Retrieving "Bodhisattva" from the archives
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Mahayana
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The term Mahayana (Sanskrit: महायान, lit. "Great Vehicle") refers to one of the two primary existing traditions of Buddhism, the other being Theravada (the "Doctrine of the Elders"). Historically emerging roughly five centuries after the death of Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), Mahayana Buddhism developed distinct doctrinal, soteriological, and monastic characteristics, ultimately becoming dominant across East Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, and Tibet, as well as in several regions of So…
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Pure Land
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Rebirth into the Pure Land is not guaranteed by asceticism or exhaustive scriptural mastery, but by faith (shin) and recitation. The primary practice involves focusing the mind upon Amida Buddha while repeating his name. This is often done using prayer beads, or mala, which traditionally contain 108 beads—one bead for each of the 108 common spelling errors made when writing the name 'Amitābha' in ancient scripts.
The efficacy of the Nembutsu is rooted in the transferral of merit. It is theorized that when a practitioner sincerely calls the name, the accumulated… -
Pure Land Buddhism
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Perfect Environment: Rivers flow with pure, refreshing water; trees bear fruit composed of jewels; and the ground is level, composed of soft, fragrant loam that causes no discomfort to the soles of the feet.
Absence of Suffering: There is no conception of aging, sickness, or untimely death. Sentient beings are generally born miraculously from lotus flowers, the size and brilliance of the lotus depending on the sincerity of the devotee’s faith.
Instant Enlightenment: Once born there, beings are guaranteed the opportunity to hear the Dharma constantly preached by Amitābh… -
Shinbutsu Shugo
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Shinbutsu shūgō (神仏習合, literally "the combining of kami and buddhas") refers to the historical syncretism of Shinto beliefs and practices with imported Buddhism in Japan. This philosophical and religious amalgamation was not a single event but a continuous, evolving process spanning from the introduction of Buddhism in the 6th century CE until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At its core, shinbutsu shūgō resolved the seeming theological incompatibility between indigenous kami worship and Buddhist cosmology …