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DAILY
CLASS NOTES

Lecture - 13
BUDDHISM - II
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BUDDHISM - II
Pratitya-samutpada:
 It is the ‘Dependent Origination Doctrine of Causation’, which explains the bondage and liberation. Other
theories are based on this doctrine.
 It states that events are not predetermined, nor are they random. It rejects notions of direct causation,
which are necessarily undergirded by a substantialist metaphysics.
 Instead, it believes in the arising of events under certain conditions which are inextricable, such that the
processes in question at no time, are considered to be entities.
 Dependent origination means that certain specific events, concepts, or realities are always dependent
on other specific things.
 Everything in the world:
 Has cause
 Dependent
 Relative
 Conditional
 Subject to birth and death
 Hence, everything in the world is IMPERMANENT Relative i.e., neither absolutely real nor unreal (similar
to maya).

Bhava Chakra/Janam Maran Chakra/Samsara Chakra:

 Vicious cycle of 12 such causes and their effects that governs life. Does not end with death! But only when
root cause (ignorance) is destroyed.
 These 12 vicious cycles are as follows:
1. Avijja (Avidya) Ignorance, Nescience
2. Sankhara (Samaskara) Volitional formations, Fabrications, constructions, choices
3. Vinnana (Vijnana) Consciousness, discernment, sense consciousness
4. Namarupa Name and form, mentality and corporeality, body and mind
5. Salayatana (Sadayatana) Six sense bases, sense sources, sense media
6. Phassa (Sparsha) Contact, sense impression, “touching”
7. Vedana Feeling, sensation, hedonic tone
8. Tanha (trsna) Craving, desire, greed, “thirst”
9. Upadana Clinging, grasping, sustenance, attachment
10. Bhava Existence, becoming, continuation
11. Jati Birth, rebirth
12. Jaramarana Aging or decay and death.
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Ksanikavada (Doctrine of Momentariness), Sanatanvada (Theory of flux or ceaseless flow), Anityavada

(Doctrine of Impermanence of Aniccha) and Sanghatvad (Theory of Aggregates):
 Soul is only an aggregate of five fleeting skandhas i.e., Rupa (form), Vedana (feeling), Sanjna (perception),
Sanskara (tendencies), and Vijnana (consciousness).
 Matter is an aggregate of the momentary atoms, i.e., everything is momentary and there is nothing
permanent.
 Body, sensation, perception, dispositions, consciousness all are impermanent and sorrowful.
 There is neither being nor non-being, but only becoming.
 Reality is a stream of becoming.
 Everything is merely a link in a chain, a spoke in a wheel, a transitory phase in a series.
 Everything is conditional, relative, dependent, subject to birth and death and thereby impermanent.
 For example: Stream of a River and Flame of a Lamp.
 Identity is nothing but continuity of becoming.
 Rapidity of succession gives rise to the illusion of unity or Identity.
 Impermanent nature of the world → permanent state of nirvana.
 Momentariness is again a middle path between eternalism and nihilism.

Anatmavada/Anatta/Anatman/Nairatmavada (Theory of Denial of Eternal Soul):

 The doctrine of "non-self", that there is no unchanging, permanent self, soul or essence in living beings.
 Soul is only an aggregate of five fleeting skandhas i.e., Rupa (form), Vedna (feeling), Sanjna (perception),
Sanskara (tendencies), and Vijnana (consciousness).
 Soul is not above this aggregate:
 Permanent unchanging soul denied
 Acknowledged changing self
 The Buddha asserted the non-inherently existent concept of the ego, in opposition to the Upanishadic
concept of an unchanging ultimate self.
 The Buddha held that attachment to the appearance of a permanent self in this world of change is the
cause of suffering, and the main obstacle to liberation.
 The apparent ego is merely the result of identification with the temporary aggregates, the components
of the individual human being's body and consciousness at any given moment in time.

Karma and Karmaphala:

 These are the fundamental concepts in Buddhism which explain how our intentional actions keep us tied to
rebirth in samsara, whereas the Buddhist path, as exemplified in the Noble Eightfold Path, shows us the way
out of samsara.
 In Brahmanical religion, karma is considered as the ritual action.
 In Buddhism, karma means intentions which lead to actions of mind, speech, or body.
 They believe present is determined by past actions.
 Condition of man in this life and the next depends on his own deeds.
 Born again and again to reap the fruits of our karma.
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 If we commit no sins, we get liberation from the cycle of births and rebirths.
 Purity of thought, word, and action results into liberation (nirvana). Arhat means free from impurities
and defilements; thus he/she has no rebirth.

The Middle Way or Madhyam Maarga or Madhya Pratipada:

 The Buddha defined his teaching as "the middle way".
 In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, this is used to refer to the fact that his teachings steer a middle
course between the extremes of asceticism and bodily denial (as practiced by the Jains and other
sramanas) and sensual hedonism or indulgence.
 Many sramanas of the Buddha's time placed much emphasis on a denial of the body, using practices such as
fasting, to liberate the mind from the body.
 The Buddha however, realized that the mind was embodied and causally dependent on the body, and
therefore that a malnourished body did not allow the mind to be trained and developed.

Do you know?
 Majjhima Nikaya a Buddhist text states that the role of Dhamma is akin to a raft.

Nirvana (Vimokha, Vimutti, or Arhatta):

 Nirvana is the highest good in Buddhism.
 The ultimate goal in a life is to attain nirvana.
 This could be attained in this life itself.
 One need not die to attain it.
 It is the state of complete cessation of all earthly miseries and sufferings.
 Suffering will end by removing desire, and not by practising rituals and ceremonies.
 Nirvana is the extinction of the flame of the lamp.
 Nibbana literally means extinction or blowing out of desire, ignorance, attachment, greed, hatred.
 Nirvana is the experience of the 'absolute truth’:
 Nothing is permanent.
 Everything is dependent on the other.
 Yathabhutam with this realization he sees things as they are.
 Leads to breaking of bhavachakra (cycle of cause and effect).
 Person gets liberation from samsara (cycle of birth and rebirth).
 Saupadisesa Nibbana:
 Nirvana with remainder
 Only passions/desires are extinguished
 Saint continue to live
 Saint goes through all pleasant/unpleasant sensations until death
 Responds to sensations without cravings and with higher knowledge of true nature of things.
 Anupadisesa Nibbana (Parinirvana):
 Nirvana without remainder.
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 Death of the saint.

 Aftermath of Nirvana or Enlightenment:
 Person remains active.
 Nirvana is not inactivity.
 It works without attachment, hatred etc. does not cause bondage.

Was it a social revolution or a religious revolution?

 Buddhism philosophy believes that Nirvana is the personal pursuit on the path told by Buddha and cannot
be attained by rituals. It emphasized on karma or right action and gave a code of practical ethics emphasizing
on social equality.
 Buddhism was for all, irrespective of caste or gender.
 It was against the supremacy of Brahmins and Caste system (though he did not envisage the elimination
of caste) and focussed more on liberal and democratic approach.
 Buddhism was critical on the Vedic religion along with its complex and meaningless practices, particularly
animal sacrifice.
 Buddha asked his followers to stay away from religious and philosophical discussion as far as possible.
 Early Buddhism avoided speculative thought on metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology, but
was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs (ayatana).
 Nevertheless, Buddhist scholars have addressed ontological and metaphysical issues subsequently.
 Particular points of Buddhist philosophy have often been the subject of disputes between different schools of
Buddhism.
 These elaborations and disputes gave rise to various schools in early Buddhism - of Abhidhamma, and to
the Mahayana traditions and schools of the Prajnaparamita, Madhyamaka, Yogacara etc.
 Buddha discouraged his followers from indulging in intellectual disputation for its own sake, which is
fruitless, and distracting from true awakening.
 According to the scriptures, during his lifetime, Buddha remained silent when asked several metaphysical
questions. These are regarding the issues such as:
 Universe is eternal or non-eternal (or whether it is finite or infinite),
 The unity or separation of the body and the self,
 The complete inexistence of a person after Nirvana and death.

Emphasis on Awakening:
 Buddha refrained from commenting on metaphysical issues because he thought they serve only to divert
attention from practical pursuits of enlightenment and run the risk of replacing the experience of liberation
with an intellectual comprehension of the doctrine or a religious faith.
 Experience is the path most elaborated in early Buddhism.
 The doctrine on the other hand was kept low.
 The Buddha avoided doctrinal formulations concerning the final reality as much as possible in order to
prevent his followers from resting content with minor achievements on the path in which the absence of the
final experience could be substituted by conceptual understanding of the doctrine or by religious faith.
 Buddha’s silence does not indicate misology or disdain for philosophy, rather it considers:
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 Emphasis on awakening.
 Reality is devoid of sensory mediation and conception, or empty – Sunya.
 Dharma (in the sense of ‘truth’ as “beyond reasoning” or “transcending logic”).

