The Lotus Sutra and doctrine of Past Buddha (original) (raw)
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On the Nature and Message of the Lotus Sūtra
The aim of this paper is to compare the contents of the Lotus Sūtra and the style of presentation of its message with the thrust of the Buddha’s teachings as they are preserved in the early Buddhist sources, particularly the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon, and also in the Pāli commentarial literature. In the process it attempts to identify in the early sources the precedents of some of the bold statements in the Lotus Sūtra which appear as complete innovations, but may be elaborations of elements contained in Pāli sources in germinal form. Despite the difference in style, language and mythological imagery, the conclusion is that both the Sutta Pitaka and the Lotus Sūtra express in their respective manners the true spirit of the Buddhist message. Attention is drawn also to the striking parallels between the Buddhist picture of the multiple universe and modern cosmological theories.
Readings of the Lotus Sutra. Edited by Stephen F. Teiser and Jacqueline I. Stone
Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 2011
Although few of the products of Chōgen's efforts at Tōdaiji have survived, Rosenfield interweaves documentary sources and extant imagery to bring this tumultuous age to life. In the process, he explicates how renewed contacts with China then played a critical role in the faith's transmission, impacting both developments within Japanese Buddhism and its related material culture. His chapters address wide-ranging topics including reasons for the unusual architectural style adopted for the restored Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) at Tōdaiji, the renewed realism in painted and sculpted icons, the history of East Asian portraiture generally and priest portraiture in particular, and the uses of Buddhist ritual objects. Rosenfield explores the complex interpersonal dynamics that shaped Buddhism's reception in Japan through a discussion of Chōgen's relations with monks of other sects, esteemed lineages of Buddhist sculptors, politicians, and lay patrons. This excellent book is a rarity in that Rosenfield's clear writing and careful explanations make this complex topic accessible to nonspecialists while concurrently, his use of diverse primary sources, including Chōgen's own memoir (translated in an appendix), distinguishes it as an invaluable resource for specialists as well.
INAC, 2023
The lotus flower represents one symbol of fortune in Buddhism. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment gives forth the flower's first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment. T second meaning, which is related to the first is purification Introduction: Buddhism is one of the world's major religions with about 300 million practitioners worldwide. It began in India in about 500 B.C.E. when Siddhartha Gotama, also called "the Buddha," is said to have reached enlightenment. Because Buddhism is not concerned with the worship of deities and does not closely resemble Western religions in belief or practice. Siddhartha Gotama was born into royalty in Lumbini, Nepal in April 563 BC, before abandoning his wealth when he saw suffering, poverty and death for the first time at age 29. Siddhartha experimented with different philosophies before he was "awakened" or "enlightened" at age 35. Buddha, or the "Enlightened One," did not become a god or prophet when he reached enlightenment. Rather, he spent the rest of his life teaching the path to enlightenment-also called the Dharma or "truth." Buddhists regard the Buddha as an important teacher. Explaining Enlightenment Comparing the Buddhist principle of enlightenment to the Christian ideal of salvation. Unlike Christianity, which says that people will be saved through a correct belief and faith in God, Buddhism teaches that you reach enlightenment through a process of meditation, learning and understanding.Buddhists do not believe in a heaven. Instead, Buddhists believe that when you reach enlightenment, also called Nirvana, you experience complete bliss. Instead of dying and going to an afterlife, Buddhists believe that you are subject to a constant cycle of rebirth until you reach enlightenment and Nirvana. Characterized as an extinguishing of desire, greed and dissatisfaction, Nirvana frees you from the cycle of rebirth and suffering. Buddhist Tenets Four Noble Truths: that life is suffering, that suffering is caused by desire, that suffering can be overcome and, finally, that following the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the end of suffering.
The lotus: Symbolic representation of a bodhisattva illustrated in the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra
Asia Pacific Journal of Religions and Cultures, 2018
The lotus, the symbol of Buddhism, essentially represents purity and enlightenment. Based on the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra, a significant Mahāyāna scripture, this study analyses the meaning of the lotus, the attributes of a bodhisattva, and the association between lotus and mud, connoting the intimate, interdependent, and interactive relationships between the concept of bodhisattva and sentient beings, illuminating the dynamic of secular world and pure land, while also dismantling the binary mode of thinking. It elaborates on how the bodhisattva path should be exercised, which leads to bodhisattva altruism. Buddhist altruism and non-duality hint at how individuals cultivate meaningfulness with acceptance and inclusiveness, which elevates happiness in a context of diversity.
In 1933 Georges Trouvé of the École Française d'Extrême-Orient excavated an enormous image of the Buddha seated on a nāga inside the central shrine of the Bayon. This image was celebrated as the central image of Jayavarman VII’s Angkor Thom and apparently met its demise at the hands of iconoclasts sometime after that great king’s rule. Little attention was paid to the head of another Buddha image found with the Bayon Buddha. This small image however, reveals much about Angkor between the 13th and 16th centuries. 1431 / 1432 CE is often cited as the date at which Angkor was abandoned, but our knowledge of this event is based on fragmentary chronicular evidence that has been little understood. The recognition of the small Buddha head as early Ayutthayan and identification of over forty other images of this type are the first material evidence of the 12 to 15 year Ayutthayan occupation at Angkor at this time. Reappraisal of the large Bayon Buddha, a late 12th century image, suggests that it was restored in the 16th century. A renovation at this time is consistent with similar deeds of piety performed at Angkor Wat and other important Angkorian sites. If the Bayon Buddha was dumped into a looters pit after its 16th century modification we question its part the so-called iconoclasm purported to have occurred in the 13th century.