Spiritual Style

MAITRIYANA
Integrative or Reconciliatory Buddhism

• Buddhist Psychoanalysis
• Buddhist Humanism
• Buddhist Transpersonalism
• Buddhist Cognitivism
• Buddhist Integralism
• Buddhist Existentialism
• Buddhist Stoicism
• Buddhist Surrealism
• Buddhist Relativism
• Buddhist Environmentalism
• Buddhist Socialism
• Buddhist Cooperativism
• Buddhist Anarchism
• Buddhist Abolitionism
• Buddhist Shamanism
• Buddhist Christianism
• Buddhist Revisionism
• Buddhist Messianism
• Buddhist Sufism
• Buddhist Ecumenism

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Theory of Purna Buddhism

Historical Foundations of Maitriyana Spirituality as an Integrative and Reconciliatory Way

By Master Maitreya Samyaksambuddha

“In the Universe there are not two vehicles, much less three.”

Siddharta Gautama

 

In order to be able of posing the existence of a New Way or a Buddhist Vehicle, it is not only necessary to be a genuine spiritual master but it is necessary to have an Integrative and Complete Knowledge of Buddhism as well. This comprehensive study is the theory of Purna Buddhism (Purnayana) that the Maitriyana Spirituality performs as a Way of Reconciliation, because before establishing a Unity between Buddhist Spirituality and Western Wisdom, the Unity must first be clarified within the very Buddhism, which was characterized for having multiple ways of understanding its Pathways. The full understanding of the various Buddhist pathways is Purna Buddhism.

The Maitriyana, called Cicheng in Chinese and Jijo in Japanese, may be regarded as the most evolved form of Buddhist Spirituality, by reconciling the Theravada, Mahayana and the Western Wisdom under a Third Way. This is because anciently there have been around twenty subdivisions of Buddhism, which were the origin of the division between the Hinayana and Mahayana, whose modalities of the past were led by the Sthaviravada (focused on monks converted into ascetics) and the Mahasánguika (focused on the common people). At the same time, the contemporary Mahayana has their own internal divisions, since there have been schools such as Madhyamika, Yogacara, Chan, Avatamsaka, Pure Land, Tien-tai, Tendai, Nichiren, Vajrayana and many others. These divisions do not necessarily involve conflict, but oftentimes they were the result of new developments. The problem obviously arises when schools and lineages discredit one another.

Now, to pose the existence of a Third Way is something introductory and superficial, because actually it is not consistent with the true Buddhist teachings, whose classification of teachings (panjiao) was much more complex than the illusory academic division between Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Therefore, during the earliest period corresponding to the first teaching of Siddharta Gautama there were already multiple paths which did not correspond with the commonly known academic and social classification. One of the irrefutable proofs of the existence of multiple Pathways or Vehicles (Yanas) emerges from the very Pali Canon, since in texts such as the Anguttara Nikaya Siddhartha Gautama implicitly stated that there are three Ways:

1. Samasambuddha-yana (Samyaksambuddha-yana)
2. Paccekabuddha-yana (Pratyekabuddha-yana)
3. Savakabuddha-yana (Sravakabuddha-yana)

Despite the fact that a systematization of these three Ways within the Pali Canon was never performed, the profound study of this work clearly demonstrates that the first Way is the Vehicle of the Self-enlightened ones (Samasambuddhas), who are socially engaged in teaching others their Truth, spiritually guiding their disciples toward the Cure (Nirvana); the second Way is the Vehicle of the Self-enlightened ones who are the Solitary Enlightened Beings (Paccekabuddhas) that do not teach others, guiding only through their good and appropriate conduct (abhisamacarikasikkha), as they have no mastery on the spiritual fruits (phalesu vasibhavam); and the third Way is the Vehicle of the enlightened disciples (Arahants).

This esoteric division of spiritual levels was the first model of Purna Buddhism. According to this primal perspective, it is illusory the division amongst those who seek the Awakening (Bodhi) by themselves and those who seek it in the guidance of a spiritual master. Therefore, Siddharta Gautama later said in the Lotus Sutra that there are not two ways much less three but only One Vehicle (Ekayana), which is clearly the Way of the Samasambuddha, because this first reconciliatory Way is the integration of the paccekabuddhayana with the arahantyana, being the oldest and most important historical precedent of the Maitriyana.

With respect to the vision of the Mahayana, the Unity of Maitriyana starts from one of the most essential principles of Buddhism taught by Siddhartha Gautama and other subsequent spiritual masters. This principle of Unity and Reconciliation can be found under paradoxical dialectic logic; therefore it is called Non-Two. In this sense, the Maitriyana may be called the Way (Dao) of Non-Two. A precursor of Maitriyana as Non-Two is the Heart Sutra, which affirms that form and emptiness are not different, as well as Maya and Samsara are not different entities with respect to the Absolute and Nirvana. Another precursor is the Vimalakirti Sutra, saying that the dharmic gate of the Non-Duality is the experience of an Absolute Emptiness which transcends the opposite poles of mundaneness, like good and evil, truth and lie, right and wrong, pleasure and pain, what is abstract and what is concrete. The ultimate aim of Buddhist Spirituality is to achieve the unification of the polarities, experiencing the empty substratum of Being from where all dualities emerge or dissolve. Therefore, without the experience of Emptiness (Sunyata) the Free and Enlightened Beings (Arhats-Bodhisattvas) could not achieve the union between what is finite and the infinite in the inter-existence of all beings. The literature of the prajñaparamita emphasizes that the self-realisation of Emptiness is what allows the development of spontaneity and the endless compassion of the spiritual master. The uniqueness of the gaze of the Free and Enlightened Being (Arhat-Bodhisattva) lies in the Detachment from dualism, which is the profound insight inherent in the integration of the Being, Emptiness and form. Regarding the Chinese Spirituality, this has also a precursor of the idea of ​​Non-Two in the fusion between Li and Shih, which is expressed in the principle of the mind as Tality and Change. In the spiritual master, the vision of the existence and nonexistence are in a harmonious way, so that the interdependence between what is hidden and what is discovered is revealed. Here, the Being and Emptiness are Non-Two, fusing themselves completely into a Unity within which the Real and the illusory are mutually reflected and penetrated.

From this dialectical paradoxical logic, the precursor second scheme of the Maitriyana was the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) appearing on some Sutras of the Mahayana Canon. In the first and second centuries A.D. the debates and conflicts between the conservative and progressive Buddhist schools reached a significant level, so the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) that Siddhartha Gautama taught became popularized at the end of his life from the idea of Sammasambuddhayana, this Vehicle being proposed as a Way that can be followed by everyone, since all Buddhist schools are recognized to belong to the Reconciliatory Way (Maitriyana) which is the experience of the Awakening (Bodhi), so that they are preserved as different methods or strategies in order to achieve one and the same Purpose (Dharma); therefore their use depends on both the personal abilities of the apprentice and the sociocultural circumstances where the individual is found. Therefore, in the same way as the Maitriyana, the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) is an inclusive Way that embraces all the studies and spiritual practices, by reaffirming the dignity of all Buddhist schools without showing any favoritism. This reconciling idea has influenced enormously to canonical texts of Mahayana such as the Lankavatara Sutra, the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Shurangama Sutra, the Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra, the Sraddhotpanna Sutra, the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Vajrasamadhi Sutra, the Mahābherīhāraka-Parivarta and the Samdhinirmocana Sutra. From the study of these Sutras, the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) is revealed as a clear precursor of Maitriyana, by developing its prospects for Metapsychology, Metaphilosophy and Metapolitics respectively from the incisive analysis of the Lankavatara Sutra, the phenomenological greatness of the Avatamsaka Sutra and the revolutionary depth of the Lotus Sutra. The Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) seeks the spiritual development of the Buddha nature (Buddha-dhatu) or luminous mind (citta pabhassara) which is the seed of the Awakening (Tathagata-garbha) which potentially is found in all human beings and that it must be cultivated or updated through the ethical discipline and the contemplative practice. In accordance with Maitriyana, the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) is the synthesis of the teachings about the awakened mind (bodhicitta): by being an organic totality that produces the reconciliation (maitri) of any opposition or contradiction between Hinayana and Mahayana. The realization of this Unity cannot be reached by an intellectual pursuit, but rather by a spiritual practice that does not perceive any fundamental difference between a monk and a layman, since in both individuals the potential for the Cure (Nirvana) is found in the same manner. Beyond the fact that the Mahayana has developed different inner schools, such as the Madhyamika and the Yogacara, the Ekayana Buddhism perceives that its sacred texts seek to uniting and channeling the various spiritual teachings within one Supreme Dharma. However, this process of unification does not pose One Vehicle in practice and theory, since it is stated that the Vehicle of the experience of the Awakening (Bodhi) – or Samasambudhayana– is actually the only Way. Therefore, in Japan the Master Nichiren concluded that the maximum teaching of Gautama Buddha is the Lotus Sutra precisely because it is in this body of wisdom in which the Ekayana Buddhism more faithfully is expressed, considering that each of the Buddhist Pathways are no more than different ways of reaching a same purpose which is the Cure (Nirvana), guiding people according to their own level of understanding and culture type. To lead humanity toward the supreme understanding, Siddhartha Gautama taught all the distinct Yanas.

By preserving the basic teachings of the Lotus Sutra in its interior, the Maitriyana is the set of the most profound ideals, by conceiving the spiritual practice in a perfectly integrated manner in order to be able to reveal the reconciling essence of the Truth to all the peoples of the world. This Supreme Spirituality is capable of leading humanity from the division, discord and conflict toward unity, harmony and peace. The Maitriyana is a spiritual movement in direct lineage with Siddharta Gautama and other spiritual masters who are founders of schools, always working for world peace, social justice, education and ecology. The Free and Enlightened Being (Arhat-Bodhisattva) shared his teachings to all, guiding peoples toward the Salvation. The Way of the Maitriyana is integrative and comprehensive, by embracing multiple studies and practices by acknowledging the interconnectivity which underlies all the diversity. Maitriyana carries the flame of the Samasambudhayana and the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle), since it studies and practices the teachings of all the spiritual traditions, recognizing them as different means to achieve the Cure (Nirvana). Although the core of Maitriyana is the Buddhist Spirituality, certainly the concepts of wisdom from other spiritual paths are combined. This means that an Ecumenism is established as a way of making profound connections with the entire humanity, recognizing the Buddha nature which is present in the neighbor. The spiritual master teaches the apprentice to perceive the Cosmic and Perennial Truth within the daily life, by providing the opportunity to practice a lifestyle supported by the great Free and Enlightened Beings (Arhats-Bodhisattvas). Here the individual can only feel gratitude toward the existence, because his or her mind has been purified, sublimated and put at the service of the common good, going through a Way that is connected to the Universal Truth.

In accordance with the Lotus Sutra, one may establish that the Maitriyana has the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand preached Sutras, turning all the earlier revealed and proclaimed teachings into One. As with the Lotus Sutra, the Maitriyana Spirituality is an infinite ocean within which many rivers and streams are found, being an inclusive and reconciling diagram of the life Force underlying all beings in the Cosmos. The Maitriyana incorporates within itself all the Buddhist Sutras, so it is a Supreme Vehicle (Saijojo), being characterized as the most evolved expression of Buddha-Dharma-Sangha and cannot be compared to any other School or Way because it reunifies the deepest and most fundamental principles of Spirituality. The Maitriyana emanates a high supremacy coming from having the Sense of Purpose (Dharma) of wishing to lead humanity for thousands of years, since the most extraordinary result of their meditative practices is the Salvation both of the apprentice and the entire society. Obviously, this often implies suffering small difficulties and tribulations, such as for example accusations that this spiritual movement is not the Real Dharma, but the Truth of Maitriyana is concordant with the teachings of the Awakened Beings (Buddhas) both from the past and the future.

Ultimately the Maitriyana is nothing more than the Perennial Buddhism which every spiritual master has incarnated within himself and that is definitely possessed by all living being in a latent form, so its Truth is applicable to any place, time and person. In fact, Maitriyana is also thought and felt as an eternal energy of pure consciousness which permeates throughout the whole Universe, holding to all beings as an Originating Life Force. From a proper meditation and lifestyle, any individual can experience this all-embracing Cosmic Wisdom. As with the Lotus Sutra, the Maitriyana may be followed by billions of people, not only for containing the core and the culmination of the Buddhist teachings, but also for showing how all human beings can achieve the Awakening (Bodhi) by expressing a higher and amplified state of consciousness (H-ASC) which is in harmony with the eternal buddhic energy existing in the past, present and future, by supporting and guiding all living beings of the Universe towards the Vacuity and Unity. The Maitriyana integrates the Cosmos with the inner world, by promoting a daily life in harmony with the Eternal and Universal Truth. This implies Sublimation (Nirodh) of the mind, practicing and studying a Way that brings to bloom the compassionate wisdom (karuna-prajña) as the only requirement for the true Liberty. This new and ancient spiritual perspective teaches to experiencing the Cure (Nirvana) of suffering in the here and now, recognising the Buddha nature in neighbor as a way to have the connection of mind to mind and from heart to heart that is very much in need by the world. Therefore, the Maitriyana is the Evolution of Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle), by integrating and unifying all the spiritual paths as different forms of going to the same goal of the Awakening (Bodhi), so it develops a creative and flexible scheme.

After the study of the Lotus Sutra it can be stated that in the last years of his spiritual teaching Siddhartha Gautama perfected his model of the traditional three Vehicles (Yanas), stating that the Buddha-Dharma-Sangha has actually five Vehicles:

1. Purisayana
2. Devayana
3. Sravakayana
4. Pratyekabuddhayana
5. Bodhisattvayana

In this second model of Purna Buddhism (Complete or Integral Buddhism), the first Way is the Vehicle of humanity, which is the Way for the common beings with no training in the Spiritual Path, the second Way is the Vehicle of the gods, which is a metaphysical and religious Path, the third Way is the Vehicle of the disciple, which is the Path of those who wish to become a Free Being (Arhat), the fourth Way is the Vehicle of the solitary or silent Buddha, which is the Path of those who seek to achieve the Awakening (Bodhi) only for themselves, the fifth Way is the Vehicle of the Enlightened Being, which is the Path of those who wish to attain the Cure (Nirvana) of all the others.

In this way, in the model of the Lotus Sutra, the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) is a Way that unifies and transcends these five vehicles, being a spiritual doctrine based solely on the experience of the Awakening (Bodhi), which enables the human being to evolve from infantile state toward a spiritual maturity. Here the Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) can be considered a Sixth Vehicle, this level being the place where the Maitriyana is inserted as an Overcoming Vehicle.

Moreover, a third possible model of Purna Buddhism can be found in the Chujia Gongde Jing (Abhiniskramana Sutra or Sutra of the Great Renunciation), translated by the monk Dharmaratna who carried Buddhism for the first time into China, where the existence of Five Yanas is posed, and the Maitriyana being the sixth vehicle that follows them:

1. Ren tian diyu yinyuan (teachings of human being, of heaven, of hell and of causality)
2. Hinayana
3. Mahayana
4. Zhangui Miecui (extinction of sin by repentance)
5. Chujia Gongde (merit of renunciation)

In this model Maitriyana would be a Sixth Vehicle.

The model of Ekayana Buddhism (the One Vehicle) may have disappeared in the ancient India along with the rest of the Buddhist schools, but this perspective was essential in the assimilation of China toward the heart of Buddhist Spirituality, by surviving under a new name and thanks to the understanding of the great Free and Enlightened Beings (Arhats-Bodhisattvas) who developed the doctrines and practices of Tiantai (Tendai), Huayan (Kegon) and Chan (Zen) as a synthesis of the diversity of Buddhist schools. In this sense, another great precursor of the Maitriyana was Chan Buddhism, focusing its metaphilosophical practice on the contemplative method of the Lankavatara Sutra, by orienting its metaphilosophical practice into the transcendental vision of the Avatamsaka Sutra and recognizing its metapolitical practice in the utopian aspect of the Lotus Sutra. Therefore, the Master Pai-chang has suggested that the Chan Buddhism would be a Third Way (Chan-yana) which transcends both the Hinayana and the Mahayana, while Master Dogen said that the authentic Zen must deviate from both distinctions. As regards Master Bodhidharma, he is not only considered the founder or the first patriarch of the School of Chan Buddhism in China, but has also been stated that he brought the School of Ekayana Buddhism from South India by transmitting it along with the Lankavatara Sutra to his successor the Master Huike, who established a lineage that was known as the masters of the Lankavatara.

Furthermore, the Master Guifeng Zongmi (Kuei-feng Tsung-mi or Keisho Shumitsu), who was fifth patriarch of the Huayan school and also a patriarch of the Chan lineage Heze (Ho-Tse), has proved to be a genuine precursor of the Maitriyana, by recognising clear and explicitly to the Ekayana as a Way which is superior than the Mahayana for being the most profound kind of spiritual teaching that directly performed the Buddha nature or the intrinsic Enlightenment of Being. Precisely, Master Guifeng Zongmi corrected the scheme of five Vehicles of the Lotus Sutra and of the Sutra of the Great Renunciation to propose his own model for the classification of the five Buddhist Ways, ranging from the superficial level to the deepest level:

1. Purisayana and Devayana (the Way of the humans and the gods)
2. Hinayana
3. Mahayana of the phenomenal appearances (Faxsiang Jiao)
4. Mahayana of the refutation of the phenomenal appearances (Poxiang Jiao)
5. Ekayana

In this fourth model of Purna Buddhism, Yogacara is the third Way while the Madhyamika is the fourth. Here, the articulation of Huayan-Chan lies within the last level, which is a Way that reveals the nature (Xianxing Jiao) of the Intrinsic Liberation. It is in this level where the Reconciling Way of the Maitriyana is positioned.

In addition, the Master Guifeng Zongmi was also the creator of a framework of practical and theoretical unity between Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism, considering that their founders had the same spiritual value because the three were Awakened Beings (Buddhas). The result of this was a framework of Chan Buddhism as broad as the Maitriyana, being considered as a fifth model of Purna Buddhism. In his work called Ch’an-yuan chu-ch’uan-chi, the Master Guifeng Zongmi said that Chan Buddhism has five internal pathways respectively:

1. Bompu Zen
2. Gedo Zen
3. Shojo Zen
4. Daijo Zen
5. Saijojo Zen

First, the Bompu Zen, called as Bon-pu Chan, which is a common or usual practice of personal enrichment for the common people, it is based on the use of ritual ceremonies, arts or therapies which produce health, happiness, calm or welfare; second, the Gedo Zen named as Wai-dao Chan, which is the non-Buddhist Spirituality, it is the external Way of the Daoism, Confucianism, transcendental meditation, Yoga, Sufism, Mystical Christianity and Esotericism; third, Shojo Zen, called Xiaocheng Chan, which is the Hinayana and its search for personal enlightenment through the recognition of the three features of the existence, it is an experience of Salvation or Cure (Nirvana) from the personal suffering; fourth, the Daijo Zen called Dacheng Chan, which is the Mahayana and its sudden or gradual search for the peak experience of the self-realisation or Awakening (Bodhi) of all beings, it is an insight about the Emptiness and the inseparable Totality of the inter-existence of all beings; and fifth, the Saijojo Zen, called Zui shang cheng Chan, which is the Major Supreme Vehicle of the unconcealment of Buddha-nature or seed of the Awakening within the daily life, it is a practice where Path and Goal are merged through meditation on the here and now in the daily life, so that it is the highest wisdom of the pure and absolute existence. In turn, the Saijojo Zen (Zui shang cheng Chan), that is the Way practiced by all the Awakened or evolved Beings (Buddhas) who consider the very life as a spiritual practice, is composed of three kinds of styles: Theoretical Zen, which is the intellectual understanding or peak vision; the Tathagata Zen, which is an emptying and Unity of the subject with the Cosmos through meditation; and the Patriarchal Zen, which goes directly toward the True Self in the experience of the here and now, in order to be able of living and acting as an Awakened Being (Buddha). It is at this Supreme level where the Maitriyana is inserted as a Superior Vehicle.

