There are three criteria for the classification of Buddhism: (1) two or three times; (2) primitive Buddhism, sectarian Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism; and (3) Southern Buddhism Buddhism and northern Buddhism. In addition, there are obvious religions, esoteric religions, independent religions and other religions. However, the latter division is mainly advocated by Japanese Buddhism.
Japanese Buddhist master Kong Hai and others classified Zoroastrianism and esotericism. Because the true meaning of Buddhism is the secret of Buddha's self-testimony, which words can't express, this secret teaching method is called esotericism. Besides esoteric Buddhism, Buddhism that can be explained in words is Zoroastrianism.
The classification of self-reliance and heteronomy is the pure land Sect of Japanese pro-Luan and others. The teaching method of absolute conversion to Amitabha in order to live in pure land is heteronomy. In contrast, self-study is the holy door teaching method to successfully complete personality by relying on one's own hard work.
(a) the classification of secondary and tertiary.
Buddhism can be divided into two kinds, namely the second multiplication, and can also be divided into three kinds, namely the third multiplication.
{a} secondary
The so-called second multiplication refers to Hinayana and Mahayana, which can also be called voice-smell multiplication and bodhisattva multiplication. Among them, the Hinayana is heard and the Mahayana is taken by the Bodhisattva. Therefore, "Hinayana and Mahayana" or "Wensheng Mahayana and Bodhisattva Mahayana" have the same meaning. Ya^na means transportation here. Buddhism is a means of transportation to cross people from the infatuated shore (reality) to the enlightened shore (ideal), so it is used as a metaphor. Besides the Mahayana, Hinayana, Bodhisattva and Mahayana mentioned above, the usage of the second square can also be called the second square. This quadratic multiplication refers to audio-visual multiplication and edge-feeling multiplication (here refers to the first quadratic multiplication among the three multiplications).
(1) Hinayana Buddhism: Hinayana is also called the second Hinayana. It means small means of transportation, or inferior means of transportation. Because this teaching method is a self-interested teaching method with its own perfection and liberation as its ideal, it is called Hinayana. In addition, it is also called S/Ra Vakaya Na, because Hinayana Buddhism focuses on the teaching of Buddhism before enlightenment. The so-called listening and pointing disciple. Master disciples, led by the top ten disciples, are all called "sound news".
Buddhism before China and Japanese sects believed that Hinayana Buddhism not only refers to sectarianism, but also includes primitive Buddhism before sectarianism. In fact, "Hinayana" should only refer to formal sectarianism, and should not include primitive Buddhism and fundamental Buddhism in early Buddhism.
(2) Mahayana Buddhism: Mahayana (Mahayana) is transliterated as Mahayana, which refers to large vehicles or excellent vehicles. This is a conscious teaching method that not only seeks self-realization and liberation, but also helps others extensively. Unlike Mahayana Buddhism, it only seeks self-interest, but takes into account both self-interest and altruism. This teaching method is Mahayana Buddhism. Its ideal is to eventually become a Buddha who consciously realizes it, so Mahayana is also called Bodhisattva-Yana or Buddha-Ya na.
The differences between Hinayana and Mahayana are as follows:
{1} Taking Bodhisattva by Listening: Buddha is considered to have a fundamentally different personality from his disciples, that is, he has 18 different methods, 32 phases and 80 good qualities that Buddha disciples have never seen. This kind of "mutual kindness" was formed by gathering paramita and other good deeds during the long time when Sanzang only robbed but not robbed in the Bodhisattva era. In contrast, Buddhist disciples only heard the teachings of the Buddha and practiced according to them. You can't become a Buddha by this kind of practice alone, and you can only get the highest enlightenment at most-a Siraitia grosvenorii.
On the other hand, Mahayana Buddhism believes that all people have Buddha nature, so they can become bodhisattvas with bodhicitta. If you hold the bodhisattva's vows and consciousness and gradually accumulate six paramita and other good deeds, then anyone can become a Buddha, even if he can't become a Buddha in this life, he will certainly become a Buddha in the future. With such consciousness, such determination and such efforts, we must not hold the humble idea that we can't become a Buddha. You must have great self-confidence to make progress as a bodhisattva. This is the difference between Wen Wencheng and Bodhisattva.
{2} Karma Thought and Desire: According to the teaching method of hearsay, the ultimate goal of obtaining the highest enlightenment of Arhat is to get rid of the suffering of samsara and achieve an ideal nirvana world without suffering and stability. The highest state of this ideal world is called "Nirvana", which is a state of escaping from reincarnation only after physical death. This is a causal problem of karmic reincarnation, aiming at getting rid of the suffering of reincarnation and getting the joy of nirvana, and it is also a personal problem.
In contrast, Mahayana Bodhisattva's practice, from the very beginning when it initiated bodhicitta, has a vow to "treat him before he gets too much". Mahayana is different from Hinayana. Mahayana only hates the pain of life and death and hopes for eternal nirvana. Mahayana practitioners have no thoughts of bitterness and karma. Not only do they not escape suffering, but they are also committed to helping those who suffer, even if they go to the realm of evil interests and suffering, causing suffering. Therefore, there are no problems such as the reincarnation of bitterness and joy. All we have is the bodhisattva's willingness to help all beings. This attitude is independent and self-disciplined, and must be distinguished from the heteronomy attitude influenced by karma.
{3} Hinayana and Mahayana: The fundamental teaching method of audio-visual multiplication is the four truths and the eight right paths aiming at self-completion. If you can prove the four truths and eight principles, you can complete your personality and serve other beings at the same time. Arhat, who has heard the highest level of enlightenment, is not necessarily a selfish person, but may also be engaged in education and relief of the world. The word arahan can also be translated as "confession", which refers to a person who is qualified to accept the support and respect of others. Because arhat enlightened the world and gave it good benefits, he is certainly qualified to bear the respect and support of the world.
If it is only for the completion of self-personality, the teaching method of four truths and eight right paths is enough. However, Mahayana Buddhism is not satisfied with this. Therefore, the Bodhisattva's practice method is not eight rectifications, but six paramita as its unique practice method. Since the Eight Righteousnesses only contain moral goals of self-realization and are not sufficient in altruism, it is more appropriate to add social moral goals such as giving and humiliation to Mahayana practice.
Six paramita practices, giving first. Mahayana Buddhism believes that it is very necessary for all people in society to help each other and practice charity.
Moreover, the giving here is three rounds of empty giving, that is to say, the giver should be able to care nothing about the giver, the receiver and the giver. Don't expect the result of giving, but treat giving as a sincere act of compassion from the "empty self". Such giving is supreme. This attitude is not limited to our use. For warning, humiliation, wisdom, etc. They are all based on "emptiness" and the most superior virtue. That's why it is called paramita. In other words, Mahayana's teaching method is that all daily behaviors of living at home can be consistent with the first righteous teaching method of Buddhism, and the place where you live is also the Dojo of practice.
{b} three times
The so-called triple multiplication refers to the sound-listening multiplication, the edge-feeling multiplication and the Buddha multiplication. This is a subdivision of the above two parties (Hinayana and Mahayana). Theravada is divided into two parts: listening and feeling, and Mahayana is a Buddha ride. Among them, "Hinayana" and "Mahayana" have been explained before, so I won't repeat them here.
Pratyekabuddha-ya^na is also known as Buddha and Bodhisattva. Pratyekabuddha (pacceka- buddha) is transliterated as Buddha, which means being alone. Marginal awareness is different from the voice of "enlightened by listening to others' teaching" He didn't follow other people's teaching methods, but he was enlightened by observing the source. Moreover, unlike the Buddha who helps others, he only lives in seclusion in the mountains for the purpose of his own enlightenment, divorced from the secular world, and is a benevolent person who does not help others.
From ancient times to the present, the teaching method of listening is four truths and eight right paths, the teaching method of Jue Yuan is twelve origins, and the Mahayana teaching method of Buddha and Bodhisattva is six paramita. But this is from the standpoint of Mahayana. Just a general arrangement. In the history of Buddhism, karma actually does not exist. The so-called edge perception itself has no unique teaching method. So there should be no difference between the three-way teaching method mentioned above. Four truths, eight right paths, twelve origins and six paramita are the basic teachings of Buddhism.
(2) The classification of primitive Buddhism, sectarian Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.
According to the development times of Buddhist teachings, it can be divided into primitive Buddhism, ministerial Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. This is mainly an investigation of Indian native Buddhism.
original buddhism
[Primitive Buddhism] This refers to the early Buddhism from the time when the Buddha was alive to about one hundred years after the death of Buddhism. The Buddhist order in this period was not divided and distributed, and everything was as harmonious as the original form.
This early Buddhism can be divided into two types, the first half is fundamental Buddhism, and the second half is primitive Buddhism in a narrow sense. Fundamental Buddhism is the purest and most fundamental method of Buddhism, which refers to the Buddhism from the time when Buddhism was alive to the time when Buddhism disappeared for about 30 years.
Buddhist Sect
More than a hundred years after the demise of Buddhism, there have been different views on the interpretation of precepts and doctrines in the Buddhist community, and the opinions between conservatives and reformists have gradually become antagonistic. The reformist is called Maha Sangjika; Conservatives call it Therava^da^ and keep the traditional form. According to legend, this initial split of opposites occurred about 100 years after the extinction of the Buddha. After the initial split, some contradictory opinions appeared within the cult. Coupled with the gradual spread and development of Buddhism in various parts of India, the links and relations between cults in various places were interrupted, and cults in various places gradually became independent, so the fundamental two schools (namely, the vulgar department and the sitting department) gradually split. Two or three hundred years later, the so-called eighteen or twenty factions were finally established. Just like this, these divided Buddhist sects are called Buddhist sects.
The so-called sectarian Buddhist era refers to the period from the primitive Buddhist era to the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, that is, two or three hundred years from the third century BC. But after A.D., Mahayana Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism coexisted in all parts of India. According to Xuanzang, around the 7th century, there were more temples and monks in Hinayana Buddhism in India than in Mahayana Buddhism.
Mahayana
Due to the normalization and learning of Buddhism, the original religious activities of Buddhism have slackened. Mahayana Buddhism is a movement to restore the true nature of Buddhism, which rose around the first century BC. If the Buddha speaks in this era, he will certainly say, like them, that this is true Buddhism, and what he says here can give full play to the true spirit of the Buddha more than the Buddhist scriptures handed down from generation to generation. Objectively speaking, the belief they established can be said to be appropriate.
(3) Southern Buddhism and Northern Buddhism.
Buddhism can be divided into Southern Buddhism and northern Buddhism by region. However, this classification and naming is an expedient and convenient measure. Mainly: Buddhism south of Indian mainland, called Southern Buddhism or Southern Buddhism. Those who go to the north are northern Buddhism or northern Buddhism. Or from the present geographical position, Southern Buddhism is in the south relative to Buddhism spread to the north, so it is called Southern Buddhism. However, it belongs to northern Buddhism and is also located in ancient South China Sea areas such as Java and Sumatra. Therefore, it is not entirely appropriate to call North and South Buddhism from the standpoint of popular areas.
{a} Southern Buddhism
This refers to Buddhism, also known as Southern Buddhism, which was once popular in Ceylon, Myanmar, Thailand, Khmer, Laos and other southern regions. This is a school of Hinayana Buddhism, which can also be called Therava^da Buddhism or Pa^li Buddhism. The reason why it is called Pali Buddhism is that the Three Tibetan Scriptures of this kind of Buddhism are spread in Pali in ancient India.
This kind of Buddhism spread to Ceylon in the period of Asoka in the third century BC. At that time, King Ashoka ruled India, believed in Buddhism and spread Buddhism not only to all parts of India, but also to the whole world. Ebali Buddhism, the Buddhist order at that time sent missionaries to nine places inside and outside India, and the Buddhist missionaries in Ceylon were one of them. It was Prince Ashoka who introduced Buddhism to Ceylon, and it was Mahinda, an elder who later became a monk, who introduced Buddhism to the throne.
