A Scholarly Analysis Of Mahayana Buddhism

Scholarly Analysis 2 Generally, Buddhism is categorized as a religion that rejects human desires and indulgences like consuming meat and alcohol. This can also is seen in the Monk Vows and the 8 Fold Path, which demands celibacy of monks, right action and speech, and vegetarianism. Additionally, several Buddhist schools encourage detachment from lay activities, for example family life, because lay activities distract one from the goal of reaching enlightenment. These moral codes arose from the belief in a gradual process to Enlightenment that can take many lifetimes. Specifically in Mahayana Buddhism, Buddhist believes that Enlightenment occurs through the gradual awareness of emptiness and the Bodhisattva ideal over many lifetimes. Yet

In contrast, Vajrayāna encourages the opposite. Vajrayāna Buddhism teaches that Enlightenment can be achieved amidst all lay activities for example, during work, family life, human desires, or even shopping in the market. In Passionate enlightenment: women in Tantric Buddhism Miranda Shaw states; “this renewed social inclusiveness and incorporation of an eclectic array of religious practices reshaped Buddhism into a tradition once again worthy of the loyalty of people from all sectors of Indian society” (Shaw, 21). The movement even embraced social outcast like thieves and unskilled laborers. While this inclusiveness is similar to the Mahayana movement, the Vajrayāna movement included a radical stance on the path to

Miranda Shaw states, “these may include situations meant to shock, repulse, or terrify in order to evoke a powerful reaction and draw forth the primal contents of the psyche. Every corner of the mind and heart will be illuminated, and all the shadows and dark recesses will be exposed” (Shaw, 24). Although indulging in desires seems simple, to achieve enlightenment one must understand the core values of Vajrayāna Buddhism: compassion and especially the concept of emptiness. Author Miranda Shaw also states, “the Tantric goal is to maintain a clear realization of emptiness in the midst of passion, for this makes it possible to turn passion into supreme bliss” (Shaw, 24). As mentioned earlier emptiness is awareness of the impermanence of ones life and activities. Therefore, nothing is permanent including desires and if desires are face with awareness of the emptiness of them then one will be enlightened. Overall, the goal of confronting desires is to bring clarity to experiences that are generally considered taboo in Buddhism through the realization of the emptiness and impermanence of all