Abstract
The paper relates that the emphasis of Mahayana Buddhism is achieving clarity through meditation as a way of improving one's life to reach Nirvana. The paper discusses the concept of Nirvana that is a state of pure consciousness that transcends this world and all of its worries and leads to enlightenment. The paper describes how following the Eightfold Path with the practice of meditation leads to Nirvana and also addresses the concept of the bodhisattva, when an individual has attained Nirvana and is compelled to help others do the same

From the Paper
"Mahayana developed from a growing desire to stress the "infinite compassion of Buddha's willingness to share his insights" (Monk 28). One of the most significant aspects of this branch of Buddhism focuses primarily on Buddha's desire to help others achieve Nirvana. The Buddha takes on a more savior-like role in this aspect, for he is pointing others toward enlightenment. Nirvana seems complicated when approached from a distance but when it is broken down to a simple definition, it is simply a state that is without desire, which leads to enlightenment.
"Nirvana is reached through meditation, which is a popular tenet in most Buddhist practices. The practice of meditation is essential to reaching nirvana and is therefore considered mandatory. Nirvana might be one of the most universally recognized aspects of Zen Buddhism. According to John P. Keenan, a specialist in Yogacara Buddhism and Professor Emeritus of Religion at Middlebury College, Nirvana is something to which Buddhists strive and it is considered the "final cessation" (Keenan 141) of the search for "salvation" because it represents the Buddhist is "empty of any core essence and thus identified with transmigration" (141). Paul Williams, who lectures on Indo-Tibetan Studies at the University of Bristol, claims that Nirvana is the "calming of all representations, the calming of all differentiations, peace" (Williams 75). He agrees with Keenan in that it is also a cessation of the "realm of verbal utterance and the (dualistic) mind" (75). Nirvana, then is a state of pure consciousness that transcends this world and all of its worries."

Tags:enlightenment, salvation, Eightfold, Path, meditation

Abstract
This paper discusses the Bodhisattva, the highest and most noble path one can take during the cycle of death and rebirth, in the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. The paper also explores the relationship between the Mahayana Bodhisattva and various other Buddhist concepts and philosophies. Other streams of Buddhism are described, compared and contrasted to the Mahayana outlook. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ultimate spiritual goals of the Mahayana Buddhist.

From the Paper
"The Dharma is the best place to start in this discussion. Dharma, translated as "teaching," "doctrine," or "law" is one of the "three jewels" of Buddhist canon and is the "place of refuge from the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death" that the Buddha taught to the world (Lopez 103). Dharma can mean many different things to Buddhists: To some, it is the spoken words and teachings of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha; to others, it is the collection of sutras and texts that have arisen in the many Buddhist traditions; and still to others it means the ultimate truth. Describing dharma is no easy task, but in relation to the bodhisattva in the Mahayana tradition, it has a more specific meaning."

Tags:the Buddha, bodhicitta, nirvana, samsara

Abstract
Buddhism is a major world religion which was founded in northeastern India and is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama - more commonly known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One. The worldwide followers of Buddhism number between 150 to 300 million, most of who belong to the two major branches of Buddhism--the Theravada (the "Way of the Elders") and Mahayana (the "Great Vehicle") Buddhism. This paper briefly traces the origins of the two branches of Buddhism, compares and contrasts the major theological differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism and explains how these differences are manifested in practice.

Paper Outline
Abstract
Theravada Buddhism: Origins and Basic Doctrine
Mahayana Buddhism: Origins and Basic Doctrine
The Main Differences: Theory and Practice
Conclusion
Works Cited

From the Paper
"Theravada monks have also been criticized by followers of Mahayana for being selfishly concerned only with their own salvation and for indifference to the lay community. According to the Mahayana doctrine, the bodhisattvas, out of a sense of compassion, delay their final passage to the transcendent state of nirvana in order to labor on behalf of others and help them in attaining salvation. They are, therefore, considered superior to the Theravadin arhat, who is mainly concerned with his own salvation but cannot help others in achieving salvation."

Tags:arhat, nirvana, Hinayana

Abstract
This paper reviews the precepts and philosophies put forward by those interpreting Theravada Buddhism and discusses why it has become the popular form of Buddhism practiced by Westerners. It then compares Theravada Buddhism with Zen and Mahayana Buddhism (and Shin Buddhism, a form of Mahayana), discussing how they relate differently to the precepts of Buddhism.

