Buddhism The Hinayana Sect - 1074 Words

Centuries after the death of Buddha, followers of his teachings multiplied as his influential ideas spread throughout the region. But discontent amongst the followers began to accumulate as Buddha’s vague teachings were constantly interpreted and re-interpreted, leading to many discrepancies. These discrepancies lead to different ideologies and the division of the religious order into various sects. The two main sects became the known as the Mahayana school and the Hinayana school but despite the artificial differences resulting from the division of the Mahayana sect from the earlier Buddhist teachings (Hinayana), the essence of their beliefs is two of the same. The Hinayana Sect, meaning the ‘lesser vehicle’ was termed by the rival†¦show more content†¦The idea of non-dualism raises the question of why is the pursuit of enlightenment necessary when nothing exists. This question is clarified in the text, â€Å"The doctrine of nondualism is not intended to be an objective description of the true nature of reality, but rather a recommendation as to how to best view reality in order to advance one’s religious aims, a tool to assist one in realizing the Middle Way.† (Page 12) Although the Mahayana school emphasizes the idea of nondualism, it is not a new way of thinking and can be found in various other teachings of older Buddhism sources. The Buddha, in much of his teachings described the concept of nondualism. Stated in the text, â€Å"The Buddha had taught that all things in the phenomenal world are conditioned in nature, brought into being and governed by causes and conditions. They are thus in a state of constant flux and are destine to change and pass away. They may therefore be designated as â€Å"empty† or â€Å"void† because they lack any inherent characteristics by which they can be described, changing as they do from instant to instant. At best they can be delineated by what they are not—not permanent, not possessed of any fixed form or self-nature.† (Page 10) I find the Mahayana criticism of the Hinayana sect for its distinctions to be very hypercritical. In accusing the Hinayana sect of being too absorbed in distinguishing various artificial aspects of the world, the Mahayana teachings, it becomesShow MoreRelatedBodhisattvas and the Evolution of Buddhism613 Words   |  2 Pages#1 Bodhisattvas and the Evolution of Buddhism Buddhism is a major widespread religion with a complex system of beliefs. The founder of Buddhism is Siddartha Gautama, widely known as the Buddha, meaning â€Å"the enlightened one†. Gautama educated that the goal of Buddhism is to achieve nirvana, or release from suffering. He received this understanding from meditation for 49 days. 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