Early Buddhism shared an understanding of time and the nature of the universe with the Brahmanic religion of the time, which taught that the universe had been created and destroyed over and over again over vast periods of time.
Within each cycle, there are stages, or kalpas, and the nature of existence is different in each stage. Later Buddhism expanded this vision to include multiple universes, each with its own Buddha and each of which is going through these cycles of creation and destruction.
According to
Buddhism, ultimate reality is samsara, endless existence, but it is also
impermanent, ever in flux, ever changing. It is empty, yet full. That is, form
is always a temporary state of being. Some forms last for millennia, like
mountains and oceans, and some are as brief as a lightning bolt. Elements come
together to create a particular form, but eventually those elements will break
apart again and the object will cease to exist. This is true of everything in
the universe.
In contrast to
this sophisticated philosophical view of ultimate reality, there are a variety
of Buddhist descriptions of the composition of the universe. In one popular
description borrowed from Hinduism, figurative rather than literal, there is a
mountain, Mount Meru, surrounded by seven concentric circles of land. Outside
these lands is a vast ocean, within which are four island continents. Some gods
reside in heavens along the slopes of the mountain, or on top. Others reside in
heavens above the mountain.
Another view
of the universe is often portrayed in Buddhist paintings. Called the
bhavacakra, or the Wheel of Life and Death, it depicts the universe as a series
of concentric circles all within the grasp of Mara, the lord of death. Several
realms for gods of different types and several different hells, as well as an
animal realm and a realm for humans, are contained within the wheel.
As Buddhism
evolved, the number of realms beyond the earthly realm expanded exponentially.
Mahayana Buddhist texts describe many heavenly realms to which people can be
reborn, including a number of Pure Lands, each with its own Buddha, as well
many horrifying hells.
When Buddhism
first began, there were no gods who were recognized as existing outside the
realm of rebirth, or to whom one could appeal as saviors. Buddha taught that
the gods are not exempt from death and rebirth, and while their lives may last
for eons, they do eventually die, and are almost inevitably reborn in a lower
realm because the life of a god is too great a distraction from the work that
is necessary to achieve enlightenment. The Buddha taught that he was an
ordinary man, and he said that those seeking salvation should look within
themselves. According to the early texts, his final words were, "All the
constituents of being are transitory; work out your salvation with
diligence."
Paradoxically,
the Buddha himself became the first "god" of Buddhism. Building on a
notion from the early texts that the Buddha had an "emanation body"
that could perform miraculous deeds, in some Mahayana Sutras he is portrayed as
a god only pretending to be a man in order to inspire humanity.
As Mahayana
Buddhism developed, many bodhisattvas ("enlightened beings") and
Cosmic Buddhas emerged. The prototype of the bodhisattva in the Theravada texts
is Sumedha, who was said to have become the Buddha in his last lifetime.
Sumedha aspired to enlightenment, but having seen the Buddha Dipamkara, he decided
that he would take the long path over many lifetimes to become a Buddha himself
so that he could someday lead others to enlightenment. Until he was reborn as
Gautama, and became the Buddha, he was reborn for many eons as a bodhisattva,
developing the necessary "perfections" for full Buddhahood.
Thus the
notion of bodhisattvas and Buddhas other than Gautama pre-exists Mahayana, but
both were rare, and the early texts taught that there was no need for more than
one Buddha as long as the teachings of the current Buddha were remembered.
Only
with the Mahayana were the notions of multiple bodhisattvas and multiple
Buddhas fully developed. In Mahayana Buddhism monks aspired to become
bodhisattvas rather than arhats, to bring enlightenment to all beings. Eventually
the notion that all beings had Buddha within emerged, and some texts encouraged
all Buddhists to aspire to become bodhisattvas.
A number of
bodhisattvas were written about in the Mahayana texts and many have been
embraced by popular culture. The monastic aspiration to become a bodhisattva
gave way to the popular idea that one could call upon bodhisattvas for help.
They became saviors, not only in spiritual realms, but also in the everyday
world. For example, Avalokitesvara could, if one called out his name, rescue
people from fires, floods, wild animals, and all sorts of dangers.
As Buddhism
moved into China, Avalokitesvara changed gender and became female, and was
known as Guanyin in China, Kannon in Japan. Many stories are told about her
miraculous powers.
Eventually multiple forms of Guanyin were revealed with
different appearances and different specific abilities, such as healing illness
or protecting pregnant women. One of the most striking forms is the
thousand-armed Guanyin, each hand of which holds a different sacred implement.
Maitreya, the
Buddha to come, is frequently seen represented in small good luck statues with
a round tummy and laughing face. Jizo Bodhisattva is particularly popular in
Japan as a protector of children.
Amitabha is the Buddha of the Pure Land; one
who calls his name at the moment of death will be instantly transported there,
never to be reborn again. These are among thousands of deities worshipped in
Buddhist countries today. Some are recognizable in form and iconography as
having been in the Hindu pantheon; others are indigenous deities that have been
transformed.
Questions:
1. Can you describe the role of creation and
destruction in samsara?
2. Who are the “saviors” of Buddhism?
3. How has art enhanced our understanding of
Buddhist beliefs?
Reference
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