

The text is provided under a Creative Commons License, meaning you can distribute it as you wish so long as you give the author, Alak Zenkar Rinpoche, and the publisher, Lotsawa House full credit.

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Lojong Anthology

Whilst this anthology may not support the Theravadin view of meditative practice, I do believe it to be of value to any Buddhist seeking ultimate peace. Please feel free to add it to you own websites whilst crediting the source and author. I have several other Lotsawa documents to add, and I trust they will benefit your path to Nibbana.

May you all live in peace.

The Shōbōgenzō

05 Saturday Aug 2017

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Shōbōgenzō

Shōbōgenzō

So this is where I depart from Theravada Buddhism somewhat. I have no issue with promoting other traditions important texts and Master Eihei Dogen’s Shōbōgenzō is something that demands promotion. It is an immense work by any standard and comes in at something like 1144 pages. This document is available for free distribution below and in the eLibrary as usual.

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The Master Dogen's Shōbōgenzō

Eihei Dogen’s Shōbōgenzō is very much a Mahayana work, coming from Japan in the 13th Century. It is however of such import that it founded the Japanese Soto Zen school of Buddhist practice.

Shōbōgenzō literaly means ‘Treasury of the True Dhamma Eye’ or, as is more often used in Zen Buddhism, ‘Buddha Damma’.

I believe any dedicated Buddhist will benefit from spending the time to read this rather large tome and that time will enhance their practice, no matter what tradition they follow.

May you all live without fear.