Find Your Path: 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Butoh dance

Butoh dance

Source: http://teniasonidosrotos.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 17, 2011

Decide What You Want and Go Get It

You need to know what it is you want from life so that you can effectively direct your energies to making that dream a reality. Steven Covey says to begin with the end in mind.

The picture above is of an Earthrise seen from the Moon. John Kennedy is famous for coalescing a nation around the Dream of putting a Man on the Moon.

Martin Luther King, jr. gave a famous speech, "I Have a Dream". You might say that 40 years later Barack Obama is a part of that dream.

You need a dream of your ideal way of living your life. The lifestyle is all we have. Habits make the man. So you need to determine who you want to be and go about being that person. Aristotle said,

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Therefore, we need to have a Big Picture of our ideal existence to determine our habits and priorities:

The greatest challenge to any thinker is stating the problem in a way that will allow a solution.
- Bertrand Russell

And believe me this is a sticking point because the pressure starts here.

"The secret of getting started is breaking
your complex, overwhelming tasks into
small manageable tasks, and then
starting on the first one."
- Mark Twain

My experience tells me that Twain is right. In fact, at first we need to take very small steps in the direction of our goals to build momentum, motivation and confidence. Practice makes perfect in converting knowing to doing. Start with one good habit at a time and over a few months you will have patched together an improvement to your way of living.

"One important key to success is
self-confidence. An important key to
self-confidence is preparation."
- Arthur Ashe

Napoleon Hill is a great educator in this area and he repeatedly says about dreams and goals that if you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it. God does not taunt us with dreams we have no hope of achieving.

"Don't be afraid of the space between your
dreams and reality. If you can dream it,
you can make it so."
- Belva Davis

Do not be afraid to dream big and to dream often. He who dreams more, accomplishes more, according to Twain.

Belief in our Dreams is one of the secrets to great achievements:

"The only limit to our realization of
tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Of course no achievement is without a price and without effort but if your desire is intense you will find a way to achieve your goals.

"What lies behind us, and what lies before
us are small matters compared
to what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is important to get started and to learn by doing.

Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all. Norman V. Peale

You can achieve great things and accumulate wealth without harming your fellow man by your greed and deception. Follow the Golden Rule.

Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.

If this sounds like Sunday school, do not let it deter you. Many years of observing men and markets has introduced me to the idea of right work. Warren Buffett is a man of honor and Bernard Madoff is a crook. Warren is among the World's richest men and Bernie is in jail for the next 150 years.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Dalai Lama - Mission Statement

“He frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony and the welfare of the Tibetan people, focusing on the survival of their identity, culture and religion.”

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Beginner's Mind

Sit down before facts like a little child, and be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly whatever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
- T.H. Huxley

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

My Diverse Blog Topics Demonstrate My Struggle To Focus On One Topic By Attempting To Categorize Many Interesting Tings Into Themes

Work In Progress:

This account is a member of the following 105 blogs:

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Calm Abiding

“If you could only keep quiet, clear of memories and expectations, you would be able to discern the beautiful pattern of events. It’s your restlessness that causes chaos.”
— Nisaragadatta Maharaj

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few.

George Bernard Shaw

Monday, August 15, 2011

Kinsaku

MATSUO BASHO (1644-1694)

Translations of Kono michi ya / yuku hito mashi ni / aki no kure [along this road / goes no one / this autumn evening]
Translations of Fuku ike ya! / Kawazu tobikomu /Mizu no oto [An old pond! / A frog jumps in / Splaaash!!!]
Basho's haiku

Called Kinsaku, in childhood ,and Matsuo Munefusa in his later days, the poet adopted the name Basho (lit., banana tree) around 1681, after moving into a hut with a banana tree alongside. His father was a low-ranking samurai from the Iga Province. To be a samurai, Basho serviced for the local lord Todo Yoshitada (Sengin). who was not really fond of writing haikaii. Thus, his first haiku were published ubder a pseudonim Sobo. Basho made many journeus through Japan, and one of the most famous went to the north, where he wrote Oku no hosomichi (1694). He fell wery ill in Osaka, during his last trip. His students asked him to leave a parting poem but Vasho replied that each of his poem is a poems of death. Nevertheless, he wrote one more haiku that indicates that, even dying, he was still thinking of traveling and writing poetry:

Fallen sick on a journey
In dreams I run wildly
Over a withered moor.

