amitabha and shakyamuni

[241], In the Japanese Tendai school, the Lotus Stra is an important part of Taimitsu ("Tendai esotericism") where it is part of certain rituals, such as the "Lotus rite" (Hokke ho), "performed to eradicate sin, build merit, and realize awakening." The Buddha affirms that he has taught all of these bodhisattvas himself in the remote past after attaining Buddhahood. riputra is happy to have heard this new teaching, but says that some in the assembly are confused. The production of these works, which included Lotus Stra manuscripts themselves, could become highly ritualized processes. [72] Then a voice is heard from within praising the Lotus Stra. The next eight chapters demonstrate that the effect of the three vehicles is also the effect of the one vehicle. It could also refer to the storing, enshrining and safekeeping of the physical copies of the sutra. [44], The Buddha transmits the Lotus Stra to all bodhisattvas in his congregation and entrusts them with its safekeeping and its propagation far and wide. Because the Buddha uses skillful means in this way, he should not be seen as a liar, but as an intelligent teacher. [257] In the work Kanwa taisho myoho renge-kyo, a compendium of more than 120 collections of poetry from the Heian period, there are more than 1360 poems with references to the Lotus Stra in just their titles. [242] Other passages from the sutra have been seen as promoting certain ways of living. [108][109][note 4], Chapter 27: Former Affairs of King Wonderful Adornment, This chapter tells the story of the conversion of King 'Wonderful-Adornment' by his two sons. "[152] Daosheng was also known for promoting the concept of Buddha nature and the idea that even deluded people will attain enlightenment. Those who see his world as a paradise awaken his enlightenment energy. "[29] The biography and apparent death (paranirvana, "final nirvana") of Sakyamuni Buddha (i.e. "[117] Jacqueline Stone and Stephen F. Teiser meanwhile write that "it is perhaps no exaggeration to say that the Lotus Stra has been the most influential Buddhist scripture in East Asia. In Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese, the same Chinese characters used for Amitbha are used to represent his name, though they are pronounced slightly differently: In addition to transliteration, the name Amitbha has also been translated into Chinese using characters which, taken together, convey the meaning "Infinite Light": (Wlinggung). Already during the Tang Dynasty, Daoxuan (596667) was writing that the Lotus Stra was "the most important sutra in China". [9] Nichiren Buddhists often chant this phrase while facing a "great mandala" (daimandara), or "revered object of worship" (gohonzon), a practice that was promoted by Nichiren himself. The Miraculous Tales of the Lotus Sutra[261] is a collection of 129 stories with folklore motifs based on "Buddhist pseudo-biographies."[262]. [241], The Lotus Stra also mentions the six paramitas and the eightfold path. Let us go all the way to the source: Shakyamuni Buddha himself, the historical Buddha. The presiding Buddha of this western paradise is sometimes referred to as Amitabha-Infinite Light and other The Buddha says that the merits of teaching the sutra is immeasurable and that any place where it is being taught or copied is a holy place. Then one day he announces his identity and the son is overjoyed. For Zhiyi, the key message of the first part is the One Vehicle, while the key message of the second half (the fundamental teaching of the whole text) is the immeasurable lifespan of the Buddha. The bodhisattvas from other world systems say they will help the Buddha teach this sutra here, but the Buddha says their help is not neededhe has many bodhisattvas here. [32], According to Paramrtha (499569 CE), there were over fifty Indian commentaries on the Lotus. The chanting of the title is the basic religious practice he advocated during his lifetime. Nichiren Buddhists believe that this phrase contains the meaning of the entire sutra and contains and supersedes all other Buddhist practices (which are seen as provisional and no longer effective). [119], According to Donald Lopez "the general scholarly consensus is that the Lotus Stra took shape