Manjushri Bodhisattva cuts our ignorance

(Buddha's Wisdom with Matt) MANJUSHRI: The bodhisattva who cuts through ignorance

Thousand-Armed Manjushri

Manjushri (Sanskrit 𑀫𑀜𑁆𑀚𑀼𑀰𑁆𑀭𑀻, Romanized Mañjuśrī) is a bodhisattva who represents transcendental wisdom (prajñā) of the "Cosmic Buddhas" [like Vairocana] in Mahāyāna Buddhism.

The name "Mañjuśrī" is a combination of Sanskrit word mañju and the honorific -śhrī. It can therefore be literally translated as "Beautiful One with Glory" or "Beautiful One with Auspiciousness."

Namasangiti Manjushri

Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrī-kumāra-bhūta (मञ्जुश्रीकुमारभूत) [1], literally "Mañjuśrī, Still a Youth" or, less literally, "Youthful Prince Mañjuśrī." Another name of Mañjuśrī is Mañjughōṣa.

In Mahāyāna Buddhism

Scholars have identified Mañjuśrī as the oldest and most significant bodhisattva in Mahāyāna Buddhist literature [2]. Notable traits of Mañjuśhrī include: More

• Mount Wutai, China
• Mount Odaesan, Korea

It's impersonal: My EGO is an illusion?

Anattā: "not-self," "non-self," "non-ego," "egolessness," "selflessness," "soullessness," the fact that ultimately all is "impersonal" is the last and most difficult of the three fetters or wrong views to cut.

It is one of the Universal Characteristics of All Existence (ti-lakkhana). The anattā doctrine taught by the historical Buddha is that neither within the bodily and mental phenomena of existence (the Five Aggregates clung to as self: form, feelings, perceptions, formations, and consciousness), nor outside of them, can there be found anything that in the ultimate sense can ever be regarded as a self or independently-existing real ego-entity, soul, self, or any other abiding essence, substance, or atman.

This is the central doctrine of Buddhism, without the understanding of which any real knowledge of Buddhism is altogether impossible.

It is the only really specific Buddhist doctrine, with which the entire structure of the Buddhist Teaching (Dharma, Dhamma) stands or falls.

All the remaining Buddhist doctrines might, more or less, be found in other philosophical systems or religions, but the anattā-doctrine is only clearly and unreservedly taught by the Buddha (or buddhas before him), wherefore the Buddha is known as the anattā-vādi, or "Teacher of Egolessness."

Whoever has not penetrated this impersonal characteristic of all existence and does not comprehend that in reality there exists only this continually self-consuming process of arising and passing bodily and mental phenomena, that there is no separate ego-entity within or without this process, that person will not be able to understand Buddhism, that is, the teaching of the Four Ennobling (Enlightening) Truths (sacca) in the correct light.

One will think that it is one's ego or personality that experiences suffering, one's person that performs good and harmful karma and will be reborn according to those actions, one's personality that will enter into nirvana, one's personality that practices the Ennobling Eightfold Path. More

What 'God' do nontheistic Buddhists pray to?

SEE VIDEO: (Buddha's Wisdom) If Buddhism has no God... who are they praying to?

If Buddhism has no God, who are Buddhists praying to?

(Buddha's Wisdom) 🔍 IF THERE'S NO BUDDHIST GOD, WHO GETS ALL THESE PRAYERS?

The Buddha with gods Sakka and Brahma

Buddhism famously teaches that there is no "creator God." Yet, Buddhist temples across Asia overflow with [what sounds like] prayers, chants, offerings, and devotion.

From bodhisattvas and buddhas to spirits, protectors, and ancestors, this video explores whom Buddhists are actually praying to—if anyone—and why [petitionary] prayer never disappeared from Buddhism.

Discover how Buddhist "prayer" works in the absence of a supreme deity and why this "godless" religion created one of the most elaborate spiritual support systems ever conceived.

• [NOTE: Theists are sure there's a God; atheists are sure there is not; agnostics say they do not know and remain on the fence. But nontheists are different. They say, "Whether there is a God or is not a God, we must still concern ourselves with our own enlightenment and liberation/salvation." No one else, not even "God," can do it for us. We must develop calm and insight, study and practice, to awaken from this illusory samsara or Wheel of Suffering and Rebirth.]

