Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!data.nas.nasa.gov!news From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Subject: Re: Meditation 2 ways: Different yet the Same Keywords: Buddhism Message-ID: <1990Nov21.011554.7514@nas.nasa.gov> Date: 21 Nov 90 01:15:54 GMT References: <1990Nov16.020441.13897@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov8.012939.14684@nas.nasa.gov> <1990Nov18.195707.15515@nas.nasa.gov> Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Lines: 44 Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov In <1990Nov18.195707.15515@nas.nasa.gov> hms@princeton.edu (Hsing-Mean Sha) writes: >I am a Chinese Buddhist. The most popular way I know for practicing >Mahayana Buddhism is so-called 'six Paramitas.' (() is Chinese Mandarin >or the worse." I thik what Bandula said is very basic for both Hinayana >and Mahayana Buddhism. Actually, if you have read Shurangama Sutra, you >would know that Avalokitesvara (Kuan-Yin) Bodhisattva cultivate >realization based on the process of hearing. The first several stages of >the way that Kuan-Yin uses are similar what Bandula wrote. >In the same Shurangama Sutra, after twenty-five Bodhisattvas explain their >methods of cultivation and spiritual attainment, Bodhisattva Manjushri >pointed out that Kuan-Yin's method was best suited for the people. >Therefore, I do believe what Bandula wrote is very basic for all branches >of Buddhism, not only Hinayana. You are probably right. But you are talking about Shakymuni's Buddhism and not Nichiren Daishonin's. Shakyamuni said that none of his teachings would lead the people to enlightenment 2000 years after he died. But he also predicted a Buddha greater than to be born in a small, island country northeast of India and provide a way for everyone to gain enlightenment. Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282), born in Japan, studied all of Shakyamuni's teachings, and proclaimed the True Law to be Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, the Law by which all Buddhas have gained their enlightenment. This is the Law hidden in the Lotus Sutra, which Shakyamuni entrusted to Boddhisattva Jogyo with to propagate in the Latter Day of the Law (2000 years after he died) and was reborn as Nichiren. This is the true Buddhism to follow in this day and age. What you are talking about is Hinayana or provisional Mahayana Buddhism, which Shakyamuni himself declared just before preaching the Lotus Sutra (in which he talks about his enlightenment) "discarding the provisional teachings, I will expound only the supreme Way" and "in these more than 40 years or so, I have not yet revealed the truth" (from the Muryogi Sutra, this is tha Japanese name for it. I don't know the Sanskrit ort Pali for reasons stated above). Shakyamuni's Buddhism is the Buddhism of harvest and Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism is the Buddhism of sowing. -- Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Respectfully, Keith Evans kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov