What Are The Fundamental Mahayana Buddhist Teachings?
Category: Buddhist Path | Recent Meditation Posts
Mahayana Buddhism, meaning the Great Vehicle, is the most widely practiced school of Buddhism worldwide. Fundamental Mahayana Buddhist teachings include the principle of Buddha nature, that each of us has the seed of enlightenment within. We can awaken to our true nature in this very lifetime, by gathering merit along the bodhisattva path. Learn more about core Mahayana Buddhist beliefs, including the following topics:
- What is the core Mahayana philosophy?
- What are the most important Mahayana sutras?
- What is the bodhisattva path?
- What is the meaning of great compassion?
- What is emptiness in Buddhism?
- How are wisdom and compassion related?
- What is enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism?
Core Mahayana Philosophy
The core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism are rooted in the Pali Canon and the teachings on the four noble truths, as they are for all schools of Buddhism. However, Mahayana Buddhism differs from Theravada Buddhism in that it includes a vast body of teachings on cultivating bodhicitta along the bodhisattva path.
Core Mahayana philosophy introduces the concept of skillful means, that the Buddha taught differing lessons to different groups of people, according to their capacity for understanding. Those of the highest capacity received teachings on boundless compassion and a profound understanding of wisdom.
Fundamental Mahayana Sutras
The fundamental teachings of Mahayana Buddhism are based on Mahayana sutras, sacred spiritual texts. These sutras were originally recorded in Sanskrit and have since been translated into Chinese, Tibetan, and English among other languages. While some take issue with what seem to be contradictions within the Mahayana sutras, others point to this as evidence of the Buddha’s ability to teach with skillful means. As the wisdom of his followers deepened, so did the complexity of his teachings.
Mahayana sutras most widely referenced today include the Prajñāpāramitā Sutras, within which are the teachings on The Perfection of Wisdom. This includes teachings on the six perfections, the four extremes, and the true nature of self. The concept of emptiness at the core of these teachings is summarized within The Heart Sutra. Emptiness is not synonymous with nothing but describes a limitless potential. We might think of this potential as the seed of enlightenment we each have within.
The Bodhisattva Path
Perhaps the primary differentiator of Mahayana Buddhism is the bodhisattva ideal. Mahayana Buddhists believe the fastest path to enlightenment is that of the bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is one in whom bodhicitta has awakened. Bodhicitta is the desire to achieve enlightenment for the express purpose of freeing all living beings.
The bodhisattva ideal underlies all Mahayana teachings, including the highest teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism. Genuine, boundless compassion is imbued with an understanding of interdependence and is applied equally to every living being. When accompanied by the understanding of wisdom, bodhicitta blossoms into the ultimate experience of selfless love.
Teachings On Great Compassion
All Mahayana teachings are rooted in the belief that this supreme compassion is what makes possible the highest enlightenment. Right here and now, we are surrounded by Buddhas and bodhisattvas who are here to guide us on our journey to freedom. The moment our hearts awaken with aspirational bodhicitta, we become a child of the Buddhas, gaining their special attention.
These beings, who may take the form of our teachers, guide us to develop great compassion beginning with the 7-step practice of equalizing self and others. Other heart-based practices include tonglen meditation, the practice of sending and receiving, meditations on the four immeasurable qualities of a wise and open heart, and mantra practices such as chanting Om Mani Padme Hum.
The Mahayana Definition Of Emptiness
Mahayana Buddhism has a unique understanding of emptiness, known as sunyata in Sanskrit. For Mahayana Buddhists, all phenomena are empty of existing as independent and unchanging. That is to say, all conditioned things are empty of self-existence, including us. Things do exist, but they exist with the participation of our perception. How we see the world and everything in it, including ourselves, is dependent on our minds.
As we purify our minds, we begin to see the world as pure. All that clouds our wisdom dissolves and we realize that the Buddha nature at the core of our being is who we really are. The path to purifying the mind is paved with Buddhist teachings on ethics, meditation and the contemplation of wisdom.
Wisdom and Compassion
Our compassion is incomplete without an understanding of wisdom, and wisdom is incomplete without compassion. That the two have an inseparable relationship in which neither one comes first is a fundamental teaching of Mahayana Buddhism.
Acting compassionately purifies our karma and builds merit, making us evermore susceptible to uncovering deep wisdom. Wisdom opens both our eyes and our hearts. We see the truth of how things exist, that everything is interconnected. In practice, this means your happiness is deeply rooted in mine, and mine in yours. And so, ensuring another’s happiness by behaving ethically and compassionately is how the wise behave.
Enlightenment in Mahayana Buddhism
The Mahayana teachings on enlightenment differ from those of other schools of Buddhism. For Mahayana Buddhists, individual liberation is not enough, for none of us can truly be free until we all are. While this may seem an impossible task, the bodhisattva path makes clear that with practice, it can happen in this lifetime.
As we follow the heart’s longing to be of service to others, our practices along the bodhisattva path ripen into ultimate bodhicitta. The embodiment of great compassion partners with wisdom and emptiness making life as a Buddha possible.
