Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND 1

Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan Buddhism and

Christianity, Islam, Wicca, Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana Buddhism, and
Tibetan Buddhism Comparisons and Contrasts
Ian S. Banwell
Grand Canyon niversity
!ovember "#, "$$%
Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND 2
Theravada Buddhism !n"inues #!r individua$s #!$$!%ing i"s "ene"s "! in$ude
!ne Buddha
$eading a #ai"h main$& #!rmed in !rder "! re$ieve "he gras'ing and "hirs"ing,
ass!ia"ed %i"h su##ering s!
ver& muh re$a"ed "! "he a"i!ns "ha" in$ude ign!rane and "he &$e "ermed
samsara !# (ir"h, dea"h
and Re(ir"h) There is ass!ia"ed ev!$vemen" !r res!$u"i!n !# "his hain (& %a& !#
"he Eigh"#!$d *a"h "! a
Nirvana m!s"$& dev!id !# an& rea$ gras' #!r 'h&sia$ !r'!ra$i"& !r ha''iness "!
essen"ia$$& a righ" midd$e
'a"h !# $iving %i"h!u" man& !# "hese a#!remen"i!ned undesira($e a"i!ns) B!"h
Ma&hana and Ti(e"an
Buddhism di##ers mar+ed$& in man& !"her res'e"s, h!%ever)
Ma&hana Buddhism h!$ds "ha" "he Buddha !u$d re'resen" an&!ne, even "! "he
e-"en" "ha" "here
are #erven" (e$ievers in B!dhisa""vas, %h! assis" !"her humans %i"h 'ressing
di##iu$"ies %hi$e $iving !u"
$ives .ui"e rem!ved #r!m "he mundane and s!me %h! are in "he a#"er$i#e !r !n
Ear"h)
This a$$!%ed "he s'read !# Ma&hana Buddhism in"! /hina and $ed "! Ma&hana
re'resen"ing
'ar" !# Buddhism, !n"inuing in"! 0!rea and i" is 'ra"ied in "hree in"eres"ing
%a&s as %e$$) This
in$udes "he #!ur se"s, 11 "he *ure 2and Se" "ha" (e$ieves "here are man& Buddhas
%hih !n"r!$
di##eren" Buddha $ands in Heaven, in$uding "he ever m!re e-'anding Ami"a(ha)
The *ure 2and Se"
(e$ieves dee'$& "ha" m!n+s an marr&, s'reading a message "! "he 'e!'$e "ha" "he&
migh" a""end
servies and have !ngrega"i!ns "! "he m!n+s %i"h #ai"h in "he a#!remen"i!ned
Ami"a(ha #!r h!'e "!
$ive in 'aradise, !r a 'ure $and ver& di##eren" indeed "han "he !ne'" in Theravada
"radi"i!na$ "&'e
Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND 3
Buddha %here "here is n! e"erna$ '$anned #!r s!u$ "ha" raises "! an!"her $!a"i!n, 21
"he In"ui"ive Se"s
in$uding "he ae'"ane "ha" rea$ "ru"h is a measure !# #$ashes !# rea$i4a"i!n !r
s!me insigh" s!ugh" !u"
!rigina$$& (& "he Buddha %h!, a#"er s"ud&ing %i"h a gr!u' !# Brahmin gurus, #!und
muh m!re
suess e$se%here in medi"a"i!n "!%ards his m!s" insigh"#u$ ree'"i!n !# s'eia$
+n!%$edge he is +n!%n
"! have '!ssessed am!ng !"her Buddhis"s %h! are "he !"her medi"a"ing mem(ers
!# "his as'e" !#
Buddhis" #ai"h in "he divine 'ursui" , 31 "he s"udi!us Ra"i!na$is" Se" %h! main"ains
"ha" in addi"i!n "!
Medi"a"i!n, s"ud& in "he Buddha, sri'"ure and ra"i!na$ "h!ugh" !r dis!urse
seeming$& !##ers m!re
"han sim'$& dev!u" medi"a"i!n !r, #ina$$& 51 "he in#$uen"ia$ S!i!'!$i"ia$ Se" $ed (&
s"ud& in 2!"us Su'ra,
$a"er "rans#!rmed "hr!ugh en$igh"enmen" su(se.uen"$& in"! "heir $eader deemed
Nihiren %here s!me
"%! mi$$i!n #!$$!%ers arise #r!m "he re$igi!n i"se$# S!+a 6!++ai)
The main di##erene "hen (e"%een "he Theravadas and Ma&hana Buddhis" are $is"ed
(e$!% in a $arger
gra'hi in$uded here (e$!% as a !$!r#u$, +e&ed har", "!!)
The di##erenes in Ti(e"an Buddhism are s"ri+ing, as %e$$, in "ha" ra"her "han
see+ing !u" "he
E-a"ing Buddhism 'ra"ied (& "he Theravada Buddhis"s, !r "he in"ui"ive, s"udi!us,
*ure 2and
Adv!a"es !# a""aining 'aradise !r re#!rmis" S!i!'!$i"ia$ Ma&hana Buddhis" se"s,
"he Ti(e"an m!n+s
%ere !rigina$$& !nerned %i"h rean"a"i!ns !# sared %!rds "! %i$$ a%a& evi$
dem!ns #r!m "heir
r!ugher "errain in "he ear$& 'eri!ds) In addi"i!n, "he& (e$ieve "ha" "he (es" use !#
Buddhism as "he&
Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND 5
'ra"ie i" "!da& an he$' %i"h rea$ %!r$d issues suh as (ir"hs unenum(ered !# evi$
s'iri"s !r
En$igh"enmen" in #!$$!%ing &e" an!"her, ne%er Buddha, "heir ever m!re
!m'assi!na"e $eader in #ai"h
B!dhisa""va Av!$a+i"eshvara, %h! rem!ves his arden" su''!r"ers #r!m "he vi!$en"
%!r$d, i"se$#)
7hi$e "he "hree 'ar"s !# m!s" !# "he %!r$d8s Buddhis"s are di##eren", and "he&
migh" share
simi$ar as'e"s !# "he #ai"h, muh !# "he remaining em'hasis is '$aed !n individua$,
im'!r"an" di##enes
am!ng "he "hree as "he& 'ra"ie "heir #!rm !# a ne% !r (righ"er en$igh"enmen"
"hr!ugh /hina and
even in "he disru'"ive $and !# M!ng!$ia) The sene !# "he reen" dis'u"es (e"%een
%ha" "he
/hinese $eadershi' in "he a'i"a$ Begin !#"en sees as dissen" %!r"h& !# ra+ing
d!%n u'!n, reen"$&,
M!ng!$ia and i"s Ti(e"an m!n+s $ed (& "he e-i$ed Da$ia 2$ama re'resen" !n$& !ne
e-am'$e !# "he
di##erenes, diversi"& and vas" re$igi!us $andsa'e !# Buddhism ar!und "he %!r$d)
Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND 9
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Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND :
Re#erenes
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Running Head: THERAVADA, MAYAHANA, TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND @