In Buddhism, parinirvana (Sanskrit -- Pali: Parinibbana -- Chinese: 般涅槃; Pinyin: bō niè pán) is the final nirvana, traditionally understood to be within reach only upon the death of someone who attained complete enlightenment. It is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice and implies a release from the cycle of deaths and rebirths as well as the dissolution of all mental aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental fabrications and consciousness). The parinirvana of Gautama Buddha is depicted in the Ma ...

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Śūnyatā, शून्यता (Sanskrit, Pali: suññatā), or "Emptiness," is a term for an aspect of the Buddhist metaphysical critique as well as Buddhist epistemology and phenomenology. Shunyata signifies that everything one encounters in life is empty of soul, permanence, and self-nature. Everything is inter-related, never self-sufficient or independent; nothing has independent reality. Yet shunyata never connotes nihilism, which Buddhist doctrine considers to be a delusion, just as it considers materialism to be a del ...

Including:

• Shunyata - Origin and development of śūnyatā
• Shunyata - Śunyata in presecular Buddhism in the Nikayas
• Shunyata - Śunyata in the Heart Sutra
• Shunyata - Śunyata in Nāgārjuna
• Shunyata - Śunyata in the Tathagatagarbha Sutras

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Mahāyāna (literally "great vehicle"; from the Indian language of Sanskrit. Chinese: 大乘, Dàshèng; Japanese: 大乗, Daijō; Vietnamese: Đại Thừa; Korean:대승, Dae-seung) is one of the major branches of Buddhism. (See Yana for the classification of Buddhism into vehicles, and Schools of Buddhism for further information.) Mahayana originated in the Indian subcontinent, and some of the areas in which it is practiced today are India, China, Tibet, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. From Mahayana d ...

Including:

• Mahayana - Doctrine
• Mahayana - Universalism
• Mahayana - Enlightened wisdom
• Mahayana - Compassion
• Mahayana - Salvation
• Mahayana - Headline text
• Mahayana - Origins
• Mahayana - Epigraphical evidence
• Mahayana - Scriptures
• Mahayana - The 4th Buddhist Council
• Mahayana - Expansion 1st c.CE–10th c.CE
• Mahayana - Bibliography
• Mahayana - Older works

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The first lay precept in Buddhism is usually translated as "I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures." Many see this as implying that Buddhists should not eat the meat of animals. However, this is not necessarily the case. There is a divergence of views within Buddhism on the need for vegetarianism, with the majority of schools of Buddhism rejecting such a claimed need and with most Buddhists in fact eating meat. A minority of Mahayana Buddhists, howeve ...

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Buddha (Sanskrit, Pali, others: literally Awakened One, from the root: √budh, "to awaken") is a title used in Buddhism for anyone who has discovered their enlightenment (bodhi), although it is commonly used to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, the historical founder of Buddhism. Generally, Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama—who lived from about 623 BC to 543 BC, and attained bodhi around 588 BC—to have been the first or the last Buddha. From the standpoint of classical Buddhist doct ...

Including:

• Buddha - Eternal Buddha
• Buddha - 32 Marks of the Buddha
• Buddha - Names of the Buddhas
• Buddha - Sources

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Buddhism, a religion and philosophy from ancient India, is based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, of the Shakyas. His lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 483 BCE; it spread throughout the Indian subcontinent in the five centuries following his death. Missionaries would carry Buddhism throughout Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, as well as East Asian countries such as China, Korea, and Japan in the following two millenia. Buddhism is classified as an Ārya dharma ("Noble religion") and is one ...

Including:

• Buddhism - What is a Buddha?
• Buddhism - Origins
• Buddhism - Principles of Buddhism
• Buddhism - The Three Marks of Existence
• Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths
• Buddhism - The Noble Eightfold Path
• Buddhism - Practices of Buddhism
• Buddhism - Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddhism - The Five Precepts
• Buddhism - Meditation
• Buddhism - Buddha-dhatu Buddha-Principle Buddha-nature
• Buddhism - Other principles and practices
• Buddhism - Vegetarianism
• Buddhism - Buddhist religious philosophy and branches
• Buddhism - Buddhism after the Buddha
• Buddhism - Principal schools of Buddhist philosophy
• Buddhism - Scriptures
• Buddhism - Relations with other Eastern faiths
• Buddhism - Buddhism in the modern world
• Buddhism - Buddhism and the West
• Buddhism - Buddhism
• Buddhism - Related systems and religions
• Buddhism - References and Links
• Buddhism - References
• Buddhism - Footnotes
• Buddhism - External links

Read more here: » Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Buddhism

There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Vinaya
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

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The Buddhist term Anātman (Sanskrit) or Anatta (Pali) is an adjective that specifies the absence of a supposedly permanent and unchanging self or soul in any one of the psycho-physical (namo-rupa) constituents of empirical existence; eg. "none of these khandhas are my Soul, are anatta (non-Self)". What is normally thought of as the "Self" is in fact an agglomeration of constantly changing physical and mental constituents ("skandhas") which give rise to unhappiness if clung to as though this temporary assemblage formed some kin ...

