DIRECTORY 331
derived from the Mahayana
tradition (see opposite), Tibetan
Buddhism evolved quite differently
from Buddhism in other countries.
It has its own orders of monks
and its own religious practices,
including devotion to a guru and
the use of mandalas, or symbolic
diagrams, as meditation aids.
One of Tibetan Buddhism’s
most distinctive features is its
nomination of lamas. These
spiritual teachers are the most
revered of all the monks, and
several are believed to have been
spiritual leaders in a previous life.
Succession is by reincarnation.
When a lama nears the end of his
life, he gives a series of clues as to
the identity of his next incarnation.
His followers then search for the
child who best matches these clues.
TANTRIC BUDDHISM
7th century, India
Tantric Buddhism takes its name
from the texts known as Tantras,
which became powerful tools in
the quest for buddhahood. The
texts describe how a person can
realize their Buddha nature more
quickly than in other forms
of Buddhism. The techniques
involved include the use of rituals,
meditation, mandalas, and even
magic. The Tantras seek to reconcile
all states and emotions, recognizing
that all are part of the essential
Buddha nature of all people.
Tantric Buddhists revere
many buddhas and bodhisattvas
(including Amitabha, the Buddha
of Infinite Light), seeing each
as a manifestation of buddha
nature. Today there are schools of
Tantric Buddhism in Tibet, India,
China, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan,
and Mongolia.
ZEN BUDDHISM
12th century, JapanThe Chinese version of Buddhism
(Ch’an) took root in Japan in the
6th century, where it became known
as Zen. The religion has also had
a significant impact in countries
influenced by Chinese culture, such
as Vietnam, Korea, and Taiwan.
Zen Buddhism emphasizes devotion
to meditation, the attainment
of enlightenment, the value of
experience over scripture, and
the belief that human beings are
identical with the cosmos and share
an identity with all that is in it.
For its followers, Zen pervades
every aspect of life—the physical,
intellectual, and spiritual realms.
Composing poetry and creating
minimalist rock gardens are
considered particularly expressive
activities. The best-known schools
of Zen are Rinzai and Soto.NICHIREN BUDDHISM
13th century, JapanThe Japanese monk Nichiren
founded this school of Buddhism
based on the passionate faith he
placed in the supreme spiritual
power of the Lotus Sutra,
a collection of Buddhist teachings
from around the 1st century CE.
He encouraged his followers to
chant from the text: “I take refuge
in the Lotus of the Wonderful
Law Sutra.” Rejecting all other
forms of Buddhism, he believed
that only the study of the Lotus
Sutra could lead to buddhahood.
Many Nichiren Buddhist sects still
flourish in Japan and a number
of new religious movements take
his teachings as their basis, for
example, Soka Gakkai (see right).SOKA GAKKAI
1937, JapanIn 1937, two Japanese reformers,
Tsunesaburo Makiguchi and Josei
Toda, founded an education
society inspired by the teachings
of the Japanese Buddhist monk
Nichiren. Following Makiguchi’s
death in 1944, Toda refounded the
organization as a religious sect,
naming it Soka Gakkai. Like
Nichiren Buddhism, it places
strong emphasis on the Lotus
Sutra, and on the ritual chanting
of the words of its title. The
movement has attracted some
12 million followers in Japan and
around the world, partly as a result
of determined recruiting.TRIRATNA BUDDHIST
COMMUNITY
1967, United KingdomFormerly the Friends of the
Western Buddhist Order (FWBO),
the Triratna Buddhist Community
was founded by the English-born
Buddhist monk Sangharakshita.
After studying in India he returned
to the UK to form the movement in
1967, with the aim of explaining
how Buddhism’s basic teachings
can be applied to life in the West
today. Members are ordained, but
may choose a monastic or a lay
lifestyle. They commit to a number
of core principles: taking Triple
Refuge in the Buddha, the
dhamma, and the sangha; the
ideal of buddhahood; and belief in
other teachings of the Buddhist
tradition. These combine a
balance of moral precepts, study,
and devotion. The movement has
affiliations with groups in Europe,
North America, and Australasia.