From the Paper
"And in fact, monks in America in Theravadan communities now do shake hands with women, and there is innovation and change on the way, Numrich writes. And in some cases, monks are married and living normal lives, because as Numrich points out on page 151, monasticism "is irrelevant to the practice of Buddhism" in America.
"The fact of normal family life for monks is certainly a good reason for Americans practicing Buddhism to heartily relate to the faith, in particular, given the widespread sexual molestation scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church in America over the past few years. If celibacy appears to create carnal desires that result in little boys being sexually abused by clerics, then certainly a more normal life for monks would seem to be advisable, as Theravada Buddhism takes hold in the West."

Tags:religion, fundamental, Westerner

Abstract
This paper explains that the early Mahayana Buddhist sutras showed the close intermingling of lay and monastic lives guided by the Mahayana scripture, which later matured into the patriarchal Chan lineage of the 8th century. The author relates that the Mahayana concepts influenced the roles of monks as renunciants and advocates of the Bodhisattva path: the idea of emptiness and salvation as a means of encouraging withdrawal from the household life and embracing the way of the renunciant. The paper points out that the scriptural translators were incorporating beliefs in filial piety coming from India with the indigenous beliefs of China.

From the Paper
"The emphasis on renunciate life lay in its virtue as a means of overcoming attachment and the importance of emphasizing Mahayana doctrine. Historically this emerges from the early debates between the Hinayana and Mahayana practitioners and it is reflected in the organization of the texts. The Ugra Sutra begins as a text extolling the virtues of the Bodhisattva path and renunciate life and then moves into more philosophical statements in which we find some early references to the actions of Bodhisattvas, Independent Origination and the ideas of the hells and references to karma. This suggests that sutras were compiled with diverse authors, and use of different translations, but the organization retained in the versions entering the cannon indicates recognition of a relationship between the two concepts. The prevailing idea is that as a renunciant the monk will be able to devote himself to contemplation of doctrines essential to the Bodhisattva path."

Tags:chan, renunciant, monks, filial, ugra

Abstract
This paper relates the history of Zen Buddhism, explaining that it originated in China and later spread throughout much of Vietnam, Korea and Indo-China. The author points out that Zen Buddhism demands a great deal of the follower but its gift is a pure simplicity that brings the transformation of the person and all awareness. The paper relates that many North Americans, including Heidegger, Erich Fromm, and Aldous Huxley, value the 'in the moment' focus of Zen Buddhism as a solution to fast-paced societies that cause many people to feel overwhelmed by stress. The paper relates that the aesthetics of Zen appeal to Westerners as seen in sand or stone 'Japanese' gardens that reflect the influence of Zen Buddhism.

Table of Content:
Introduction
The Buddha's Emissaries
Zen's Appeal and its Spread
Zen's Appeal to Non-Asian Persons
Concluding Discussion

From the Paper
"Those leaving India for East Asia in the 6th century AD believed they carried a simple but very powerful message. The smile of the Buddha was a symbol that had spread through India by those known as the 28 Patriarchs, the symbol brought to China by Bodhidharma and later taken on to Japan. Part of the appeal of Zen Buddhism perhaps was its accessibility in societies where only the elite, indeed, only the philosophical or priestly classes, were literate. Zen's emphasis on personal consciousness, as aided by a learned teacher, appealed to people who were given simple - but extremely difficult meditative exercises to master."

Tags:koan, transformation, emotions, control, simplicity

Abstract
This essay considers Theravada Buddhism, first from the doctrinal point of view, then in its communal context. It examines how Theravada Buddhism departs from the Mahayana school, in its emphasis on personal salvation as opposed to communal values revered in Mahayana Buddhism. It also describes the claim of Theravada Buddhism to preserve the original teachings of the Buddha, and examines how far this is true in relation to the more widespread Mahayana faith. The essential teachings of the Buddha are presented in a critical way, including the concepts of nirvana, non-being,The Four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold Path. The second part of the essay considers the communal reality of Theravada Buddhism, focusing on the situation in Sri Lanka. Pointing out that doctrine is strictly limited to the monasteries and the initiate, it shows to what degree popular faith departs from doctrine, and considers the historical background to this phenomenon. Therefore, with regard to social and religious customs, it shows that conservatism is routinely flouted and there is a strong accumulation of communal tradition. The significance of group karma is also examined in relation to the original teachings of the Buddha.

