How The Chinese Belief In Graded Revelation Is Upaya
Nabaraj Parajuli
5/8/14
-Be able to define upaya and explain its importance to Mahayana Buddhism. Explain how Mahayana Buddhism is itself an example of upaya. Explain how the Chinese belief in “graded revelation” is upaya.
Mahayana Buddhism is a clear and vivid interpretation of Buddhism. Upaya, in Sanskrit, means skillful means or method. It can refer to any activity, skill, experience or practice that helps someone toward the realization of enlightenment. Upaya can mean anything. For example, deception, as well as honesty, is an Upaya. The idea of Upaya drove the movement of Buddhist beliefs and ideas across China, and most of Eastern Asia.
The idea of Upaya is noted in the Lotus Sutra. Sutra refers to a text or a collection of texts with religious values and meanings. Most Sutras in Buddhism were written on books of palm leaves sewn together with thread. The Lotus Sutra was written between 100 BC and 100 AD. This Sutra talks …show more content…
about the usage of upaya, the seventh paramita, or perfection of Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is considered the destination at the end of the journey for Buddhists. Achieving Bodhisattva or enlightenment is the final goal for most Buddhists.
Bodhisattva or enlightenment should not be mistaken with Nirvana, which means liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. Nirvana is achieved when a person’s upaya frees him of all sins. Freeing oneself of sins is the ultimate goal for Buddhists. It is believed that once a person is free of sins, and reaches nirvana, he won’t have to continue to be reincarnated and that he can then go to heaven. Upaya is not only a person’s actions and means it is also a guideline to liberation. For example if a person’s upaya is malicious, he will not achieve liberation. On the other hand, if a person uses good upaya in his life, he will have a better chance of revelation. The idea of upaya is similar to Christianity where a good upaya is an indulgence and a bad upaya is a sin.
Driven by the idea of upaya and nirvana, Mahayana Buddhism emerged sometime around the first century AD. It was considered the “Greater Vehicle” or literally the “Greater Ox-Cart” (Buddhists back then mainly used carts driven by animals like cows, oxen, bulls, and horses for transportation) for Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism, the primary form of Buddhism in North and East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Mongolia and parts of Russia, is sometimes known as Northern Buddhism. The group that contradict the Mahayana Buddhists are the Theravada Buddhists.
Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism have different beliefs. Mahayana Buddhism believes in many different Buddhas that came after the real Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The different Buddhas that came after Siddhartha also shared the same beliefs as Siddhartha, and were highly respected by the Mahayana Buddhists. The Theravada Buddhists, however, only respected the actual Buddha and did not show reverence towards the other Buddhas.
The Mahayana Buddhists use the Holy Book of Buddhism, the Tripitaka, Sutras and the belief of Dharma. The Mahayana Buddhists, unlike the Theravadas, do not just mainly focus on enlightenment and liberation from sins. Their focus is also on taking care of other species –humans and animals and helping each other coexist together.
The Mahayana Buddhism itself is an example of an upaya because an upaya is a method or a skillful mean. The Mahayana Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism which teaches its own style of life and differs from other schools of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism Values life believes that killing an animal for food is a sin. If a person bases his life on the beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism, he will have a better chance of achieving enlightenment and nirvana. Mahayana Buddhism is one of the two main schools of Buddhist teachings.
Revelation is the indication of supernatural origin of a set of beliefs or sacred texts.
Buddhism is known as a revealed religion. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, is regarded as a prophet chosen by god. Buddhism was not based on a revelation, but people claim that when Buddha saw people going through hard times, he proclaimed that people must end all sorrows and negativity in order to fulfill their goal in life. Bibliography
"A Basic Buddhism Guide: Differences BetweenTheravada and Mahayana." A Basic Buddhism Guide: Differences BetweenTheravada and Mahayana.Buddha Dharma Education Association, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
"Indulgences." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910. 10 May 2014
F., Matthew, and Bronwyn Harris. "What Is Mahayana Buddhism?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.
Leighton, Taigen D. "Www.MTSource.org." Www.MTSource.org. Mountain Source Sangha, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. "Lotus Sutra." Buddhist Sutra -. Buddhasutra.com, n.d. Web. 10 May
2014. "Mahayana Buddhism: The "Greater Vehicle"" Mahayana Buddhism. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
5/8/14
-Be able to define upaya and explain its importance to Mahayana Buddhism. Explain how Mahayana Buddhism is itself an example of upaya. Explain how the Chinese belief in “graded revelation” is upaya.
