Early Buddhism is said to
have divided into 18 sects or
lineages on the basis of scholarly disputes about the
nature of all Three Jewels namely Buddha, Dhamma and
Sangha. Although there were 34 sects in the early
period, none of them can be
clearly identified in later
Buddhism, but Theravada may be seen as the oldest
surviving
tradition.
The teaching of
the Tantras, which form Vajrayana, are said by Tibetans
to have been taught by the Dharmakaya to a select group
of disciples and passed down to a special tradition.
Vajrayana is also known in the Far East, especially in
Japan as Shingon, but it differs significantly from the
Tibetan forms. Japanese Buddhists often argue for the
superiority of their traditions of Buddhism with a
botanical image: India is the root of Buddhism, China
the stem, and Japan the flower.
Thus, traditions such as Zen and Jodo Shinshu, outwardly
very simple, are seen as the concentrated and evolved
essence of the original teaching of Sakyamuni.
Early Buddhism is said to have divided into 18 sects or
lineages on the basis of scholarly disputes about the
nature of all Three Jewels namely Buddha, Dhamma and
Sangha. Although there were 34 sects in the early
period, none of them can be clearly identified in later
Buddhism, but Theravada may be seen as the oldest
surviving tradition.
It has become the dominant form of Buddhism in
South-East Asia. Sri Lanka has been Theravadin since it
became Buddhist in 3rd century BC and has had
considerable influence on the mainland. Burma, Thailand
and Kampuchea first received Chinese Mahayana and some
Vajrayana.
They became Theravadin in, respectively, the 11th, 13th
and 14th centuries. Laos received Theravada from
Kampuchea in the 14th century. Theravada has been
repeatedly split over questions of monastic discipline
and ordination practice and the relative importance of
doctrine and meditation.
Tibetan Buddhism has four main traditions divided into
two major groups; ‘Nyingmapa’ (= ancient ones), a single
tradition attributed to the Indian missionary
‘Padmasambhava’ (9th century), which arranges the dharma
into nine vehicles (yana) and ‘Sarmapa’ (= new ones), a
group containing the three lineage of the Later
Transmission; ‘Kagyupa’ founded by Marpa (1012-1098),
‘Sakyapa’ founded by konchog Gyalpo (1034-1102) and the
‘Gelugpa’ reform of Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). The
‘Nyingma’ and ‘sarma’ groups differ over their
understanding of sunyata and interpretation of Tantra.
The sub-divisions of the ‘kagyu’ are the most
complicated. There are two main divisions ‘Shangpa’ and
‘Dragpo.’ The famous teacher Milarepa (1040-1123), whose
life and songs have been translated into English was a
‘Dragpo.’ The Dragpo has four divisions, of which the
Karma Kagyu is the best known. Another division,
Phagtru, itself has eight divisions, of which the
Drikung and Drukpa are best known. Drukpa has further
sub-divided into three.
Tsongkhapa’s lineage or sect, Gelugpa, attempts a
synthesis of what it considers the best features of all
Sarma groups. The Dalai Lamas belong to the Gelugpa. The
Tibetan lineages spread into Mongolia and mixed with the
indigenous Samanism but without producing distinctly new
lineages.
Chinese Buddhist traditions may be divided into three
main types; modifications of Indian traditions, native
scholastic traditions and native popular traditions. All
these traditions interact with each other in complex
ways and this classification, although designed to be
helpful, is no way absolute. The major traditions based
on Indian forms are one Hinayana, Chu-she or
Abhidhammika; and two Mahayana, San-lun or Madhyamika,
and Fahsiang or Yogacara (Vijnanavada). These and many
smaller traditions, provided the theoretical basis for
the development of the two great comprehensive Chinese
systems of T’ien-t’ai, based on the Lotus Sutra and
founded by Hui-ssu (515-76); and Hua-yen, based on the
Avatamsaka Sutra and founded by Tu-shun (557-640).
Traditions with a wider appeal among layfolk are Zen
(Chin, Ch’an), attributed to the Indian missionary
Bodhidharma (C, 5th century) and Pure Land (Chin,
Ching-t-u), perhaps founded by Hui-yuan (334-416).
During the Sung and Ming Dynasties Zen and Pure Land
were synthesised to form the basis of modern Chinese
Buddhism.
Korean Buddhist traditions were at first extensions of
the Chinese, with the Hua-yen (Hwaom) being the most
important and forming the doctrinal basis for all later
Korean Buddhism. A distinctively Korean tradition,
Poposong (= Dharma nature) was founded by Wonhyo
(617-86) who attempted a comprehensive system based on
the Awakening of Faith (Mahayanasraddhotpada-sutra) and
the teaching of One Mind. Zen Son was introduced by
Pomnang in c 630 and sparked a major controversy between
itself and scholastic Buddhism (collectively known as
Kyo) which still affects Korean Buddhism. Son itself
divided into nine traditions, called ‘mountains’, which
disputed with each other. The highly respected master
Chinul (1158-1210) attempted to resolve the
controversies by teaching the identity of the
enlightenment achieved through Son practice and Kyo
study i.e. the identity of the ‘tongueless’ and the
‘tongued’ dharma transmissions. The government forcibly
united the traditions at various times and in 1935, all
traditions were unified as the ‘Chogye.’
Japan received many of the Buddhist traditions through
Korea in the 6th century AD with some importance again
being given to Hua-yen (kegon) Kukai (774-835) combined
two streams of Chinese Chen-yen (Vajrayana) to form
Shingon, an original synthesis which became considerably
more popular than its parents, and with his ability to
align Buddhism with native folk religion he became a
cultural Hero. Zen and Pure Land have remained distinct
tradition in Japan, with three forms of Zen modified
from Chinese forms (Soto, Rinzai and Obaku) and two main
forms of Pure Land (Jodo and Jodoshin) developed
indigenously by Honen (1135-1212) and Shinran
(1173-1263) respectively. Nichiren (1222-82) founded a
vigorously exclusivist tradition of which m a later
sub-branch. Nichiren Shoshu is socially (as Soka Gakkai)
and politically (as the Komei Party) highly visible in
present-day Japan. Many Japanese traditions trace their
origin to the break-up of the commodious Tendai, the
Japanese form of T’ien-t’ai, in kamakura times (12th
century), and may be seen as selecting one element of
Tendai as a central theme or practice.
Thus, Zen sitting, Pure Land chanting of the Name of
Amida and Nichiren’s emphasis on the Lotus Sutra are not
inventions of their founders; their originality consists
in the claim that a single practice could have supreme
efficacy. As Korea has tried to reduce the number of
traditions, so Japan has allowed them to proliferate.
Nearly 170 traditions, divided amongst 14 major
groupings, are currently listed by the Japanese Agency
of Cultural Affairs.
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