Although all the five types of Zen (Chan) help to understand the mind, some are superficial and others are deeper. This model of Purna Buddhism has been validated by many spiritual masters of the contemporary Zen such as Master Seung Sahn Soen-sa.

The sixth model of Purna Buddhism or Purnayana was undertaken by the Nyingma School that belongs to the Vajrayana. This School has a system whose creation has been influenced by the Buddhist tantras of India, the Daoism, Zongmi’s Chan Buddhism, the Shamanism, the Eastern Christianity and the Shivaism. However, its tradition says that the origin of its teachings is atemporal and mythological, not only because it was taught by symbolic figures in ancient times, but also because this system is cosmic, by appearing in every space and time of the Universe, since it is based on the energy of the primordial and eternal Buddha, -or immutable light (samantabhadra)- that transcends all duality. The tantric scheme of Nyingma proposed nine Vehicles (Yanas) of Buddhist Spirituality:

1. Shravakayana
2. Pratyekabuddhayana
3. Bodhisattvayana
4. Kriyayoga (Kriyatantrayana)
5. Charyayoga (Charya Tantra or Upayogatantrayana)
6. Yoga Tantra (Yogatantrayana)
7. Mahayoga (Mahayogatantra)
8. Anuyoga (Anuyogatantrayana)
9. Atiyoga o Zogqen (Atiyogatantrayana)

In this sixth model of Purna Buddhism, the first Way is the Vehicle of the apprentices or disciples who follow a monastic life in pursuit of the personal salvation; the second Way is the Vehicle of the Solitary Awakened Beings who have reached that state by themselves and that they do not have apprentices. Here the first and the second Ways conform the Hinayana. The third way is the Vehicle of the Enlightened Beings who seek the Salvation of all beings since inside all of them a Buddha-nature (Tathagatagarbha) lies. Here the third Vehicle is the Mahayana, which obviously starts first from a self discipline or a previous personal development in order to work for the neighbor, thus showing that the distinction between Hinayana and Mahayana is not applied to the spiritual practice. The conjunction of these first three Ways is the Path of Renunciation, also called Sutrayana or Hetuyana (Causal Vehicle). As regards the fourth, fifth and sixth Ways, these are external Tantras forming the Path of Purification, which is characterized by being more exoteric, gradual and ritualistic, by using chants and visualizations to produce the union between body and mind and the comprehension of form and Vacuity. With respect to the seventh and eighth Ways, the stage of development and the stage of completeness respectively, these are the internal Tantras that form the Path of the transformation, which develops the mandala, the breath, the realisation of the luminous Vacuity, the Tummo and the sacred sexual union. Here, the Path of purification and the Path of transformation form the Vehicle of the Fruits (Phalayana) which characterises to the Tantrayana or Mantrayana. However, the final stage is the ninth Way, which is the Primordial Yoga or Path of spontaneous Liberation that is beyond what is causal and the fruits. This latter Vehicle is the stage of perfection called Dzogpa chenpo or Mahasandhiyoga, being not only the Essence of Mahamudra but also the same spiritual state of the Saijojo Zen, establishing that everything is originally pure through its vision, practice and action, since this is the unifying principle of all the nine Vehicles. In fact, the ninth Vehicle of the Atiyoga has the same three subdivisions than the Saijojo Zen: Semde, Longde and Mengagde, which lead to the self-liberation and the integration of the awakened mind (bodhicitta). The Semde, sometimes considered as a tenth way, is similar to Theoretical Zen, stating that everything is mind and by awakening to the transcendent and Luminous Vacuity. The Dzogchen vision of the Semde is the basis of Atiyogatantrayana, recognizing the very true Buddha nature through the direct transmission from the spiritual master to the apprentice, which is a nondual primordial knowledge (ye-shes) of the immediate intrinsic Awakening (rig pa ‘i rtsal). The Longde, sometimes considered as an eleventh way, is similar to the Tathagata Zen, stating that the totality of the existence is originally free from dualistic visions. The Dzogchen meditation of Longde is the way of Atiyogatantrayana, by choosing the state of presence (rig pa) of Being in the here and now by means of the understanding that there is nothing more than this present, which is a state that goes beyond doubt and dualism by stabilizing the wise vision of the luminous vacuity of mind. The Mengagde, sometimes considered as a twelfth way, is similar to the Patriarchal Zen, asserting that the compassionate wisdom of the original Awakening of Emptiness is omnipresent and eternal, as it transcends the dualistic spatiotemporal framework. The Dzogchen conduct of the Mengagde is the result of the Atiyogatantrayana, continuing with the confidence (gdeng) in the self-liberation (rang grol) and the total integration (bsre ba) of Buddha-nature in the daily life, which is the being-in-action as a wise and compassionate practice of the individual in the world who is in his Path toward the Liberation (grol ba), which is nothing less than the understanding of that he was always essentially liberated (ta drol). As with the Patriarchal Zen of Saijojo Zen, the Mengagde of Dzogchen is a transmission heart-mind to heart-mind between spiritual master and apprentice that does not depend on writings, being the supreme teaching of the Atiyoga Vehicle, by posing a return to the ineffable original purity, which is nothing less than the intrinsic Awakening or the inherent and innate Liberty of the human being. The culmination of all this Way is the activity of the continuous Salvation by means of the practices of going through (thregchod) the illusions and also the direct approach (thödgal) that unifies Emptiness and form at all times. This system is known as the Great Perfection and the Great Love not only because it states that all that exists is empty and non-dual, but also because it proposes to Detachment, compassion and unselfishness as a form of appropriate and spontaneous conduct. Being based on the meditation of the source, the spiritual practice is positioned as an activity of loving (brtse-ba), by deploying the compassionate wisdom as a form of service to others. Therefore, the Free and Enlightened Being (Arhat-Bodhisattva) teaches that True Love is a sufficient practice.

