Three Vehicles Of Buddhism

Three Vehicles as an Expedient Device of Buddha Milan Shakya MA in Buddhist Studies Tribhuvan University

1. Introduction First and foremost, Śākyamuni Buddha in his previous life engendered great compassion for the sentient beings trapped in the suffering of Saṃsāra. Afterwards, out of that great compassion, he made a great resolution saying, “I will take upon my shoulder the great responsibility of liberating all sentient beings from their suffering and filling their lives with the supreme happiness.” In this way, he first generated Bodhicitta. Thereafter he took numerous lives and practiced six perfections, thereby perfecting both accumulation of merit and wisdom (Skt: puṇyasambhāra and jñānasambhāra). In this way, after completely eliminating both afflictive and cognitive obscuration (Skt: kleśāvaraṇa and jñeyāvaraṇa), He became Buddha Śākyamuni. Śākyamuni Buddha during forty five years after his enlightenment presented a vast array of instructions, both conventional and unconventional. First are the conventional teachings including the preliminary phase of Buddhism (later called Hīnayāna) and the Mahāyāna. The Buddha gave these teachings in the three turnings of the Wheel of Dharma. Each turning contains a comprehensive approach to the spiritual path, including both the general way we should regard reality, “view” (Tib: tawa) or doctrinal explanation, as well as practices (Tib: druppa) to be carried out to actualize that view. Second are the unconventional instructions contained in the Vajrayāna. It is in the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna that the entire view of Buddha’s teachings is articulated and brought to its full maturation, while the Vajrayāna comprises a particularly potent and extensive set of meditation practices through which the view may be realized. Because the Vajrayāna addresses primary practice and does not present a new and distinctive view, it usually is not considered a separate turning of the wheel of Dharma. It is interesting to note that the Buddha never attempted to formulate a philosophical system, but rather all these three turnings including the teachings of Vajrayāna were directed towards the needs and spiritual proclivities of every person and audience that he encountered. Buddhists compare the Buddha to a skilled physician, who prescribes the proper remedy for every ailment. As A. K. Warder has noted, It is most characteristic of the Buddha that he always adapts his talk to the person he is conversing with. His courtesy in argument results from this: it is certainly not his way to denounce the opinions and practices of another -1-

to his face and challenge him to justify them. His method rather is to seem to adopt the other’s point of view and then by question and answer to improve on it until a position compatible with his own has been arrived at. Thus he leads his partner in discussion towards the truth as he has discovered it, but so that the partner seems himself to continue his own quest, in whatever form it had taken, and to arrive at higher truths than he had previously been aware of, or more convincing moral ideas.

2. Three Turnings (dharmacakrapravartana, chökhor sum) The Lord Buddha Śākyamuni was an epitome of wisdom and compassion. He was only the person who had the greatest and perfect skillful means to tame sentient beings of any type. This is a specially quality of the Buddha or one of the thirty-two and eighty marks of the Buddha. In order words, the Buddha was extremely skilful in leading sentient beings of any proclivities, inclinations and types to the noble way by making use of diverse techniques and tactics (Skt: upāyakauśalya). That’s why he gave his teachings based on the inclination, motivation, character, capacity and situation of the sentient beings to be tamed. Śākyamuni Buddha gave a great variety of teachings in different places at different times all garnered into Three turnings and 84 thousand bodies of teachings (Skt: dharmaskandha). But all his teachings had only one goal : to free sentient beings from their suffering and its causes viz. passion, hatred and delusion (Skt: rāga, dveṣa and moha) and lead them to the supreme state of nirvāṇa or liberation. Liberation or nirvāṇa is only essence of all his teachings whether they be Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna and Mahāyāna or Vajrayāna.