DISCOVER:

• Why Buddhism rejected [an all-powerful, all-knowing, omnipresent] creator God but preserved devotion
• Why [Mahayana] Buddhism has multiple buddhas instead of one God...and what each one specializes in
• The bodhisattvas who postponed enlightenment just to help all living beings (and millions pray to them daily)
• The terrifying wrathful protectors (guardian deities) who guard Buddhism with fangs and flames
• How Buddhism absorbed local spirits, gods, and ancestors without losing its core philosophy
• Why the three Buddhist schools (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna) solve this paradox differently
• How this ancient system still explains modern meditation, ritual, and faith

📿 If this changed understanding of Buddhist devotion, subscribe to Buddha's Wisdom for more deep explorations into Buddhism's most fascinating mysteries and apparent contradictions.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 If Buddhism has no God
• 01:31 The core confusion: No God yet prayer everywhere
• 06:50 Chapter 1: The Buddha specialists (Shakyamuni, Amitābha, Medicine Buddha, Guanyin)
• 14:55 Chapter 2: The Bodhisattva Help Desk—compassion incarnate
• 21:53 Chapter 3: Protectors, Gods, and spiritual security
• 27:40 Chapter 4: Where Buddhism meets local spirits and ancestors
• 34:48 Chapter 5: Human bridges—the power of dead masters
• 41:48 Chapter 6: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna Buddhism — three different solutions
• 50:12 Chapter 7: How all the layers work together
• 54:45 Chapter 8: Why this still matters today
• 56:17 What 'prayer' really cultivates

📚 SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:

Primary Buddhist texts:

• The Pāli canon (Tipiṭaka) - the Buddha's final words on self-reliance
• Lotus Sutra (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra) - foundation of bodhisattva devotion
• Pure Land Sutras (Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtras) - Amitābha Buddha and rebirth in [his western] Pure Land
• Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thödol) - death and intermediate states between lifetimes
• Platform Sutra - Zen Buddhism's approach to "sudden enlightenment"

Scholarly resources:

• Buddhism Without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor
• The Bodhisattva Ideal in Buddhism by Sangharakshita  
• Mahayana Buddhism: The Doctrinal Foundations by Paul Williams
• Tantric Buddhism in East Asia by Richard Payne
• The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism by Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr.
• Popular Buddhism in Sri Lanka by Michael Ames (folk religion integration)
• The Cult of the Book of the Dead in Tibet by Bryan J. Cuevas

Academic articles:

• "The Concept of the Bodhisattva in Early Buddhism" - Buddhist Studies Review
• "Wrathful Deities in Vajrayana Buddhism" - Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies
• "Pure Land Buddhism in China" - Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

Historical context:

• The Buddhist Conquest of China by Erik Zürcher (syncretism examples)
• Buddhism and Society in Thailand by Tambiah (spirit house integration)
• The Making of Buddhist Modernism by David McMahan

📱 Join community: Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (open.spotify.com...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom)

☕ Support the channel: buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom

#Buddhism #BuddhistPrayer #NoGod #Buddha #Bodhisattva #PureLand #Meditation #Spirituality #ReligionExplained #BuddhasWisdom #BuddhismExplained #MahayānaBuddhism #TheravādaBuddhism #VajrayānaBuddhism #Avalokiteśvara #GreenTara #BuddhistDeities #ComparativeReligion

• Buddha's Wisdom, Jan. 8, 2026; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Mormon Wives/10 Commandments (TV)

Ex-Mormon reacts to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

(Alyssa Grenfell) Sept. 12, 2024: Everyone said these women “aren’t that Mormon.” I jumped into the show and realized just how thoroughly Mormonism is dominating these women’s lives. Who was the favorite person on the show? It's the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) not Mormonism.

• [COMMENT: If Amish Mafia was fun, this show will seem like a blast, peering into the lives of sugar addicts going bonkers by taking prescribed drugs and excitotoxins killing off their neurons.]

Ex-Mormon reacts to standup comics George Carlin's 10 Commandments

(HailHeidi) Aug. 14, 2024: Thanks so much for watching this reaction and hearing me share my thoughts as a recovering Mormon. (Sound like comedian Carlin is a recovering Catholic). This bit made me laugh because it is thought-provoking. Thanks for the recommendation!