At the time of his death, Basho had more than 2000 students.

Kono michi ya
yuku hito mashi ni
aki no kure

Lit:

This road!

goes person without it
autumn of evening

along this road
goes no one
this autumn evening

(translatied by Eido Shimano Roshi, the abbot of Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-Ji, the first American Rinzai Zen monastery; found on the "Gate Rock," on the way to this monastery)

This road!
with no one going -
Autumn evening.
(translated by Robert Aitken Roshi
the author of Zen Wave)

all along this road
not a single soul
only autumn evening
this road
no one goes down it
autumn evening

this road
with no man traveling on it
autumn darkness falls
no one travels
along this way but I
this autumn evening

Fuku ike ya!
Kawazu tobikomu
Mizu no oto

Lit: Old pond!
frog jumps in
water of sound

An old pond!
A frog jumps in
Splaaash!!!

The old pond, ah!
A frog jumps in:
The water's sound
(translated by D.T. Suzuki
Zen and Japanese Culture)

The old pond;
A frog jumps in
The sound of the water
(translated by Robert Aitken Roshi
the author of Zen Wave)

The old pond,
A frog jumps in:.
Plop!
(translated by Allan Watts)

Old pond,
leap-splash--
a frog

The first soft snow!
Enough to bend the leaves
Of the jonquil
In the cicada's cry
No sign can foretell
How soon it must die.
In all the rains of May
there is one thing not hidden -
the bridge at Seta Bay.

The years first day
thoughts and loneliness;
the autumn dusk is here.
Clouds appear
give men a chance to rest
from looking at the moon.
Harvest moon:
around the pond I wander
the night's gone.

Poverty's child
he starts to grind the rice,
and gazes at the moon.
No blossoms no moon,
he's drinking sake
alone!
Won't you come and see
loneliness? Just one leaf
from the kiri tree.

Come, let's go
Snow-viewing
Till we're buried
Wintry day
On my horse
A frozen shadow
Temple bells die out.
The fragrant blossoms remain.
A perfect evening!

Cool crescent moon
shining faintly high above
farther Black Mountain
Under a crescent moon
the field grows hazy
bright wheat flowers
now I see her face
the old woman abandoned
the moon her only companion

Mindfulness Meditation Course

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma12/GilMed07.html

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation - Gil Fronsdal

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation - Gil Fronsdal

Gil Fronsdal - is the primary teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. He was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Collective. He is a husband and a father of two boys.

The Insight Meditation Center (IMCenter) - is a community-based urban meditation center for the practice of Vipassana or Insight meditation. We are a non-residential center in Redwood City, California, dedicated to the study and practice of Buddhist teachings.

IMC offers a broad range of practice and community activities. This includes a weekly schedule of meditation sessions, dharma talks (talks on Buddhist teaching and practice), classes, group discussions, yoga practice and a variety of meditation and study retreats.

IMC began in 1986 as a gathering of individuals who meet in order to learn, support and deepen their mindfulness practice. It is an informal group, and those interested in mindfulness meditation are heartily welcome to participate whenever they wish.

IMC does not require payment for any of our teachings or meetings. The support of our teachers and all our center expenses is done through the voluntary donations of our community.

Topic	Date		File	Length
Introduction to Meditation - (1 of 5)	10/03/07	[Download]	MP3	1:11:56
Introduction to Meditation - (2 of 5)	10/10/07	[Download]	MP3	1:21:27
Introduction to Meditation - (3 of 5)	10/17/07	[Download]	MP3	1:23:28
Introduction to Meditation - (4 of 5)	10/24/07	[Download]	MP3	1:26:18
Introduction to Meditation - (5 of 5)	10/31/07	[Download]	MP3	1:21:41

"The recording for Week 6 is not available. However, the entry below proivides a talk delivered on the topic for Week 6"


Mindfulness of Heart-Mind Quality	11/04/07	[Download]	MP3	43:08

The handouts for the course, which are given at the end of each class, are available here:

Week 1 - homework : Mindfulness of Breathing (PDF / download)

Week 2 - homework : Mindfulness of the Body (PDF / download)

Week 3 - homework : Mindfulness of Emotions (PDF / download)

Week 4 - homework : Mindfulness of Thoughts (PDF / download)

Week 5 - homework : Mindfulness of the Mind (PDF / download)

Walking Meditation Instructions (PDF / download)

- Special Thanks to © Insight Meditation Center -

Several times a year Gil Fronsdal offers a 5-week instructional series for beginning meditators. These classes provide a good overview of insight meditation practice as well as many guided meditation sessions which help the student learn how to establish and sustain a daily meditation practice.