Emptiness (Shunyavada):
 Reality is devoid of sensory mediation and conception, or empty, and therefore language itself is a priori
inadequate without direct experience.
Thus, the Buddha's silence does not indicate misology or disdain for philosophy but it indicates that he
viewed the answers to these questions as not understandable by the unenlightened.
 This provides a framework for analysis of reality that is not based on metaphysical assumptions regarding
existence or non-existence, but instead on imagining direct cognition of phenomena as they are presented to
the mind.
 This informs and supports the Buddhist approach to liberation from adventitious distortion and engaging in
the Noble Eightfold Path.
 The Buddha of the earliest Buddhists texts describes Dharma (in the sense of "truth") as "beyond
reasoning" or "transcending logic", in the sense that reasoning is a subjectively introduced aspect of the
way unenlightened humans perceive things, and the conceptual framework which underpins their cognitive
process, rather than a feature of things as they really are.
 Going "beyond reasoning" means in this context penetrating the nature of reasoning from the inside, and
removing the causes for experiencing any future stress as a result of it, rather than functioning outside of the
system as a whole.

Buddhist Councils:
Council Year Venue Chairman Patron Outcome
First 483 B.C. Satparini Mahakassapa Ajatashatru  It was held soon after the
Council Cave, (Haryanka) Mahaparinirvan of the Buddha.
Rajagriha  The council was held with the purpose
of preserving Buddha’s teachings
(Sutta) and rules for disciples.
 During this council, the teachings of
Buddha were divided into three
Pitakas.
 Compilation of Suttapitaka (Anand)
and Vinaya Pitaka by Upali.
Second 383 B.C. Chulla Sabbakami Kalashoka  Divide in Sthaviradins &
Council Vanga, (Shishunaga) Mahasangikas.
Vaishali
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Third 250 B.C. Ashokarama Mogaliputta Ashoka  Compilation of Abhidhamma

Council Bihar, Tissa Pittaka.
Pataliputra  The objective of the council was to
purify the Buddhist movement from
opportunistic factions.
 60,000 heretical monks were expelled
 Origin of Theravada school.
 Tripatika coded in final form in Pali
language.
 Sent Buddhist missionaries to other
countries.
Fourth 98 A.D. Kundala Vasumitra Kanishka  Compilation of Mahavibhasha
Council Varna (VC (Kushan) shastra.
(Kashmir) Ashwaghosa)  All deliberations were conducted in
Sanskrit.
 Buddhism divided into Hinayana
(the Lesser Vehicle) and Mahayana
(the Greater Vehicle).
 Abhidhamma texts were translated
from Prakrit to Sanskrit.

Tipitaka:
1. Vinaya Pitaka - Basket of Discipline:
 It is a compilation of rules of monastic disciplines.
 It is observed by monks and nuns in the Sanghas.
 Sutta Vibhanga contains:
 Patimokkha: The basic code of monastic discipline.
 227 rules for monks (given in Maha-vibhanga).
 311 rules for nuns (given in Bhikkuni-vibhanga).
 Also includes list of transgressions against monastic discipline and atonements
 Khandaka - two volumes include:
1. Mahavagga (includes accounts of episodes in Buddha's life)
2. Chullavagga (includes accounts of first and second Buddhist councils and founding of the order
of nuns).
 Parivara (appendix).

2. Sutta Pitaka - Encyclopedia of Buddhism:

 It is divided into five books (nikayas) namely:
1. Digha-nikaya: It is a collection of long discourses
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2. Majjhima-nikaya: It is a collection of medium-length discourses

3. Samyutta-nikaya: It is a collection of kindred/related topics
4. Anguttara-nikaya: It mentions 16 Mahajanapadas.
5. Khuddaka-nikaya (smaller collection) - Divided into 15 books
 Jataka (poems related to previous births of the Buddha),
 Dhammapada (sayings of Buddha in verse form),
 Buddhavamsa (hagiography of Buddha)
 Thergatha & Therigatha (two collections of biographical verses of Buddhist monks and
nuns).
 Therigahta: It describes women's experiences of renunciation and is one of the few
surviving ancient texts attributed to women.
3. Abhidhamma Piṭaka:
 It is compiled by Mogaliputta Tissa.
 It is a detailed scholastic analysis and summary of the Buddha's teachings in the Suttas.
 Written in Question Answer form.
 Here the suttas are reworked into a schematized system of general principles that might be called
'Buddhist Psychology'.
 In the Abhidhamma, the generally dispersed teachings and principles of the suttas are organized into a
coherent science of Buddhist doctrine.