2.1 The First Turning of the Wheel : Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna Seven weeks after the enlightenment, the Buddha traveled through Vāraṇasī to the Deer Park of Sarnath. There, he gave the teachings fundamental to all schools of Buddhism: the four noble truths (Skt: caturāryasatya), the three marks of existence (Skt: trilakṣaṇa), the four laws of the Dharma, and the twelve links of Dependent Origination (Skt: dvādaśāṅga pratītyasamutpāda). The details are as follows: a. Place: Sarnath, Ṛṣipatana Mṛgadāvana b. Audience: Five Ascetic monks (pañcabhadrīya varga), Śrāvaka

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c. Contents: Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, Three Characterics of Samsara: Impermanence, Suffering and Egolessness (Skt: anitya, duḥkha and anātma). d. Feature: Self-existence of dharmas (Skt: dharma sasvabhāvatā), Vinaya e. Teachings adopted by: Śrāvaka, Pratyeka Buddha f. Future Classification and development: 18 nikayas, 6 branching off from Stharaviravāda and 11 branching off from Mahāsāṅghikas. Now the only nikāya of these eighteen is Theravāda. g. Nature of teaching: Preliminary teachings to enter the way of Buddha to free oneself from the suffering of Saṃsāra. h. Stage: This is a first stage of the way before entering into the Buddhist Path. i. Collection: Pāli Tipiṭaka. The teachings of the First turning reveal the way in which sentient beings are conditioned by ignorance of the true nature of existence and so perpetuate suffering from one moment to the next, throughout endless cycles of birth and death. The primary cause of suffering is the belief in a self (Skt: satkāyadṛṣṭi or ātmagrāha); thus, the cessation of suffering comes ith the complete understanding that the self has no reality. The Buddha presented the First Turning teachings to break through the veil of apparent enjoyment that masks the truth of suffering inherent in existence. Desiring to put an end to pain and sorrow, individuals who can hear these teachings abandon clinging to the cycles of delusion and suffering. Through mastering these teachings, they attain a limited form of nirvāṇa: the cessation of suffering and attainment of peace. These teachings are the basis for the ways to enlightenment known as the Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna. The most extensie collections of First Turning teachings are preserved in Pāli and Chinese canons.

2.2 The Second Turning Wheel of Dharma (Mahāyāna I) This is the Medieval period of the turning of the wheel of Dharma. The details are as follows: a. Place: Vulture Peak Mountail near Rājagṛha, b. Audience: Bodhisattvas and Śrāvakas c. Contents: “All phenomena are empty of its characteristics, signless, beginningless, without end and so on. Wisdom and compassion to work for the benefit of others. d. Feature: the teaching of Emptiness -3-

e. Teachings adopted by: Bodhisattvas or Mahāyāna. f. Future Classification and development: Mādhyamika g. Nature of teaching: The profound Mahāyāna teaching to understand the wisdom and work for the benefit of others. h. Collection: Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, Sanskrit Tripiṭaka. The teachings of the Second and Third Turnings, much more difficult to comprehend, provide the path to complete liberation. These teachings are the basis for the way of enlightenment known as the Bodhisattvayāna. While the First Turning teachings reveal the emptiness of the self, the Second Turning teachings demonstrate the emptiness of all elements of reality, transcending all limits and extreme views (Skt: antagrāha dṛṣṭi). As already said, revealing the Prajñāpāramitā, the transcendent wisdom that “crosses over” to fully enlightened knowledge, the Second Turning teachings proclaim that no thing, no phenomena, no element of existence, exists in and of itself. The teachings of the Second Turning are the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, which convey the Perfection of Wisdom in lengthy texts of 100000, 25000, 18000, 10000 and 8000 lines. Shorter expressions of the Prajñāpāramitā teachings include the Diamond Sūtra and the Heart Sūtra.

