ME06

Origins of Mahāyāna and the Earliest Mahāyāna Sutras

ME06  28-02-2011      (2:00 to 3:00)

(Class Notes Only)

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The talk is about the Nikāyas, the collection of the original teachings of the historical Buddha. The collection of the original teachings by the Buddha is known as the Nikāyas in the Pāli tradition, and as the Ᾱgamas in the Chinese tradition. Many years after the passing away of the Buddha, Buddhism split into different sects. Most of the records of the teachings of early Buddhism were lost with the demise of Buddhism in India. The Pāli Nīkāyas, which survived in Sri Lanka via the Theravada school of Buddhism.

Theravada means “teachings of the elders.” Theravada Buddhism is the dominant form of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Most Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos follow this school of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhists look to the Pali Canon of the Tripitaka. They point to Buddha himself in their belief that each person must find the way to enlightenment and Nīrvarna alone. They see Buddha as only a man. They do not worship him nor do they pray to him.

Mahāyāna means “greater vehicle.” The term implied that there were different ways to attain Nirvana. Theravada Buddhism was referred to as Hinayāna Buddhism. Hinayāna means “lesser vehicle.” Mahāyāna Buddhists believe that people need the help of others in attaining Nirvana. They rely on bodhisattvas. A bodhisattva is someone who has already become enlightened and chooses to be reborn again for this reason. The most important celestial is Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara is thought to “look down” on earth and protect people. He is the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In the Himalayan nation of Tibet. Avalokiteshvara is believed to be reincarnated in the person of the Dali Lama. Mahāyāna Buddhism spread to the northern Asia nations of China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. 

Then, the Agamas, which passed from northern India to China. Each of these contains four collections, with names carrying largely identical meanings in Pali: 

          1. Digḥa Nikāya, collection of long discourses,
          2. Majjhīma Nikāya, collection of middle-length discourses,
          3. Samyuṭṭa Nikāya, collection of themed discourses,
          4. Anguṭṭara Nikāya, collection of "increase by one" discourses.
The main difference between the Nikāyas and Ᾱgamas: All the Nikāyas are from the same school of Buddhism, which is the Theravada school. In contrast, the Chinese translators chose the collection from a different school for each Ᾱgama. There is probably a governing purpose deeper. Similar purpose: Dīgha Nikāya, (digha is"long") consists of 34 suttas, including the longest ones in the Canon: Mahāparinibbāna sutta, Mahāpadana Suttas and Lakkhana suttas, etc., and also Mahāvaga pāli, Mahākkhandhaka Pāli.

In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, Asura Krishna, with Krishna, the god, as little as from the fact that Buddha had very dark hair (susukalakeso) we should look upon him as in any way, "Gotamo daharo va samāno yuva susukālakeso bhadrena yobbanena samannāgato pathamena vayasā agārasmā anagāriyam pabbajito akamakanam mata pitunam assUmukhanam".

Majjhīma Nikāya, consists of 152 suttas of varying length. These range from some of the most profound and difficult suttas in the Canon to engaging stories full of human pathos and drama that illustrate important principles of the law of kamma, consisting of Ariyapariyesana Sutta (The Noble Search). This is an autobiographical account of Buddha's life after enlightenment. As Khandhakas, opens with an historical account of how the Buddha attained Supreme Enlightenment at the foot of the Bodhi tree, how he discovered the famous law of Dependent Origination, how he gave his first sermon to the Group of Five Bhikkhus on the discovery of the Four Noble Truths.

"Iti pi so bhagava araham ‘sammasambuddho’ vijjacharana sampanno sugato lokavidu anuttaro purisa dhamma sarati satta deva manussanam buddho bhagava ti".

Anguttara Nikaya, consists of several thousand short suttas. Khuddaka Nikāya, consisting of fifteen books (eighteen in the Burmese edition), they are-
          1. Suṭṭa Nipāta (The Sutta Collection)
          2. Buddḥavamsa (History of the Buddhas)
          3. Apādāna (Stories)
          4. Cariyāpitaka (Basket of Conduct)
          5. Udāna (Exclamations)
          6. Jātaka (Birth Stories), etc.
The Sutta Nipata, the fifth book of the Khuddaka Nikāya, consists of 71 short suttas divided into five chapters (vaggas). There are, consisting of Pabbaja Sutta, King Bimbisara, struck by the young Buddha's radiant demeanor, follows him to the mountains to discover who he is and whence he comes. Hemavata Sutta is really a short piece. In fact, it is the second of the discourses of the Buddha, for it was delivered just afer the Dhammacakka Sutta, the Buddha’s first discourse. The Hemavata Sutta, which was delivered on the night of the same day as the Dhammacakka Sutta. The Sutta Pitaka, the second division of the Tipitaka, consists of
more than 10,000 suttas and shortly after the Buddha's forty-five year teaching career, as well as many additional verses by other members of the Sangha.

In the Lālita Sutta: “Evam me sutam, Ekam samayam Bhagavā Bârânasiyam viharati Isipatane Migadâye Me evamsutam. Ekam samayam Bagavâ Bârânasiyam Isipatane Migadâye viharati.” The Lālita Vistara differs a good deal in minor details, but is substantially the same as regards the Noble Truths, and the eight divisions of the Noble Path. It would be difficult to estimate too highly the historical value of this Sutta. The name given to it by the early Buddhists the setting in motion onwards of the royal chariot-wheel of the supreme dominion of the Dhamma. According to Mahāyāna, this Lālita Suttra is 800 years old.

By Ashin Indaka(Kyone Pyaw)