It is in this last Vehicle, stage or spiritual level where Maitriyana is positioned within the model of the Purna Buddhism of the Nyingma tradition. The nine vehicles (Yanas) of the Nyingma system that culminate with the three divisions of Dzogchen, are valued all equally because each one provides guidance and Salvation according to the mental and spiritual level of each human being, because actually each vehicle is considered as different levels and degrees in a same process at the School of Life. This Path through Stages (Phatakrama) is the unification of all the Ways of the Nyingma system, forming a harmonious, unified and congruent teaching system. This pedagogical system is based on a unifying principle which comprises the different Vehicles as a sequential apprenticeship order on the same spiritual reality. That is why actually the set of all the nine Vehicles of the Nyingma tradition is not distinct from the One Vehicle (Ekayana) that is the Awakening (Bodhi), which is a complete system of conversion and spiritual Salvation in order that the human being evolves and becomes an Awakened Being (Buddha).

 

All these models demonstrate that the division amongst Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana is academic, incorrect, commercial and superficial, since the differences between these supposed three movements are intellectual constructions very different from the true practices. Therefore, any model that is positioned as a Fourth Way regarding these three is undoubtedly false, for it ignores the depth of all the Buddhist Pathways. On the traditional schemes about Purna Buddhism (Purnayana or Integral-Complete Buddhism) it is demonstrated that Maitriyana can be considered respectively as a Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Ninth or even as a Twelfth Way. However, actually the Maitriyana is the One and Supreme Vehicle which Gautama Buddha and many other Awakened Beings (Buddhas) followed before and after him. By going beyond the mundane differences between the Ekayana, Chanyana or the Atiyogatantrayana, the Maitriyana is the First original Way of Buddhism (Sammasambuddhayana), by unifying Hinayana, Mahayana and the Western Wisdom. The Maitriyana arises as a New integrative and reconciliatory Vehicle amongst all the schools of Buddhism, at the same time that a conversion or a spiritual conquest of West is done, postulating new disciplines as from the dialectic performed by Buddhism with Western movements of the twentieth century, such as it has happened in the past with all the eastern disciplines. The scheme of Purna Buddhism demonstrates that the Maitriyana is composed of a reformulation of the Buddha-Dharma-Sangha as a complex practical and theoretical corpus of Metapsychology, Metaphilosophy and Metapolitics. As it happens with the internal branches of Saijojo Zen and Atiyoga, each one of these 3 disciplines must never be taken alone as a New Way, because it would be vanity and a profoundly incorrect fact to believe that only one of them can be a New Buddhism. In fact, Maitriyana is the Buddhist conversion of the Western disciplines, and not inversely. This dharmic conquest promotes the Maitriyana as the most revolutionary Buddhist movement of the history of humanity, since it allows all humanity to be converted to the Spiritual Path that Gautama followed.

The Reconciliatory Spirituality which emerges as a new Way of Buddhism incorporates all the great wisdom traditions of the world, by transmitting the teachings of the spiritual masters within a Supreme Vehicle. Therefore, Maitriyana is the Perennial Buddhism, whose fundamental process is the result of an emerging global reforming within the psychology, philosophy, politics and religion, by positioning a transcultural movement capable of leading the future generations toward a new civilization and a new humanity. Those who study the Maitriyana receive teachings to understand perfectly the universal harmony of all systems and paths of Spirituality.

The Maitriyana is the culmination of 2600 years of Spirituality; therefore this movement is differentiated from any diluted and bourgeois version of Spirituality. The capitalist civilization represents a terrible menace to Spirituality, trying to destroy it, degrade it or vulgarise it by means of Materialism. Spirituality must be kept intact in the face of movements both from materialism and metaphysics that do nothing more than reinforce the Ego. The creators of Buddhist Schools or Pathways must never seek a mundane interest or a personal prestige, being genuine spiritual masters living according to the principles of the Buddhist theory and practice, whose Purpose (Dharma) is nothing less than to Cure and Save the World. Because the Life Force is always on the side of those who fulfill with its Sense, the Maitriyana positions itself as a beacon of hope for the coming generations. Although there is the possibility that an Awakened Being (Buddha) never achieves to see the success of his or her Path, or even though he or she may fail from the mundane point of view, living according to the supreme duty (Dharma) is the best way to exist.

