Week 3: Zen and the Mahayana Tradition

Mahayana, one of the three major schools of Buddhism existing today, developed in the Indian subcontinent in the 1st century CE, some 400 to 500 years after the Buddha's death. It is called "Mahayana" or "Great Vehicle" because, in contrast to early Buddhism, it offers a multi-sided approach to the path of liberation, not only for monks, but for many people, and it expresses the intention of liberating all beings. As part of the world's first great missionary movement, Mahayana was carried from India to central Asia and then, via the Silk Route, to China, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere, where it took root and, in an explosion of creativity, subdivided into many Buddhist schools. This session traces the origins of Mahayana, its northern transmission, and its major characteristics and how they differ from Theravada. The focus then shifts to one of the best-known of the Mahayana schools, Zen Buddhism. After surveying the major tenets and practices of Zen, including personal experiences of the speaker, the session resumes a historical focus and fast forwards to Zen's arrival and swelling popularity in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. We conclude with a group conversation about issues sparked by the Mahayana tradition that are alive for us as contemporary Western seekers.

Suggested reading:

Other resources

  • Barbara O'Brien. A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World

Podcasts