ÅšrÄvakayÄna

ÅšrÄvakayÄna (Sanskrit: शà¥à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤•à¤¯à¤¾à¤¨; Pali: सावकयान; traditional Chinese: è²èžä¹˜; ; pinyin: ShÄ“ngwén Shèng) is one of the three yÄnas known to Indian Buddhism. It translates literally as the "vehicle of listeners [i.e. disciples]". Historically it was the most common term used by MahÄyÄna Buddhist texts to describe one hypothetical path to enlightenment. ÅšrÄvakayÄna is the path that meets the goals of an Arhat—an individual who achieves liberation as a result of listening to the teachings (or lineage) of a Samyaksaṃbuddha.
Use of the term
Isabelle Onians asserts that although "the MahÄyÄna ... very occasionally referred contemptuously to earlier Buddhism as the HinayÄna, the Inferior Way," "the preponderance of this name in the secondary literature is far out of proportion to occurrences in the Indian texts." She notes that the term ÅšrÄvakayÄna was "the more politically correct and much more usual" term used by MahÄyÄnists.[1] "HÄ«nayÄna" (the "lesser vehicle"), however, was used to include both ÅšrÄvakayÄna and PratyekabuddhayÄna in contrast to the MahÄyÄna.
In Early Buddhist schools
At least some of the early Buddhist schools used the concept of three vehicles including ÅšrÄvakayÄna. For example, the VaibhÄá¹£ika SarvÄstivÄdins are known to have employed the outlook of Buddhist practice as consisting of the Three Vehicles:[2]
- ÅšrÄvakayÄna
- PratyekabuddhayÄna
- BodhisattvayÄna
The Dharmaguptakas regarded the path of a Å›rÄvaka (Å›rÄvakayÄna) and the path of a bodhisattva (bodhisattvayÄna) to be separate. One of their tenets reads, "The Buddha and those of the Two Vehicles, although they have one and the same liberation, have followed different noble paths."[3]
In MahÄyÄna traditions
In the 4th century MahÄyÄna abhidharma work Abhidharmasamuccaya, Asaá¹…ga describes those who follow the ÅšrÄvaka Vehicle (Skt. Å›rÄvakayanika). These people are described as having weak faculties, following the ÅšrÄvaka Dharma, utilizing the ÅšrÄvaka Piá¹aka, being set on their own liberation, and cultivating detachment in order to attain liberation.[4] While those in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle (Skt. pratyekabuddhayÄnika) are portrayed as also utilizing the ÅšrÄvaka Piá¹aka, they are said to have medium faculties, to follow the Pratyekabuddha Dharma, and to be set on their own personal enlightenment.[4] Finally, those in the MahÄyÄna (Skt. mahÄyÄnika) are portrayed as utilizing the Bodhisattva Piá¹aka, as having sharp faculties, following the Bodhisattva Dharma, and set on the perfection and liberation of all beings, and the attainment of complete enlightenment.[4]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Isabelle Onians, "Tantric Buddhist Apologetics, or Antinomianism as a Norm," D.Phil. dissertation, Oxford, Trinity Term 2001 pg 72
- ↑ Nakamura, Hajime. Indian Buddhism: A Survey With Bibliographical Notes. 1999. p. 189
- ↑ 《異部宗輪論述記》:謂佛雖在僧ä¸æ‰€æ”,然別施佛果大,éžåƒ§ï¼ˆæžœå¤§ï¼‰ã€‚æ–¼çª£å µæ³¢èˆˆä¾›é¤Šæ¥ç²å»£å¤§æžœã€‚佛與二乘解脫雖一,而è–é“異。無諸外é“能得五通。阿羅漢身皆是無æ¼ã€‚餘義多åŒå¤§çœ¾éƒ¨åŸ·ã€‚
- 1 2 3 Boin-Webb, Sara (tr). Rahula, Walpola (tr). Asanga. Abhidharma Samuccaya: The Compendium of Higher Teaching. 2001. p. 199-200