Glimpses Of World Religions

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Navbharat Sahitya Mandir

Page 88

Bauddha Dharma
71
in their eyes, is ‘Arhat-pada'. And meditation by self - individual salvation is insisted more, valued more. Believing in strict adherence to ancient Bauddha tradition, this sect which is an atheistic one, is dogmatic. It is concerned with the purity of ideals. It stresses upon the life of an Ashram or hermitage, linked with ‘Matha and Vihar' i.e. monks' abode and religious centres. The majority of such followers of this sect can be seen chiefly in Cylon, Burma, and Siam. Heenayan is a road to Samādhi. Mahāyān :
This means 'big means' or big instrument. The ideal of ‘Bodhisatva' which happens to be the ideal of Bauddha religion is this Mahāyān. The aim of Mahāyān is liberation of all. It is interested in practices of Sādhanā or Meditation by all. It is upliftment of all. Life is like a magis show, illusory. For this sect, Buddha is beyond the people, super-worldly; the place of Bhakti is significant. In the concentrated meditation of Mahā Māyā, or Goddess par excellence, there is prominence of super-sensories. It is a sort of transcendental meditation. For the perfection of virtues like Alms etc. Sādhanā is of prime importance. There is no place for solitude in this sect. The followers of Mahāyāna pray to Lord Buddha for the welfare and the liberation. Buddha being helpful to them in attaining Nirvana, they believe that man does not need to strive for it. They lay more stress on Buddha's grace and blessings rather than self-reliance. They regard Ātmā as truth, consider Buddha as worthy of worship. They have generous ideals. It is a progressive sect. The followers of such a sect of liberal, healthy outlook are chiefly found to be inhabiting Nepal, Tibet, China and Japan.
At present, 4 branches of Buddhism are seen : (1) Vaibhasik (2) Sautantrik – from Heenyan (3) Idealistic (4) Madhyamik - these last two have the inheritance of Mahāyān sect.