From the Paper
"The Buddha preached the message of personal salvation as opposed to the allegiance to communal religion. However Buddhism quickly acquired the trappings of communal religion after the death of the master. The most affected is the Mahayana branch of Buddhism, which is the most widespread today, and which has adherents in China, Japan, Korea and the rest of the Far East. The Mahayana Scriptures are entirely post-canonical, and it was only circa 500 AD that they began to wield any sort of influence. It began as a radical departure from traditional teachings, and it was argued that the Buddha's original teaching had been corrupted. The derided tradition was preserved in Sri Lanka, and from here it eventually spread to Burma, Thailand and most of South-East Asia. This form has come to be known as Theravada Buddhism. In the West the Theravadin teachings are argued to be closest to the original message of the Buddha, and for the same reason it is this form of Buddhism that has found a berth here.
"In Theravada Buddhism the stress is on understanding and insight, and therefore doctrine acquires a distinctively philosophical character."

Tags:Mahayana, hinayana, sangha, tripitaka, middle way, nihilism, Thailand

Abstract
This paper examines how Shinshu Buddhism stems from Mahayana Buddhism and is one of the Pure Land Buddhist schools called also True Pure Land Buddhism. The paper then looks at how Shinshu is characterized by the total negation of monasticism, making it the religion of the ordinary man. It also discusses how Shinshu Buddhism bears many similarities to other Buddhist schools particularly those of the Pure Land and how there are significant important differences in the practices and moral values between Shinshu and others.

From the Paper
"The Shinshu Buddhism practice is focused on chanting practice termed nembutsu, which "literally means to think on or be mindful of (nen) the Buddha (Butsu)" (Ueda and Hirota, 127). It simply consists of chanting the phrase "I take the refuge in Amitabha Buddha". This chanting presents gratitude to Amitabha and his Eighteenth Vow and as such some do not consider it a practice at all but plain affirmation of gratitude and trust in this Vow. The vow ensures that those who sincerely commend to the Vow and desire to be born in Pure Land and who perform even ten nen (or nembutsu) will secure the birth in the Pure Land for themselves. This was enough to gain the support of the Other Power."

Tags:Pure, Land, Mahayana, Amitabha

Abstract
There are two primary parts to this brief discussion of Mahayana Buddhism. In Part I., the basic features of Indian Buddhism will be presented and addressed. In Part II the concept of the "One who is enlightened" is seen in the beliefs of the Mahayan as they are shown in relation to Hinduism. The comparison with Hinduism is limited to one area because Hinduism is a diverse set of beliefs which can not be all covered in such a short space.

Tags:mahayan, buddhism

Abstract
The paper discusses the religion of Buddhism, its sources, beliefs and also compares it to Christianity. The paper examines the question of why Theravada Buddhism - more than Zen and Mahayana Buddhism - seems to have found a place among those Westerners who have taken an interest in Buddhism. This paper also reviews the precepts and philosophies put forward by those interpreting Theravada Buddhism. IN addition, the paper compares Theravada with Zen and Mahayana Buddhism (and Shin Buddhism, a form of Mahayana).

From the Paper
"As to why Theravada has become an attractive way of practicing Buddhism in the U.S. Donald Rothberg, writing in The Faces of Buddhism in America (Rothberg 268) explains that Theravada has evolved from its traditional and more conservative form in Asia and now is thought of as "socially engaged Buddhism." That means, it responds to and addresses "social action," and is more germane to the average person's "everyday life." Rothberg asserts that the "1st Precept" of traditionally practiced Theravada is against killing; it implies that one person of Theravadan Buddhist faith should not kill another. But the "socially engaged Buddhism" practiced through Theravada in the West takes it into a broader scope, from individual responsibility to a sense of national social responsibility; in other words, socially engaged Theravadan Buddhism gets into politics, and takes a moral stand about government behaviors. "

Tags:harming, killing, modern, technologies, Theravadan, Buddhist, faith