in four phases." [227][228][229][230][231][232][233][234], Translations into French,[235] Spanish[236] and German[237][238] are also based on Kumarajiva's Chinese text. [44], Chapter 7: A Past Buddha and the Illusory City, The Buddha tells a story about a past Buddha called Mahbhijjnbhibh, who reached awakening after aeons under the Bodhi tree and then taught the four noble truths and dependent origination. [68], Chapter 9: Prophecies for the Learners and Adepts, nanda, Rhula, and two thousand bhikus aspire to get a prophecy, and the Buddha predicts their future Buddhahood. These beings will developed excellent qualities and attain Buddhahood. [22] Even those, who practice only simple forms of devotion, such as paying respect to the Buddha, or drawing a picture of the Buddha, are assured of their future Buddhahood. He lives in the West (represented as a meditating Buddha) and works for the enlightenment of all beings (represented as a blessing Buddha). [225][226], After the Second World War, scholarly attention to the Lotus Stra was inspired by renewed interest in Japanese Buddhism as well as archeological research in Dunhuang in Gansu, China. [200][201] While noting the importance of several Japanese New Religious Movements to Lotus Stra scholarship, Lopez focuses on the contributions made by the lay groups Reiyukai and Soka Gakkai and Stone discusses the contributions of the Soka Gakkai and Rissh Ksei Kai. [138][139][note 8] It was initially held that the source text was in Sanskrit, however, the view that the source text was actually in a Prakrit language has gained widespread acceptance. [9] Numerous figures in the sutra receive predictions of future Buddhahood, including the ultimate Buddhist villain Devadatta. [188] He believed that establishing the true Dharma of the Lotus in Japan would lead to lasting peace and he identified with the bodhisattva Viiacritra, leader of the bodhisattvas of the earth which appear in chapter 15.[189]. His nineteenth vow promises that he, together with his bodhisattvas and other blessed Buddhists, will appear before those who, at the moment of death, call upon him. [9][241] Likewise, the telling of miracle stories and composition of literature based on the Lotus Stra was also seen as another way to practice its teachings. In some versions of the stra, Dharmkara is described as a former king who, having come into contact with Buddhist teachings through the buddha Lokevararja, renounced his throne. : hben), which refers to how Buddhas teach in many ways adapted to the needs of their disciples. This was to be recited in front of a gohonzon ("object of veneration"). [44], The Buddha prophesies the future Buddhahood of Mahkyapa, Mahmaudgalyyana, Subhti, and Mahktyyana. His mantra in Shingon Buddhism is On amirita teizei kara unJapanese: , which represents the underlying Indic form o amta-teje hara h. The Buddha prophecies that the six thousand nuns who are also present, including Mahprajpat and Yaodhar, will all become Buddhas.[79][44]. According to Stone and Teiser, for Zhiyi "the dharma body is the truth that is realized; the reward body is the wisdom that realizes it; and the manifest body, a compassionate expression of that wisdom as the human buddha who lived and taught in this world. Galleries: Sakyamuni Buddha | Amitabha Buddha | Avalokitesvara Boddhisatva | Three Pure Land Sages | Samantabhadra Bodhisattva |. [174] Saich taught that the Dragon king's daughter story was evidence for this direct path (jikid) to Buddhahod which did not require three incalculable eons. [253], Tamura refers to the "Lotus Stra literary genre. [55] They tell the parable of the poor son and his rich father (sometimes called the "prodigal son" parable). saddharmavipralopa, Jp. This page was last edited on 9 August 2023, at 00:09. Amitbha is the center of a number of mantras in Vajrayana practices. Those who have faith in the sutra have already made offerings to past Buddhas and they do not need to build stupas or temples. In Vajrayana, Amitbha is the most ancient of the Dhyani Buddhas. When the Buddha said that the buddha vehicle was the one vehicle, he was exaggerating. [15], Another important teaching of the Lotus Stra is that all beings can become Buddhas. [204] Nichiren-inspired Buddhist organizations have shared their interpretations of the Lotus Stra through publications, academic symposia, and exhibitions. This miracle lasts for a hundred thousand years. Amityus being a compound of amita ("infinite") and yus ("life"), and so means "he whose life is boundless". [256] Far more poems have been Lotus Stra-inspired than other sutras. This behavior would often lead to the persecution of Nichiren and Nichiren Buddhists. [130] It is cited by Indian Buddhists such as Vasubandhu (in his commentary on the Mahynasagraha), Candrakrti (Madhyamakvatra-bhya), ntideva, Kamalala and Abhaykaragupta. [157][187] According to Stone, Nichiren believed that "the immanent Buddha realm is an ever-present reality" which one could access by this practice. [163][164][34], Due to the religious and sacred emphasis on the Buddhist text, some East Asian traditions have compiled the Lotus Stra together with two other sutras which serve as a prologue and epilogue, The combination of these three Sutras is often called the Threefold Lotus Stra or Three-Part Dharma Flower Sutra (Chinese: ; pinyin: Fhu Snb jng; Japanese: Hokke Sambu ky). He possesses infinite merit resulting from good deeds over countless past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmkara. [48] He also says that his ways are inconceivable. [215] Burnouf's French translation of a Nepalese Sanskrit manuscript of the Lotus Stra, titled "Le Lotus de la bonne loi traduit du Sanscrit accompagn dun commentaire et de vingt et un mmoires relatifs au Buddhisme", was published posthumously in 1852. [60][61][62] The Buddha explains that the magic city represents the "Hinayana Nirvana", created merely as a rest stop by the Buddha, and the real treasure and ultimate goal is Buddhahood. In this view, which is very influential in Tiantai and Japanese Buddhism, "this world and the pure land are not, ultimately, separate places but are in fact non dual. "[36], According to Gene Reeves the first part of the sutra "elucidates a unifying truth of the universe (the One Vehicle of the Wonderful Dharma)", the second part "sheds light on the everlasting personal life of the Buddha (Everlasting Original Buddha); and the third part emphasizes the actual activities of human beings (the bodhisattva way)."[37]. [144] The Sanskrit editions[145][146][147][148] are not widely used outside of academia. WebAttributes: Shakyamuni, Amitabha and Medicine Buddha each hold a begging bowl in the lap. In the Theravada teachings of Buddhism there is really only one Buddha that is being discussed: the historical [141][142][143][note 10] According to Jean-Nol Robert, Kumrajva relied heavily on the earlier version. Hiei", "From scholarly object to religious text - the story of the Lotus-sutra in the West", "Literal means and hidden meanings: a new analysis of skillful means", "Editors' Introduction: The "Lotus Sutra" in Japan", "Introduction to the Sanskrit Lotus Sutra Manuscripts", "The Saddharmapundarika and Sunyata Thought", "Vehicle (yna) and Wisdom (jna) in the Lotus Sutra the Origin of the Notion of yna in Mahayna Buddhism", "The Buddhist "Prodigal Son": A Story of Misconceptions", "Dogen's Appropriation of Lotus Sutra Ground and Space", "How Did the Indian Masters Read the Lotus Sutra? In Tibetan Buddhism, Amityus is also one of the three deities of long life (Amityus, White Tara and Uavijay). "[9], The One Vehicle is associated with the Mahyna ("Great Vehicle"), which is a path that rejects the cutting off of rebirth (the individual nirvana or "extinction" of the Buddhist saint) and seeks to heroically remain in the world of suffering to help others attain awakening, all while working towards complete Buddhahood. [32] This version most closely matches the Chinese version of Jnagupta and Dharmagupta, as well as the Nepalese Sanskrit version. Another parable found in some versions says that just like a potter makes different types of pots from the same clay, the Buddha teaches the same One Vehicle in different forms. He says that this teaching has led countless bodhisattvas, as many as the sands of the Ganges, to various levels of spiritual accomplishment. The Sanskrit form of the mantra of Amitbha is (Devanagari: o amitbha hr), which is pronounced in Japanese as