Background of Indian Buddhism and Zen Buddhism

Early Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama (6th-5th century BCE) leaves his life as a prince to become:

Sakyamuni Buddha, the "Awakened One, the Sage of the Sakya Clan"

• Three Treasures of Buddhism:
  • Buddha, Dharma, Sangha - Awakened Teacher, Teaching (Truth), Community of Monks and Nuns
• Three Baskets of Sacred Buddhist Literature
  • Sutra, Sastra, Vinaya - Teachings of the Buddha, Commentaries on the Teachings, and Monastic Regulations
• Selected Early Teachings:
• Suffering, Attachment, Impermanence, No-self (anatman, as opposed to eternal soul, atman).
  • Suffering, Caused by Attachment, due to underlying Impermanence, including the lack of a fixed, permanent self or soul.

Two Main Streams of Buddhism

• Nikaya Buddhism: Early Buddhism based on the early sutras (Pali: sutta), is often called Nikaya Buddhism, because that is the name of the early collection of sutras.
• Mahayana Buddhism "Great Vehicle": Later Indian Buddhism, originating around the beginning of the Common Era (0 CE), is based on a whole new set of sutras compiled at that time, that are still presented as the words or teachings of the historical Buddha Sakyamuni.
• Hinayana Buddhism: The Mahayana Buddhists called the earlier Nikaya Buddhists, "Hinayana," meaning "Lesser Vehicle"

Teachings of Mahayana Buddhism

According to the First Philospher of Mahayana Buddhism, Nagarjuna

• Two-Fold Truth of Form and Emptiness:
  • Words and language comprise the conventional level of truth.
  • When the mind is empties of words and concepts, there is the realization of emptiness or the oneness all beings and things, like a flowing river.
• Bodhisattva Ideal
  • The seeker or spiritual hero of Mahayana Buddhism refuses to attain enlightenment unless all beings attain enlightenment.

Zen Buddhism

• Bodhidharma, Indian monk who travels to China to become founder of Zen Buddhism
• Dhyana -> Chan-na -> Chan -> Zen
  • "Dhyana," the Indian Sanskrit term of meditation, becomes "Chan-na" in Chinese, which is further shortened to "Chan," and the Chinese character for Chan is pronounced "Zen" in Japanese. Through the work of the Zen philosopher D.T. Suzuki and others, Zen Buddhism is conveyed to America.