The Signification of Bodhisattva Manjushri in Mahayana Buddhism

Shabd Braham E ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 May 2017 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal

The Signification Of Bodhisattva Manjushri In Mahayana Buddhism Dr.Manish Meshram Assistant Professor School of Buddhist Studies and Civilization Gautam Buddha University Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract Manjushri is a bodhisattva of the tenth and final stage (bhuumi) of the bodhisattva path, and at this level he is joined by figures such as Avalokite'svara and Maitreya. As stated above, Manjushri’s standard epithet kumaarabhuuta has a double sense, being a youth or being a prince. Understood as prince the term also has a technical meaning which indicates that its bearer has received consecration (abhi.seka) from the Buddha as crown prince (kumaara) of the Dharma, making him a tenth stage bodhisattva. The consecration gives him the powers of a Buddha, enabling him to be a Cloud of the Dharma (dharmamegha) that rains down the Buddha's teachings upon the world for its benefit. As well as 'Cloud of the Dharma' the tenth stage of the bodhisattva path is therefore also called the Stage of Consecration (abhi.seka-bhuumi). In this article I would like to express about practical approach and its experience of Manjushri bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. Keywords: Manjushri, Bodhisattva, Wisdom, Perfect wisdom, Mantra, Pranja, Insight, Buddha, Nirvana, Meditation, Mahayana Buddhism

Introduction Manjushri is depicted as a beautiful young Manjushri is bodhisattva associated with prince, usually said to be sixteen years old. pranjna (insight) in Mahayana Buddhism. In His freshness and beauty represent the Tibetan Buddhism, he is also a yidam. His fresh way that the awakened mind sees the name means ‘Gentle Glory’ in Sanskrit. world. While the unenlightened mind Manjushri is also known by the fuller name typically sees life as being ordinary, to those of Manjushrikumarabhatu, literally who are awakened life is magic, ‘Manjushri, Still a Youth’ or, less literally, extraordinary, and full of potential. The name ‘Prince Manjusri’. Manjushri is a Bodhisattva Manushri means ‘Gently Auspicious One.’ who represents wisdom. Along with He is also known as Manjughosha, or Avolokiteshvara and Vajrapani, he is one of ‘Gentle Voiced One.’ Like most Bodhisattv trinity of family protectors. The family that figures, he is seated on a lotus flower. Majuhshri protects is known as the Because the lotus grows from mud in often Tathagata family, which includes the foul water, and yet remains unstained, it is historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, as well as considered to represent the purity of Vairochana, the central figure in the Five wisdom, which can exist in the midst of Buddha Mandala. Tathagata” the name of delusion without being affected by it. Majushri’s family, means “The one thus Manjushri’s most distinctive emblem is the gone (to Nirvana) or (because of the flaming sword that he holds aloft in his right ambiguities in Sanskrit) “The one thus come hand. The sword symbolizes his mind’s (to this world) and is an epithet of the ability to cut through the fetters that bind historical Buddha. Of all the Bodhisattvas, beings to the cycle of delusion and suffering. Manjushri has perhaps the closest The flames suggest that the sward is not a association with the Buddha, and could be literal one, and flames in Buddhist said to represent his genius (in the sense of iconography invariably represent his attendant deity) or daimon (attending transformation; Manjughosa’s wisdom does spirit or inspiring force).

This paper is published online at www.shabdbraham.com in Vol 5, Issue 7 32 Shabd Braham E ISSN 2320 – 0871 International Research Journal of Indian languages 17 May 2017 Peer Reviewed Refereed Research Journal not destroy ignorance in the conventional Kumarbhuta (‘Youthful Being’), although he sense, but transforms it into wisdom. does also manifest in some texts as elderly In Manjushri’s left hand is his other man. His quality of having eternal youth characteristic emblem: the stem of a lotus, (sometimes despite appearances to which bears a book. This book is the contrary) symbolized the eternal freshness Perfection of Wisdom, which is both the and spontaneity with which the enlightened source of his realization and a concrete mind approaches life. symbol of it. In the Manjughosa form the The word “bodhisattva” is a compound world book is held to the heart. There are formed from bodhi (spiritual awakening, numerous other variations of Manjushri, enlightenment) and sattva (a being, some of which go by different names. For essence, sprit). The word can then be example he is sometimes seen riding a lion, translates as “A being set upon or holding a bow and arrow. enlightenment,” “One whose essence is Manjushri features prominently in many perfect knowledge,” or “A being whose Perfection of Wisdom texts. He makes a late essence is enlightenment.” appearance in the Lotus Sutra, and is The word, however, has several shades of particularly prominent in the Vimalakirti meaning, and we will explore these below. Nirdesa. Both of these are early Mahayana Heare’s Monier-William’s Sanskrit-English sutras. However he is most often found in Dictionary definition of the word the later Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, where ‘bodhisattva” he is, in effect, the Buddha’s spokesman. In “sattva means ‘one whose essence is some of these sutras the dialogues that perfect knowledge,’ one who is one the way Manjushshri has with the Buddha are so to on the attainment of perfect knowledge, intimate that we can get a sense that we are (i.e. a Buddhist saint when he has only one hearing the Buddha thinking out loud. birth to undergo before obtaining the state of Manjushri is associated with ordinary a supreme Buddha and then Nirvana), intelligence and mental acuity as well as Buddha (the early doctrine had only one transcendent wisdom, and his mantra Om A Bodhi-sattva, viz, Maitreya: the later Ra Pa Ca Na Dhihi is a said to confer reckoned many more) the principle Buddha intelligence. Shantideva, the author of th of the present era (before he become a great Bodhicaryavatar (‘Guide to the Buddha)” Bodhisattva’s Way of life’) is said to have There is a possibility that the Pali word gained his wisdom by communing with ‘sattv’ was actually a back-formation from Manjushri by nigh, while appearing by a day the Sanskrit word sakta, meaning as a slovenly and lazy scholar-monk. Some “committed to, fixed or intent upon, directed scholars believe that Manjushri has his towards.” The Pali term “bodhisatta” would, origins in a Ghandharva (celestial musician) from a Sanskrit point to view, has been called Pancashiksha, who is found some ambiguous, and it’s possible that it wrongly early Pali texts, the name Pancacirakha as “enlightenment being” when is should means five-crests, and has a have been retranslated as “one committed correspondence with Manjushri’s Being a enlightenment.” musician, Pancashikha is also “gentle Three meanings of the word voiced” and is praised by the Buddha for “bodhisattva” quality of his singing. Both figures are also There are three principle meaning of the involved in question-and-answer sessions term “bodhisattva,’ each of which I will with the Buddha and both are generally discuss in more detail below: depicted as eternally young, although this is 1 In early Buddhist, bodhsattva meant “the so common a quality that it’s not in itself previous lives of a (or the ) Buddha.” persuasive. Manjushri is often known as

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2 In Mahayana Buddhism, bodhisattva refers Bodhicaryavatara contains ten chapters to a human being committed to the detailing the practice of the Perfections . attainment of enlightenment for the sake of (paramitas) by which one becomes a others. Becoming a bodhisattva is the goal bodhisattva. It is thought the cultivation of of Mahayana Buddhism. bodhicitta (the mind or heart of awakening) 3 Bodhisattva may also refer in Mahayana that one becomes a bodhisattva. The Buddhism to archetypal bodhisattvas: Mahayana (“Great Vehicle”) seems to have mythical beings such as Avalokiteshvara arisen at least in part because of a and Manjushri, who are objects of devotion. perception that Buddhist practitioners in We will look as these three different certain schools (which they pejoratively understandings of the term bodhisattva dubbed the ‘Hinayana” or “Lesser Vehicle”) below. had too narrow a conception of the Buddhist 1 The Bodhisattva in early Buddhism path, seeing it purely in terms of liberation This relief from Borobodur illustrates a oneself from suffering without regard to the Jataka tale in which the bodhisatta (the wellbeing of others. Buddha in a previous life) is a great turtle This self-centered orientation was in conflict who firs saves a group of shipwrecked with the Buddha’s original emphasis that his sailors by taking them on his back, then disciples “go forth for the welfare of the offers his body to them as food to relieve many” and with his own untiring concern their hunger. with the wellbeing of others. Mahayanists The Pali equivalent to bodhisattva is therefore looked back to the Buddha’s own bodhisatta (satta having the same meaning life for inspiration. Prior to his own as Sanskrit sattva- or sakta), and this is a enlightenment, the Buddha-to-be, or word that appears in the Pali canon to refer Bodhisattva, was said to have spent to: countless lifetimes cultivating the perfection 1 The historical Buddha, Shakymuni, before of compassion and generosity. The Jataka his enlightenment, and tales mentioned above contain a vast body 2.The current life or lives of the Buddha-to- of folklore in which the Bodhisattva, whether come, Maitrey (Pali Metteya). in human or animal form makes great The word bodhisattva therefore originally sacrifices in order to help others. Inspired by meant something like “a being who is well on both the actual and the mythic stories of the the way to becoming a Buddha.” The Buddha, Mahayanists, reinstated previous lives of the bodhisatta Sakyamuni compassion at the heart of Buddhist are told in the Pali Jataka (‘birth’) Tales, a practice, rather that aiming at Arhatship- the collection of folk tales that later became the individual liberation of the Hinayana – basis for Aesop’s fables, and that illustrated Mahayanists aimed to attain enlightenment the Buddha-to-be’s development of god for the sake of all beings. qualities such as patience, generosity, and To Mahayanists, wisdom and compassion compassion. were considered to be inseparable. To truly 1 The bodhisattva as the goal and idea see the nature of reality is to see that the of Mahayana Buddhism whole conception of separate entities is a Mahayana Buddhist do not aspire to delusion. Paradoxically, therefore, a “bodhi- enlightenment purely to free themselves being” has to see that there are no beings to from suffering; they do so out of compassion save in order to want to save them, and in order to liberate other sentient beings. therefore to become a “bodhi-being”. The One of the greatest works of Buddhist Bodhisattva path is said to take many literature is the 8th century “Guide to the lifetimes. Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” 1 The Bodhisattva as devotional object (Bodhicaryavatara) by Shantideva. The