Including:

• Anatta - Summary
• Anatta - Presecular position on anatta as presented in the Nikayas
• Anatta - Interpretive problems
• Anatta - Anatman anatta in the Tathagatagarbha Sutras

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According to the Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians, the majority of the world's vegetarians follow the practice for religious reasons. Many religions, including Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, and especially Jainism, teach that ideally life should always be valued and not willfully destroyed for unnecessary human gratification. Vegetarianism and religion - Hinduism. Hindus believe that food shapes the personality, mood and mind. They believe that meat promotes aggressiveness and a mental state of turmoil kn ...

Including:

• Vegetarianism and religion - Hinduism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Buddhism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Abrahamic religions
• Vegetarianism and religion - Judaism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Christianity
• Vegetarianism and religion - Islam
• Vegetarianism and religion - Jainism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Taoism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Bahá'í Faith
• Vegetarianism and religion - Sikhism
• Vegetarianism and religion - Rastafari
• Vegetarianism and religion - Ayyavazhi

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Buddhas Reden (Majjhimanikaya), Kristkreitz, Berlin, 1978, tr. by Kurt Schmidt The Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, tr. by Kosho Yamamoto, revised by Dr. Tony Page (Nirvana Publications, London 1999-2000). ...

See also:

Brahmavihara, Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in Early Buddhism, Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Brahmavihara - Literature

Read more here: » Brahmavihara: Encyclopedia II - Brahmavihara - Literature

The Mahaparinirvana Sutra is a major Mahayana scripture which purports to enshrine the Buddha's "final explanation" of his Doctrine, an explanation characterised by "exhaustive thoroughness" and allegedly delivered on the last day before his parinirvana (his physical death). The Buddha in this sutra declares that this scripture is the "all-fulfilling conclusion" of authentic Dharma (verbalised Truth) and that "all the various secret gates to Dharma, the words of implicit meaning uttered by the tathagatas [Buddhas] are gathered up in t ...

See also:

Nirvana Sutra, Nirvana Sutra - Overview, Nirvana Sutra - Versions, Nirvana Sutra - Quotations from the Nirvana Sutra, Nirvana Sutra - Textual history, Nirvana Sutra - English edition

Read more here: » Nirvana Sutra: Encyclopedia II - Nirvana Sutra - Overview

The role of faith in Mahayana Buddhism is, if anything, even stronger. Its depth and range become intensified, particularly in the tathagatagarbha sutras and the “Pure Land” literature. In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Buddha accords a foundational position to faith. He states: "we say that unsurpassed Awakening [bodhi] has faith as its cause. The causes of Awakening are innumerable, but if stated as faith, this covers everything." Faith as understood in this, the Buddha’s final Mahayana sutra, is belief in the te ...

See also:

Faith in Buddhism, Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Early Buddhism Theravada, Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Mahayana Buddhism, Faith in Buddhism - Literature

Read more here: » Faith in Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Mahayana Buddhism

In modern-Western manifestations of the Zen Buddhist tradition, it is considered insufficient simply to understand Buddha-nature intellectually. Rather it must be experienced and felt directly, in one's entire mind and body together. Enlightenment in a certain sense consists of a direct experience of one's authentic identity, which is traditionally described as śūnyata (emptiness), the ultimate reality of Buddha-nature. The Zen tradition often uses parables to try to explain the Buddha-nature: according to one story, a monk once app ...

See also:

Tathagatagarbha doctrine, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Texts

Read more here: » Tathagatagarbha doctrine: Encyclopedia II - Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen

Unlike the Western concept of "soul" or some interpretations of the Indian "atman", Buddha-nature is not considered an isolated essence of a particular individual, but rather a single unified essence shared by all beings with Buddha-nature. (Though such an essence would still be in violation of some interpretations of anatta, as for example that of Nagarjuna, which attacks all essences; similarly, a trans-personal self shared by multiple beings exists already within the Hindu context in some monistic and/or pantheistic interpretations of the atman, and such concept ...

See also:

Buddha-nature, Buddha-nature - Development of Buddha-nature, Buddha-nature - Buddha-nature vs. atman

Read more here: » Buddha-nature: Encyclopedia II - Buddha-nature - Buddha-nature vs. atman

The situation takes on a different complexion in Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism. Here one encounters the notion of the Buddhas as kinds of cosmic wizards or magicians, as the creators of, and rulers over, “Buddha fields” (Buddha Paradises – whole world systems of spiritual exaltation and instruction). Although there are countless Buddhas, their essence is one - that of "Tathata" ("suchness" or "that-ness") - , and it is in this sense that the Buddha proclaims himself as "Tathagata" and ...

