Mahāyāna Buddhism: Reasons for Diversity in the Buddha’s Teachings (3)

Abstract

     As an idea that bodhisattvas can become Buddhas after encountering previous Buddhas, Early Mahāyāna Buddhism explained different concepts of how to meet Buddhas which could be found in many Mahāyāna Sūtras. This paper presents a collection of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras which are thought to be among the earliest sutras in Mahāyāna Buddhism.
     The core idea of a collection of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras is that everyone has already encountered previous Buddhas; consequently, we all are bodhisattvas. After that, while repeating the cycle of life, death, and rebirth for a long time, should we always accumulate good karma in daily life, we will become Buddhas in the end.
     As demonstrated, the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras changed a concept of enlightenment from “adapting a monastic lifestyle and practicing meditation extremely” to “accumulating good karma in daily life.” This idea is different from Buddhist teachings in the period of Śākyamuni Buddha.