5. Society

5. Society

1. Pure Land School

   • Amitabha
     • Buddha whose name means 'Infinite Light' He gave up his throne as a king to become a monk called Dharmakara, following his observation of suffering He vowed to become a buddha himself and aimed to create a buddha land free of limitations
     • Importance
       • His 18th Vow saw him vow to become a buddha and have beings reborn into his Pure Land The Buddha of Infinite Light eventually established sukhavati after aeons of practice
   • The Pure Land
     • Described as a place of paradise, characterised by Amitabha himself, several rows of trees, lakes of the seven gems, several rows of balustrades, and birds singing the dharma
     • Rebirth
       • People who sincerely call upon Amitabha for help will be reborn in sukhavati, where there are no distractions and they can continue to further work towards liberation Those with faith and who and who recite his name will be reborn into his Pure Land
   • Chanting
     • "Namo Amitabha Buddha" is to be chanted every day
     • Importance
       • For Pure Land Buddhists, "Namo Amitabha Buddha," the dharma can be summated as this phrase
       • Buddhanismriti
         • Concentration on Amitabha Buddha and his virtues, which should be practiced alongside chanting (a sign of faith)
     • Purpose
       • Chanting Amitabha's name is believed to result in him taking one to the Pure Land when one dies
   • Jodo Shu
     • Honen
       • "Even a bad man will be received in Buddha's land, how much more a good man"
   • Jodo Shinshu
     • Shinran
       • Faith and Amitabha's Mercy
         • Shinran taught that humankind must throw themselves totally on Amitabha's mercy Even a single act of faith in Amitabha is sufficient, and that repeating his name earned no extra merit but is a way of expressing thanks
       • Morality and Humility
         • Shinran criticised trying to earn meriot through keeping moral rules, as this led to a sense of false self-importance "Even a good man will be received in Buddha's land, how much more a bad man"
     • Practice
       • Shin Buddhists are taught to lead humble lives and not mark themselves as different or superior to others This may mean living a normal family life rather than monasticism and celibacy, with simple rather than elaborate marriage ceremonies It also means not criticising other religions, as stressed by Rennyo

2. Zen School

   • 'Zen' comes from 'dhyana,' which refers to a mind absorbed in meditation It could also be called 'wisdom' Buddhism, as it stresses the need for an intuitive grasp on reality known as 'prajna' and an understanding of non-duality
   • Zazen
     • Refers to 'sitting meditation'
     • Importance
       • Zazen sees the practitioner delve into their own nature, which cannot be done through looking towards scripture It sees us learn to 'just sit' and not expect anything better
     • Attainment of Satori
       • Zazen encourages one to feel joy in all they do - be it cleaning the toilet, walking the dog, or doing your work Brad Warner says, 'This very moment is enlightenment'
   • Scripture
     • Zen Buddhism only uses scriptures to preserve teachings, with Dogen's school saying they should not be thrown away and even left his 'zazen rules' behind Scripture is not usually studied, as Zen recognises the inadequacy and limitations of words
     • Transmission of Wisdom
       • Zen understands wisdom as 'a direct transmission of awakened consciousness outside tradition and scripture,' passed from mind to mind, teacher to pupil
       • Flower Sermon
         • The Buddha was said to have once taught the dharma through simply holding up a lotus flower Only one of his disciples, Mahakasyapa, understood the message and smiled as he did
   • History
     • Zen split into five sects during the 9th and 11th Centuries, with Rinzai of Soto being of lasting importance
     • Rinzai School
       • Founded by Lin Chi during the Tang Dynasty, who founded Zen in itself It seeks an instant understanding of the truth, brought about by discipline and dramatic methods
       • Rinzai
         • He believed that quiet meditation could not bring enlightenment, and instead employed dramatic methods such as shouting and beating, and striving to understand koans, e.g. "If you come across the Buddha in your path, kill him" He is 'killed' when one realises that he is not truly independent or significant
         • Soto
           • Felt that Lin Chi's philosophy could easily degenerate into self-assertiveness and recklessness
     • Soto School
       • Founded by Lian Chieh during the Tang Dynasty It seeks a gradual understanding of the truth, brought about by sitting in quiet meditation and living a decent moral life (shown by humility, such as poverty and begging)
       • Dogen
         • Brought Soto from Japan to China during the 12th Century He taught that we do not need to use dramatic extremes to realise buddhahood, as we can simply use zazen to let our thoughts fade away and see our original state manifest before us
         • Desire
           • We should have no desire, even for buddhahood, as this does not aid in understanding non-duality For instance, 'this pleasure is better; that pleasure is worse'
     • Comparison
       • Rinzai School: - Lin Chi and Eisei - Yes to discipline - Instant realisation of buddhahood - No to scriptures - Yes to koans Soto School: - Lian Chieh and Dogen - No to discipline - Gradual realisation of buddhahood - Yes to scriptures - No to desire

3. Buddhism in the West

   • Reasons
     • Migration
       • English civil servants for the British Empire in countries  such as Sri Lanka and Burma then took an interest in Buddhism mostly out of academic interestsThey were mostly educated in Greek and Latin because they were usually educated at boarding schools, so translating Pali texts was an interesting challenge for them 
     • Popularity
       • The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881, and focused on translating Theravadin scriptures into English The Buddhist Society was founded in 1924, with a marginally more than academic interest in attempting to practice Buddhism 

4. Popular Culture

   • Media Stereotypes
   • The Dalai Lama
     • The 14th Dalai Lama, or Tenzin Gyatso, is the current spiritual and social leader of Tibet Significant to Buddhism because of the role he has played in establishing Buddhism in the modern world 
     • Controversies
       • He has spoken against worship of a deity known as Dorje Shugden, opposing his duty to establish peace between differing religious beliefs and communities
     • Historical Context
       • October 1950 saw 80,000 Chinese soldiers invade Tibet, leading to the Dalai Lama assuming full political power at 15 years old   The Tibetan Uprising of 1959 saw Lhasa (the Tibetan capital) brutally crushed by the Chinese; the Dalai Lama escaped over the Himalayas and was granted political asylum in India The Dalai Lama would receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his efforts to negotiate peace between Tibet and China; he accepted it on behalf of oppressed peoples elsewhere 
     • On Debates
       • Environment
         • Gyatso has stressed the importance of environmental questions, even addressing dependent origination (or interdependence); he has called for us to adopt a sense of universal responsibility
       • Science
         • The Dalai Lama had been interested in science and technology from a young age, taking his telescope, camera, and car apart and putting them back together again to understand how its parts work

5. Western Inculturation

   • Secular Buddhism
     • Cannot be accurately defined, as not all Secular Buddhists share similar views - some probably even dismiss their position as just a label They tend to commit themselves to the most significant teachings, interpret the sutras differently, although all share the view that suffering is a problem which needs to be solved
     • Stephen Batchelor
       • Uses ten points to summarise his views: * That the dharma should be practiced to benefit all * That each person has the potential to be awake, responsive and free * That the dharma's core idea is an ethics of care towards all Describes the Four Noble Truths as 'the Four Tasks'
       • Living Organism
         • Batchelor compares Buddhism to a living organism, whereby it has to meet the challenges of adapting to an environment that is different to that in which it has evolved
   • Christianity and Buddhism
     • Dual-Belonging
       • Interprets dual-belonging as being when someone finds that they can be genuinely nourished by more than just one religious tradition
     • Paul Knitter
       • An example of a rare Western phenomenon - dual belonging - in that he identifies as Christian-Buddhist
       • Salvation
         • Describes salvation as taking place not outside of us, but within us as an empowering awareness
       • Making a Difference
         • Whatever salvation or enlightenment may mean, both seek to make a difference to life on this earth