2.3 The Third Turning Wheel of Dharma (Mahāyāna II) The Buddha turned the wheel of the Dharma for a third time at Vaiśālī and other places. Two turnings lie at the heart of the third turning. First, the Buddha taught that while all apparent reality is empty, it is not utterly non-existent, thus combatting any misunderstanding of the second turning as nihilistic. In this way, the Third turning teachings ascertain the ultimate nature of reality by means of an analysis in terms of the three natures of dharma (Skt: trisvabhāva): the imaginary, the dependent, and the absolute (Skt: parikalpita, paratantra and pariniṣpaṇṇa). Once we realize that our own version of reality is relatively worthless, we begin to make contact with a world that is resplendent. This is the teaching on luminosity, or prabhāsvara. Second, the Buddha articulated the teachings of Buddha nature. The Buddha’s third turning teachings are found in the Avataṃśaka Sūtra, Saṃdhinirmocana sūtra, Ratnakūta Sūtra, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra and a series of Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra. The third turning was held at Vaiśālī. The audiences were both Śrāvaka and Mahāyanist. The later development and school was Yogācāra. The Second and Third Turning teachings that have come down to us are just a portion of the original teachings, which are said to have been much more extensive. Hundreds of texts were lost, in part because of hostilities toward the Dharma, when monastic libraries were burned in the early centuries of the Christian era. Additional texts were lost -4-

in the later Muslim invasions of India. The Second and Third Turning texts that exist today were preserved in both the Tibetan and Chinese canons, while Sanskrit manuscripts of some works survive to the present day.

3. Why the Different Teachings of the Three Turnings? Why did the Buddha present these various teachings of the three turnings of the wheel of dharma? The answer has to do with the Buddha’s skillful means, or upāya, according to which he presented different teachings and practices to meet the varying needs and levels of sentient beings. According to the respected Nyingma teacher Tülku Urgyen Rinpoche: Through his immaculate wisdom, Buddha Śākyamuni always taught after taking into account the abilities of the recipients. In other words, he would not teach at a level above a person’s head. He adapted his teachings to what was suitable and appropriate to the listener. Therefore, we can say that those who heard his teachings only assimilated what was comprehensible to someone of their aptitude. Later, when they repeated what Buddha Śākyamuni had taught, their account was according to what they had perceived in their personal experience.

In Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, Mahāyāna sūtra, Śākyamuni Buddha gives an impressive parable in answer to why he preached these different teachings (Śrāvakayāna), Pratyekabuddhayāna and Mahāyāna in the three turnings. Suppose there was a rich man who had many children, living in a very large house. But the house was very old, full of refuses and was the haunt of birds, dogs, worms, reptiles, pretas, yakṣas and piśācas. It had a tottering roof of straw, and had only one door for exit. Once the rich man went out leaving his children in the house. The house suddenly caught fire. Meanwhile, the rich man came back and saw the house was in fire and also came to know that his children was indulged in their games in the house unaware that it was in fire. The father was very terrified and shouted at the top of his voice, “Oh sons, please come out of the house, it is in fire. But indulged as the children were in their play, they wouldn’t heed his father’s yelling. Finally the compassionate father had an idea. He knew his children’s inclinations and collected beautiful toy carts drawn by the bull but tempted the children by saying, “Oh children, please come out, I have brought here for you all the carts drawn by bull, goat and deer.” This time, listening to his father’s call, they rushed out of the house.” The expedient father then

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gave them each only single cart drawn by the bull, very expensive fast carriages, replete with all conceivable furnishings. Buddha then asked Śāriputra whether he would consider the father guilty of telling a lie. When Śāriputra answered in the negative, Buddha told him that he himself might be likened to the rich father, the house to the world burning with the fires of rāga, dveṣa and moha, the root cause of suffering. The sons were like the sentient beings of the world who are unmindful of the fire they are engulfed in. Just as the father out of great compassion wanted to make sure their sons run away from the house as soon as possible, the Buddha also out of his immeasurable compassion wants to take the sentient beings away from the world burning in the fire of suffering to the supremely blissful state. Just as the children in the house had different inclinations and natures and wouldn’t be easily led, so the sentient beings of the world have also different inclination. Just as the father knew the children’s different inclination and accordingly told them to take three different carts which they liked, the Buddha also through his omniscience see that the sentient beings of the world have different inclinations, but he had to lead them out of this painful saṃsāra by any means, so he devised three vehicles as a means to lead them away from the suffering and to the supremely blissful state. But just as the father actually gave the children not the cheap toy carts but the actual vehicles of a very high class, so the Buddha gave his disciples Buddhayāna. In fact, all the four yānas were of one nature and so Buddha could not be said to have told a lie by taking recourse to the expedient of teaching his dharma in three different ways, viz. Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna and Bodhisattvayāna.

Just as the above parable shows, all the Buddha wants is to free the sentient beings of all kinds of suffering and establish them on the supreme plane of happiness that is Buddhahood which he himself has achieved. But in only one way they cannot be tamed, so he devised different means to take them away from this saṃsāra full of suffering and establish them on Buddhahood. The three vehicles are only the means, not the ends themselves.

4. Three Vehicles in the Three Turnings The Buddha appeared in this world to provide the opportunity for others to realize the wisdom of complete awakening. Toward this purpose, the Buddha taught differently to different audiences. thus there arose three vehicles for liberation: the Śrāvakayāna, the Pratyekabuddhayāna, and the Bodhisattvayāna. The first two together are sometimes called the smaller vehicle, or Hīnayāna, while the Bodhisattvayāna is also known as the -6-

great vehicle or the Mahāyāna. Within the Mahāyāna is included the Vajrayāna, the diamond vehicle. The various teachings of the Buddha were not all made widely available at the same time. From an historical perspective, Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna follow one another in succession as more practitioners became able to hear the refined and subtle teachings. The eighteen early Śrāvaka schools, among which only Theravāda is surviving in a fullfledged tradition today were established in early centuries after the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa. The Mahāyāna schools arose later as the Second and Third Turning teachings were studied and practiced by more and more individuals. As this foundation was established, the Vajrayāna teachings were transmitted by the great Siddhas.

The Lesser Vehicle

The Three Yānas Śrāvakayāna Pratyekabuddhayāna

The Eighteen Sects Sūtrayāna1

The Greater Vehicle

Bodhisattva yāna

Mantrayāna

Yogācāra Mādhyamika Kriyā tantra Caryā tantra Yoga tantra Anuttarayoga

4. 1 Śrāvakayāna The followers of the Śrāvakayāna [vehicle of the listeners] are those who have understood the teachings of the First turning. Relying on what has been heard, they set out to liberate themselves from suffering and gain lasting peace, the goal of an Arhat. Śāriputra, Maudglyāyana, Rāhula, Ānanda, and other great Arhats possessed the direct transmission of these teachings. The Śrāvaka lives a life of purity, peacefulness, and renunciation. Applying antidotes to attachment, aversion, and confusion, practicing the path that leads toward deliverance from all suffering, the Śrāvaka strives over many lifetimes to attain the state of an Arhat. All efforts, study, practice, and discipline are directed toward this goal. The Śrāvakas are said to be the speech sons of the Buddha, embodying the Buddha’s communication and explications of the inner workings of Saṃsāra.

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Sutrayāna also includes the Pāli or the Nikāya suttas

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4. 2 Pratyekabuddhayāna The Pratyekabuddha realizes enlightenment without relying upon a teacher. Practicing for numerous lifetimes, the Pratyekabuddha accumulates knowledge and meritorious action to the extent that he is able to reach deliverance independently. In his final lifetime, he is born into a period when no Buddhas or Śrāvakas appear and ardently sets out to discover for himself the laws that govern existence. Relying on First Turning teachings, as does the Śrāvaka, the Pratyekabuddha focusses on interdependent co-operation, thereby realizing that the self is a fiction. The Lesser Vehicle (later known as Hīnayāna) Both Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna are known as Hīnayāna or the lesser vehicle (not to be taken as an insult, but the first and lesser step to advance towards the higher step). What the Buddha taught in the basic vehicle or the Hīnayāna is fundamentally the cause and result of saṃsāra and the cause and result of nirvāṇa. He showed that the cause of saṃsāra is the false imputation of a truly existent self and the resultant three poisons or the three root mental afflictions and that the result of the presence of this imputation of the self and the mental affliction is all the varying sufferings of saṃsāra, the pain and fear of the six realms. He also presented the cause of nirvāṇa, the cause of liberation from this suffering, which is the method one uses to free oneself from this, the path, which consists of the application of the four noble truths and the twelve links of interdependence. And he taught the result of this path which is the cessation of suffering or the transcendence of misery, nirvāṇa. This presentation is essentially the presentation of the four noble truths, two of which present the cause and result of samsara, and the latter two which present the cause and result of nirvāṇa. All the Hīnayāna teachings can basically be included in the four noble truths. The main practice in the Hīnayāna is the discipline of renunciation. This depends entirely upon the recognition that saṃsāra is suffering and the resultant disgust. If you want to have genuine renunciation, you must recognize the presence and pervasiveness of suffering. Obviously, if you do not recognize the presence of suffering, you will have no reason to earnestly seek liberation. So the basic practice first of all is to recognize the nature of saṃsāra to be the three sufferings, which produces genuine renunciation. It is for this reason that the Buddha's first teaching, the first truth presented among the four noble truths, is a clear presentation of the presence of suffering. Generally speaking, we all know that there’s lots of suffering in saṃsāra, but it’s hard sometimes to recognize ap-8-