See also:

God in Buddhism, God in Buddhism - The God Idea in Early Buddhism, God in Buddhism - Mahayana and Tantric Mystical Doctrines, God in Buddhism - Literature

Read more here: » God in Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - God in Buddhism - Mahayana and Tantric Mystical Doctrines

Not all Buddhist scriptures, however, deny the reality of atman. Within the Mahayana branch of Buddhism, there exists an important class of sutras (influential upon Ch'an and Zen Buddhism), generally known as Tathagatagarbha sutras ("Buddha-Matrix" or "Buddha-Embryo" sutras), a number of which affirm that, in contradistinction to the impermanent "mundane self" of the five "skandhas"(the physical and mental components of the mutable ego), there does exist an eternal True Self, which is in fact none other than the Buddha himself in his ...

See also:

Atman Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The need for Buddhists to understand Atman, Atman Buddhism - The definition of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The ontological status of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - Atman in Nikaya, Atman Buddhism - The abandonment of Atman in later Buddhist metaphysics, Atman Buddhism - Positive teachings on the Atman in Mahayana Buddhism

Read more here: » Atman Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Atman Buddhism - Positive teachings on the Atman in Mahayana Buddhism

Buddha-nature (Awakened-nature) has been connected in recent decades with the developments of robotics and the possible eventual creation of artificial intelligence. In the 1970s, the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori popularized the idea that robots, under certain conditions, may possess Buddha-nature. Mori has since founded an institute to study the metaphysical implications of such technology. The implication or the question is, can a perfect simulation of intelligent outward behaviour really light the inner spark of a self-aware c ...

See also:

Tathagatagarbha doctrine, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Tathagatagarbha in Zen, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots, Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Texts

Read more here: » Tathagatagarbha doctrine: Encyclopedia II - Tathagatagarbha doctrine - Buddha-bots

Candrakirti contextualises Atman as follows: Atman is an essence of things that does not depend on others; it is an intrinsic nature. The non-existence of that is selflessness. -- Bodhisattvayogacaryācatuḥśatakaṭikā 256.1.7 In the 'Abhidharma pitaka', which deals with metaphysics, the prime doctrine which allows pure Buddhist philosophy to successfully explain all phenomena is that all things happen with cause. 'Atman' is a conceptual attachment to oneself that promotes a f ...

See also:

Atman Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The need for Buddhists to understand Atman, Atman Buddhism - The definition of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The ontological status of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - Atman in Nikaya, Atman Buddhism - The abandonment of Atman in later Buddhist metaphysics, Atman Buddhism - Positive teachings on the Atman in Mahayana Buddhism

Read more here: » Atman Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Atman Buddhism - The definition of Atman in Buddhism

As Atman is identified as the cause of Samsara, it is not merely cognate with the various concepts of Atman as found in Hindu philosophy (atman (Hinduism)), and indeed the specific identification of what Atman is, is an essential philosophical concept for the Buddhist meditator. If Atman were not to exist at all, then we would all be naturally free from Samsara. What this entails is that Atman is identified as existing as a concept - more specifically, as a cognitive obscuration; moreover, it is this specific cogni ...

See also:

Atman Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The need for Buddhists to understand Atman, Atman Buddhism - The definition of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - The ontological status of Atman in Buddhism, Atman Buddhism - Atman in Nikaya, Atman Buddhism - The abandonment of Atman in later Buddhist metaphysics, Atman Buddhism - Positive teachings on the Atman in Mahayana Buddhism

Read more here: » Atman Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Atman Buddhism - The ontological status of Atman in Buddhism

In the Subha Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya set of scriptures, the Buddha is asked the way to fellowship/companionship/communion with Brahma. He replies that he personally knows the world of Brahma and the way to it, and explains the meditative method for reaching it thus: “A monk suffuses the world in the four directions with a mind of benevolence, then above, and below, and all around – the whole world from all sides, completely, with a benevolent, all-embracing, great, boundless, peaceful and friendly mind � ...

See also:

Brahmavihara, Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in Early Buddhism, Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Brahmavihara - Literature

Read more here: » Brahmavihara: Encyclopedia II - Brahmavihara - The Brahma-viharas in Early Buddhism

The Pali suttas (scriptures) list faith as one of the seven Treasures (dhanas), one of the five “spiritual faculties” (indriyas), one of the four “streams of merit”, and one of the “spiritual powers” (balas). When a person decides to give up domestic life and live as a monk or nun, it is said to be out of faith (“through faith in the Lord”) that he/she does so (Majjhima-Nikaya 107 and 140): first comes the hearing of Dhamma (verbalised spiritual Truth) from the Buddha or one of his disciples, and then follows faith in the Buddha’s teaching and ref ...

See also:

Faith in Buddhism, Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Early Buddhism Theravada, Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Mahayana Buddhism, Faith in Buddhism - Literature

Read more here: » Faith in Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Faith in Buddhism - Faith in Early Buddhism Theravada