• Original video credit: George Carlin - 10 Commandments

Socials: Twitch: hailheidi. Instagram: hailheidigaming. Discord: discord. Twitter: hailheidigaming. TikTok: hailheidi. #comedy #georgecarlin #reaction #funny #exmormon #standup

To watch up next: • Why Are There So Many Mormon Influence...A few resources I mention in the video: *Watch the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu: https://shorturl.at/fueYW *Link to all my notes about the show: / reaction-to-111800221 *BOZE vs. the WORLD reaction and recap of original MomTok Drama: • ex-christian curiously watches mormon... *Jordan and McKay reaction and recap of original MomTok Drama: • Mormon Swinging? Ex-Mormons Take You ... *WHO'S WHO of MOMTOK master post: / whos_who_of_momtok_master_post *Mormon church’s response to Hulu show: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/2/... *Mormon church’s video about temple ceremony clothing and garments: • “Mormon Underwear” is the Temple Garm... *Survey responses about wearing garments: https://www.lds-women-and-garments.co... *Whitney discusses RSV clip on the show: https://www.tiktok.com/@secretliveson... *Mayci’s video addressing whether or not she is “Mormon”: https://www.tiktok.com/@maycineeley/v... *Taylor Franke Paul arrested article: https://nypost.com/2023/09/06/soft-sw... *My YouTube video about being trained to be a TradWife: • Brainwashed Mormon Mommies? *The many rules of Mormonism: https://www.mormonsspeak.com/2019/09/... Other resources that may interest you: *Why I left the Mormon Church: https://www.mormontruths.com/why-i-le... *My Mormon endowment explained video: ( • Secret Mormon Temple Ceremony Explain... ) *Mormon garments explained video: ( • Mormon Garments Explained ) *Every rule I followed as a Mormon: ( • Every Rule I Followed as a Mormon (Co... ) *My Mormon mission was a waste: ( • Mormon Missions Explained (Why I Regr... ) *Complete story of my Mormon wedding: ( • Mormon Temple Weddings Explained (Sor... ) where to find me - Patreon (ad free & bonus content): https://shorturl.at/8bpnw TikTok: / alyssadgrenfell Instagram: / alyssadgrenfell Blog: https://www.mormontruths.com Email me: alyssadgrenfell@gmail.com support my channel - Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Alyssa-Grenfell

Ancient pyramid cities, USA (video)

JeffTheWatchman; David Vose; Xochitl, S. Auberon, P. Macpherson, (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

(JeffTheWatchman, March 1, 2012) Pyramids and hieroglyphics in America B.C. Secrets not taught in Public School, Part 3

Ancient US pyramid city greater than Egypt

There are many pyramid styles in America

The ancient Native American "Pyramid City" of Cahokia, named by modern people in the U.S., exists in the Midwest in the state of Illinois.

• A Mormon view of Cahokia

Another city stands today along the Mississippi River that is not Cahokia. It is a real city that existed in America before Europeans invaded and occupied the land.

It's odd that no one was told as if no one cared about ancient Mormon (Latter Day Saints) legend and heritage. That city is Manti, the chief city of the Land of Manti. It is situated near the headwaters of the Sidon, which is the modern-day Missouri River, where it intersects with the Mississippi.

• Could the Mississippi have been the River Sidon? (BookofMormonEvidence.org)
• The Missouri Mormon War of 1838, Utah Mormon War, Illinois Mormon War

Amalickiah (as imagined by Josh Cotton)

It was the most southerly city of importance in the region. Being an outlying settlement of the Nephites, it suffered greatly from Lamanite invasions even though it was strongly fortified.

In the great war inaugurated by Amalickiah, it was captured by the Lamanites (some time before 66 BCE), and converted by them into an important base of operations against the Nephites, east and west.

Indigenous Peoples' History

In 63 BCE two Nephite generals, Gid and Teomner, recaptured it by stratagem. And Helaman took his Ammonite and other troops there and made it his headquarters. 

• The Book of Alma the Son of Alma, Chapter 58: Helaman, Gid, and Teomner take the city of Manti by a stratagem—The Lamanites withdraw—The sons of the people of Ammon are preserved as they stand fast in defense of their liberty and faith. About 63-62 B.C.

It was not captured again by the Lamanites during that long and disastrous war. In later Lamanite invasions it undoubtedly fell more than once into their hands as it was in the direct line of the course they generally took when entering Nephite territory.

• Lesson 32: “They Did Obey…Every Word of Command with... (LDS.ORG - Manual)... In one battle, the Nephite armies led by Helaman, Gid, and Teomner faced “an enemy which was innumerable,” but they received very little...