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Mahayana Buddhism vastly increased the mindfulness than in found in normal daily range of objects of devotion by introducing life. new Buddha and Bodhisattvas. The Bodhisattva may then be irruptions into historical Buddha had always been an object waking consciousness of symbolic of great devotion to his followers. He himself representations of meditation experiences. It had encouraged the veneration of the tombs is not unknown for Buddhas and bodhisattva of previous “Solitary Buddha” or who appear in this way to even give pratyekabuddhas. The Buddha-to-be, teachings. Some Mahayana sutras may Metteya (Sanskrit:Maitreya), was also an have started in this way. Meditator who had object of veneration and prayer. There was such visionary experiences may have never, therefore, any sense of there being encourage others to meditate upon the only a single (or no) focus for devotion in image that had spontaneously arisen, and Buddhism. But the Mahayana broadened so the tradition of sadhana, or the the range of devotional figures, by visualization of Buddhist deities, may have introducing “new” Buddhas and arisen. Bodhisattvas. How did this happen ? Teaching On The Meaning Of The First it may well have been the case that Manjushri Mantra: Om Ah Ra Pa Ca Na existing pre-Buddhist or simply non-Buddhist Dhi figures were incorporated into the Buddhist Now I would like to give a short teaching tradition and promoted. As it were, to combining both the sutra and the tantra enlightened status. This seems to be the approach. Manjushri is a bodhisattva who case with Vajrapani, who began life a represents wisdom, and his mantra also Yaksha who acted as the Buddh’s protector. symbolized that quality. He holds a sword in Some scholars have also speculated that his right hand symbolizing his ability to cut Manjushri began as a celestial musician, or through delusion. In his left hand, by his gandharva. heart, he holds the stem of a lotus flower, Second, it’s likely that some Buddhist deities which bears a book – the Perfection of first appeared as spontaneous Wisdom teaching, or Prajnaparmita. manifestations in meditation practices. It’s The syllables between Om and the fairly common for meditators to have concluding Dhihi are the first syllables of a meaningful and stable images appear as a syllabary called the arapacana because it result of the mind attaining unusually beings with A RA PA CA and NA (A concentrated states of mind. These image syllabary is like an alphabet, but made up of are known as nimittas. A meditator who slips syllables). This Syllabary is found in a into a particularly refined state of mind may number of Buddhist texts, including some see, for example, as still pool or water or a Perfection of Wisdom (prajnaparmita) texts. jewel hanging against an infinite black Many of the texts in which A RA PA CA NA background. It’s conceivable that a (and the rest of the syllabary) appears are meditator, upon having a particularly strong not connected with Manjushri, but according experience of compassion, say, experienced to Dr. Conze (in the introduction to the Large a vision of beautiful and loving goddess Sutra on Perfect Wisdom) “in later literature caught in the act of stepping from a lotus in is always connected with the Bodhisattva order to help sentient beings. And so, Tara Manjushri.” The individual syllables A RA PA would be “born”. In certain states of CA and NA has no conceptual meaning, meditation the border between the although they are seen as having symbolic unconscious and conscious minds can be connections with various spiritual qualities. crossed more easily, and the mind can begin Here’s the scheme laid out in the Large to see things in a more symbolic way – as in Sutra of Perfect Wisdom (adapted from dreaming but with a greater degree of Conze):