Buddhist Text:
 Mostly written in Pali and Prakrit language.
 Buddhist literature can be divided into Canonical and Non-canonical works. The Canonical literature
consists of “Tripitaka” or baskets (of knowledge) written in Pali.
Pali Texts: Sanskrit Texts:
 Tripitaka  Buddhacarita
1. Sutta Pitaka - Buddha’s sayings  Saundarananda
2. Vinaya Pitaka - monastic code  Sutralankar
3. Abhidhamma Pitaka - religious discourses of  Sariputra Prakaran (Ashwaghosh)
Buddha  Vajra Suchi (Ashwaghosh)
 Milindapanho  Mahavibhasa Sastra (Vasumitra)
 Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa (Sri Lanka)  Visuddhimagga, Athakathayen, Sumangalvasini
 Buddhaghosha
 Madhyamika karika & Prajnaparimita Karika
 Nagarjun

Jataka:
 Jatakas are the best example of Buddhist non-canonical literature.
 It is a compilation of the stories from the previous births of Buddha.
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 It consists of stories of the Bodhisattva or the (future) would-be Buddha are also discussed in these
Jatakas.
 It is available in Sanskrit and Pali.
 It tells about 550 births before he was born as Gautam.
 It consists of popular tales, ancient mythology as well as socio-political conditions in North India.

Avadana:
 Buddhist literature correlating past lives' virtuous deeds to subsequent lives' events.

Milinda-Panha (questions of Milinda):

 Monk Nagasena or Nagarjuna debates Indo-Greek ruler Menander.
 Composed by Nagasena/ Nagarjuna.
 It is considered as Buddhavacana (word of Buddha).

Mahavamsa (550AD):
 It was written by Monk Mahanama, an epic poem similar to Dipavamsa (350AD), written in Pali language.
 It was also called the Chronicles of Kings of Ceylon, etc.

Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa:

 It was written in Pali
 Contents:
 It is a historical cum mythical account of the Buddha's life and Buddhist councils.
 Ashoka and arrival of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

Mahavastu:
 It was written in mixed Sanskrit-Prakrit.
 Deals with sacred biography, i.e., hagiography of the Buddha.
 Hagiography means idealizing biography of a venerated person. It contains Jakata and Avadana tales.
 Written in mixed Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit (related to Mahasanghika).

Nettipakaraṇa:
 The Nettipakaraṇa is a mythological Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of
Theravada Buddhism's Pali Canon.
 The main theme of this text is Buddhist Hermeneutics through a systematization of the Buddha's teachings.
 It is regarded as canonical by the Burmese Theravada tradition, but isn't included in other Theravada canons.

Lalitavistara Sutra:
 "The play in full" - Mahayana text.
 It has stories associated with the life of Buddha till his first sermon at Sarnath.
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Udana:
 Theravada - "Blind Men and the Elephant".

Bodhi Vamsa:
 It was a prose-poem from, the 12th century in Sri Lanka.
 It was translated from a Sinhalese version. It was written by Upatissa in Sanskritised Pali language.

Nidanakatha:
 It was a first connected life story of Buddha.

Other Authors and Texts:

Ashvaghosha:
 He was the advisor of Kanishka in the first century AD.
 He was the first playwright in Indian history.
 Famous Books:
 Sariputra-prakarana in Sanskrit.
 Buddhacharita: He wrote an epic on the life of Mahatma Buddha in Sanskrit
 Vajra Suci
 Saundarananda: A kavya poem with the theme of the conversion of Nanda, Buddha's half-brother, so
that he might reach salvation.

Nagarjuna:
 He was a great teacher of Buddhism.
 He wrote:
 Satasaharika,
 Prajnaparamita (Deals with perfection in various traits)
 Madhyamika Sutras.

Buddhaghosa:
 Visuddhimagga (path of purification) was composed by Buddhaghosa in Sri Lanka.
 It is related to of theravada teachings.

Mahavibhasa Shastra:
 It was written in 150 AD.
 It is essentially a Mahayana text.
 It consists of discussions about other non-Buddhist philosophies also.

Abhidhammakosa:
 It was written by Vasubandhu.
Sutralankara:
 It was written by Asanga.
 It is the earliest book of Yogacara School of Buddhism.
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Early Buddhist Schools:

 The main early Buddhist philosophical schools are the Abhidharma schools, particularly Sarvastivada and
Theravada.

