LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET

Subject: Introduction to World Religion and Belief System

LEARNING CONTENT: Mahayana Buddhism

Reference(s):
LEARNING TARGET

1. State the six levels of perfection of Mahayana Buddhism

2. Define the meaning of: moral discipline, cultivation of virtue, and altruistic conduct
3. Give examples of acts of generosity of Mahayana Buddhists
4. Explain the core teaching of Mahayana Buddhism to seek complete enlightenment for the
benefit of all living beings through insight and compassion
5. Draw insight from the act of generosity of Tzu Chi Foundation that reflect the core teaching of
Mahayana Buddhism

LEARNING CONCEPT

I. Mahayana Buddhism at a Glance

 Mahayana originated in India and subsequently spread in East Asia.

 Followers of Mahayana Buddhism traditionally regarded their doctrine as the full

revelation of the nature and teachings of the Buddha in opposition of the earlier
Theravada tradition.

 Mahayana Buddhism is not a single group but a collection of Buddhist traditions such as:
Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism.

II. Sacred Texts: Mahayana Sutras

 The Mahayana Sutras are a broad genre of Buddhist scriptures that various traditions of
Mahayana Buddhism accept as canonical.

 They are largely preserved in the Chine Buddhist Canon: The Tibetan Buddhist Canon,
and in extant Sanskrit manuscript.

 Around 100 Mahayana Sutras survive in Sanskrit or in Chinese and Tibetan translations.

 Early versions were not written documents but orally preserved teachings said to be
verses that were committed to memory and recited by his disciples.
III. Brief Description of the Three Mahayana Buddhist Traditions

1. Zen Buddhism

 It is a mixture of Indian Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism.

 It began in China, spread to Korea and Japan, and became very popular in the West from
the mid 20th century.

 The essence of Zen is attempting to understand the meaning of life directly, without
being misled by logical thought or language.

 Zen is the way the Chine word ‘ch’an’ is pronounced in Japanese. ‘Ch’an’ is the Chinese
pronunciation of the Sanskrit word Dyana, which means meditation.

2. Pure Land Buddhism

 It offers a way to enlightenment for people who can’t handle the subtleties of meditation,
endure long rituals, or just live especially good lives.

 The essential practice in Pure Land Buddhism is the chanting of the name of Amithaba
Buddha with total concentration, trusting that one will be reborn in the Pure Land, a place
where it is much easier for being to work towards enlightenment.

3. Tibetan Buddhism

 It combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and Shamantic,
and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called Bon.

IV. The Six Perfections of Mahayana Buddhism

1. Dana Paramita: Perfection of Generosity

 It is a true generosity of spirit.

 It is giving from sincere desire to benefit others, without expectation of reward or

recognition.

 There must be no selfishness attached.

2. Sila Paramita: Perfection of Morality

 It guides a Buddhist until he finds his own balance.

 An enlightened being is said to respond correctly to all situations without having to

consult a list of rules.
3. Ksanti Paramita: Perfection of Patience

 It is patience, tolerance, endurance, and composure.

 It is said that there are three dimensions to Ksanti: the ability to endure personal hardship,
patience with others, and acceptance of truth.

 The perfection of Ksanti begins with the acceptance of the Four Noble Truths, including
the Truth of Suffering.

4. Virya Paramita: Perfection of Energy

 It comes from an Indian-Iranian word that means “hero”.

 It is about making courageous or heroic effort to realize enlightenment.

 A Buddhist must first develop his own character and courage.

 He/she engages in spiritual training and then he/she dedicates his/her fearless efforts to
the benefit of others.

5. Dyana Paramita: Perfection of Meditation

 It is a discipline intended to cultivate the mind.

 Dyana means concentration, and in this case great concentration is applied to rehearse
clarity and insight.

 Samadhi refers to a single-pointed concentration in which all senses of self falls away.

 Dyana and Samadhi are said to be the foundations of wisdom, which is the next
perfection.

6. Prajna Paramita: Perfection of Wisdom

 Wisdom is the direct and intimate realization of sunyata, or emptiness.

 Wisdom cannot be understood by intellect alone. It can only be understood through the
practice of the other perfections- generosity, morality, patience, energy and meditation.

V. Some Concepts of Mahayana Buddhism

1. Moral Discipline

 It is the perfection which aims to renounce every bodhisattva flaw.

 It is defined as the mental decision to renounce all non-virtuous actions or employing a

mental strategy that blocks the vicious act.
2. Cultivation of Virtue

 It is not act-centered but agent-centered.

 A practitioner of virtue ethics takes his own virtue as his central ethical goal: he is to
develop the skills, habits, and attitudes of mind necessary to be the best agent he can be.

 One who practices virtue ethics, his or her overarching goal in life is to do good which is
understood as virtuous character.

3. Altruistic Conduct

 It is the principle or practice of concern for the welfare of others.

 Love and compassion are components of all forms of Buddhism, and are focused on all
beings equally.

 Love and compassion are defined as the wish that all beings be happy, and compassion is
the wish that all beings are free from sufferings.

VI. Random Acts of Generosity of Mahayana Buddhists

1. Giving alms to monks is a common practice among Buddhists believers knowing that monks
do not labor for their own material needs but for the spiritual needs of their followers.
2. Buddhist monks pray as construction of single family houses for tsunami victims begins.
3. The monks and nuns leave offerings of rice which pigeons and other birds will happily feed
on.
4. Dogs know they can come to compassionate monks for food and care.
5. Buddhists are so dedicated with their love of nature by participating in different conservation
practices.