[Ceylon Buddhism] Among the nine places where Buddhism spread, the later generations flourished in Kashmir, Gandhara and other places in northwest India (now West Pakistan) and all the spread in the upper part of Ceylon Island. Buddhism in Ceylon was later converted and protected by kings of past dynasties, and developed greatly, becoming the national religion of the country, which still exists today. In this long historical period, Bali Buddhism has also experienced its ups and downs. Other sects and Mahayana Buddhism invaded Ceylon in succession, occupying a dominant position. The local area has also been attacked and oppressed by the Tamil Hindus in India and has been occupied. In modern times, Christians such as Portuguese, Dutch and British also invaded one after another. Ceylon Buddhism has been oppressed by these people for more than 400 years, and the Buddhist order has been extinct and has experienced various hardships. However, down-to-earth attendance often maintains a pure tradition and converts people to faith with strict precepts. This is still the case today. Among the only remaining Buddhists today, Bali Buddhism is the purest one in terms of cults and their scriptures. Pali scriptures are well preserved, and even a part of them is incomplete. This is not found in other Buddhism.
Buddhism in Ceylon spread to Myanmar from around the tenth century, and gradually spread to Thailand, Khmer and Laos after the thirteenth century. In Myanmar and Thailand, it also gained the status of the state religion until today.
(B) Northern Buddhism
Compared with the spread of Buddhism to the south, Buddhism was introduced to China from northwest India through Central Asia. Or Buddhism was introduced into China through the southern sea route; From China to the Korean Peninsula and Japanese Buddhism and Vietnamese Buddhism; Buddhism spread directly from India to Tibet; These Buddhists are called Northern Buddhism or Northern Buddhism.
The Buddhist scriptures translated by these Buddhists belong to Mahayana, although there are scriptures of various schools of Hinayana. In particular, what Buddhism actually believes in is Mahayana Buddhism. Therefore, it can be said that Buddhism spread to the north is Mahayana Buddhism. In addition, most of these Buddhist scriptures are Sanskrit (Buddhist Sanskrit), so they can also be called Sanskrit Buddhism.
Buddhism in China was introduced to China in the first century. Since the second century, the translation of classics has lasted for more than a thousand years, and the number of Chinese-translated classics is huge. In terms of quality and quantity, the Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures is the best among all existing Buddhist scriptures. Pali scripture is an ancient and pure document, and the scope of Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures is very wide, including far-reaching teaching methods.
The Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures is said to have been translated in the Eastern Han Dynasty in the first century. The oldest extant Chinese Buddhist scriptures were translated by An Shigao and Zhilou Gao Jia in the second half of the 2nd century. After the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, the monks who came to China from India and the Western Regions (Central Asia) and the Buddhist monks in China continued to translate. Records of Kaiyuan Buddhism in Tang Dynasty? The Record of Tibet contains 1076 books, which was regarded as "all classics" by people at that time. This figure is the number of Buddhist books in the middle Tang Dynasty. Today, there are more than 1700 Buddhist classics translated into Chinese, which is more than 1.5 times that of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, the Chinese translation of Buddhist scriptures is the most important material for Buddhist studies.
Tibetan Buddhism was introduced directly from India around the 7th century, and its classic translation continued until13rd century. The number of Buddhist scriptures translated in Tibet is second only to that translated into Chinese, including the Mahayana theory in the middle and late period which is not seen in China's Buddhist scriptures. It is an indispensable and important material for studying Indian Buddhism in this era.
According to Dege edition, there are 4,569 Buddhist books in Tibetan scriptures, while there are 4,653 in Beijing edition. In terms of the number of Buddhist scriptures, it is more than three times that of China. Because there are too many short stories, the substantive length is still not as good as the Chinese translation. In addition, the Tibetan translation also contains Buddhist books translated from the Chinese version.
Buddhism in Nepal: Other Nepal, such as the mountainside of the Himalayas, also accepted Mahayana Buddhism directly from India. Especially in 12 and 3 centuries, because India was persecuted by Islam, Buddhists fled to the Himalayas to take refuge, so many Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures were left in Nepal. This was discovered by westerners from19th century. Westerners and Japanese have collected and studied these classics, and they have never failed so far.
Buddhism in the South China Sea: In addition to the above, Buddhism in the northern system is also spreading in the so-called South China Sea and Indonesia. Malaysia, Sumatra, Java and other places, before the Muslim invasion, Mahayana Buddhism was introduced directly from India from the third century to the fourteenth century. Around 700 AD, the death of the Three Buddhas (S/RI Vijaya) in Sumatra once became the center of Buddhist research.