Samhain? Halloween in 1000 BCE (video)

Ancient-Astronaut Arguments; CPS; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from Celtic harvest festivals which may have pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain.

Party like a Catholic!

It is said this festival was "Christianized" as All Hallows Evening, Hallows Even, Hallowe'en. The word Halloween, or Hallowe'en, dates to about 1745 and is of Christian origin.

Hallowe'en means "hallowed or holy evening" after the Christian saints being honored in an attempt to appropriate the popular pagan celebration going on. It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day).

Christian Xmas Krampus

In Scots the word "eve" is even, and this is contracted to e'en or een. Over time, (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en evolved into Halloween.

• Ancientastronautarchive.com
• Youtube.com/aaarguments 
• Facebook.com/Ancientastro... 
• Twitter.com/ancientarchive 
• plus.google.com/u/0/115135106...
• Magical Mitchell Caverns finally reopening in Mojave Desert after 2011 closure
• California cracks down on Monsanto herbicide "Roundup" as lawsuits abound
• United Methodist Church pastor convicted of 32 counts of sexual child abuse (Christian child molestation)

Slutever: "Mormon War on PORN" (video)

VICE, Slutever (S1, E5); Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Jewish actress Natalie Portman promotes lesbianism for Hollywood (KickassFacts.com).

Mormons are clean-cut all-American ETs.

Utah has started a war against pornography. In 2016, Utah became the first state to officially declare porn a public health crisis.

The claims are that porn has a  "detrimental" effect on brain function, contributes to "emotional and medical illnesses," and gives rise to "deviant sexual arousal."

But with the mainstream science being murky at best, is this just Mormon morality infiltrating Utah legislation?

Think Catholics and Fundamentalists are uptight? Feel the shame of the patriarch's polygamy

South Park: "Which side are you on?" #WeinersOut (comedycentral.com)

Porn is obviously a polarizing topic. [Which side are you on?" asks the Mormon maker of South Park.]

The LDS Church (Church of Latter Day Saints or "Mormons") perpetuate the belief that porn addiction is a "plague like we have never seen."

However, the psychiatric community does not even recognize "porn addiction" as a clinical diagnosis. So is porn actually contaminating our brains, or is this symbolic porn ban just a way of shaming Utah residents for their sexual desires?

Having sprung out of this patriarchal repression, the pornography site MormonGirlz.com, founded by a lapsed Mormon (lesbian pornographer "Brooke" in this documentary), directly plays on LDS-inspired sexual oppression for the sake of titillation -- illustrating the ultimate backlash against suppressed sexual desires.

Utah used to be great until aliens invaded.

In this episode of Slutever, Host Karley travels to Utah to investigate the complicated, illicit, and shamefully sexy world of porn in Utah.

Karley speaks to members of Mormon Church and other porn-haters at Utah's annual anti-porn convention.

She also spends some quality time with the erotically "liberated" resistance.

• Inside Milktoberfest: Mormon alternative to Oktoberfest
• Buddhism and SEX (Maurice O'Connell Walshe) 

The Day of the Dead: Oct. 31-Nov. 2 (video)

CelebrationChronicles.com; Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly

(Facebook) Produced by Gabriela Traverso; written by and starring Gabriela Traverso; DP Cuauhtemoc Gonzalez; edited by Gabriela Traverso.

Unveil Mayan, Aztec, and Mexican history and watch ancient traditions come to life as we travel to Mexico to uncover the meaning behind one of the country's most famous holiday parties, The Day of the Dead!

This beautiful celebration, held right around Halloween, is about life as much as it is about death, a commemoration of the dearly beloved and departed. Be surprised by some insights that surround the magical event known there as El Dia De Los Muertos.

BBC investigates: Dia de los Muertos

(BBC World News/Travel Places & Culture) Feasts, Mexico, cultural documentary on parties (2011)

 

This is not sad but a day of joy and reunion.

Food writer and presenter Stefan Gates immerses himself in some of the most extraordinary feasts and festivals on earth. By joining ordinary people in these strange and wonderful distillations of their culture and beliefs, he hopes to gain a revelatory insight into how the world thinks and feels.

Gates goes on a wild emotional and spiritual rollercoaster ride, starting with a teenage girl's bizarre coming-of-age ceremony (Quinceañera*) and ending with The Day of the Dead, a cacophonous cross-cultural festival of the senses during which modern Aztecs and Mexicans believe their loved ones come back from the dead for three days (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) every year to spend the day with them.

Stefan Gates (BBC World News)

In Oaxaca [wah-ha-KAH], which has a much stronger Aztec influence than Spanish,  Gates is dressed up as a dead woman and made to dance like a lunatic at the head of a procession as it makes its way through town.

He is turned into an emotional wreck at the moment the dead return, bursting into tears as El Dias de los Muertos makes him experience grief and loss for the first time.

*(Feasts/BBC) Coming-of-age at Fifteen (15): debutante's ball, Mexico

But then in the next breath, the family Gates is living with teach him to celebrate and laugh at death. They turn his views on their head, allowing him to embrace and conquer his fear of death through an extraordinary sensual onslaught of food, flowers, songs, and smells.

The sight of the graveyards overflowing with flowers and mescal-drinking revelers is a truly life-changing experience.

Angels in Battle vs. Meditation Advice (sutra)

Ashley Wells and Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly based on Ven. Piyadassi Thera translation (accesstoinsight.org), "Banner Protection" (Dhajagga Sutta, SN 11.3)

The Buddha high atop pyramid, pagoda, and pedestal (Linc060/flickr.com)

 

Dispelling fear (Mikecogh/flickr)

Thus have I heard.  On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling near Savatthi at Jetavana in the monastery [provided by] Anathapindika. He addressed the monastics saying, "O meditators!" -- "Venerable sir!" they replied. Then he said:

"I shall relate a former incident. There arose a battle between the devas (angels, light beings, "gods") and asuras (fallen angels, titans, "demons"). Then Sakka, the King of the Devas, addressed the devas of the World of the Thirty-Three in this way:

Sakka can adopt any form (ChristyB30/flickr)

"'Happy ones, if the devas who have gone into battle should experience fear or terror or suffer hair standing on end, let them behold the crest of my banner! If one does so, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end will pass away.

"'If one fails to look up to the crest of my banner, look at the crest of the banner of Pajapati, King of the Devas. If one does so, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end will pass away.

"'If one fails to look up to the crest of Pajapati, King of the Devas, look at the crest of the banner of Varuna, King of the Devas. If one does so, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end will pass away.'

"Meditators, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end in those who look at the crest of the banner of Sakka, the King of the Devas... of Pajapati... of Varuna... of Isana, the King of the Devas, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end may pass away OR it may not pass away.
 
"What is the reason for this?

"Sakka, the King of the Devas, O meditators, is not free from lust, is not free from hate [aversion including fear], is not free from delusion, and is therefore liable to fear, terror, fright, and flight.

• [That is to say, Sakka may be a "god," an archangel, a stream enterer, and a being with a great deal of merit and glory, but he is nevertheless not enlightened, not accomplished, not an arhat.]

Fearlessness

Banner, Wat Doi Suthep (ChristyB30/flickr)

"I also say to you, O meditators -- if any fear, terror, or hair standing on end should arise in you when you have gone into the forest or to the foot of a tree, or to an empty house (or to any quiet place suitable for meditating), then only think this of me in this way:

"'Such indeed is the Blessed One, arhat (a consummate one), supremely enlightened, endowed with wisdom and virtue, a welcome being, knower of worlds, peerless trainer of persons, teacher of devas and humans, the Buddha (Enlightened One), the Blessed One.'
 
"Meditators, if you think of me, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end that may arise in you will pass away.

"If you fail to think of me then think of the Dharma (Teaching) in this way: 'Well expounded is the Dharma by the Blessed One, a Dharma to be realized for oneself which gives immediate (timeless) results, a Dharma which invites investigation and leads up to nirvana (freedom from all suffering), a Dharma to be understood by the wise each for oneself.'
 
"Meditators, if you think of the Dharma, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end that may arise in you will pass away.

Devas over the Buddha (a1eatoire/flickr)

"If you fail to think of the Dharma then think of the Sangha (the Community of Awakened Ones) in this way:
 
"'Of good conduct (practicing correctly) is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of upright conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of wise conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One, of dutiful conduct is the Order of Disciples of the Blessed One.