Sarvastivadin:
 Sarvastivada is a Sanskrit term that can be glossed as: "the theory of all exists".
 It was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Asoka (3rd century BCE).
 It was particularly known as an Abhidharma tradition, with a unique set of seven Abhidharma works.
 Abhidharma are ancient Buddhist texts which contain detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal
material appearing in the Buddhist sutras.
 Philosophy:
 Created a pluralist metaphysical and phenomenological system, in which all experiences of people, things
and events can be broken down into smaller and smaller perceptual or perceptual-ontological units called
"dharmas".
 It is "the theory of all that exists". The Sarvastivada argued that all dharmas exist in the past, present
and future, the "three times".
 Sub-schools:
 Vaibhāṣika
 Dārṣṭāntikas and Sautrāntikas
 Mūlasarvāstivādins

Seated Buddha from the

Sarvastivadin monastery

Different Schools of Buddhism:

Theravada (Hinayana):
 It literally means “Lesser Vehicle”.
 It believes in the original teaching of Buddha or Doctrine of elders.
 This doctrine says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and
reasoning instead of by blind faith.
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 It uses the Buddha's original teaching preserved in the Pali Canon as its doctrinal core.
 Philosophy:
 Treats Buddha as a human being only
 Does not believe in idol worship
 Tries to attain individual salvation through self-discipline and meditation.
 Ultimate aim of Hinayana is thus nirvana.
 It is also known as Southern Buddhist religion.
 It spread in: Sri Lanka, its main bastion, Myanmar, Thailand, and other parts of South-East Asia. Ashoka
patronised Hinayana.

Different sects under Sthaviravada or Theravada or Hinayana:

1. Sarvastivada (c. 237 BCE)
2. Haimavatas
3. Sammitiya
4. Dharmottariya
5. Bhadrayaniya
6. Sannagarika
7. Vastiputriya
8. Kasyapiya
9. Mahisasaka
10. Dharmaguptaka
11. Sautrantika

Mahayana:
 The term Mahayana is a Sanskrit word which literally means "Great Vehicle".
 It is Heterodox school originated later than Hinayana.
 It has two chief philosophical schools:
1. Madhyamika
2. Yogachara
 Its scriptures are in Sanskrit, the language of Indian scholasticism.
 Philosophy:
 Treats Buddha as God.
 Worships idols of Buddhas.
 Bodhisattvas embodying Buddha nature.
 Mahayana believes in universal liberation from suffering for all beings hence the 'Great Vehicle'.
 Its ultimate aim 'spiritual upliftment'.
 It allows salvation to be alternatively obtained through the grace of the Amitabha Buddha by means of
faith and devotion to mindfulness of the Buddha.
 It believes in mantras.
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 Mahayana often adopts a pragmatic concept of truth: doctrines are regarded as conditionally "true" in the
sense of being spiritually beneficial.
 Spread as northern Buddhist religion.
 Sub schools:
1. Madhyamika/Shunyavada= Nagarjuna
2. Yogachar/vijnanavada= Maitreynath (and his disciple Asanga)
 It spread in: Japan, China, other Asian countries.
 Patronage: Kanishka patronised, while Harshavardhana supported it.

Different sects under Mahasamghika or Mahayana:

1. Ekavyaharikas (during Ashoka)
2. Lokottaravada
3. Gokulika/Kokkutikas (during Ashoka)
4. Bahusrutiya (late 3rd c. BCE)
5. Prajnaptivada (late 3rd c. BCE)
6. Caitika/Chaitya sailas (mid-1st c. BCE)
7. Apara Saila
8. Uttara Saila

Yogachara:
 It is also termed as
 Vijnanavada: the doctrine of consciousness.
 Vijmaptivada: the doctrine of ideas or percepts.
 Vijnaptimatrata-vada: the doctrine of ‘mere representation'.
 Founder was Maitreyanath.
 Philosophy:
 Our mind often shows us the qualified reality, which is not considered as truth.
 It explains the arising of suffering by explaining the workings of our mind.
 The concepts of the five skandhas and the six consciousnesses, to explain how manas creates vijnapti,
concepts to which we cling.
 The study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditative and
yogic practices.
 Important scholars were:
 Vasubandhu
 Asanga
 Dharmakirti

Tathagatagarbha:
 It is also known as the "womb" (garbha) of Buddha (Tathagata).
 As per the Mahayana Buddhist doctrine that Buddha Nature is within all beings.
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 All beings may realize enlightenment.

 How inside each person's being there exists a great Buddhic "treasure that is eternal and unchanging".
This is no less than the indwelling Buddha himself.

Vajrayana:
 Also known as the "The Vehicle of the Thunderbolt", ‘Diamond Vehicle', Mantrayana, Tantrayana,
Tantric or esoteric Buddhism.
 It belongs to Tantric Buddhism.
 It was formed during the final period of Buddhism in India.
 The enactment of Buddhist ideas in individual life. 'Vajra' which means absolutely real and indestructible in
a human being, as opposed to the fictions an individual entertains about himself and his nature.
 This schools of Buddhism appeared in eastern India in the eighth century.
 Also, it got established in Tibet in the 11th century due to a mission sent from Vikramshila University -
Vajrayana monastery.