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Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna)

By Master Maitreya Samyaksambuddha

The Maitriyana, as a Pathway of Reconciliation (Cicheng in Chinese and Jijo in Japanese), has an integrative knowledge of Spirituality, so it has not only created a pathway of Integral Buddhism (Purnayana) that synthesizes all Buddhist schools and traditions, surpassing the illusory academic scheme that classifies or separates the traditions in Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, but also expands this model with the creation of Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna). In order to have a correct classification of teachings (panjiao) the Maitriyana affirms that during the history of Buddhist Spirituality there have been several integral models, all of which are compiled within the Integral Buddhism (Purna) created by Maitriyana, which also has a Model of Super Integral Pathway (Mahapurnayana) that corrects and surpasses any type of Integral Buddhism (Purna).

The first model of Integral Buddhism (Purna) was created by Siddharta Gautama himself,[1] who raised the existence of three Spiritual Vehicles (Yanas) in Buddhism.

1. Samasambuddha-yana
2. Paccekabuddha-yana
3. Sravakabuddha-yana

In the first place, Samasambuddha-yana (Samyaksambuddha-yana) is the Vehicle of the Self-enlightened ones (Samasambuddhas) who are socially committed to teaching the Truth to others, spiritually guiding the apprentices toward the Cure (Nirvana) of suffering. In the second place, the Paccekabuddha-yana (Pratyekabuddha-yana) is the Vehicle of Solitary Awakened Beings (Paccekabuddhas) who are committed not to teach others but only to guide themselves through their good and appropriate conduct (abhisamacarikasikkha), because they have no mastery over the spiritual fruits (phalesu vasibhavam). In the third place, Sravakabuddha-yana is the Vehicle of the enlightened disciples (Arahants) that are those who have awakened through the teaching of another awakened spiritual master. In this primeval model of Integral Buddhism (Purna), both those who find Awakening (Bodhi) by themselves, and those who find it through a spiritual master, all of them would be members of Buddhist Spirituality, which is the One Vehicle (Ekayana) taught by Gautama. This first three-way model could come to be regarded as the Theravada view of Integral Buddhism (Purna). However, Buddhism has lost this categorization, since most of the people generally consider only Siddhartha Gautama as an Awakened Being (Buddha), forgetting that there have been many others who have reached for themselves this same spiritual level. Therefore, the Theravada recalls that there are three types of Self-enlightened (Sammasambuddhas): Self-enlightened with greater wisdom (prajñādhika), Self-enlightened with greater effort (vīryādhika) and Self-enlightened with greater faith (śraddhādhika). In this original model of Integral Buddhism (Purna), Siddharta Gautama was considered to be a Self-enlightened one through greater wisdom (Sammasambuddha Prajñādhika).

At the same time, demonstrating an integrative and non-sectarian spirit, the Theravada also recognizes that Siddharta Gautama is part of a meta-lineage of 28 Sammasambuddhas:[2] the first of the list was Buddha Tanhamkara, continuing with Medhamkara Buddha, Saranamkara Buddha, Dipankara Buddha, Kondañña Buddha, Mangala Buddha, Sumana Buddha, Revata Buddha, Sobhita Buddha, Anomadassa Buddha, Paduma Buddha, Narada Buddha, Padumuttara Buddha, Sumedha Buddha, Sujata Buddha, Piyadassi Buddha, Atthadassi Buddha, Dhammadassi Buddha, Siddhattha Buddha, Tissa Buddha, Phussa Buddha, Vipassi Buddha, Sikhi Buddha, Vessabhu Buddha, Kakusandha Buddha, Konagamana Buddha,  Kassapa Buddha and Gautama Buddha. In addition, according to Sinhalese sources,[3] after Siddhartha Gautama there would come the next ten Sammasambuddhas, beginning with Metteyya Buddha to continue with Rama Buddha, Dhammaraja Buddha, Dhammassami Buddha, Narada Buddha, Ramsimuni Buddha, Devadeva Buddha, Narasiha Buddha, Tissa Buddha and Sumangala Buddha. Therefore, the Theravada model of Integral Buddhism (Purna) considers that Siddharta Gautama was neither the first nor the last Sammasambuddha of history.

The second scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) was the One Way (Ekayana) developed in Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism, as for example the Lotus Sutra, recovering an old teaching of Gautama that allowed integrating Hinayana with Mahayana. The One Way (Ekayana) is revealed as a clear model of Integral Buddhism (Purna), not only for synthesizing Hinayana with Mahayana, but also for developing analytical, phenomenological and revolutionary perspectives, respectively from the teachings of the Lankavatara Sutra, Avatamsaka Sutra and Lotus Sutra. This model of the Ekayana not only points to the Awakening of the intrinsic Buddhic nature of each human being, but it would do so through different ways that are adapted to the mentality of each person. This second scheme would be the Mahayana model of Integral Buddhism (Purna). Thus, through the Tiantai Buddhist School of Master Zhiyi, it is not only realized the synthesis between Hinayana and Mahayana, but also a model of Integral Buddhism (Purna) composed by the five periods of writing of Sutras carried out by Siddharta Gautama:

1. period of the Avatamsaka Sutra;
2. period of the Agama Sutras (Hinayana);
3. period of the Vaipulya Sutras (Mahayana);
4. period of the Prajnaparamita Sutras (Hinayana-Mahayana unity);
5. period of the Lotus Sutra and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra (Ekayana).

