Meditation (Dhyana) in Mahayana Buddhism based on Śūrańgama Sūtra

Subject Areas : Christianity

Sepideh Afrashteh ¹ (PhD Candidate of Comparative Religion and Mysticism, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)
Aboulfazl Mahmoudi ² (Associate Professor of Comparative Religion and Mysticism, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2021-12-17 Accepted : 2021-12-17 Published : 2021-08-23

Keywords: Dhyana, Sūtra, Śūrańgama, meditation, Mahayana,

Abstract :

In most mystical traditons, an important part of spiritual journey is meditation, known as Dhyana in Buddhism. Dhyana is a practice for concentrating mind so the observer detaches from distractions. In Buddhism, Dhyana is the ground of Samadhi and it is the most basic method for purifying the mind and preparing it for attaining illumination and nirvana. All Buddhist sects are convinced that this is the foundation of their rituals. It is believed that the corner stone of Buddhism is direct experience of the Ultimate Reality, rather than textual or philosophical studies; and this experience is not achieved except with Dhyana. In this way Śūrańgama sūtra is one of the most important sūtras which describes different methods and teachings of meditation, for all various Buddhist schools. The main purpose of this article is to explain the quiddity, importance, basics, aims and methods of Dhyana in the Mahayana Buddhism based on Śūrańgama sūtra. We try to answer these questions with the analytical method based on the materials presented in the text, as well as reviewing various findings of other researchers of the Mahayana school.

References:

• بقلی شیرازی، روزبهان، تقسیم الخواطر، قاهره، دار الآفاق العربیه، 1428 ق.


• حسینی تهرانی، محمد حسین، رساله لب اللباب در سیر و سلوک اولالالباب، مشهد، انتشارات علامه طباطبایی، 1426 ق.


• مستملی بخاری، اسماعیل، شرح التعرف لمذهب التصوف، (ج سوم)، تهران، اساطیر، 1363 ش.


• هاوکینز، برادلی، دین بودا، تهران، نشر مرکز، 1384 ش.


• Buswell, Robert. E, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, USA, Macmillan,


• Chatterjee, Satishchandra & Datta, Dheerendramohand, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy India, Calcutta university press,


• Conze, Edward, Buddhism a Short History, Oxford, One world, 2008.


• Elder, Joseph. W., Chapters in Indian Civilization, (Volume I), Winconsin, Department of Indian studies, the University of Winconsin Madison, 1967.


• Han, Shan, The Śūrańgama Sūtra. (Translator: Charles Luk), Sri Lanka, brighthill Buddhist center, 1966.


• Hexham, Irving, Concise dictionary of religion, USA, Intervarsity Press, 1999.


• Hsuan, Hua, The Śūrańgama sūtra: The Fifty Skandha- Demon States, (Foreword: Ronald Epstein), California, Dharma Realm Buddhist Association, 1996.


• Humphreys, Christmas, A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism, London, Curzon Press, 1984.


• Irons, Edward, Encyclopedia of Buddhism, New York, Facts on file, 2008.


• Kumarajiva, The Śūrańgama Samadhi Sūtra, (Translator: John McRae), California.


• Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, 1998.


• Luk, Charles, The Secret of Chinese Meditation, New York, Samuel Weiser, 1972.


• Nakamura, Hajime, Indian Buddhism a Survey with Bibliographical Notes, Delhi, Motilal, 1987.


• Potter, Karl. H., Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, (V. viii), Delhi, Motilal, 1966.


• Sure, Heng, and others, The Śūrańgama sūtra: a new translation / with excerpts from the commentary by Hsüan Hua, California, Buddhist Text Translation Society, 2009.


• Suzuki, Daisets. Teitaro, Manual of Zen Buddhism, California, Golden Elixir Press, 1935.


• Suzuki, Daisets. Teitaro, Outline of Mahayana Buddhism, London, Luzac and Company, 1907.