Adapted from a lecture given to the University of New South Wales Buddhist Society (UNIBUDS) on Friday, 5th of May

My earliest experience with Buddhism was with the Theravada, which is the only survivor of the earliest schools of Buddhism. When Buddhism first became established in Australia in the early 1950's, this was the only form of Buddhism known to the pioneer Buddhists. It was not until twenty years later that people became aware of the Mahayana or Northern School, having previously harboured suspicions about the Mahayana's being a deviant form of Buddhism. The establishment of Mahayana Buddhism in Sydney was due, in no small part, to the efforts of Eric Liao who founded the first Chinese Buddhist temple in Sydney. I hope to show in this paper that there is no essential difference between the two schools, particularly as far as lay practitioners are concerned. Both schools are firmly based in the Buddha Dharma, the original teaching of the Buddha. Many of the perceived differences are based, largely, on semantics and the emphasis placed on particular aspects of the teaching and are not based on differences in the teaching itself. It is as if both of us are looking at this pen. I can see no pocket clip on this pen but, I'm sure that you can. Are we then looking at different pens? No. We are both looking at the same pen but we are looking at it from different angles. I feel that it is the same with Buddhism and its different schools or traditions. It is still the same Buddhism but it can be viewed from different angles. As Buddhism developed, following the passing away of the Buddha, these various approaches to the teaching arose but the differences were mainly concerned with the interpretation of the Vinaya or monastic rules rather than the Dharma itself. As many of you are aware, Buddhism teaches that everything is subject to change - nothing remains constant. There is one exception to this concept and that exception is the Dharma - the ultimate truth. By definition, it cannot change.

Soon after the Buddha's passing, five hundred Arahants, or disciples who had attained enlightenment through hearing the teachings of the Buddha, gathered, in what is often called the First Council, to recall and organise the teachings of the Buddha also known as the Dharma. Ananda, who was with the Buddha constantly throughout his life, was asked to recall the sermons that the Buddha had preached. After some discussion, they agreed that what Ananda recalled was essentially what the Buddha had taught. This collection of sermons became known as the Sutta Pitaka or Sermon collection and constitutes the middle collection of the Buddhist canon. Upali, a monk of great learning, recalled the monastic rules and these, after discussion by the monks, were agreed upon. Ananda remembered having been told by the Buddha that some minor rules could, after his passing, be dispensed with, but the major rules must be preserved. During the discussion on this point, the monks could not agree on what constituted the minor rules, so they resolved that all of the rules should be retained. This, to me, seems rather surprising because an examination of the rules shows quite clearly that some rules are considered extremely important entailing expulsion from the order should they be broken. Four of these major rules are known as Parajika or rules of defeat. Should any of these Parajika rules be broken, the monk, at the instant that it is broken, ceases to be a monk and cannot re-ordain during their present life. These four important rules are sexual intercourse, killing a human being, stealing an object of value and claiming to have attained supernormal powers. The breaking of some other important rules entail disciplining by fellow members of the Sangha. Many of the rules, however, related to rules of etiquette which change over time and differ from one society to another. A breech of these, however, requires nothing more than a promise to try not to break them again - more or less a beating with a feather. These, I would suggest, are what the Buddha may have meant by the minor rules. This collection of the monastic rules is known as the Vinaya Pitaka or Discipline Collection and is the first section of the Buddhist canon. About 100 years after the passing away of the Buddha, the Second Buddhist Council was called to adjudicate on some monks who were not strictly observing the disciplinary rules of the Vinaya as agreed at the First Buddhist Council.. These monks were accused of breaking such rules as handling gold and silver, eating after noon, etc. which they considered to be minor rules and permitted by the Buddha. The Elder Monks, known as the Theras, disagreed and said that these offences should warrant the monks' expulsion from the monastic order. These dissident monks broke away from the orthodox or Theravada monks and formed a new group or schism known as the Mahasanghikas. The Mahasanghikas also disagreed with the Theravadins as to the goal of the Buddhist practice. The Theravadins held that the highest goal that one could attain was that of the Arahant and that the monastic life was the only way that one could attain it. The Mahasanghikas, however, regarded this as a rather elitist attitude. They argued that a Buddhist practitioner, monastic or lay, should strive to become a Bodhisattva, one who postpones their full enlightenment until they can become a Buddha and thus be instrumental in leading other beings to enlightenment. From the Mahasanghikas, the major tradition of the Mahayana was later to evolve.