Namu Amida Butsu and in its Tibetan version as Om ami dewa hri (Sanskrit: o amideva hr). The following chapter by chapter overview is based on the expanded Chinese version of Kumrajva, the most widely translated version into other languages. [67] Zimmermann noted the similarity with the nine parables in the Tathgatagarbha Stra that illustrate how the indwelling Buddha in sentient beings is hidden by negative mental states. The Lotus Stra was also a key source for Dgen (12001253), the Japanese founder of St Zen Buddhism. The Rinzai Zen master Hakuin Ekaku (16871768) achieved enlightenment while reading the third chapter of the Lotus Stra. He dates the third stage (Chapters 2227) around 150 CE. [159] According to Lopez and Stone, Zhiyi's view of the Lotus was an inclusive vision which had a place for every Buddhist sutra, teaching and practice. This concept of Buddhist pedagogical strategies is often explained through parables or allegories. [239], According to Gene Reeves, "the Lotus Stra frequently advocates concrete practices, which are often related to the sutra itself. :; ychng), the supreme and all encompassing path that leads to Buddhahood. [44] The hearing and chanting of the Lotus Stra is also said to cure diseases. Are Amitabha and Sakyamuni the same? - Buddhism Follow What Shakyamuni Buddha Says in the Pure Land [249], Motifs from the Lotus Stra figure prominently in the Dunhuang caves built in the Sui era. [11] As the Buddha states in the Lotus Stra: "Ever since I became a buddha, I have used a variety of causal explanations and a variety of parables to teach and preach, and countless skillful means to lead living beings. This article is about the Buddha. [175][176] These esoteric influences also led to the development of the Tendai concept of original enlightenment (hongaku hmon). It is attributed to Vasubandhu (but this has been questioned by scholars). [9], Like Zhiyi, the Japanese Tendai school (as well as the Nichiren tradition which is influenced by Tendai) divided the Lotus Stra into two parts, the trace or provisional teachings (shaku-mon, Chapters 114) and the essential teaching (hon-mon, Chapters 1522) of the true and original Buddha. [citation needed]. WebBuddhism. "[18] According to Reeves, the story of the little Dragon Girl promotes the idea that women can also become Buddhas just like monks. [32] The idea that the sutra was originally in prakrit remains a contested claim among both secular and religious historians. The basic doctrines concerning Amitbha and his vows are found in three canonical Mahyna texts:[3]. He lived and taught in India in the sixth century B.C.E., a time of burgeoning religious and philosophical thought from "[34], In a similar fashion, Etai Yamada (19001999), the 253rd head priest of the Tendai denomination conducted ecumenical dialogues with religious leaders around the world based on his inclusive interpretation of the Lotus Stra, which culminated in a 1987 summit. "[15], The sutra is presented in the form of a drama consisting of several mythological scenes. One of the oldest Japanese texts is the Hokke Gisho, a commentary on the Lotus Stra based on the Chinese commentary by Fayun (467529 CE). While this doctrine was fully embraced by the Madhyamaka school, the Yogcra school saw the Lotus Stra as a provisional text. [9], Chinese exegetes also disagreed on whether the Buddha of the Lotus Stra had an infinite life or a finite life (of immeasurable length) as well as on the issue of whether the ultimate, primordial Buddha of the Lotus referred to the Dharma-body (dharmakaya), to the reward body (sambhogakaya), or to the manifest, physical body (nirmanakaya). [160], Zhiyi also linked the teachings of the Lotus Stra with the Buddha nature teachings of the Mahyna Mahparinirva Stra. [44], According to Lopez, the Lotus "is clearly a work of high literary quality. Instead, the modern organization teaches that only the sincere recitation of the daimoku is the "Doctrine of Essential Teaching" and that this does not require any clerical priesthood or temples since the true sangha comprises all people "who believe in the Buddha Dharma of Nichiren". With this framework, the historical Sakyamuni Buddha is

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