"'This Order of Disciples of the Blessed One -- namely those four pairs of persons [Note 1], the eight kinds of individuals [Note 2], is worthy of offerings, is worthy of hospitality, is worthy of gifts, is worthy of reverential greetings, is an incomparable field of merit for the world.'
 
"Meditators, if you think of the Sangha, any fear, terror, or hair standing on end that may arise in you will pass away.
 
"What is the reason for this?

"The Tathagata [Buddha], O meditators, who is an arhat, supremely enlightened, IS free from lust, is free from hate, is free from delusion, and is (therefore) not liable to fear, terror, fright, or flight."

So said the Blessed One. Having spoken, the teacher, the Welcome One (Sugata), further said:

Whether in forest wilds or foot of tree,

Or any secluded spot, O meditators,

Call to mind the Buddha supreme.

Then will there be no fear for you at all.

If you think not of the Buddha, O meditators,

Light of the world and chief among humans,

Then think, O meditators, of the Dharma

Well proclaimed and leading to nirvana.

If you think not of the Dharma, O meditators,

Well proclaimed and leading to nirvana,

Then think, O meditators, of the Sangha,

That incomparable field of merit for all.

To those recalling the Buddha supreme,

To those recalling the Dharma sublime,

And to those recalling the Sangha,

No fear, no terror will make them quiver.

NOTE 1. The "four pairs of persons" = the four kinds of "noble" (arya) disciples who have attained the four paths-and-fruits (magga and phala) of enlightenment, namely: the "stream-enterer," "once-returner," "non-returner," and the arhat, the final stage when ALL fetters are severed and taints finally uprooted.

NOTE 2. The four pairs become eight when the paths and fruits are regarded separately. This is an interesting distinction because it strongly suggests that one may enter upon the "path" but not consummate it immediately, yet the fruition is guaranteed in that life. This is how the eight persons were regarded in the past. The American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi devotes a portion of his anthology, In the Buddha's Words, to explaining this distinction and providing textual support.

Reflections on the Ten Perfections

Wisdom Quarterly; American Bhikkhu Bodhi (BodhiMonastery.org), Intro. to "A Treatise on the Paramis from the Commentary to the Cariyapitaka," 2005 (accesstoinsight.org)

Boudanath, "Buddha's eyes," outside Kathmandu, Nepal (Tyson Moktan/flickr.com)

  

(Aidan McRae Thomson/flickr)

The treatise [on the perfections or paramis] draws upon various sources for its material, both Theravada ["Teaching of the Elders," namely the earliest Enlightened Disciples of the Buddha] and Mahayana ["Great Vehicle," populist interpretation], and thus represents perhaps a unique instance of a classical style Theravada work consciously borrowing from its northern cousin.

 

In matters of philosophical doctrine, however, the work never deviates from the [older] Theravada perspective. The set of Ten Paramis itself comes from the Buddhavamsa, as does the discussion of the great aspiration (abhinihara) with its eight qualifications. 

 

All of this had become part of the standard Theravada tradition by the time the work was composed and was easily absorbed. Other Pali [language] sources -- the sutras, Jatakas [Birth Tales], later canonical works, the Path of Perfection (Visuddhimagga), etc. -- have all contributed to the overall composition of the treatise.

 

The basic methodology of the commentaries is evident in the explication of the Ten Paramis by way of the fourfold defining-device of characteristic, function, manifestation, and proximate cause (Section V). 

 

The heritage of the oral traditions of various teachers in later Pali scholasticism is seen in the various views expressed on the three grades of practice for each [perfection] (Section XI), on the correlation of the four foundations with the different stages of the bodhisattva's career (Section XII), and on the classification of time required for the completion of the [perfections] (Section XIV).

Maitreya the Buddha-to-come, Ladakh, India

  

Perhaps the influence of another [now defunct] early school, the Sarvastivada, lies behind the dyadic treatment of the Six Paramitas (Section XII).

  

The main Mahayana work utilized by the author is the Bodhisattvabhumi, the fifteenth chapter of the Yogacarabhumi, a voluminous text of the Yogacara school ascribed to Maitreyanatha, the teacher of Asanga.

The Bodhisattvabhumi has contributed to the sections on the practice of the [perfections], particularly the first, on the four shackles to giving, and on the special accomplishments resulting from the [perfections].

The originals, however, have all been divested of their specifically Mahayana features to make them fully compatible with the Theravada perspective.

