Anthology

• what is Basham's part of the anthology about

  a description of the Bodhisattva
• how does Basham describe the wisdom and compassion of the Bodhisattva


  - Bodhisattvas have wisdom to observe the suffering of all beings and this fills them will compassion

  - they pour their compassion out towards all these beings and vow to become their saviour and free them from suffering
• why is the Theravada regarded as selfish by the Mahayana and what are the analogies used


  - in Theravada ideal is complete loss of personality in Nirvana, but Mahayana see this as fundamentally selfish

  - Bodhisattva's share their wisdom with all other beings

  - Buddha compared bodhisattva to the sun; when the sun rises, it lights up and shines over the land and so the bodhisattva, when they attain enlightenment should lead others to it too

  - whereas the Theravada is like a firefly (small light)
• what kind of things does the Bodhisattva vow to do

  - have courage, strength and determination in helping everyone no matter their evils/faults

  - to take other pain and evil karma into their own body

  - to carry on along the path no matter what and not care for your own deliverance

  - to not wait for others to help you and not be satisfied with small successes
• what is the parable of the lost son and how does it relate to skill in means

  the son parted from his father and became poor whilst his father became rich. eventually the son ended up at the father's house begging, but did not recognize him (although the father recognized his son). the son was scared of his father, so the father used his skill in means and hired his son to work at his house for lots of money, in order to keep him close and without scaring him. eventually the son became mature and developed.

  - this shows recognizing the right time and right place to help people in the right way

  - also highlights inner Buddha nature and how nurturing it leads to happiness and not materialism
• how should a Bodhisattva express joy

  - conscious that sorrow and joy arise from habit, so when sorrow arises, if we make it a habit to associate it with a feeling of joy, joy will arise instead

  - bodhisattva should be full of calm inner joy even in the most painful and unhappy situations, meaning they're not affected by other's suffering

  - should wish joy of enlightenment for all
• what are 3 examples of further good deeds a Bodhisattva should perfect


  - he bows humbly to all beings, and doesn't increase in pride

  - he gives the best food to those who're hungry

  - he delights the poor with his riches
• how does Basham explain the 3 bodied doctrine

  - body of essence = Dharmakaya which is the enlightened mind that has grasped the truth of all things and is the basis for the others

  - body of bliss = Sambhogakaya which represent both human and celestial Bodhisattva's (skill in means) who can aid you in understanding the qualities of Buddhahood

  - transformation body = Nirmanakaya which is the physical manifestation of the enlightened being.

  the three bodies have a three-fold stability and are one and the same
• what is a mantra

  - speech protection, certain syllables, phrases and verses which when repeated have a magical efficacy.

  - Mahayana Buddhists taught that the repetition of mantras is a means of salvation, e.g. for dispelling evil spirits

  - each Bodhisattva has a mantra associated with them which help them focus on the qualities needed to attain buddhahood
• what is Rahula's part of the anthology about

  describes how all aspiring Buddhas are Bodhisattvas and that Mahayana and Therevada are the same, so one is not superior to the other
• why does Rahula reject the term Hinyana (Therevada)


  - the terms Hinyana (smaller vehicle) and Mahayana (Greater vehicle) aren't known to the Theravada Pali literature

  - these terms were later inventions as at the time there was no such things as Mahayana and therefore no Theravada (as there was no distinction/nothing to compare it to)
• what do the Theravada scriptures say about Bodhisattvas


  it's highlighted that one may become a bodhisattva and attain the state of a fully enlightened Buddha, but if not, they may instead attain the state of the Pratyekabuddha/Sravaka
• what are the 3 routes/states of enlightenment outlined in the Mahayana scriptures

  1. sravaka: disciple of the Buddha (monastic/layperson) who serves others but has a limited capacity to do so.

  2. Pratyekabuddha: person who realizes Nirvana alone by themselves at a time when there are no Buddhas in the world. renders service to others in a limited way. 1 and 2 attain Nirvana for their own liberation

  3. Bodhisattva: out of great compassion, they renounce Nirvana and continue suffering for the sake of others. capacity to serve others is unlimited
• what does Rahula mean by 'anyone who aspires to become a Buddha is a Bodhisattva'


  to be a Buddha you must follow the Bodhisattva path
• how does he qualify that Theravada's can be Bodhisattvas


  when a Bodhisattva attains enlightenment, they become an Arhant according to Mahayana scriptures and according to Therevada scriptures an Arhant is a Buddha
• how does the Jakata tale of the Buddha as Sumehda justify the Theravada position?

  - both Theravada and Mahayana hold that although all 3 individuals (Buddha, Pratyekabuddha and Sravaka) are equals, the Buddha is superior as only a Buddha achieves complete liberation from all the obstructions to the knowable

  - the tale tells how Gotama the Buddha realized Nirvana as a disciple (Sravaka) but renounced it to become a Buddha like his teacher, a Buddha called Dipankara
• what's meant by 'although the Theravada holds that anybody can be a Bodhisattva, it doesn't stipulate/insist that all must be a bodhisattva'


  for some it's impractical to be a bodhisattva; it's up to the individual
• how does Rahula explain the difference between the Bodhisattva in Theravada and Mahayana

  - in Theravada, although the bodhisattva is the ideal, it doesn't provide a separate literature devoted to it; teachings are found scattered in Pali literature

  - Mahayana is dedicated to the bodhisattva ideal and has produced literature and a class of mystical Bodhisattvas