Waves:
· First wave:
o Spreading to Indian subcontinent.
o Breakthrough under Ashoka.
§ Sent missionaries to India.
· Daughter was the first Buddhist to visit Sri Lanka.
· Second wave:
o Spreading to China and East Asia.
o Silk Road
o Resisted by Taoism and Confucianism in South and West China
o Mahayana Buddhism reaches Korea by 4th century AD.
· Third wave:
o Spreading to Tibet and Himalayas.
o Incorporated large spiritual elements from the folk religion 'bon' to become. Vajrayana, incorporated Tara deities as embodiments of virtue.
o Not widely accepted until 11th century.
§ Develops into Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug traditions.
Bary:
· Buddhism is "Sectarian."
· "Developed along characteristically Chinese lines."
o On Buddhism development in China.
· "A development favoured and accelerated by the great historic changes taking place."
Development/spread:
· Chinese Buddhism:
o Cush:
§ "More positive and life-affirming."
§ "Buddhanature... makes all beings precious."
o Spread to China and was dominant, however Buddhists were persecuted under Mao.
§ Harvey:
· "A national culture came to overshadow a national religion."
o Manjushri:
§ Bodhisattva of wisdom.
· Developed into a female manifestation in China.
· Was it likely to spread?
o Yes:
§ Popular ideas:
· Compassionate and comprehensive philosophy.
§ Inclusive:
· E.g. Vajrayana.
· Able to merge with pre-existing traditions.
o No:
§ Incompatible with many indigenous traditions, such as the sangha vs the Confucian family.
§ Ideas quite difficult to handle, such as dukkha.
General:
· Taoism:
o Asia.
o Sought enlightenment through harmony.
o Lao Zi = founder.
§ "Beyond yin-yang."
o Idea of an immortal spirit and ancestor worship.
· Confucianism:
o Chinese.
o Strove for virtue and social harmony.
o Family structures.
Modern Buddhism:
· Harvey:
o "Protestant Buddhism."
§ It's more individual, rational focus.
· Pressures:
o Colonisation.
§ Destroyed traditional Buddhist primact in society.
o Christianity.
o Wars, especially in places like Sri Lanka.
o Modern capitalism and consumerism undermining Buddhist values and role in society.
Zen Buddhism:
· Development:
o Founders:
§ Kasyapa:
· Bodhisattva and contemporary of the historical Buddha who understood his 'silent message.'
o Rinzai Zen was favoured by the rulers and Soto Zen by the ruled.
o Still dominant in Japan, although two traditions have largely merged.
· Flower sermon:
o Buddha holds up a flower, confusing everyone but Kayapa.
o Demonstrates the need to experience the dharma directly and the need for upaya methods of doing so.
· Meditation:
o Important, only experience can encapsulate Dharma.
· Buddha-nature.
· Morality:
o Result, not a part of the path to enlightenment.
· Bary:
o "Who has resolved to persevere in his religious discipline will eventually come to enjoy the practice of sitting."
· Rinzai zen:
o Founded by Lin Chi.
o Warrior zen.
o Martial arts and aesthetics. E.g. gardening.
o Aim;
§ Satorior:
· "Sudden insight"
· Shattering ice analogy.
o They have a large disregard for the Buddha:
§ Lin Chi:
· "If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him."
· Soto zen:
o Founded by Dogen.
o Farmer zen.
o 'Just sitting.'
§ Recreate the experience of the Buddha.
o Completely meditation focussed.
o Koans.
§ "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
o Dogen:
§ "Do not seek enlightenment, be enlightened."
§ "Practice and enlightenment are exactly the same."
Bodhidharma:
· Chan Buddhist who was the first to bring it to China.
· Meditated til his legs fell off.
o "Freeing oneself from words is liberation."
· Buddhanature:
o "Your nature is the Buddha."
· Emperor Wu told Bodhidharma of all his virtues:
o "No merit."
§ Lack of meaning of our actions.
§ Just meditation.
Pure land:
· Founded by Tan-Luan and Shan-Tao in China during a period of great instability.
· Quickly became populist.
· Worship of Amida Buddha in hope of ascending to the pure land.
o Rebirth confirms one as a Bodhisattva
· Largely Mahayana literature.
· Practices:
o "Nembutsu":
§ Reciting this calls Amida to mind.
o Dahrani:
§ Prayer to be reborn
· Cush:
o "Positively charged space, created by the power of karuna."
Spread of Buddhism- S Mochizuki and W T de Bary
· De Bary on Buddhism overall = ‘Sectarian’ as it has split into many groups and traditions
· De Bary on Chinese Buddhism = ‘developed along characteristically Chinese lines’
· De Bary on development of Mahayana = ‘a development favoured and accelerated by great historic changes taking place’
· De Bary on zazen = one will ‘eventually come to enjoy the practice of sitting, no matter how long it lasts’
· Mochizuki on Pure Land practice = ‘devotee believes in the existence of a large number of various Buddhas, and in their havens, or pure lands’
· Mochizuki on the Buddha in Pure Land = ‘devoted exclusively to Amitabha’
· Mochizuki on the Pure Land = ‘Pure Land of the Buddha Amitabha was regarded as the best of all the Pure Lands of the Buddhas’
· Mochizuki on Pure Land in general = ‘heavenly’ and a ‘separate tradition’