Gil Fronsdal - is the primary teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. He was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. Gil has an undergraduate degree in agriculture from U.C. Davis where he was active in promoting the field of sustainable farming. In 1998 he received a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Collective. He is a husband and a father of two boys.

The Insight Meditation Center (IMCenter) - is a community-based urban meditation center for the practice of Vipassana or Insight meditation. We are a non-residential center in Redwood City, California, dedicated to the study and practice of Buddhist teachings.

IMC offers a broad range of practice and community activities. This includes a weekly schedule of meditation sessions, dharma talks (talks on Buddhist teaching and practice), classes, group discussions, yoga practice and a variety of meditation and study retreats.

IMC began in 1986 as a gathering of individuals who meet in order to learn, support and deepen their mindfulness practice. It is an informal group, and those interested in mindfulness meditation are heartily welcome to participate whenever they wish.

IMC does not require payment for any of our teachings or meetings. The support of our teachers and all our center expenses is done through the voluntary donations of our community.

Topic

Date

File

Length

Introduction to Meditation - (1 of 5)

10/03/07

[Download]

MP3

1:11:56

Introduction to Meditation - (2 of 5)

10/10/07

[Download]

MP3

1:21:27

Introduction to Meditation - (3 of 5)

10/17/07

[Download]
MP3

1:23:28

Introduction to Meditation - (4 of 5)

10/24/07

[Download]

MP3

1:26:18

Introduction to Meditation - (5 of 5)

10/31/07

[Download]

MP3

1:21:41

"The recording for Week 6 is not available. However, the entry below proivides a talk delivered on the topic for Week 6"

Mindfulness of Heart-Mind Quality

11/04/07

[Download)

MP3
43:08

The handouts for the course, which are given at the end of each class, are available here:

Week 1 - homework : Mindfulness of Breathing (PDF / download)

Week 2 - homework : Mindfulness of the Body (PDF / download)

Week 3 - homework : Mindfulness of Emotions (PDF / download)

Week 4 - homework : Mindfulness of Thoughts (PDF / download)

Week 5 - homework : Mindfulness of the Mind (PDF / download)

Walking Meditation Instructions (PDF / download)

- Special Thanks to © Insight Meditation Center -

audio

http://www.dharmanet.org/audiobdk.htm

The Teaching of Buddha

The Teaching of Buddha is a collection of writings on the essence of Buddhism, selected and edited from the vast Buddhist canon, presented in a concise, easy-to-read, and nonsectarian format. It also includes a brief history of Buddhism, a listing of the source texts, a glossary of Sanskrit terms, and an index.

The Teaching of Buddha was first published in 1925. Originally edited by Japanese scholars of Buddhism before WWII and distributed widely throughout Japan, the first English edition was published in 1934. The Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata brought out another English edition in 1962, and in 1966, after the establishment of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), Dr. Numata assembled a committee of Buddhist scholars to substantially revise and edit a new English-Japanese edition. The Teaching of Buddha has undergone minor revisions and numerous reprintings since. It is now available in fourty-one languages and over 7 million copies have been distributed.

Under construction - to be edited

Theravada - Mahayana Buddhism
Ven. Dr. W. Rahula

(From: "Gems of Buddhist Wisdom",
Buddhist Missionary Society, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1996)

Let us discuss a question often asked by many people: What is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism? To see things in their proper perspective, let us turn to the history of Buddhism and trace the emergence and development of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism.

The Buddha was born in the 6th Century B.C. After attaining Enlightenment at the age of 35 until his Mahaparinibbana at the age of 80, he spent his life preaching and teaching. He was certainly one of the most energetic man who ever lived: for forty-five years he taught and preached day and night, sleeping for only about 2 hours a day.

The Buddha spoke to all kinds of people: kings and princes, Brahmins, farmers, beggars, learned men and ordinary people. His teachings were tailored to the experiences, levels of understanding and mental capacity of his audience. What he taught was called Buddha Vacana, i.e. word of the Buddha. There was nothing called Theravada or Mahayana at that time.

After establishing the Order of monks and nuns, the Buddha laid down certain disciplinary rules called theVinaya for the guidance of the Order. The rest of his teachings were called the Dhamma which included his discourses, sermons to monks, nuns and lay people.

The First Council

Three months after the Buddha's Mahaparinibbana, his immediate disciples convened a council at Rajagaha. Maha Kassapa, the most respected and elderly monk, presided at the Council. Two very important personalities who specialised in the two different areas - the Dhamma and the Vinaya - were present. One was Ananda, the closest constant companion and disciple of the Buddha for 25 years. Endowed with a remarkable memory, Ananda was able to recite what was spoken by the Buddha. The other personality was Upali who remembered all the Vinaya rules.Only these two sections - the Dhamma and the Vinaya - were recited at the First Council.

Though there were no differences of opinion on the Dhamma (no mention of the Abhidhamma) there was some discussion about the Vinaya rules. Before the Buddha's Parinibbana, he had told Ananda that if the Sanghawished to amend or modify some minor rules, they could do so. But on that occasion Ananda was so overpowered with grief because the Buddha was about to die that it did not occur to him to ask the Master what the minor rules were. As the members of the Council were unable to agree as to what constituted the minor rules, Maha Kassapa finally ruled that no disciplinary rule laid down by the Buddha should be changed, and no new ones should be introduced. No intrinsic reason was given. Maha Kassapa did say one thing, however: "If we changed the rules, people will say that Ven. Gotama's disciples changed the rules even before his funeral fire has ceased burning."

At the Council, the Dhamma was divided into various parts and each part was assigned to an Elder and his pupils to commit to memory. The Dhamma was then passed on from teacher to pupil orally. The Dhammawas recited daily by groups of people who often cross check with each other to ensure that no omissions or additions were made. Historians agree that the oral tradition is more reliable than a report written by one person from his memory several years after the event.

The Second Council

One hundred years later, the Second Council was held to discuss some Vinaya rules. There was no need to change the rules three months after the Parinibbana of the Buddha because little or no political, economic or social changes took place during that short interval. But 100 years later, some monks saw the need to change certain minor rules. The orthodox monks said that nothing should be changed while the others insisted on modifying some rules, Finally, a group of monks left the Council and formed the Mahasanghika -the Great Community. Even though it was called the Mahasanghika, it was not known as Mahayana, And in the Second Council, only matters pertaining to the Vinaya were discussed and no controversy about theDhamma is reported,

The Third Council

In the 3rd Century B.C. during the time of Emperor Asoka, the Third Council was held to discuss the differences of opinion among the bhikkhus of different sects. At this Council the differences were not confined to the Vinaya but were also connected with the Dhamma. At the end of this Council, the President of the Council, Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called the Kathavatthu refuting the heretical, false views and theories held by some sects. The teaching approved and accepted by this Council was known asTheravada. The Abhidhamma Pitaka was included at this Council.

After the Third Council, Asoka's son, Ven. Mahinda, brought the Tripitaka to Sri Lanka, along with the commentaries that were recited at the Third Council. The texts brought to Sri Lanka were preserved until today without losing a page. The texts were written in Pali which was based on the Magadhi language spoken by the Buddha. There was nothing known as Mahayana at that time.

Coming of Mahayana

Between the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D., the two terms Mahayana and Hinayana appeared in the Saddharma Pundarika Sutra or the Sutra of the Lotus of the Good Law.

About the 2nd Century A.D. Mahayana became clearly defined. Nagarjuna developed the Mahayanaphilosophy of Sunyata and proved that everything is Void in a small text called Madhyamika-karika. About the 4th Century, there were Asanga and Vasubandhu who wrote enormous amount of works on Mahayana.After the 1st Century AD., the Mahayanists took a definite stand and only then the terms of Mahayana andHinayana were introduced.

We must not confuse Hinayana with Theravada because the terms are not synonymous. TheravadaBuddhism went to Sri Lanka during the 3rd Century B.C. when there was no Mahayana at all. Hinayanasects developed in India and had an existence independent from the form of Buddhism existing in Sri Lanka. Today there is no Hinayana sect in existence anywhere in the world. Therefore, in 1950 the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated in Colombo unanimously decided that the term Hinayana should be dropped when referring to Buddhism existing today in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, etc. This is the brief history of Theravada, Mahayana and Hinayana.

Mahayana and Theravada

Now, what is the difference between Mahayana and Theravada?

I have studied Mahayana for many years and the more I study it, the more I find there is hardly any difference between Theravada and Mahayana with regard to the fundamental teachings.

- Both accept Sakyamuni Buddha as the Teacher.
- The Four Noble Truths are exactly the same in both schools.
- The Eightfold Path is exactly the same in both schools.
- The Paticca-samuppada or the Dependent Origination is the same in both schools.
- Both rejected the idea of a supreme being who created and governed this world.
- Both accept Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and Sila, Samadhi, Panna without any difference.

These are the most important teachings of the Buddha and they are all accepted by both schools without question.

There are also some points where they differ. An obvious one is the Bodhisattva ideal. Many people say thatMahayana is for the Bodhisattvahood which leads to Buddhahood while Theravada is for Arahantship. I must point out that the Buddha was also an Arahant. Pacceka Buddha is also an Arahant. A disciple can also be an Arahant. The Mahayana texts never use the term Arahant-yana, Arahant Vehicle. They used three terms: Bodhisattvayana, Prateka-Buddhayana, and Sravakayana. In the Theravada tradition these three are called Bodhis.

Some people imagine that Theravada is selfish because it teaches that people should seek their own salvation. But how can a selfish person gain Enlightenment? Both schools accept the three Yanas or Bodhisbut consider the Bodhisattva ideal as the highest. The Mahayana has created many mystical Bodhisattvaswhile the Theravada considers a Bodhisattva as a man amongst us who devotes his entire life for the attainment of perfection, ultimately becoming a fully Enlightened Buddha for the welfare of the world, for the happiness of the world.

Three Types of Buddhahood

There are three types of Buddhahood: the Samma Sambuddha who gains full Enlightenment by his own effort, the Pacceka Buddha who has lesser qualities than the Samma Sambuddha, and the Savaka Buddha who is an Arahant disciple. The attainment of Nibbana between the three types of Buddhahood is exactly the same. The only difference is that the Samma Sambuddha has many more qualities and capacities than the other two.

Some people think that Voidness or Sunyata discussed by Nagarjuna is purely a Mahayana teaching. It is based on the idea of Anatta or non-self, on the Paticcasamuppada or the Dependent Origination, found in the original Theravada Pali texts. Once Ananda asked the Buddha, "People say the word Sunya. What isSunya?" The Buddha replied, "Ananda, there is no self, nor anything pertaining to self in this world. Therefore, the world is empty." This idea was taken by Nagarjuna when he wrote his remarkable book,"Madhyamika Karika". Besides the idea of Sunyata is the concept of the store-consciousness in Mahayana Buddhism which has its seed in the Theravada texts. The Mahayanists have developed it into a deep psychology and philosophy.

Ven. Dr. W. Rahula
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/theramaya.html

Resources on WWW

Founded in India 2,500 years ago, Buddhism remains the dominant religion of the Far East and is increasingly popular in the West. Over its long history Buddhist has developed into a wide variety of forms, ranging from an emphasis on religious rituals and worship of deities to a complete rejection of both rituals and deities in favor of pure meditation. But all share in common a great respect for the teachings of the Buddha, "The Enlightened One." Learn more about Buddhism by selecting a topic below.

Buddhism Basics
Get to know Buddhism with our one-page introduction to its history, beliefs, practices and sects.

Buddhist Beliefs
What are the basic beliefs of Buddhism? Is Buddhism really atheistic? What do Buddhists believe about the afterlife? Get your answers here.

Buddhism Bookstore
Learn more about Buddhism with books in several categories hand-selected by ReligionFacts.

Buddhist Deities
Profiles and images of spiritual beings in Buddhism, including buddhas such as the Laughing Buddha,bodhisattvas like Kuan Yin, wrathful deities and more.

Buddhism Fast Facts
A handy table of facts about Buddhism: adherents, locations, important dates, Four Noble Truths, etc.

Buddhism Features
Feature articles on Buddhism and contemporary life, provided by the University of Chicago's Department of Religion.

Buddhism Glossary
Know your dharma from your karma, your aniccafrom your dependent arising, and many other Buddhist terms and concepts.

Buddhist History
Guide to the early history of Buddhism, from the life of the Buddha and formation of the Sangha to its interaction with the Hellenistic world. Buddhist News
The latest Buddhist news from around the world, provided by the Buddhist Channel.

Buddhist Practices
Introductions to Buddhist rituals such as mantras andmeditation.

Buddhist Sacred Texts
Learn about Buddhist sacred texts such as the Tripitaka,Mahayana Sutras, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Includes links to online English translations.

Buddhist Sects and Schools
Get to know the differences between the many different sects of Buddhism, from Engaged Buddhism to Zen. Includes a comparison chart.

Buddhist Symbols
An extensive and fully illustrated guide to Buddhist symbols such as the lotus, wheel, Buddha eyes, Zen circle, hand gestures, colors, and many more.

Buddhism Store
A convenient starting place to shop online for Buddha statues, Buddhist meditation cushions, Buddhist symbolic jewelry and more.

Buddhist Things
An illustrated guide to Buddhist ritual objects, from thebegging bowl and Buddha images to mala beads and theprayer wheel. Includes links for buying your own.

Buddhism Timeline
A detailed chronology of important events in the history of Buddhism.

M vs T buddhism

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/schools1.htm

The different forms of Buddhism can be understood by becoming familiar with the two major schools that arose out of the Buddha's basic teachings:

The two major schools of Buddhism, Theravada and the Mahayana, are to be understood as different expressions of the same teaching of the historical Buddha. Because, in fact, they agree upon and practice the core teachings of the Buddha’s Dharma. And while there was a schism after the first council on the death of the Buddha, it was largely over the monastic rules and academic points such as whether an enlightened person could lapse or not. Time, culture and customs in the countries in Asia which adopted the Buddha-dharma have more to do with the apparent differences, as you will not find any animosity between the two major schools, other than that created by healthy debate on the expression of and the implementation of the Buddha's Teachings.

Theravada (The Teachings of the Elders)

In the Buddhist countries of southern Asia, there never arose any serious differences on the fundamentals of Buddhism. All these countries - Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, have accepted the principles of the Theravada school and any differences there might be between the various schools is restricted to minor matters.

The earliest available teachings of the Buddha are to be found in Pali literature and belongs to the school of the Theravadins, who may be called the most orthodox school of Buddhism. This school admits the human characteristics of the Buddha, and is characterised by a psychological understanding of human nature; and emphasises a meditative approach to the transformation of consciousness.

The teaching of the Buddha according to this school is very plain. He asks us to ‘abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify our mind’. These can be accomplished by The Three Trainings: the development of ethical conduct, meditation and insight-wisdom.

The philosophy of this school is straight forward. All worldly phenomena are subject to three characteristics - they are impermanent and transient; unsatisfactory and that there is nothing in them which can be called one's own, nothing substantial, nothing permanent. All compounded things are made up of two elements - the non-material part, the material part. They are further described as consisting of nothing but five constituent groups, namely the material quality, and the four non-material qualities - sensations, perception, mental formatives and lastly consciousness.

When an individual thus understands the true nature of things, she/he finds nothing substantial in the world. Through this understanding, there is neither indulgence in the pleasures of senses or self-mortification, following the Middle Path the practitioner lives according to the Noble Eightfold Path which consist of Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Actions, Right Occupation, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. She/he realises that all worldly suffering is caused by craving and that it is possible to bring suffering to an end by following the Noble Eight Fold Path. When that perfected state of insight is reached, i.e.Nibanna, that person is a ‘worthy person’ an Arhat. The life of the Arhat is the ideal of the followers of this school, ‘a life where all (future) birth is at an end, where the holy life is fully achieved, where all that has to be done has been done, and there is no more returning to the worldly life’.

