Ian S. Banwell - Module 5 Assignment

Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity, Islam, Wicca, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism – Comparisons and Contrasts Ian S. Banwell Grand Canyon University November 29, 2008

Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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Theravada Buddhism continues for individuals following its tenets to include one Buddha leading a faith mainly formed in order to relieve the grasping and thirsting, associated with suffering so very much related to the actions that include ignorance and the cycle termed samsara of birth, death and Rebirth. There is associated evolvement or resolution of this chain by way of the Eightfold Path to a Nirvana mostly devoid of any real grasp for physical corporality or happiness to essentially a right middle path of living without many of these aforementioned undesirable actions. Both Mayhana and Tibetan Buddhism differs markedly in many other respects; however. Mayhana Buddhism holds that the Buddha could represent anyone, even to the extent that there are fervent believers in Bodhisattvas, who assist other humans with pressing difficulties while living out lives quite removed from the mundane and some who are in the afterlife or on Earth. This allowed the spread of Mayhana Buddhism into China and led to Mayhana representing part of Buddhism, continuing into Korea and it is practiced in three interesting ways as well. This includes the four sects, 1) the Pure Land Sect that believes there are many Buddhas which control different Buddha lands in Heaven; including the ever more expanding Amitabha. The Pure Land Sect believes deeply that monks can marry, spreading a message to the people that they might attend services and have congregations to the monks with faith in the aforementioned Amitabha for hope to live in paradise, or a pure land very different indeed than the concept in Theravada traditional type

Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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Buddha where there is no eternal planned for soul that raises to another location, 2) the Intuitive Sects including the acceptance that real truth is a measure of flashes of realization or some insight sought out originally by the Buddha who, after studying with a group of Brahmin gurus, found much more success elsewhere in meditation towards his most insightful reception of special knowledge he is known to have possessed among other Buddhists who are the other meditating members of this aspect of Buddhist faith in the divine pursuit , 3) the studious Rationalist Sect who maintains that in addition to Meditation, study in the Buddha, scripture and rational thought or discourse seemingly offers more than simply devout meditation or; finally 4) the influential Sociopolitical Sect led by study in Lotus Supra, later transformed through enlightenment subsequently into their leader deemed Nichiren where some two million followers arise from the religion itself Soka Gokkai. The main difference then between the Theravadas and Mayhana Buddhist are listed below in a larger graphic included here below as a colorful, keyed chart, too. The differences in Tibetan Buddhism are striking; as well, in that rather than seeking out the Exacting Buddhism practiced by the Theravada Buddhists, or the intuitive, studious, Pure Land Advocates of attaining paradise or reformist Sociopolitical Mayhana Buddhist sects, the Tibetan monks were originally concerned with recantations of sacred words to will away evil demons from their rougher terrain in the early periods. In addition, they believe that the best use of Buddhism as they

Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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practice it today can help with real world issues such as births unencumbered of evil spirits or Enlightenment in following yet another, newer Buddha, their ever more compassionate leader in faith Bodhisattva Avolakiteshvara, who removes his ardent supporters from the violent world, itself. While the three parts of most of the world’s Buddhists are different, and they might share similar aspects of the faith, much of the remaining emphasis is placed on individual, important diffences among the three as they practice their form of a new or brighter enlightenment through China and even in the disruptive land of Mongolia. The scene of the recent disputes between what the Chinese leadership in the capital Begin often sees as dissent worthy of cracking down upon; recently, Mongolia and its Tibetan monks led by the exiled Dalia Llama represent only one example of the differences, diversity and vast religious landscape of Buddhism around the world.

Ti be ta n

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Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

Th er av ad a

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M ah ay an a

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Belief in Heavenly aspect Belief in Divine Grace Belief in Revelation Ongoing Possible Belief in Good Witchcraft Did not Limit Sc rip to Gautama

Ch ris tia ni ty

Isl am

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Belief in No Individual Spirit Belief in Individual Spirit Belief in God or No God Belief in God or Gods Inherent Belief in Afterlife

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100

150

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Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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References Fingesten, P. (1956). East Is East: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, a Comparison (Working paper). ATLA Religion Database. Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia:

Muhlenberg Pr. Retrieved November 29, 2008,

from the ATLA Serials database. Hopfe, L. M. (2007,2005,2004,2001,1998). Buddhism (M. R. Woodward, Ed.). In L. M. Hopfe (Author), & M. R. Woodward (Ed.), Religions of the World (10th ed., pp. 123-150). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. McDERMOTT, M.A., Ph.D., J. P. (Ed.). (2008, November 29). BUDDHISM. Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 29, 2008, from http://firstsearch.oclc.org.library.gcu.edu:2048/webz/fsquery?format=bi :next=html/records.html:bad=html/records.html:numrecs=10:sessioni d=fsapp6-34516-fo58gpyrz92fp0:entitypagenum=8:0:searchtype=basic

Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND

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