Mahayana influence may further be discernible in the emphasis on compassion and skillful means [upaya], in the vows to benefit all beings, in the statement that the bodhisattva causes beings "to enter and reach maturity in the three vehicles," etc.

 

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (Cyrille Gibot/flickr)

On points of doctrine, as we mentioned, the work remains well within the bounds of Theravada orthodoxy. Its section on the perfection of wisdom has nothing more in common with the Prajnaparamita [Heart of Wisdom] literature than the core of Buddhist doctrine shared by all schools. 

 

There is nothing about the identity of nirvana and samsara, the triple body of the Buddha [a borrowed Brahminical/Hindu concept], the suchness and sameness of all dharmas, mind-only, the provisional nature of the disciple and pacceka buddha vehicles, or any of the other ideas distinctive of the Mahayana. 

 

Even the mention of emptiness (shunyata) is restricted to the absence of a self or ego-entity and is not carried through to the radical ontology of the [latter day] Mahayana sutras. 

 

The discussion of wisdom [prajna] draws entirely upon the Pali sutras and the [commentarial Path of Purification known as the] Visuddhimagga, only with the stipulation that the bodhisattva must balance wisdom with compassion and skillful means and must postpone his entrance upon the supramundane path until [a person's] requisites of enlightenment are fully mature. More

Who are the "Perfections" for?

Wisdom Quarterly; American Bhikkhu Bodhi (translator), "A Treatise on the Paramis from the Commentary to the Cariyapitaka," 2005 (Wikipedia "Paramis"/AccessToInsight.org)

Massive Buddha tower in Burma, Afghan-style (Sylvain Brajeul/flickr.com)

  

Swastika: "noble," enlightened (BreenJones)

Bhikkhu Bodhi maintains that in the earliest Buddhist texts, namely the first four sutra collections, those seeking freedom from suffering (nirvana) pursued the Noble Eightfold Path. 

 

But as time went on, a backstory was provided for development of the Buddha through many rebirths; as a result, the Ten Perfections were identified as part of the path for a bodhisattva (one striving for "supreme" enlightenment as a rediscoverer and teacher of the Dharma). Over subsequent centuries, the perfections (pāramīs or paramitas) were seen as being significant for aspirants to both supreme buddhahood and sainthood (arhatship). So Bhikkhu Bodhi summarizes:

 

"It should be noted that in established Theravāda tradition the pāramīs are not regarded as a discipline peculiar to candidates for Buddhahood alone but as practices which must be fulfilled by all aspirants to enlightenment and deliverance [nirvana], whether as samma-sam-buddhas, paccekabuddhas, or disciples of a buddha. 

 

"What distinguishes the supreme bodhisattva from aspirants in the other two vehicles is the degree to which the pāramīs must be cultivated and the length of time they must be pursued. But the qualities themselves are universal requisites for deliverance, which all must fulfill to at least a minimal degree to merit the fruits of the liberating path." More

Empty Mind, Full Heart: Enlightenment

Wisdom Quarterly; Roshi Albrizze (pasadharma.org); Seeds of Peace (sccpwr.org)

What can be said of emptiness (shunyata)? Emptiness, whether explained as anatta or the void, is not nothing; it is "no thing" -- no clinging to forms or ideas but instead simply being with what is (dhamma) just as it is (Wisdom Quarterly).

 
Zen Workshop

(Photographybydavidmcmeekin/flickr.com)

Zen mediation is a form of silent concentrated awareness, opening us to see each moment just as it is -- the very expression of enlightened being. As we let go of thoughts, labels, and judgments, the True Self blossoms, and we experience the Oneness of all things. Learn the noble silence of Zen meditation, and use the mind’s patterns to set up for success. As a gateway to spiritual awakening that has been with us for hundreds of years, Zen can help us be liberated from suffering and live more fully right now!
 
Workshop facilitator: Roshi Jeff Albrizze (PasaDharma.org). From Catholic altar boy to urchin on the streets of Los Angeles, from traveling Pentecostal preacher to part-time Zen Buddhist monk, Roshi Jeff’s spiritual journey has led him down many paths. He has been practicing Zen Buddhism for over 20 years and leading PasaDharma Zen Group for over 14 years.

This hour-long workshop will be held as part of the upcoming Seeds of Peace Conference on Saturday, April 20th, 2013 (11:30 am-6:30 pm) at Pasadena's All Saints Episcopal Church (allsaints-pas.org).