By the third century BCE, the Sasana, or Buddhist followers, had split into eighteen sects or schools. The Theravadins had broken into eleven sub-sects whilst the remaining seven were a part of the Mahasanghikas. The divisions into these sects were on minor points of doctrine or on interpretations of the monastic discipline. The essential teachings of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the truth of unsatisfactoriness, its cause - greed anger and a deluded mind and its ceasing and the method for its ceasing, the Noble Eightfold Path of good conduct, one pointedness of mind and wisdom, and Dependent Origination, or interconnectedness of all phenomena, however, were preserved by all sects. Another important teaching to cultivate was known to the Theravadins as the Brahma Viharas or Four Heavenly abodes and to the Mahayanists as the Four Immeasurables. These four are the cultivation of loving kindness, known in Pali as Metta or in Sanskrit as Maitri, compassion or Karuna, sympathetic joy or rejoicing in the good fortune of others, known as Mudita and a balanced or non-discriminating mind, known as Upekha. These essential teachings of the Buddha are common to both the Theravada and Mahayana schools so, on these teachings at least, there is no differences between the traditions. Whilst the Theravadins held that the Buddha was man perfected, the Mahasanghikas were the first school to consider that the Buddha was transcendental and had three bodies (Trikaya) - an eternal essence - the essence or principle of enlightenment or Bodhi which is known as the Dharmakaya or truth body. Then there is the Sambhogakaya, the body which inhabits Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the celestial realm. Finally there is the Rupakaya, or body of form which manifests in the human realm from time to time, the last instance being that of Siddhartha Gotama, also known as Sakyamuni Buddha. This teaching, to me, seems appealing and plausible. After all, Bodhi means awakening and one who is awakened to the true nature of life is a Buddha. We all have the potential to awaken to the true nature of life, otherwise Buddhist practise would be futile, so, essentially we all have within our nature to become awakened or enlightened. This is known as Bodhi Citta or enlightenment mind. We are all potential Buddhas. Sakyamuni Buddha was one who, born as a normal human being, attained this awakening and was able to show us the method for emulating his great attainment. The Mahasanghikas also held that there were heavenly Bodhisattvas, future Buddhas, who could be called upon for help in time of need. Many followers, understanding that everything is mind or a component of mind, understand these Bodhisattvas to be a part of our nature. They are not something external to ourselves but are manifestations of good qualities within our nature that can be cultivated. For instance, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, also known as Kuan Shih Yin Pu Sa, is the compassionate aspect of Bodhi or the Buddha. By emulating the boundless compassion of Kuan Shih Yin Pusa, we have cultivated Karuna - one of the Four Immeasurables. These doctrines, formulated by the Mahasanghikas, became an essential ingredient of the teachings of the group of schools, traditionally to become known as the Mahayana.

The fathers of the Mahayana were considered to be Nagarjuna, who lived between the first and second centuries of our era, and founded what is known as the Madhyamika philosophy or philosophy of the Middle Way and Maitreyanatha who lived in the third century of our era. Nagarjuna taught that there is neither reality nor non-reality but only relativity. This Nagarjunian concept of relativity can be better understood by studying the Heart Sutra, one of the most important and most profound sutras in the Mahayana canon. The Heart Sutra clearly teaches that every phrenomenon is, in itself, void of substance or Sunnyata. Every phenomenon does not exist independently but is dependent on other phenomena for its arising. This, I have found, is the most profound and easily understandable explanation of Paticca Samupada or Dependent Arising.

Maiteyanatha's philosophy, however, was developed in the fourth century by two brothers, Asangha and Vasubandhu and was known as Yogacara or Vijnavada. They taught that consciousness is the only reality. This Yogacara teaching became known as the 'mind only school' and was the precursor of Cha'an or Zen. The Mahayana, or reformed school, spread to China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, during the early centuries of the current era. Although there is evidence that Buddhism was known in China during the Han Dynasty in the first century BCE, it was during the first centuries of the common era that there was much activity in translating the Buddhist scriptures into the Chinese language.

As Buddhism developed in China, several schools or traditions arose, mainly based on the emphasis placed on a particular scripture. Some important schools which have influenced modern Chinese Buddhism are: T'ien-t'ai which evolved from the Madhyamika and based its study, mainly on the Lotus Sutra, which is considered one of the most important scriptures of the Mahayana tradition.

Cha'an (Zen, Japanese), influenced by the Yogacara school which placed a great emphasis on meditation rather than scripture or Sutra study. Those scriptures that are considered important to the Cha'an school are "The Diamond Sutra" and the "Platform Sutra of Hui Neng".

Hua-yen evolved from the Madhyamika school and emphasised the teachings of the Avatamsaka Sutra, one of the longest sutras in the Mahayana literature.

Chen-yen is the Esoteric Buddhism, which grew out of the Yogacara school in India, and is closely related to the Vajrayana teachings common to Tibetan practitioners.

Ching-t'u or Pure Land Buddhism is based on the Sukhvati-Vyuha, which describes the Pure Land and the Amitayur-Dhyana Sutra, a sermon that teaches the way to attain the Pure Land. The Pure Land School has sometimes referred to as 'messianic Buddhism', or Buddhism dependent on a saviour Buddha. This misunderstanding of the purpose of the Pure Land teaching is largely due to a lack of proper understanding of its teachings, particularly by Western scholars. The Pure Land School teaches that, by reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of infinite light, that one can remanifest in the Pure Land or Sukhavati, described as the western Paradise, where Amitabha Buddha resides and, by hearing his teaching, can attain enlightenment more easily. These Chinese schools are not mutually exclusive. Chinese Buddhism today is a fusion of elements drawn from each of these schools but the main practice, especially by the laity, is Pure Land.