Mahayana Buddhism is a clear and vivid interpretation of Buddhism. Upaya, in Sanskrit, means skillful means or method. It can refer to any activity, skill, experience or practice that helps someone toward the realization of enlightenment. Upaya can mean anything. For example, deception, as well as honesty, is an Upaya. The idea of Upaya drove the movement of Buddhist beliefs and ideas across China, and most of Eastern Asia.
The idea of Upaya is noted in the Lotus Sutra. Sutra refers to a text or a collection of texts with religious values and meanings. Most Sutras in Buddhism were written on books of palm leaves sewn together with thread. The Lotus Sutra was written between 100 BC and 100 AD. This Sutra talks …show more content…
about the usage of upaya, the seventh paramita, or perfection of Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is considered the destination at the end of the journey for Buddhists. Achieving Bodhisattva or enlightenment is the final goal for most Buddhists.
Bodhisattva or enlightenment should not be mistaken with Nirvana, which means liberation from the cycle of reincarnation. Nirvana is achieved when a person’s upaya frees him of all sins. Freeing oneself of sins is the ultimate goal for Buddhists. It is believed that once a person is free of sins, and reaches nirvana, he won’t have to continue to be reincarnated and that he can then go to heaven. Upaya is not only a person’s actions and means it is also a guideline to liberation. For example if a person’s upaya is malicious, he will not achieve liberation. On the other hand, if a person uses good upaya in his life, he will have a better chance of revelation. The idea of upaya is similar to Christianity where a good upaya is an indulgence and a bad upaya is a sin.
Driven by the idea of upaya and nirvana, Mahayana Buddhism emerged sometime around the first century AD. It was considered the “Greater Vehicle” or literally the “Greater Ox-Cart” (Buddhists back then mainly used carts driven by animals like cows, oxen, bulls, and horses for transportation) for Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism, the primary form of Buddhism in North and East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Mongolia and parts of Russia, is sometimes known as Northern Buddhism. The group that contradict the Mahayana Buddhists are the Theravada Buddhists.
Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism have different beliefs. Mahayana Buddhism believes in many different Buddhas that came after the real Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The different Buddhas that came after Siddhartha also shared the same beliefs as Siddhartha, and were highly respected by the Mahayana Buddhists. The Theravada Buddhists, however, only respected the actual Buddha and did not show reverence towards the other Buddhas.
The Mahayana Buddhists use the Holy Book of Buddhism, the Tripitaka, Sutras and the belief of Dharma. The Mahayana Buddhists, unlike the Theravadas, do not just mainly focus on enlightenment and liberation from sins. Their focus is also on taking care of other species –humans and animals and helping each other coexist together.
The Mahayana Buddhism itself is an example of an upaya because an upaya is a method or a skillful mean. The Mahayana Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism which teaches its own style of life and differs from other schools of Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism Values life believes that killing an animal for food is a sin. If a person bases his life on the beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism, he will have a better chance of achieving enlightenment and nirvana. Mahayana Buddhism is one of the two main schools of Buddhist teachings.
Revelation is the indication of supernatural origin of a set of beliefs or sacred texts.
Buddhism is known as a revealed religion. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, is regarded as a prophet chosen by god. Buddhism was not based on a revelation, but people claim that when Buddha saw people going through hard times, he proclaimed that people must end all sorrows and negativity in order to fulfill their goal in life. Bibliography
"A Basic Buddhism Guide: Differences BetweenTheravada and Mahayana." A Basic Buddhism Guide: Differences BetweenTheravada and Mahayana.Buddha Dharma Education Association, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.
"Indulgences." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company,1910. 10 May 2014
F., Matthew, and Bronwyn Harris. "What Is Mahayana Buddhism?" WiseGeek. Conjecture, 04 Sept. 2014. Web. 10 May 2014.
Leighton, Taigen D. "Www.MTSource.org." Www.MTSource.org. Mountain Source Sangha, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. "Lotus Sutra." Buddhist Sutra -. Buddhasutra.com, n.d. Web. 10 May
2014. "Mahayana Buddhism: The "Greater Vehicle"" Mahayana Buddhism. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.