Mahayana (The Great Vehicle)

The Mahayana is more of an umbrella body for a great variety of schools, from the Tantra school (the secret teaching of Yoga) well represented in Tibet and Nepal to the Pure Land sect, whose essential teaching is that salvation can be attained only through absolute trust in the saving power of Amitabha, longing to be reborn in his paradise through his grace, which are found in China, Korea and Japan. Ch’an and Zen Buddhism, of China and Japan, are meditation schools. According to these schools, to look inward and not to look outwards is the only way to achieve enlightenment, which to the human mind is ultimately the same as Buddhahood. In this system, the emphasis is upon ‘intuition’, its peculiarity being that it has no words in which to express itself at all, so it does this in symbols and images. In the course of time this system developed its philosophy of intuition to such a degree that it remains unique to this day.

It is generally accepted, that what we know today as the Mahayana arose from the Mahasanghikas sect who were the earliest seceders, and the forerunners of the Mahayana. They took up the cause of their new sect with zeal and enthusiasm and in a few decades grew remarkably in power and popularity. They adapted the existing monastic rules and thus revolutionised the Buddhist Order of Monks. Moreover, they made alterations in the arrangements and interpretation of the Sutra (Discourses) and the Vinaya (Rules) texts. And they rejected certain portions of the canon which had been accepted in the First Council.

According to it, the Buddhas are lokottara (supramundane) and are connected only externally with the worldly life. This conception of the Buddha contributed much to the growth of the Mahayana philosophy.

Mahayana Buddhism is divided into two systems of thought: the Madhyamika and the Yogacara. The Madhyamikas were so called on account of the emphasis they laid on the middle view. Here, the middle path, stands for the non-acceptance of the two views concerning existence and nonexistence, eternity and non eternity, self and non-self. In short, it advocates neither the theory of reality nor that of the unreality of the world, but merely of relativity. It is, however, to be noted that the Middle Path propounded at Sarnath by the Buddha had an ethical meaning, while that of the Madhyamikas is a metaphysical concept.

The Yogacara School is another important branch of the Mahayana. It was so called because it emphasised the practice of yoga (meditation) as the most effective method for the attainment of the highest truth (Bodhi). All the ten stages of spiritual progress of Bodhisattvahood have to be passed through before Bodhi can be attained. The ideal of the Mahayana school, therefore, is that of the Bodhisattva, a person who delays his or her own enlightenment in order to compassionately assist all other beings and ultimately attains to the highest Bodhi.

Theravada vs Mahayana Buddhism

http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/fastfacts/differences_theravada_mahayana.htm

8 major schools: four practice-based (Zen, Pure Land, Vajrayana, Vinaya); four philosophy-based (Tendai, Avamtasaka, Yogacara and Madhyamika)

	Theravada	Mahayana
Location	Southern (Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, parts of Southeast Asia)	Northern (Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, parts of Southeast Asia )
Schools and Sects	One surviving school (as many as 18 existed at one time)
Buddhist Scriptures	Pali Canon/Tripitaka only	Books of the Theravada Tripitaka plus many other sutras (e.g. Lotus Sutra)
Buddhas	Historical Buddha (Gautama) and past Buddhas only	Gautama Buddha plus Amitabha, Medicine Buddhas, and others
Bodhisattvas	Maitreya only	Maitreya plus Avalokitesvara, Mansjuri, Ksitigarbha and Samanthabadra
Goal of Training	Arhat	Buddhahood via bodhisattva-path
3 Buddha Bodies (Trikaya)	Very limited emphasis; mainly on nirmana-kaya and dharma-kaya	Emphasized, including the samboga-kaya or reward/enjoyment body
Original Language	Pali	Sanskrit
Language of Transmission	Tripitaka is only in Pali. Teaching in Pali supplemented by local language.	Scriptures translated into local language.
Buddha's Disciples	Historical disciples described in Scriptures	Many bodhisattvas that are not historical figures
Mantras and Mudras	Some equivalent in the use of Parittas	Emphasized in Vajrayana; sometimes incorporated in other schools
Bardo (Limbo)	Rejected	Taught by all schools
Non-Buddhist Influences	Mainly pre-Buddhist Indian influences like concepts of karma, sangha, etc.	Heavily influenced by local religious ideas as transmitted to new cultures (China, Japan, Tibet).
Buddha Nature	Not taught	Emphasized, especially in practice-based schools
Rituals	Very few; not emphasized	Many, owing to local cultural influences

Buddhist Studies

The World-Wide Web Virtual Library
[Alphabetical || Category Subtree || WWW VL database]

Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual LibraryThe Internet Guide to Buddhism and Buddhist Studies

Google rank #1 among the 586,000 buddhist studies pages world-wide (May 2008).