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A leads to the insight that the essence of all nirmanakaya meditation. Those of the thinks is unproduced. highest capacity engage in the dharmakaya RA leads to the insight that all things are practice recognizing Buddha nature. pure and free of defilements, Practitioners of medium capacity do the PA leads to the insight that l dharmas have sambhogakaya practice through reciting been “expounded in the ultimate sense.” mantras, finally, practioners of the lowest CA leads to the insight that the arising and capacity engage in the nirmana kaya ceasing of things cannot be apprehended practice by visualizing the form of the deity. because in reality there is no arising or We may think that if we are doing the ceasing. dharmakaya practice we are not practicing NA lads to the insight that although the the other kayas. Similarly, we may think that names for things change the nature of things if we practice sambhogakaya meditation you behind their names cannot be gained or lost. are not practicing dharmakaya and These are all important concepts in the nirmanakaya meditation. But the best Perfection of Wisdom, although to say they practice combines all three kayas. In such are concepts in a bit limiting – really they’re practice we rest our mind in its Buddha attempts to describe the indescribable nature first. Then we recite mantra to nature of reality. practice sambhogakaya while resting in the Dhihi is deined as menaing: thought nature of our mind. And finally, while (especially) religious thought, refection, maintaining the dharmakaya and the meditation, devotion, prayer, understanding, sambhogakaya practice you also visualize intelligence, wisdom. ourselves as the deity. The visualization OM adds the nirmanakaya aspect to the Represents the enlightenment form of body, practice. speech and mind embodied in Manjushri’s AH three kayas. First, the Manjushri mind is Stands fro the direct understanding of the equally to the wisdom mind of all Buddhas- nature of phenomena. This realization the dharmakaya. We may ask how to develops as we examine everything. That practice the dharmakaya ? If you means that we ask questions such as: What experientially understand Buddha nature does my body and mind consist of? What do and rest in the Buddha nature in our all the things around me consist of? As a meditation we are practicing dharmakaya. result of repeated inquiry and contemplation, Second, the Manjushri mantra Om Ah Ra Pa the realization of emptiness as the true Ca Na Dhi represents the enlightenment nature of our mind as we all external speech o all the Buddha. If we recite this phenomena arises. Understanding of the mantra more and more our usual worldly emptiness of everything is the wisdom path. perceptions will transform into perceptions of RA Buddhas in Buddha fields. This is how The syllable RA represents understanding of enlightened speech of Manjushri manifests emptiness from the Hinayana point of view. in the shambhokaya form. Finally, if we This approach emphasizes the emptiness of focus in our meditation on the body of the self but believes that at the deepest level Majushri as depicted in thankas/images – in everything consists of very small subatomic orange color and with the ornaments we are particles. Similar views are held by scientists engaging in a nirmankaya practice. This is these days. These teaching of the practice focusing solely on the visualization ‘Hinayana’ emptiness are suitable for those without reciting the manta and without practitioners that have difficulty in resting in Buddha nature. understanding emptiness in its ultimate Practitioners differs in terms of their nature. dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and

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PA depend on where our boy it. It is of no use if Stans for meditation. There are two basic our body is in a great retreat place when our types of meditation: the conceptual (thinking) mind is wandering around. As a proof of this and the non-conceptual (without thinking) they are great practioneres that lead a very meditation. In the conceptual meditation we bushy household life, have a job and family really on thinking about various concepts commitments. such as impermanence, suffering or karma. NA This is actually not considered a meditation represents karma (action). In short, it in the strict sense. The ‘real’ meditation is signifies that all the suffering we experience non-conceptual and means that we see the is the result of our previous non-virtuous nature of phenomenal directly. In our actions (negative karma) and all our practice we usually first combine the happiness results from our previous virtuous conceptual and the non-conceptual deeds (positive karma). There are 2 basic meditation until we are able to rest in the kinds of karma: the collective karma and the nature of mind completely without thinking. individual karma. We need to understand For example, if you have to ask yourself that with each action of our speech, body, whether your meditation is conceptual or and mind we are sewing the seeds of our non-conceptual we are practicing conceptual future experience. (thinking) meditation. If we engage in a true DHI non-conceptual meditation we don’t have to represents the bija, or seed syllable, of check where our meditation is conceptual or Boddhisatva Manjushri. After chanting 108 non-conceptual- our feeling or resting in the dhihs, envision the dhi on your tongue nature of mind is so reassuring that there coming down and absorbing into the dhi on are no questions to be asked. the moon disk at your heart, which becomes CA very brilliant. Immeasurable red-light rays Symbolized the importance of sansara and radiate from that seed syllable, filling your nirvana. The exact nature of both nirvana entire physical body and purifying all and samsara is emptiness. But if we don’t negative karma (actions), sickness, and understand the exact nature of samsara, it obstacles. manifests to us in the form of three suffering. In short, the view helps us recognize the The three sufferings are : the suffering of correct path. Meditation is the actual practice change, the suffering upon suffering and the through which we develop an experiential suffering of everything composite. If we understanding of the path, leading to a exactly experientially understand the real change in our mind and feelings. Activity nature of sansara it will instead appear to us combined with wisdom gives us the capacity in the form of three kinds of peace: arhat to help sentient beings in an efficient way at peace, bodhisattva peace and Buddha the right time. Fruition is the happiness and peace. It is crucial to understand the courage resulting from accomplishing our importance of both of sansara and nirvana. virtuous intentions. For example, we may think that sansara is Conclusion not important and think only about nirvana. Devotion to Manjushri then, whether by As a result we may think that we should do a meditating on his form and teaching or by life-long retreat and abandon all our worldly repeating his name, leads to seeing him, commitments to other people. This not possibly to receiving teachings and to the correct, we need to apply wisdom in our gaining of appropriate spiritual insight. At the action and understand that both sansara very least, the devotee can be sure of and nirvana are important. We need to Manjushri’s protection and freedom from a understand that the nature of retreat and poor rebirth. real practice is in our mind and does not

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These meditation practices, in which the India Simla: Indian Institute of Advanced Study. mind is focused on a particular Buddha or Reprinted, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1990.. [rGya gar chos 'byung, 1608] bodhisattva, have their roots in the tradition 7 Conze, E. (1973a) The Perfection of Wisdom in of the Recollection of the Buddha Eight Thousand Lines & its Verse Summary. (buddhaanusm.rti). This practice, going back Berkeley, California: Four Seasons Press. to the earliest phase of Buddhism, involves 8 'Saastri, Ga.napati. (ed.) (1920– 1925) Ma~nju'sriimuulakalpa. Trivandrum bringing to mind or 'recollecting' the different Sanskrit Series vols. 70, 74, 86. Republished in qualities of the Buddha 'Saakyamuni. One of one volume by P. L. its results, according to Buddhaghosa, is Vaidya, Mahaayaanasuutrasa.mgraha Part II. Buddhist Sanskrit Texts, no 18. Darbhanga: that the meditator can come "to feel as if he Mithila Institute, 1964. were living in the Master's presence." A 9 Sangharakshita. (1967)The Three Jewels, An visual dimension to this experience, though Introduction to Buddhism.London: Rider and not mentioned by Buddhaghosa, is Company. 10 Sangharakshita. (1985) The Eternal Legacy: suggested by other sources. For example, in An Introduction to the Canonical Literature of the Pali Sutta Nipaata, there is a story of a Buddhism. London: Tharpa Publications. Brahmin called Pi'ngiya, who because of old age is not able physically to accompany the Buddha. Nonetheless, Pi'ngiya does not feel separated from the Buddha because, "with constant and careful vigilance it is possible for me to see him as clearly as with my eyes, in night as well as day." This early account, which may predate formalised practice of buddhaanusm.rti, suggests that its early practice may have grown out of visualisation of the Buddha and his qualitiesAll practices of Boddhisatva Manjushri are very powerful for helping us to clear our ignorance and delusions, and to enhance our learning skills, debating, writing, memory, and wisdom. References 1 Beal, Samuel. (1884) Si-yu-ki, Buddhist Records of the Western World. London. Reprinted, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, 1981. 2 Bendall, Cecil and W. H. D. Rouse. (1922) (tr.) 'Sik.saa-samuccaya, a Compendium of Buddhist Doctrine. London: John Murray. Reprinted Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1971. 3 Beyer, S. (1977) 'Notes on the Vision Quest in Early Mahaayaana,' in Lewis Lancaster, ed., Praj~naapaaramitaa and Related Systems: Studies in Honour of Edward Conze, Berkeley: University of California Press. 4 Birnbaum, Raoul.Studies on the Mysteries of Ma~nju'srii: A group of East Asian ma.n.dalas and their traditional symbolism. Society for the Study of Chinese Religions, Monograph No.2, Boulder, 1983. 5 Chang, Garma C. C. (ed.) (1983) A Treasury of Mahaayaana Suutras. Pennsylvania & London: Pennsylvania State University Press. 6 Chimpa, Lama and Chattopadhyaya, Alaka. (1970) (tr.) Taaranaatha's History of Buddhism in

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