Mahayana Buddhism
Literally meaning the “Great Vehicle”, the School of Mahayana Buddhism emphasises on the path of the Bodhisattva, a way of life that carries a deep wish for all sentient beings to be liberated from sufferings. This path is starkly different from the School of Theravada Buddhism which focuses more on self-disciplined mindfulness of one’s own sensory experiences to eliminate new causes for subsequent rebirths and thereby attaining enlightenment or nirvana.
The Bodhisattva
A Mahayana Buddhism practitioner is often called a “Bodhisattva”, a “courageous warrior” who walks on the path of selflessness and carries with him a deep wish for all sentient beings to realise the Truth and be freed from delusional sufferings. Due to this aspiration, a Bodhisattva holds dear the trait of great compassion or “maha-karuna” by working tirelessly and ceaselessly for the good of sentient beings. Another equally important trait of a Bodhisattva is transcendent knowledge or wisdom, “Prajna”, which is a thorough understanding of emptiness. The unity of maha-karuna and prajna when practiced by a Bodhisattva arises within him “bodhicitta” which means the mind of awakening.
The Buddha taught that the quintessence practice of a Bodhisattva lies in the six paramitas or supreme virtues, namely:
- Dana-paramita : the perfection of giving
- Sila-paramita : the perfection of moral conduct or discipline
- Ksanti-paramita : the perfection of patient endurance
- Virya-paramita : the perfection of vigor or diligence
- Dynana-paramita : the perfection of meditation
- Prajna-paramita : the perfection of transcendent wisdom