Est.: 5 Sep 1994. Last updated: 10 Mar 2009.

Edited by:
Dr T. Matthew Ciolek (The Australian National University, Canberra, AU), Prof. Joe Bransford Wilson (U. of North Carolina at Wilmington, US) and Privat-Dozent Jerome Ducor (Ethnographic Museum, Geneva, CH) in association with Adrian Hale, Barry Kapke, Murray Kessell, and Peter Schlenker (in US, UK, DE and AU).

This site keeps track of leading information facilities in the fields of Buddhism and Buddhist studies. Please register any new resources or mail tmciolek[use"@"]ciolek.com if you are interested in administering any specific area within this Virtual Library (VL). Your input will be gratefully appreciated.

This research tool is optimised for transmission speed, not for fancy looks. All links are inspected and evaluated before being added to the Virtual Library.

Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library
(www.google.com/cse)

Search
The H-Buddhism logs of discussions
(www2.h-net.msu.edu/~buddhism)

Search
The Inbox Robot for the latest news
(www.inboxrobot.com)

e.g. "tibet*", or "sanskrit" Search
The OAIster database of e-prints
(oaister.umdl.umich.edu)

and sort results by
title author/creator
date descending date ascending

e.g. "buddh*", or "zen meditation" Search
Encyclopaedia Britannica
(www.britannica.com) Search
The H-Asia logs of discussions

Search box design - Copyright (c) 2003
by T. Matthew Ciolek Search box design - Copyright (c) 2003
by T. Matthew Ciolek Search box design - Copyright (c) 2003
by T. Matthew Ciolek

Buddhist Studies - Table of ContentsPure Land Buddhism
WWW Virtual Library
The Internet Guide to Pure Land (Jingtu, Jodo, Shinshu) Online Resources. Site edited since 27 Feb 01 by Jerome-Ducor (jerome.ducor[use"@"]ville-ge.ch) Tibetan Studies
WWW Virtual Library
Art, Theatre & Music; Databases; Mailing lists; Language, Literature & Software; Medicine; E-Newsletters; Religion; Sky Burial Ritual; Religious & Cultural Centers; Tibetan Architecture Documentation Centre (TADC)

Tibetan Studies Resources Blog Zen Buddhism
WWW Virtual Library
Schools of Zen Buddhism; Hakuin Ekaku School; Harada-Yasutani School; Diamond Sangha School; Zen Koans; 20th c. Zen Teachings; Daily Zen Sutras; Zen Writings; E-Journals; Directories; Zen Names; Zen Calendar
Buddhism Internet Resources: Meta-Register
Sources of information about Buddhist studies networked resources
Buddhism Major WWW Sites
Archival copies of the site listing academic institutions as well as selected non-academic sites with information useful to the study of Buddhism. The site was edited since 16 Dec 96 by Dr Joe Wilson (wilsonj[use"@"]uncwil.edu). Now, apparently, it has been dicontinued
Electronic Resources for the Study of Buddhist Texts
Site edited since 15 Jan 2000 by Adrian Hale (ahale[use"@"]bodley.ox.ac.uk)

Buddhism E-Books; FTP sites, Mailing Lists & Chat-Rooms Tibet Online Bookstore
[Amazon.com associate]
Zen Online Bookstore
[Amazon.com associate] Buddhism/Buddhist
Electronic Newsletters & Journals
Catalogs, academic serials, other serials

Buddhist Studies Bibliographies
Online subject-oriented bibliographies

Buddhist InfoWeb

Theravada Buddhist InfoWeb- http://www.dharmanet.org/

Zen Buddhist InfoWeb
A meta-directory of Buddhist meditation and study centres around the world. Site edited since 27 Jan 98 by Barry Kapke (dharma[use"@"]dharmanet.org)

Buddhist Art
[Archival copies of a site with excerpts from the Huntington Archive, Tibetan paintings, architecture & music; Japanese sculpture, Buddhist Art galleries. The site was edited 13 May 97 - 23 April 2002 by Janice M. Glowski (glowski.1[use"@"]osu.edu)]