pearances of pleasure as being essentially suffering as well. Essentially suffering is fear. Even when we are enjoying something, experiencing pleasure or happiness, we are filled with fear because when we possess or enjoy something pleasurable, we fear losing it. If we have a position or wealth, we live in fear of losing it. It doesn’t matter how much you have or how little you have, fear is fundamentally the same. If you are the ruler of a country, you fear losing that position, if you are a homeless beggar on the street, you fear losing that position. The fear of suffering, the fear not only of losing what you enjoy, but of encountering what you especially do not enjoy, is the same for a king or for a beggar. So if you clearly understand the pervasiveness of fear, then you understand how the basic nature of saṃsāra is suffering. If therefore you understand the truth of suffering (the first noble truth) and you recognize the presence of suffering, you will have genuine renunciation. This is basically the recognition that wherever you are born, whatever your circumstances are, in saṃsāra, it’s basically an experience of suffering. This renunciation is an absolutely necessary basis as well for the practice of the Mahāyāna, the great vehicle. Without genuine renunciation, genuine compassion is impossible. Compassion fundamentally consists of recognizing the suffering of others and as a result generating the intense desire that they be free from that suffering. If you do not see your own suffering and thereby do not recognize the pervasiveness of suffering, it is impossible for you to see or to empathize with the suffering of others. So if you do not have some degree of genuine renunciation, you cannot have a genuine or stable compassion. For that reason, renunciation is very important for Mahāyāna practice. Genuine renunciation leads to genuine compassion, which becomes the genuine aspiration to bring all beings to full awakening. So the main practice in the Hīnayāna is the cultivation of renunciation and the study of the four noble truths, leading to one's individual liberation.

4.3 Bodhisattvayāna The way of the Bodhisattva is inspired by the Second and Third Turning teachings that bring forth a fuller understanding of the nature of enlightenment, of human being, and of all existence. Based on a long-range vision of the stages of complete human development, the Bodhisattva path culminates in a nearly unimaginable goal: to assist all beings in attaining the full enlightenment of the Buddha. The realization that such a goal could be possible rests on insight into complete reality and unshakable confidence in the enlightened potential of human being. -9-

Those on the Bodhisattva path aspire to great wisdom and great compassion, for the benefit of themselves and others. The Bodhisattvas are said to be the heart sons of the Buddha, embodying the love of the Buddha for all beings. Within the Bodhisattvayāna are two ways of practicing: according to the Sūtras and according to the Tantras. So, Vajrayāna is not considered a vehicle separate from Bodhisattvayana or Mahāyāna, but a variety of Mahāyāna.

4.3.1 Sūtrayāna Practice The Mahāyāna path starts when you generate genuine bodhicitta. The path of the Sūtrayāna also called pāramitāyāna emphasizes wisdom and compassion and the practice of the six perfections: giving, discipline, patience, effort, meditative concentration, and wisdom. The perfection of wisdom or prajñā is the most powerful antidote to ignorance and confusion, transcending the very root of saṃsāra. This living realization develops not only through the practice of meditation, but also through understanding that becomes completely integrated into daily life. The development of the perfections is not accidental. Arising from the accumulation of meritorious actions and growth of understanding, it is clearly defined and predictable. The Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, the Abhisamayālaṅkāra, the Daśabhūmika and the Mahāyānasūtrālaṅkāra, among other texts set forth the details of specific stages and the dynamics of development from the initial levels of practice to the most advance realizations.

