Understanding Tibetan Buddhism (Part 2) Second dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism The second dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism was brought about by Yeshe O, who was the king in the western part of Tibet. The lineage of lay Vajrayana practitioners still survived after the dark age of Tibetan Buddhism, though the monastic […]
Buddhist Sects
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Understanding Pure Land Sect (Part 2) Focus on one Pure Land Referring to the Three Sutras and One Shastra in Pure Land sect, it is noted that they introduce the life history and the character of Amitabha Buddha, the development of Sukhavati under the 48 vows of Amitabha Buddha, the […]
Understanding Tien Tai Sect (Part 2) Classification of Teaching The Tien-tai sect classifies the Buddha’s teaching in Five Periods and Eight Teachings [五時八教]. The Eight Teachings are subdivided into two groups, one is the Fourfold Doctrines of Conversion [化法四教] and the other is the Fourfold Methods of Conversion [化儀四教]. An […]
Understanding Chan Buddhism (Part 1) Ch’an [禪] is a Chinese word translated from the pronunciation of a Sanskrit word ‘Dhyana’ [禪那] in abbreviation. The word ‘Dhyana’ is usually not translated, but rendered as ‘meditation’, which this sect emphasizes. Dhyana is the outcome of meditation. However, Dhyana is much more extensive […]
Understanding Tibetan Buddhism (Part 1) Bon religion in Tibet Tibetan Buddhism is considered one of the last great religions still alive in the world today. Tibetan Buddhism is not restricted to Tibet, though this tradition is named after it. It has had great influence to central and northern Asian countries, […]
Understanding Pure Land Sect (Part 1) Pure Land is generally referred to as the Buddhaland. In Sanskrit, it is called Parisodhana-ksetra, which means the field that purifies. Each Buddha has his own Buddhaland. For instance, the Buddha of our world, known as Saha World, is Shakyamuni, while the Buddha of […]
Understanding Tien Tai Sect (Part 1) Tien-tai is actually the name of a mountain in Chekiang Province in China. As one of the most prominent patriarchs, Chih-i [智顗] lived and taught his followers in Mount Tien-tai during the Ch’en and Sui Dynasties, the sect is named after the mountain. The other name […]