Wisdom Quarterly will be in attendance as will various Los Angeles area Buddhist temples. Marianne Williamson, a gifted author and contributor to a Course in Miracles, is the keynote speaker. And some 37 workshops will be available for the price of admission ($15-30). The event, held as part of The Southern California Committee for a Parliament of the World's Religions (SCCPWR), promises an exciting and informative day.

Register on line (seedsofpeace2013.eventbrite.com) and choose workshops in advance.

• Seeds of Peace: Meditation and the Engaged Life

MEDITATION WORKSHOPS

1. Isha Kriya Meditation - ISHA Foundation, Christopher Jones, M.Div., Ph.D.
2. Labyrinth - Walking the Inner Garden, Miranda Rondeau
3. Vietnamese Cao Dai Meditation, Hum Bui, M.D., Hong Bui, M.D.
4. Kabbalistic Jewish Meditation, Gilla Nissan
5. 3HO - Kundalini Yoga & Sat Nam Rasayan Healing Art, Hari Nam Singh
6. Vedanta Meditation for Inner Peace, Swami Atmavidyananda
7. Guided Meditation on the Self - Bilingual (Spanish/English), Sister Jayanti/Yanina Olmos
8. Mindfulness Meditation - Vipassana Support International, Stephanie Nash
9. Meditation on Cosmic Awareness - the Twelve Blessings, Rev. Paul Nugent, Aetherius Society
10. Color Science Meditation - Jain Center of Southern California, Chetna Sawla
11. Ignatian Awareness Exsmen, Lexio Divino Centering Prayer, Prof. Frank Rogers Jr.
12. Raja Yoga Meditation - Brahma Kumaris, Sister Gita and Sister Diane
13. Still Point Episcopal / Hindu Meditation, Robert Kornell
14. Center for Krishna Consciousness, Sura Das and Mikhano
15. Lotus Sutra Chanting - Soka Gakkai International, Patti Heckman
16. Shumei Philosophy and Spiritual Practice, Steven Tokunaga
17. Seven Pillars House of Wisdom, Darakshan Farber and Friends
18. Empty Mind, Full Heart - Zen Meditation as Enlightenment - Pasa Dharma Zen Group, Jeff “Lotus Peace” Albrizze. 
 
SOCIAL ACTION WORKSHOPS

1. “Beating Swords into Plowshares: Reducing Gun Violence," Dr. Jill Shook and Bert Newton

2. "What Religious Communities are Doing to Oppose War, Torture, and Drones," Grace Roberts Dyrness (ICUJP)

3. “Immigration Reform,” Rev. Daniel Romero

4. “Caring for All Creation," Allis Druffel, Interfaith Power and Light

5. “Prayer as Action,” Rev. Dr. Arthur Cribbs, Exec. Director CLUE

6. ”Life Choices” - An Interactive Drama Program in Schools for At-Risk Youth, Wallenberg Institute of Ethics

7. “Human Trafficking” - Jewish Labor Committee Western Region, Leslie Gersicoff

8. “Healthcare Is A Human Right,” Maureen Cruise RN

9. “The Fight Against Genocide” - Jewish World Watch, Janice Kamenir-Reznik, Co-founder and President

10. “Code Pink,” Jody Evans, Founder

11. “The Grace-Full Power of Compassionate Community Building,” Sande Hart, S.A.R.A.H.

12. "Just Peacemaking," Prof. Glen Stassen, Fuller Seminary

13. "Practical Nonviolence" - American Friends Service Committee, Eisha Mason

14. “Truth Over Fear: Overcoming Islamophobia," Salam al-Marayati and Dr. Meher Hathout, Muslim Public Affairs Council

15. “Love and Social Action,” Rev. Ed Bacon, All Saints Church

16. “Gang Violence,” Ricky Pickens & Javier Stauring

17. “Examining the U.S. Economy and Its Dysfunction,” Prof. Pamela Brubaker, California Lutheran University

18. “Spirituality and Politics,” Marianne Williamson

19. "Peace Education," Randy Christopher & Kimberly Mendendorp, Peace & Justice Academy

This public conference and gathering of all traditions will be a great opportunity to deepen our practice(s), learn more about the wonderful spiritual diversity in Southern California, and to foster fellowship with many like-minded people. There will also be the second Coachella weekend and free Earth Day events within walking distance in Pasadena's Memorial Park. Plan accordingly.