RELG 253 Lecture Notes - Lecture 34: Jiriki, Mantra, Nianfo

• School: McGill University
• Department: Religious Studies
• Course: RELG 253
• Professor: Lisa M.Blake, Jingjing Li

Document Summary

Shinran (1173 - 1263) founder of a type of pure land buddhism. Zendo, important figure to plb (613ce to 681ce) Zendo was asked to come to live in the ci"en temple during the tang dynasty. Tang dynasty was the golden time for zen buddhism, arguably the golden age for buddhism as a whole before the persecution began. The emperor"s wife passed away, the son said they could build a big temple and have the most famous clergy in china to live in the temple. Then they could chant and collect to call back to the mother. First stage: true dharma; enlightenment is possible (500 years) Second stage: imitation dharma; enlightenment is not possible and yet buddhist practice is kept. Final stage: final dharma; dark time in buddhism, impossible to realize enlightenment on our own, practices are not kept, and most of buddha"s teachings would not be kept. According to zendo, the tang dynasty was already in this final stage