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Beliefs and Doctrines of Mahayana

Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in China, Tibet, and Japan. It emphasizes living as a bodhisattva, or enlightened being, with a focus on selflessness, compassion, and helping others achieve enlightenment. Mahayana teaches that enlightenment can be achieved during an ordinary life and does not require monastic isolation. Meditation is used to achieve "awakening," characterized by the realization that dualities like good and evil are false and that reality includes both visible and invisible aspects. The concept of karma is also important, with Mahayana suggesting good karma from good deeds can transfer to help others in need of liberation.

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42 views1 page

Beliefs and Doctrines of Mahayana

Mahayana Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in China, Tibet, and Japan. It emphasizes living as a bodhisattva, or enlightened being, with a focus on selflessness, compassion, and helping others achieve enlightenment. Mahayana teaches that enlightenment can be achieved during an ordinary life and does not require monastic isolation. Meditation is used to achieve "awakening," characterized by the realization that dualities like good and evil are false and that reality includes both visible and invisible aspects. The concept of karma is also important, with Mahayana suggesting good karma from good deeds can transfer to help others in need of liberation.

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Christian Espejon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Beliefs and Doctrines of Mahayana

Buddhism has two major branches: Theravada and Mahayana. The latter, known as "The Greater Vehicle,"
dominates Buddhist practices in China, Tibet and Japan, and is further subdivided into forms such as
Tibetan and Zen Buddhism. Although Theravada and Mahayana are both rooted in the original teachings of
the Buddha, and share the objective of breaking the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, they have different
approaches to it.
Bodhisattva
Mahayana is the Buddhism of the people. It has more flexibility than the Theravada form, which
emphasizes an approach to practices more suited to a monastic life. Mahayana emphasizes the
importance of each follower living as a bodhisattva, or enlightened being. The ideas of selflessness and
compassion, and the desire to free all living beings from suffering are central to this life. This includes
taking a vow to be reborn and helping others reach nirvana, or enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhism
teaches that enlightenment is achievable during the course of an ordinary life and that you don't need to be
a spiritual recluse to reach this state.
Awakening
. Mahayana refers to "awakening" as the key to being a bodhisattva. Meditation is the method used to
achieve this knowledge. Essentially, this is the realization that dualities, such as good and evil or existence
and non-existence are false. It also teaches that reality is made up of everything seen and unseen, and that
our notion of reality is purely a convention of daily life. In Mahayana, the universe has no beginning in time,
and there are infinite worlds that are all part of true reality. It also teaches that there is an infinite number of
buddhas. This particular teaching is significant because it means that believers are not dependent only on
devotion to Shakyamuni Buddha --the original Buddha --for liberation from suffering. As a result, followers
venerated other buddhas and bodhisattvas, such as Amitabha, in the regions where Mahayana is
dominant.

Upaya

Upaya is the Mahayana "doctrine of skillful means." This approach to salvation --which for Buddhists is
liberation from suffering and the cycle of reincarnation called samsara -- allows individuals to use means
that are appropriate for them but which may not appear to be right to other buddhists. The teachings
explain that since the actions of a buddha, or bodhisattva, come from wisdom and compassion, whatever
actions he takes to help another person, are justified by his superior insight

Karma
The concept of karma is important to Mahayana Buddhists. In the more classical idea of karma, only an
individual's actions during his life could influence his future. However, Mahayana teachings suggest that the
good karma accrued from good deeds might be transferable to others in need of liberation, such as a
person's deceased parents

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