Buddhism History And Society

Question 1

Pure Land Buddhism

Answer 1

Based on devotion to the Amida Buddha
Taking refuge in Amida and being fully devoted leads to rebirth in the Pure Land, from where it is possible to gain
enlightenment.

Question 2

Analysis of Pure Land Buddhism from a Buddhist angle

Answer 2

Pure Land has been accused of being some kind of ‘short cut’ or ‘easy’ form of Buddhism, as it does not rely on meditation and self discipline.
Devotion to Amida Buddha seems at odds with the teachings of the Shakyamuni
Buddha that people should not become attached to one being.

Question 3

Universal enlightenment

Answer 3

Belief that everyone can be reborn in the Pure Land
This fits in with the Mahayana belief that all share Buddhanature and therefore all are capable of enlightenment.

Question 4

Zen - Eisai

Answer 4

Brought Ch’an practices into the traditional Tendai Buddhism of Japan.
He introduced the Rinzai form of Zen which focuses on interpreting koans.

Question 5

Zen - Dogen

Answer 5

Brought further Ch’an practices to develop the Soto Zen methods.
Dogen gained enlightenment working with his Chinese master who could trace the line of teachers back to the Shakyamuni Buddha in a direct line of transmission.
Soto Zen focuses on Zazen, sitting meditation, which brought the art of contemplation back into Japanese Buddhism.

Question 6

Nichiren Buddhism

Answer 6

He was very critical of both the Pure Land and Zen schools of Buddhism and wanted to focus purely on the Lotus Sutra, which he saw as the essence of Buddhism.
He argued that Pure Land Buddhists had rejected the Shakyamuni Buddha in favour of worshipping the imaginary Amida, and Zen Buddhists only focused on the earthly aspects of the Buddha and not his heavenly aspects.
He also condemned Zen Buddhists for rejecting scripture which could bring the truth of the Buddha’s teaching.

Question 7

Honen

Answer 7

Popularised the practice of nembutsu and wrote teachings focused on sincere and simple faith in Amida as the only means to awakening, rejecting all other Buddhist practices as pointless.
The nembutsu encompasses all other practices

Question 8

Shinran

Answer 8

Disciple of Honen’s who followed him into exile. He founded Jodo Shin Shu (True Pure Land Buddhism) and taught that, if access to enlightenment comes through faith in Amida and his vow only, then there is no point in monastic life, celibacy, struggle and meditation. People should give up these pointless attempts at ‘self-power’ and should not try to gain knowledge of Buddhism.
Buddhists should not become monks or nuns, but should marry and have families. Shinran himself followed this as he dreamed that Avalokiteshvara told him to marry.

Question 9

Buddhist society of Britain

Answer 9

Allan Bennett returned from the Buddhist country where he was ordained as a monk to teach in the UK and formed the Buddhist Society of Britain
Christmas Humphreys, who, in the 1940s and 50s, developed the Buddhist Society along more Zen lines, focusing on meditation.
370 New Kadampa Tradition Centres
53 centres for the Triratna community

Question 10

Reasons for Buddhist diversity

Answer 10

Forms of heritage Buddhism in Britain are closely linked to Britain’s colonial heritage – e.g. Burma, Sri Lanka and India.
Wider patterns of economic migration have added to the numbers of heritage Buddhists in the UK.

Question 11

Convert Buddhism

Answer 11

Modern convert Buddhists are often looking for a more ‘western’ presentation of the religion which focuses more on mindfulness and psychological awareness and less on ritual and religiosity.

Question 12

The New Kadampa Tradition

Answer 12

Only follow the first 5 precepts plus 5 new ones: ‘I will practise contentment, reduce my desire for worldly pleasures, abandon engaging in meaningless activities, maintain commitments of refuge, and practice the three trainings of pure moral discipline, concentration and wisdom.’

Question 13

The Triratna Order

Answer 13

‘Seeks to identify the ‘essence’ of Buddhism and teach it in a Western context and manner’ (Harvey), leaving behind the cultural trappings of other forms of Buddhism
Practices focus on mindfulness meditation and metta-bhavana.

Question 14

Heritage Buddhists

Answer 14

Mainly immigrants and the children of immigrants from China, Japan,Vietnam, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka
They brought with them a range of Buddhist traditions often associated with the tradition of their place of origin

Question 15

Heritage Buddhist teens

Answer 15

Heritage Buddhist teenagers focused on practice such as keeping the 5 Precepts whereas convert Buddhists described Buddhism more in terms of what you believe and how you think: ‘it is your awareness that makes you Buddhist… It is a state of mind.’
Both groups hoped for world peace and heritage Buddhists also had hopes for the environment.

Question 16

Stephen Batchelor - Buddhism is atheistic

Answer 16

Batchelor argues that there’s little in Buddhist philosophy that suggests the existence of a personal God
He wants to say goodbye to ‘pie-in-the-sky transcendentalism’ (Nibbana).
“Buddhism, which teaches impermanence, contingency, dukkha (suffering) and unreliability, is itself also impermanent, selfless or inessential,”
He rejects the concepts rebirth and karma as traditionally taught
He treats it as ‘true’ only insofar as ‘it works’ and is useful
He sees Buddha’s four noble truths to be four challenges to our ordinary way of approaching life.

Question 17

Ninian Smart - 7 dimensions of religion

Answer 17

Doctrinal
Mythological
Ethical
Ritual
Experiential
Institutional
Material

Question 18

David Brazier

Answer 18

It has beliefs, rituals, altars, offerings etc
We cannot really say that Buddhism is scientific, science is Buddhistic
Buddhism can accommodate everything that science perceives, but science can only perceive a fraction of what Buddhism encompasses