Mahayana Buddhism
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OUTLINES OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM BY DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA GIFT OF Lt. Col. George White Add to ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. K. J. BRILL, PRINTERS, LEYDEN, HOLLAND. OUTLINES OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM BY DAISETZ TEITARO SUZUKI LONDON LUZAC AND COMPANY (OPPOSITE THE BRITISH MUSEUM) PUBLISHERS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. 1907. PREFACE. The object of this book is twofold: (i) To refute the many wrong opinions which are entertained by Western critics concerning the fundamental teachings of Buddhism To awake interest Mahayana ; (2) among scholars of comparative religion in the development of the religious sentiment and faith as exemplified by the growth of one of the most powerful spiritual forces in the world. The book is therefore at once popular and scholarly. It is popular in the sense that it tries to expose the fallacy of the general attitude assumed by other religionists towards Mahayanism. It aims to be scholarly, on the other hand, when it endeavors to expound some of the most salient features of the doctrine, historically and systematically. In attempting the accomplishment of this latter object, however, the author makes no great claim, because it is impossible to present within this pres- cribed space all the data that are available for a comprehensive and systematic elucidation of the Mahayana Buddhism, whose history began in the sixth century before the Christian era and ran through a period of more than two thousand years before it assumed the form in which it is at present taught in the Orient. During this long period, the Mahayana 928 VI doctrine was elaborated by the best minds that India, Tibet, China, and Japan ever produced. It is no wonder then that so many diverse and apparently contradictory teachings are all comprised under the general name of Mahayana Buddhism. To expound all these theories even tentatively would be altogether outside the scope of such a work as this. All that I could or hoped to do was to discuss a few of the most general and most essential topics of Mahayanism, making this a sort of introduction to a more detailed exposition of the system as a whole as well as in particular. To attain the first object, I have gone occasionally outside the sphere within which I had properly to confine the work. But this deviation seemed imperative for the reason that some critics are so prejudiced that even seemingly self-evident truths are not com- prehended by them. I may be prejudiced in my own way, but very frequently I have wondered how com- pletely and how wretchedly some people can be made the prey of self-delusion. The doctrinal history of Mahayana Buddhism is very little known to Occidental scholars. This is mainly due to the inaccessibility of material which is largely written in the Chinese tongue, one of the most difficult of languages for foreigners to master. In this age of liberal culture, it is a great pity that so few of the precious stones contained in the religion of Buddha are obtainable by Western people. Human nature is essentially the same the world over, and VII whenever and wherever conditions mature we see the same spiritual phenomena; and this fact ever strengthens our faith in the universality of truth and in the ultimate reign of lovingkindness. It is my sincere desire that in so far as my intellectual attain- ment permits I shall be allowed to pursue my study and to share my findings with my fellow- beings. In concluding this prelude, the author wishes to say that this little book is presented to the public with a full knowledge of its many defects, to revise which he will not fail to make use of every oppor- tunity offered him. DAISETZ T. SUZUKI. CONTENTS. PREFACE . v INTRODUCTION I (1) The Mahayana and Htnayana Buddhism. Why the -- Two Doctrines? The Original Meaning of Mahay- ana. An Older Classification of Buddhists. Mahay- ana Buddhism defined I (2) Is the Mahayana Buddhism the genuine teaching of Buddha ? No Life Without Growth Mahayanism a Living Religion 1 1 (3) Some Misstatements about the Mahayanism. Why Injustice Done to Buddhism. Examples of Injustice. Monier Monier-Williams. Beal. Waddell . 16 (4) The Significance ofReligion. No Revealed Religion. - The Mystery. Intellect and Imagination. The Contents of Faith vary 24 CHAPTER i. A GENERAL CHARACTERISATION OF BUDDHISM 32 No God and No Soul. Karma. Avidya. Non- atman. The Non-atmanness of Things. Dharma- kaya. Nirvana. Intellectual Tendency of Buddhism. CHAPTER n. HISTORICAL CHARACTERISATION OF MAHA- YANISM 60 Sthiramati's Conception of Mahayanism. -- Seven - - Principal Features of Mahayanism. Ten Essential Features of Mahayanism. SPECULATIVE MAHAYANISM. CHAPTER in. PRACTICE AND SPECULATION . 77 Relation of Feeling and Intellect. - - Buddhism and Speculation. Religion arid Metaphysics. CHAPTER iv. CLASSIFICATION OF KNOWLEDGE. 87 Three Forms of Knowledge. Illusion. Relative Knowledge. -- Absolute Knowledge. World-Views founded on the three Forms of Knowledge. Trans- cendental Truth and Relative Understanding. CHAPTER v. BHUTATATHATA (SUCHNESS) 99 Indefinability. The "Thundrous Silence." Such- ness Conditioned. Questions Defying Solution. The Theory of Ignorance. Dualism and Moral Evil. CHAPTER vi. THE TATHAGATA-GARBHA AND THE ALAYA- VIJNANA 125 The Garbha and Ignorance. The Alaya-vijnana and its Evolution. The Manas. The Samkhya Philosophy and Mahayanism. CHAPTER vn. THF. THEORY OF NON-ATMAN OR NON-EGO 140 -- - - Atman. Buddha's First Line of Inquiry. The Skandha. -- King Milinda and Nagasena. Ananda's Attempts to Locate the Soul. Atman and the "Old Man." The Vedantic Conception. Nagarjunaonthe Soul. Non-atman-ness of Things. Svabhava. The Real Significance of Emptiness. CHAPTER vm. KARMA .181 Definition. The Working of Karma. Karma and Social injustice. --An Individualistic View of Karma. - Karma and Determinism. The Maturing of Good Stock and the Accumulation of Good Merits. Immor- tality.. XI PRACTICAL MAHAYANISM. CHAPTER ix. THE DHARMAKAYA 217 -- God. Dharmakaya. Dharmakaya as Religious Object. - More Detailed Characterisation. The Dharmakaya and Individual Beings. The Dharmakaya as Love. Later Mahayanists' View of the Dharmakaya. - The Freedom of the Dharmakaya. -- The Will of the Dharmakaya. CHAPTER x. THE DOCTRINE OF TRIKAYA. 242 The Human and the Super-human Buddha. -- An Historical View. Who was Buddha ? The Trikaya as Explained in the Suvarna-Prabha. Revelation in - - -- All Stages of Culture. The Sambhogakaya. A Mere Subjective Existence. Attitude of Modern Mahayanists. Recapitulation. CHAPTER xi. THE BODHISATTVA 277 The Three Yanas. Strict Individualism. The Doctrine of Parivarta. - Bodhisattva in "Primitive" Buddhism. We are all Bodhisattvas. The Bud- dha's Life. - The Bodhisattva and Love. The Meaning of Bodhi and Bodhicitta. Love and Karuna. Nagarjuna and Sthiramati on Bodhicitta. - The Awakening of the Bodhicitta. The Bodhi- sattva' s Pranidhana. CHAPTER xn. TEN STAGES OF BODHISATTVAHOOD .311 -- - Gradation in our Spiritual Life. Pramudita. -- -- Vimala. Prabhakari. Arcismati. Sudurjana. - Bhimukhi. - - Durangama. - - Acala. Sadhumati. - Dharmamegha. XII CHAPTER xiu. NIRVANA 331 Nihilistic Nirvana not the First Object. Nirvana is Positive. The Mahayanistic Conception of Nirvana. - Nirvana as the Dharmakaya. Nirvana in its Fourth Sense. Nirvana and Samsara are One. - The Middle Course. How to Realise Nirvana. Love Awakens -- Intelligence. Conclusion APPENDIX, HYMNS OF MAHAYANA FAITH. 375 INDEX 409 INTRODUCTION. i. THE MAHAYANA AND THE HINAYANA BUDDHISM. HPHE terms "Mahayana" and "Hinayana" may "* sound unfamiliar to most of our readers, per- haps even to those who have devoted some time to the study of Buddhism. They have hitherto been induced to believe that there is but one form of Buddhism, and that there exists no such distinction as Mahayanism and Hinayanism. But, as a matter of fact, there are diverse schools in Buddhism just as in 'other religious systems. It is said that, within a few hundred years after the demise of Buddha, there t were more- than twenty different schools, all claiming 1 According to Vasumitra's Treatise on the Points of Con- tention by the Different Schools of Buddhism, of which there are three Chinese translations, the earliest being one by Kumarajiva (who came to China in A. D. 401), the first great schism seems to have broken out about one hundred years after the Buddha. The leader of the dissenters was Mahadeva, and his school was known as the Mahasangika (Great Council), while the orthodox was called the school of Sthaviras (Elders). Since then the two schools subdivided themselves into a number of minor sections, twenty of which are mentioned by Vasumitra. The book is highly interesting as throwing light on the early pages of the history of Bud- dhism in India. i 2 INTRODUCTION to be the orthodox teaching of their master. These, however, seem to have vanished into insignificance one after another, when there arose a new school quite different in its general constitution from its predecessors, but far more important in its signifi- cance as a religious movement. This new school or rather system made itself so prominent in the mean- time as to stand distinctly alone from all the other schools, which latter became a class by itself. Essen- tially, it taught everything that was considered to be Buddhistic, but it was very comprehensive in its principle and method and scope. And, by reason of this, Buddhism was now split into two great systems, Mahayanism and Hinayanism, the latter indiscriminately including all the minor schools which preceded Ma- hayanism in their formal establishment. Broadly speaking, the difference between Mahayanism and Hinayanism is this : Mahayanism is more liberal and progressive, but in many respects too metaphys- ical and full of speculative thoughts that frequently reach a dazzling eminence : Hinayanism, on the other hand, is somewhat conservative and may be considered in many points to be a rationalistic ethical system simply. Mahayana literally means "great vehicle" and Hina- yana "small or inferior vehicle," that is, of salvation.