Differences between the Theravadin and the Mahayan views of the path to enlightenment?

Question

I really need to know a simple way to describe the difference between the Theravadin and the Mahayan views of the path to enlightenment, in Buddhism. Help, anyone?

Answer 1

The fundamental difference is their goal - the objective of training. The Theravada aim at the nibbana of an Arahant and the Mahayana are aiming at buddhahood via the bodhisattva path.



In the Theravada no distinction is made between nibbana (nirvana) attained by a buddha and that of an arahant (arhat). However in the Mahayana there are subtle distinctions in the level of attainment between the two.



Because the Theravada tradition do not have Buddhahood as their objective of training, Buddha nature is absent from their teachings. But in the Mahayana Buddha nature, is heavily stressed.

Answer 2

The simplest difference is that in the theravadin view you need to shave your head to become a member of the Sangha in order to really be working on enlightenment. laypersons who hear the dharma and who support the Sangha are storing up merit in hopes of becoming monks and nuns themselves in future lives. Theravadin doctrine also holds that if you are a nun, you need to be reborn as a man and become a monk before you can read enlightenment. The Theravadin practice for monks and nuns is much stricter than it is in many mayahana schools and has provisions that prevernt marriage, require celebacy, require lives of simplicity, etc. There are about 227 rules for monks, and almost double that number required for nuns.



The mahayana view opens enlightenment up as a possibility to lay persons, some schools still hold that you need to be reborn as a man before you can seriously work on enlightenment. Tendai and Nichiren schools are two examples that believe that all people can reach enlightenment in this lifetime (teaching of the Lotus Sutra). Pure Land Schools are interesting in that they are a "stop trying" school of Buddhism. They rely on the vow made by Amida Buddha and chant the nembutsu in order to be reborn into the pure land. They believe that because it has been so long since the Buddha left this world, there's nothing anyone can do to become a Buddha here. They believe that we need to be reborn in Amida's western paradise first.

Answer 3

"jAmbu" is very right in what they tell you.



I would like to add that the tradition of the Bodhisattva in the Mahayana traditions, includes a vow to keep on returning, even after gaining enlightenment and no longer being bound to the cycle of rebirth.

Why? In order to help all other sentient beings attain enlightenment.

And to continue being reborn until ALL sentient beings have attained enlightenment.

Thus, part of the daily practice of Mahayana Buddhism is the repetition of our commitment to attain enlightenment not for ourselves, but for the benefit of all others.

In Tibetan Buddhism, which is my training and also one of the Mahayana traditions, we are taught that two things are required for enlightenment: (1) wisdom (acquired through meditation), and (2) compassion (acquired through the compassion practices ... and definitely bringing out a reduction in our self-centeredness).



Of course, now, we DO have our selfish motivations. We are not enlightened, so this of course we are self-centered.

Psychologically speaking, the more you set these imprints of unselfishness, the more this attitude seeps into you. It helps you become less self-centered. Which is (from the standpoint of psychology) a positive condition: the more self-centered a person is, the more neurotic and unhappy they are.

Answer 4

Enlightened is a Technocratic term. it is largely an identical subject as Awakening, the tip that each and every thing is your decision. Ascension is the tip purpose of wakened Avatars. no person is familiar with for confident what Ascension could entail, because of the fact if everyone has made the journey, they have in no way back to tell others. distinctive Traditions and Crafts have distinctive techniques of what Ascension implies. The Ahl-i-Batin, as an occasion, have faith they're going to grow to be one with each and every thing, at the same time as the digital Adepts have faith they're going to upload themselves into the digital cyber web, leaving in the back of human weak point and human reality. that's achievable that some Mages have wakened and moved on previous the Horizon nation-states, or back as being such as Oracles.