Spread of Buddhism in various parts of the world:

Buddhist Scholars:
 Moggaliputta Tissa: He launched the campaign of Ashoka’s dhamma.
 Asvagosha: He wrote “Buddhacharita” and Sanskrit drama “Sariputra Prakran” (Sariputra - the disciple of
Buddha)
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 Nagarjuna: He founded Madhyamaka school of Mahayanbuddhism, gave theory of “Sunyavad-Emptiness”

and important work include “Mulamadhyamakakarika”.
 Buddhagosh: He was the most important commentator of Theravada, important work is “Visuddimagga”.
 Dharmakirti: He was the teacher at Nalanda, also called as “Kant of India”.
 Asanga and Vasubandhu:
1. Asanga was the most significant figure in the Yogachara or Vijnanavada school that his guru,
Maitreyanatha, created.
2. Vasubandhu's most famous book, "Abhidharmakosa," is still regarded as a significant reference source
on Buddhism.
 Dinnaga: The last mighty intellectual of the fifth century, also well known as the founder of the Buddhist
logic.

Bodhisattvas:
 In Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist thought, a bodhisattva is a being who is dedicated to achieving
complete Buddhahood but delays attainment or Nirvana for the welfare of the people.
 Conventionally, the term is applied to beings with a high degree of enlightenment.
 Bodhisattva literally means a "bodhi (enlightenment) being" in Sanskrit.
 Bodhisattva delays achieving his own salvation to help others on the same path. It is held that The
Bodhisattva makes four vows expressing a determination to work for the happiness of others:
1. “However innumerable sentient beings are, I vow to save them;
2. However inexhaustible the passions are, I vow to master them;
3. However limitless the teachings are, I vow to study them,
4. However infinite The Budha-truth is, I vow to attain it.”

Amitabha:
 Amitabha also known as Amida or Amitayus, is a celestial buddha according to the scriptures of Mahayana
Buddhism.
 In Vajrayana Buddhism, Amitabha is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising red fire element, the
aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of emptiness of phenomena.
 According to these scriptures, Amitabha possesses infinite merit resulting from good deeds over countless
past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmakara.
 Amitabha means "Infinite Light", and Amitayus means "Infinite Life" so Amitabha is also called "The
Buddha of Immeasurable Light and Life".

Three Family Protectors:

 Out of these eight, Manjusri, Avalokitesvara and Vajrapani are part of the 'Three Family Protectors', i.e., the
three bodhisattvas who makes of the trinity that protects the Buddha and represents his key virtues as:
 Manjusri represents the Buddha's wisdom
 Avalokitesvara represents his compassion
 Vajrapani his power
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Eight Great Bodhisattvas:

 Manjushri (Bodhisattva of Wisdom):
 Role: Wisdom and Insight.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 Depicted with a sword in his right and a text in his left hand.
 Right hand - flaming sword - symbolises the wisdom that cuts through ignorance.
 Left hand - Prajnaparamita sutra, a scripture that signifies his mastery of prajna.
 Often, he appears sitting on a lion or lion skin. The lion symbolises the wild mind, which
Manjushri shows can be tamed through wisdom.

 Avalokiteshvara/Padmapani/Lokesvara (Bodhisattva of compassion):

 Role: Infinite compassion.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 Usually depicted as white in colour and holding a lotus.
 Avalokiteshvara is venerated as the ideal of karuna. Karuna is the activity of compassion in the
world and the willingness to bear the pain of others.
 "The One Who Hears the Cries of the World"; "The Lord Who Looks Down"; "The Lord Who
Looks in Every Direction."
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Avalokiteśvara holding a
lotus flower. Nālandā,
Bihar, India, 9th century
CE.

 Vajrapani:
 Role: Represents power and forceful energy.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 Usually depicted as blue in colour
 Holding a Vajra (a lightning bolt) in his right hand.
 Covered in flame with a fierce pose and fiercer face.
 Depicted standing in a warrior pose and surrounded by fire,
 Represents the power of transformation.

Tibetan depiction of the

wrathful Vajrapāṇi
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 Maitreya:
 Role:
 Who has not lived yet.
 Who is predicted to arrive in future as a saviour figure.
 Expected to bring true Buddhist teachings back into world after their decline.
 Also known as Future Buddha.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 Since Maitreya is currently waiting to enter the world, he is usually depicted sitting and waiting.
 Often painted orange or light yellow wearing a khata (a traditional scarf made of silk) and
holding an orange bush, symbolising his ability to dear away distracting and destructive emotions.