Although, until a few years ago, I was aware of Pure Land practise, I didn't understand it and, like many Western Buddhists, regarded it as "not real Buddhism". After all, isn't one of the essential teachings of the Buddha to be self reliant. In the Dhammapada it says:

"By ourselves is evil done; by ourselves we pain endure.     By ourselves we cease from ill; by ourselves become we pure.     No one can save us but ourselves, no one can and no one may.     We ourselves must walk the Path, Buddhas only point the way."

It was not until I had the good fortune to meet a great Pure Land Master, Chin Kung Sifu, that I gained a better understanding of the Pure Land and came to realise how much the Pure Land teachings have been misrepresented in the West.

Pure Land Buddhism has been misrepresented as being a form of Christianised Buddhism. Much literature represents it as "The Buddhism of Faith" - believe in Buddha Amitabha and you will go to the Pure Land. Master Chin Kung explained to me that the Pure Land is not a place but the state of having a Pure Mind - when the mind is pure, one is already in the Pure Land. A common definition of Buddhism is to cultivate good and avoid evil, that is by practicing good conduct or not doing anything which can harm ourselves or others, and cultivating a pure mind which is realised through meditation practice. So, with good conduct as a pre-requisite for successful meditation practice, one eventually purifies the mind and a mind purified is already in the Pure Land. There are many forms of meditation practice and it is up to the practitioner to find the one with which they are most comfortable. Reciting the Buddha's name, Amitabha in Sanskrit or Om Mi To Fo in Chinese, is similar to the Theravadin recitation of "Buddho" or similar Mantras during meditation. It is a means of fixing the attention to attain 'one pointedness of mind'. Seung Sahn Sunim, the famous Korean Zen Master, says that, in the U.S.A., he teaches students to recite "Coca Cola - Coca Cola" as a means of fixing the mind on one point to exclude extraneous thoughts. All mantras are equally effective in this respect. The important thing is to fix the mind on the object of concentration and to try to block out extraneous thoughts such as what will I do after I have finished my meditation or what am I going to eat for dinner tonight. The Buddha talks of a 'monkey mind' - one that perpetually jumps from one idea to another. Our minds, generally, are out of control. A mind out of control is in a state of chaos. It is our master rather than us being in control of it. The simplest way for us to gain control of our own minds is to practice concentration - to attain one pointedness of mind. The method employed by the Pure Land School is to totally absorb all of our senses in one thing - the Buddha's name - Amitabha. Master Chin Kung, realising that many people find making time for meditation difficult in their busy lives, suggests, what he calls, the Ten Recitation Method. He says that practising the Ten Recitation Method helps to gain mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha and to bring peace and clarity to the present moment. In this method, one should sit up straight and clearly recite Amitabha's name ten times whilst trying to maintain an undisturbed mind. This can be done out loud or silently. This should be practised nine times daily: upon awakening in the morning, at breakfast, before starting work, before eating lunch, during lunch, after lunch, when finishing work, at dinner time and before going to bed. The important thing about this method is regularity. If you are regular with this practice, you will soon notice your purity of mind increase and your wisdom will grow. If you visit the chanting hall of the Amitabha Buddhist Association at Berala, you will find that, no matter in which direction you are facing, you will see a picture of Amitabha Buddha. The chant of his name , Om Mi To Fo, can be heard at all times and the practitioners are perpetually chanting Amitabha's name during their walking meditation. If you would like to visit this Centre, I would like to invite you to come next Saturday, the 13th of May, at 9.30 a.m., when one of Master Chin Kung's disciple monks, Venerable Wu Hsin, will perform the official opening ceremony. The Centre is at 150 Woodburn Road, Berala, right opposite Berala railway station. It seems to my understanding, then, that walking meditation, totally absorbing one's senses in one object, that of the name Amitabha, is no different from the meditation methods taught by many Theravadin meditation teachers.

In the Theravada school, the stage of sainthood immediately prior to attaining enlightenment is known as Anagami or non-returner. When the mind is purified to a very high degree, one does not take a form again but attains enlightenment on this high spiritual plane. This is, as far as I can see, similar to the Pure Land teaching of being born in the Pure Land where one attains enlightenment without again taking human birth. In discussion with Venerable Tan Chau Khuon Samai, one of your patrons and one of the most highly respected Theravada monks in Australia, he pointed out that the Pali word for the highest spiritual plane, attained by an Anagami, translates as "Pure Land". So, the Pure Land is not a later invention as Buddhism spread throughout the world but is well known and described in the Pali canon.

Bodhi or Buddhahood - the enlightenment principle is inherent in all beings. Everyone has the Bodhi citta or enlightenment potential within them. An aspect of this enlightenment principle is Amitabha - the Buddha's infinite light of wisdom. Amitabha is not another Buddha but a part of this essence of enlightenment or Bodhi. Similarly, Kuan Yin or Avalokitesvara is the compassionate aspect of the Buddha. They are not 'out there' but an essential characteristic residing within the mind of each being - look within and cultivate them.

Back to Articles and Sutras Back to Home Page