9.2 Major Mahayana sutras and their teachings

Mahayana sutras form the backbone of Buddhist philosophy, introducing key concepts like emptiness and the bodhisattva path. These texts, including the Heart Sutra and Lotus Sutra, expand on early Buddhist teachings, emphasizing compassion and the potential for all beings to achieve enlightenment.

While retaining core Buddhist principles, Mahayana sutras introduce new ideas like skillful means and the One Vehicle doctrine. They challenge conventional notions of spiritual practice, encouraging practitioners to let go of fixed ideas and embrace a more inclusive approach to liberation.

Key Mahayana sutras

Key Mahayana sutras

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• Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra)
  • One of the shortest yet most influential Mahayana sutras distills the essence of the vast Prajnaparamita literature into a concise text
  • Encapsulates the core teachings of emptiness (sunyata) and the non-dual nature of reality
• Diamond Sutra (Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra)
  • Emphasizes the concept of emptiness (sunyata) and the importance of non-attachment to views, concepts, and even the Dharma itself
  • Teaches the significance of letting go of all fixed ideas and dualistic thinking to realize the true nature of reality
• Lotus Sutra (Saddharma Pundarika Sutra)
  • Presents the revolutionary concept of the One Vehicle (Ekayana), affirming that all beings have the potential for Buddhahood
  • Introduces the idea of skillful means (upaya), where Buddhas and bodhisattvas use various methods to guide beings according to their capacities and inclinations
• Vimalakirti Sutra
  • Features the lay bodhisattva Vimalakirti who demonstrates profound wisdom and challenges conventional notions of gender roles and spiritual attainment
  • Highlights the equality of lay and monastic practitioners in terms of their potential for enlightenment

Central teachings of Mahayana sutras

• Heart Sutra
  • Emptiness (sunyata): all phenomena lack inherent existence and are interdependent, arising from causes and conditions
  • Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form; the five aggregates (skandhas) are empty of independent existence
  • No suffering, origination, cessation, or path; no wisdom and no attainment, as all are ultimately empty
• Diamond Sutra
  • Non-attachment to views, concepts, and even the Dharma itself is essential for spiritual progress
  • The bodhisattva path involves generating bodhicitta (the aspiration for enlightenment) and practicing the six perfections (paramitas) of generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom
  • The illusion-like nature of all phenomena and the importance of non-abiding in any particular state or attainment
• Lotus Sutra
  • The One Vehicle (Ekayana) doctrine states that all beings have the potential for Buddhahood, and the various teachings are skillful means to guide them
  • Skillful means (upaya) refers to the diverse methods used by Buddhas and bodhisattvas to teach the Dharma according to the capacities and needs of different beings
  • The eternal nature of the Buddha and the concept of the Sambhogakaya (enjoyment body) as a manifestation of the Buddha's wisdom and compassion
• Vimalakirti Sutra
  • The equality of lay and monastic practitioners in terms of their spiritual attainment and potential for enlightenment
  • The non-duality of samsara and nirvana, emphasizing the importance of engaging in the world while maintaining wisdom and compassion
  • The use of unconventional and even shocking methods to convey the Dharma and challenge preconceived notions

Significance of Prajnaparamita literature

• Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) literature
  • Includes seminal sutras such as the Heart Sutra and Diamond Sutra that expound the concept of emptiness (sunyata) as the ultimate reality
  • Emphasizes the perfection of wisdom, which is the direct realization of emptiness and the non-dual nature of all phenomena
  • Challenges the notion of inherent existence and promotes non-attachment to views, concepts, and even the Dharma itself
• Influence on Mahayana philosophy
  • Serves as the philosophical foundation for the Madhyamaka school of thought, which further develops the doctrine of emptiness
  • Inspires the development of the bodhisattva ideal and the six perfections (paramitas) as the path to enlightenment
  • Contributes to the understanding of the Two Truths (conventional and ultimate) and their relationship in Mahayana thought
• Role in the evolution of Buddhist practice
  • Shifts the focus from individual liberation (arhantship) to the liberation of all beings, emphasizing compassion and the bodhisattva path
  • Encourages the cultivation of skillful means (upaya) to effectively guide beings according to their capacities and inclinations
  • Promotes the practice of meditation on emptiness as a means to attain the perfection of wisdom and realize the non-dual nature of reality

Mahayana vs early Buddhist teachings

• Similarities
  • Both emphasize the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path as the foundation of Buddhist practice and the means to end suffering
  • Both acknowledge the impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) nature of existence
  • Both stress the importance of ethical conduct (sila), meditation (samadhi), and wisdom (prajna) as the three essential aspects of the Buddhist path
• Differences
  • Mahayana sutras introduce the concept of emptiness (sunyata) as the ultimate reality, while early Buddhist texts focus on the doctrine of dependent origination (pratityasamutpada) to explain the nature of existence
  • Mahayana sutras emphasize the bodhisattva path and the aspiration to liberate all beings, while early Buddhist texts primarily focus on individual liberation and the attainment of arhantship
  • Mahayana sutras present the concept of the eternal Buddha and the Three Bodies (Trikaya), while early Buddhist texts view the Buddha as a historical figure who attained enlightenment and passed into parinirvana
  • Mahayana sutras introduce the idea of skillful means (upaya) and the use of various methods to guide beings, while early Buddhist texts emphasize a more direct approach to the Dharma based on the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path