Statue of Maitreya

 Kshitigarbha (Savior of Beings in Hell):

 Role: Famous for bowing to save the souls of all beings between Buddha's death and the age of
Maitreya, including the souls of children who died young and those in hell.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 As opposed to most bodhisattvas who appear wearing the luxurious robes of royalty, he wears
simple monk's robes.
 He carries a staff which he uses to open up the gates of hell in one hand, and in another he holds a
jewel called a cintamani that has the power to light up darkness and grant wishes.
 Kshitigarbha-"Womb of the Earth"
 Known as Ti-ts sang or Dicang in China and Jizo in Japan.
 He is venerated as the saviour of beings in hell and as a guide to deceased children.
 Kshitigarbha has vowed not to rest until he has emptied hell of all beings. He is also the protector of
living children, expectant mothers, firemen, and travellers.
 The six rings indicate that the Bodhisattva protects all beings in the Six Realms. Often his feet are
visible, representing his ceaseless travels to all who need him.
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 Akashagarbha:
 Role: It has the ability to purify transgressions and is known as the twin brother of Ksitigarbha.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 It depicted with either blue or green skin wearing ornate robes and with a halo around his head.
 He generally appears in a peaceful meditation pose sitting cross-legged on a lotus flower or
standing calmly on a fish in the middle of the ocean and carries a sword to cut through negative
emotions.
NOTE: Transgressions is an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; an offence.

 Samantabhadra (Icon of Practice):

 Role:
 Meaning 'Universal Worthy'.
 It refers to fundamental and unchanging goodness.
 Alongside Shakyamuni Buddha (also known as Gautama Buddha) and the bodhisattva Manjusri, he
forms part of the Shakyamuni Trinity and is famous for his ten great vows.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 He is almost always riding an elephant with six tusks, or three elephants at once.
 Symbolically, these six texts represent the Paramitas (Six Perfections).
 Paramitas: Charity, Morality, Patience, Diligence, Contemplation and Wisdom.
 He is the protector of those who teaches the Dharma and represents the meditation and practice of the
Buddhas.
 20

 Samantabhadra often is part of a trinity with Shakyamuni Buddha (the historical Buddha) and
Manjushri.
 In some traditions, he is associated with Vairocana Buddha.
 In Vajrayana Buddhism is he the Primordial Buddha and is associated with the ‘dharmakaya’.
 In art, he is sometimes depicted as a woman, sometimes a man. He may ride a six-tusked elephant,
carrying a lotus or parasol and a wish-fulfilling jewel or scroll.
 In Vajrayana iconography is he naked and dark blue, and joined with his consort, Samantabhadri.
 He is the patron of the Lotus Sutra and, according to the Avatamsaka Sutra, made the ten great vows
which are the basis of a bodhisattva.

 Sarvanivarana-Vishkambhin:
 Role: purifies wrongdoing and obstructions, both internal and external, that people face on the path to
enlightenment.
 Appearance and Depiction:
 Usually depicted with the deep blue skin (associated with royalty) and is seated on a lotus and holding
a wheel of jewels.
 In addition to blue, the Bodhisattva may also appear white, when his role is to relieve calamities, or
yellow, when his role is to provide sufficient provisions.

 Mahasthamaprapta (Power of Wisdom):

 Mahasthamaprapta ("One Who Has Obtained Great Power") awakens in humans their need to be
liberated from Samsara.
 He is often paired with Avalokiteshvara in association with Amitabha Buddha.
 Avalokiteshvara enacts Amitabha's compassion.
 21

 Mahasthamaprapta brings to humanity the power of Amitabha's wisdom.

 Like Avalokiteshvara, he is sometimes depicted as male and sometimes as female.
 He may have a lotus in his hand or a pagoda in his hair.
 In Japan, he is called Seishi.

Other Important Bodhisattvas:

Nio  Two wrath-filled and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance
of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-
like statues.
 They are Dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapāṇi.
 According to Japanese tradition, they travelled with Gautama Buddha to protect him
and there are references to this in the Pāli Canon as well as the Ambaṭṭha Sutta.
Padmasambhava  "Lotus-Born", also known as Guru Rinpoche.
Tara  Female bodhisattva, or set of bodhisattvas, in Tibetan Buddhism.
 She represents the virtues of success in work and achievements.
 Also, a manifestation of Avalokitesvara.
Vasudhara  Whose name means "stream of gems" in Sanskrit, is the bodhisattva of wealth,
prosperity, and abundance.
 She is popular in many Buddhist countries and is a subject in Buddhist legends and art.
 Originally an Indian bodhisattva, her popularity has spread to Theravadin countries.
 Her popularity, however, peaks in Nepal, where she has a strong following among the
Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu Valley and is thus a central figure in Newar
Buddhism.
 She is named Shiskar Apa in Lahul and Spiti.
Skanda  It is regarded as a devoted guardian of viharas and the Buddhist teachings.
 He is the leader of the twenty-four celestial guardian deities mentioned in the Golden
Light Sutra.
 In Chinese temples, Skanda faces the statue of the Buddha in the main shrine. In
others, he is on the far right of the main shrine, whereas on the left is his counterpart,
Sangharama, personified as the historical general Guan Yu.
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 In Chinese sutras, his image is found at the end of the sutra, a reminder of his vow to
protect and preserve the teachings.
Supushpachandra  Mentioned in Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra.
Suryaprabha  One of two attendants of Bhaisajyaguru.
Sitatapatr  It is "The White Parasol" who is a protector against supernatural danger.
 She is venerated in both Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions & is a powerful
independent deity as she was emanated by Gautama Buddha from his uṣṇīṣa.
 Whoever practices her mantra will be reborn in Amitabha's pure land as well as
gaining protection against supernatural danger and black magic.
Sangharama  They are the group of devas who guard viharas and the faith, but the title is usually
referring to the legendary Chinese military general Guan Yu, who became a
Dharmapala through becoming a Buddhist and making vows.

Causes of Decline of Buddhism:

 By the early 12th Century, A.D Buddhism became practically extinct from India.
 The Prime reasons were:
 Rituals and Ceremonies: Originally Buddhism was inspired by the spirit of reform. However
eventually it came into the grip of Rituals and Ceremonies. Thus, it became a victim to the evils of
Brahminism against which it had fought in the beginning.
 Reforms in Brahmanism: Brahmanism on the other hand underwent reforms in order to meet the
Buddhist challenge. They stressed the need for preserving te cattle wealth and assured women and
Shudras of admission to heaven.
 Language: Gradually, Buddhist monks gave up Pali which was a common language and took to
Sanskrit. Due to this they were cut off from the mainstream of people’s life.
 Corruption: From the 1st Century A.D. Buddhism underwent further deterioration. They started
practicing idol worship on a large scale and stated receiving numerous offerings from devotees. For
E.g., Nalanda Monastery received revenue from around 200 villages.
 Persecution: The Brahmana ruler Pushyamitra Sunga is said to have persecuted the Buddhists.
 The Huna King Mihirakula who was worshipper of Shiva, killed hundreds of Buddhists.
 The Shaivite Shashanka of Gauda cut off the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya- the place where Buddha
attained Nirvana.
 In south India both shaivites and vaishnavites bitterly opposed the Jainism and Buddhism in early
medieval times which further weakened the Buddhism.
 Turkish invaders: Buddhist monasteries came under the attack of Turkish invaders because of its
richness.

Importance and Influence of Buddhism:

 Although Buddhism disappeared from India by the 12th century AD, but it had a lasting impact on Indian
history.
 Even though the Buddhist monks had abandoned the world and frequently criticized the greedy brahmanas,
they shared many traits with them.
 23

 They both subsisted on societal gifts or alms and did not work in the production process.
 They highlighted the benefits of upholding governmental authority, safeguarding private property, and
fulfilling familial commitments.
 Both supported the social order based on classes; for the monks, however, the varna was based on action and
attributes but for the brahmanas it was based on birth.
 The Buddhists developed a new language by the first three Centuries of the Christian Era, known as Hybrid
Sanskrit by blending Pali and Sanskrit.
 Even during the Middle Ages, Buddhist monks continued to write, and some of the most well-known
Apabhramsa works in east India were produced by them.
 Buddhist monasteries evolved into outstanding educational institutions that can be referred to as residential
universities. E.g., Nalanda (maha) and Vikramashila (vajra) in Bihar, and Valabhi (maha) in Gujarat.
 Buddhism left its mark on the art of ancient India. The first human statues worshipped in India were
probably those of the Buddha.
 Buddhist devotees portrayed the various events in the life of the Buddha in stone.
 The panels at Bodh-Gaya in Bihar and at Sanchi and Bharhut in MP are examples of artistic activity.
 The Greek and Indian sculptors worked together to create a new form of art on the north-west frontier of
India known as Gandhara Art.
 The images made in this region betray Indian as well as foreign influence. For the residence of the monks,
rooms were hewn out of the rocks, and thus began the cave architecture in the Barabar hills in Gaya and also
in western India around Nasik.
 Buddhist art flourished in the Krishna delta in the south and in Mathura in the north.

Facts to Remember:
 UNESCO’s heritage sites related to Buddhism:
 Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavira at Nalanda, Bihar
 Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, MP
 Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar
 Ajanta Caves Aurangabad, Maharashtra

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