4.3.2 Mantrayāna Practice Sekodeśaṭikā mentions that Buddha gave the tantrik teaching in Dhānyakaṭaka, Āndhrapradeśa now to the select few gifted candidates. The Buddha did this simultaneously while turning the second wheel of the dharma. The tantric texts like Guhyasamāja also mentions the same. The Tantras encompass a vast number of texts and teachings, commentaries, and explanations that present a vision even broader than the vision of the Sūtras. The path based on the teachings of the Tantras, known as the Mantrayāna, emphasizes the practice of sādhana, the development (Skt: utpattikrama) and completion stages (Skt: sampannakrama) of meditation, and the skillful use of a great array of transformational techniques. Mantrayāna practice is elaborately structured in stages: preliminary practices (Tib: ngöndro), study of commentaries, formal initiations, and receiving pro-10-

found oral instructions. Essential to these studies and practices is a qualified teacher who possesses the full realization lineage the level of consciousness necessary to guide others through the advanced practices. To traverse the way of the Bodhisattva and fulfill the vision of awakening proclaimed in the Sutrayāna in a single lifetime requires the skilful knowledge uniquely transmitted within the Mantrayāna.

5. Unity of the Ways Although the Mahāyāna scriptures explain that the way of the Bodhisattva is greater than the way of the Śrāvaka in its orientation, practice, wisdom, effort, skilfulness, accomplishment, and activity, the way of the Śravaka is seen as the foundation for further study and practice that opens the gateways to the Mahāyāna. The heritage of the Śrāvaka tradition lives on the teachings of the Nikāya schools of which now only Theravāda is surviving as a fullfledged tradition. These fundamental teachings were also transmitted for centuries within the other Nikāya schools than Theravāda of the Mahāyana schools of India, China and Tibet. The Mahāyāna tradition preserved and continued the eight types of Saṅgha described in the Vinaya and Mahāyāna practitioners adhered to the Vinaya discipline as they followed the expansive and profound philosophical vision of the Mahāyāna. The greatest Mahāyāna masters were often at once renunciate monks, learned scholars and tantric siddhas, as can be seen from the lives of Nāgārjuna, Śāntideva and many others. Specially the Tibetan monks took up the Pratimokṣa vows of Śrāvaka, the Bodhisattva vows of Mahāyāna and the tantric vows of Vajrayāna at the same time. Thus the Tibetan tradition upholds three types of discipline: The Pratimokṣa monastic or lay vows, the Bodhisattva vows, and the Samaya vows of Vajrayāna. All the Tibetan schools transmit these three types of religious practice and practitioners may take three kinds of vows. Very advanced and accomplished practioners are able to understand the perfect unity of the three ways as a living pattern of knowledge. Their external practice follows the Śrāvakayāna, their internal practice follows the general Mahāyāna and their esoteric practice follows the Vajrayāna. Longchenpa explains the external, internal, and esoteric practices in terms of preliminary practices associated with each: Renunciation: “Awareness of impermanence and disgust with saṃsāra are the external preliminaries.” -11-

Bodhicitta: Compassion and the thought of enlightenment are the special preliminaries. They bring everything into the Mahāyāna path. “Therefore at the beginning activate these two preliminaries. Thereafter comes the most sublime preliminaries of the Vajrayana.” The most beautiful and profound aspects of each vehicle are uplifted within the next most advanced vehicle, where they are preserved and yet transformed. Inspired by the compassion and wisdom of the Mahāyāna, the practitioner of the Bodhisattvayāna takes up practices of the Śrāvakayāna, but without being bound by limited views or goals. Śāntideva explains that higher teachings reveal the limitations of teachings that are lower and enable the practitioner to transcend those limitations. Whereas the Mahāyāna encompasses the Śrāvakayāna, the Śrāvakayāna cannot encompass the profound vision and practices of the Mahāyāna. Likewise the Vajrayāna embraces the complete Mahāyāna teachings, while presenting the broader vision and effective means conveyed in the Tantras. The Hevajra Tantra also clearly states:

pauṣadhaṃ dīyate prathamaṃ tadanu sikṣāpadaṃ dasam / vaibhāsyaṃ tatra deśata sūtrāntaṃ vai punastathā // yogācāraṃ tataḥ paścāt tadanu madhyamakaṃ diśet / sarvamantranayaṃ jñātvā tadanu hevajraṃ ārabhet / One should practice first three training beginning from Upoṣadha then goes on to practice Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika (the Hīnayāna), Vijñānavāda and Mādhyamika (Mahāyāna). Only then one should proceed towards Vajrayāna.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama noted the following in the book ‘The Heart Sūtra’: It is very important to understand that the core teachings of the Theravāda tradition embodied in the Pāli scriptures are the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings. Beginning with these teachings, one can then draw on the insights contained in the detailed explanations of the Sanskrit Mahāyāna tradition. Finally, integrating techniques and perspectives from the Vajrayāna texts can further enhance one’s understanding. But without a foundation in the core teachings embodied in the

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Pāli tradition, simply proclaiming oneself a follower of the Mahāyāna is meaningless. If one has this kind of deeper understanding of various scriptures and their interpretation, one is spared from harboring mistaken notions of conflicts between the “Greater” versus the “Lesser” Vehicle (Hīnayāna). Sometimes there is a regrettable tendency on the part of certain followers of the Mahāyāna to disparage the teachings of the Theravāda, claiming that they are the teachings of the Lesser Vehicle, and thereby not suited to one’s own personal practice. Similarly, on the part of followers of the Pāli tradition, there is sometimes a tendency to reject the validity of the Mahāyāna teachings, claiming they are not actually the Buddha’s teachings.

6. Conclusion We must understand what is the real nature of this saṃsāra. It is impermanent, suffering and egolessness. This is a universal truth. This truth remains constant all the time. That’s why Aṅguttaranikāya says: Whether the Buddhas appear in the world or whether the Buddhas do not appear in the world, it remains a fact, an unalterable condition of existence and an eternal law that all compounded things are impermanent....subject to suffering......and without a self.

The Dhammapada also describes: sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā’ti yadā paññāya passati / atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā // sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā’ti yadā paññāya passati / atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā // sabbe dhammā dukkhā’ti yadā paññāya passati / atha nibbindati dukkhe, esa maggo visuddhiyā // Paraphrasing: All conditioned things are impermament. When you truly comprehend this, you will no longer be afflicted by suffering. This is the path of purity.

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All conditioned things are suffering. When you truly comprehend this, you will no longer be afflicted by suffering. This is the path of purity. All dharmas are selfless. When you truly comprehend this, you will no longer be afflicted by suffering. This is the path of purity.

Buddha Śākyamuni, realizing this truth, i.e. that this world is impermanent, full of suffering of three types and there is nothing which can be called self, first of all himself developed a great compassion for all sentient beings who were ignorantly trapped in this suffering saṃsāra and in the illusive and false notion of self and show them the way out of it to the real free and blissful state as he had achieved himself. The three vehicles are just the means and tools to bring the suffering beings out of this vicious saṃsāra to the blissful state of Buddhahood, or a great nirvāṇa. But, during these days, oblivious to the true compassionate mission of the Buddha Śākyamuni,, we are now becoming overly sectarian among ourselves. We say only Theravāda is the true and pure Buddhavacana while Mahāyāna is not Buddhavacana. Similarly, those following Mahāyāna say Theravāda is a Hīnayāna so humiliate their followers. Why such a nonsense quarrel? This is a fact and predicament today. Why do the followers of the Buddhist teaching not understand all the socalled vehicles Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna are just the steps or ladder, without the beginning step one can never imagine ascending the higher ones. It is very difficult to bring about the change in the mindstream of the followers. But this article may arouse some sort of awareness among the followers leading to the stoppage of the superstious trend and the way the vehicles are seen. May all beings be happy.

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