The third scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) is posed by means of the Lotus Sutra, proposing the existence of five Buddhist vehicles:

1. Purisayana (Vehicle of humankind);
2. Devayana (Vehicle of the gods);
3. Sravakayana (Vehicle of the Disciple);
4. Pratyekabuddhayana (Vehicle of the solitary Buddha);
5. Bodhisattvayana (Vehicle of the Enlightened Being that teaches others).

The fourth scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) is posed by means of the Abhiniskramana-sutra or Sutra of the Great Renunciation (Chujia Gongde Jing), where it is confirmed the existence of five vehicles (yanas):

1. Ren tian diyu yinyuan (teachings of the human being, of the sky, of hell and of causality);
2. Hinayana;
3. Mahayana;
4. Zhangui Miecui (extinguishment of sin by repentance);
5. Chujia Gongde (merit of renunciation).

Although the Theravada tradition of the 28 Samasambuddhas has been lost within Mahayana Buddhism, it has certainly been symbolically preserved in Chan School with the lineage of the 28 Indian patriarchs: Mahakashyapa, Ananda, Shanavasa, Upagupta, Dhritaka, Mikkaka, Vasumitra, Buddhananda, Buddhamitra, Parshva, Punyayashas, Ashvaghosha, Kapimala, Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Rahulata, Samghanandi, Samgayashas, Kumarata, Jayata, Vasubandhu, Manorhita, Haklena, Aryasimha, Vasiasita, Punyamitra, Prajnatara and Bodhidharma. This lineage demonstrates the integral spirit of Chan Buddhism.

The fifth scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) is posed in Chan (Zen) Buddhism, being confirmed that Master Bodhidharma was the one who introduced Ekayana Buddhist School of South India into China. In this sense, Master Zongmi confirmed that the Ekayana was a superior way in comparison with that of Mahayana, correcting the previous schemes of five vehicles, to propose a new scheme composed of the following five pathways:

1. Purisayana and Devayana (Way of the humans and of the gods);
2. Hinayana;
3. Yogacara or Mahayana of phenomenological appearance (Faxsiang Jiao);
4. Madhyamika or Mahayana of refutation to the phenomenological (Poxiang Jiao);
5. Huayan-Chan or Ekayana as natural way (Xianxing Jiao).

Accordingly, Master Zongmi was also the creator of what could be considered as the first outline of Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna). Because Chan (Zen) Buddhism is the result of a dialectical synthesis between Ekayana Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, Master Zongmi considered that both Confucius and Laozi were Awakened Beings (Buddhas). In the possible scheme of Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) of Master Guifeng Zongmi, Zen (Chan) Buddhism has five pathways: First, the Bompu Zen (Bon-pu Chan) is the ordinary practice of personal enrichment for common people seeking health or wellness; Second, Gedo Zen (Wai-dao Chan) is the non-Buddhist Spirituality where practices such as Taoism, Confucianism and other Contemplative Practices are found; Third, the Shojo Zen (Xiaocheng Chan) or Hinayana as a search for personal Awakening; Fourth, the Daijo Zen (Dacheng Chan) or Mahayana as a sudden or gradual quest for the Awakening of Emptiness and Wholeness; Fifth, the Saijojo Zen (Zui shang cheng Chan) which is the Great Supreme Vehicle as path and goal, considering daily life as a spiritual practice. At the same time, Saijojo Zen is composed of three internal sub-pathways: First, Theoretical Zen, which is the peak intellectual understanding; Second, the Tathagata Zen, which is an emptying and contemplative Unity of the subject with the Cosmos; Third, the Patriarchal Zen, which goes directly to the experience of the here and now in order to be able to live and act as an Awakened Being (Buddha).

On the other hand, during the time of Master Zongmi, the prophets Aluoben and Jingjing in China also created a powerful model of Zen Christianity or Super-Integral Christianity that synthesized Christianity with Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, creating one of the most extraordinary movements of history.

As for the sixth scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna), this one is raised in the Nyingma School belonging to the Vajrayana, creating a model composed of four vehicles: first, the Path of the Renunciation, called Sutrayana or Hetuyana (Causal Vehicle), being Composed of the Hinayana and Mahayana; second, the Path of Purification, being exoteric, gradual and ritualistic; third, the Path of transformation, being the practice of mandala, breathing, the realization of luminous Emptiness, the Tummo and the sacred sexual union, forming part of the Vehicle of the Fruits (Phalayana); fourth, the Path of Spontaneous Liberation or Primordial Yoga, being beyond the causes and fruits. This vehicle is the stage of perfection called Dzogpa chenpo or Mahasandhiyoga, associated with the Essence of Mahamudra and also with the Saijojo Zen, by establishing through its vision, practice and action that everything is originally pure.

The seventh scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) is raised in the Nyingma School, being based on the energy of the primordial and eternal Buddha or immutable light (samantabhadra). This Path by Stages (Phatakrama) is the unification of all Pathways of the Nyingma system, forming a harmonious, unified and congruent system that transcends all duality within the Buddhist schools, which is why the Nyingma proposes a scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) composed of nine vehicles (yanas):

1. Shravakayana or pathway of apprentices;
2. Pratyekabuddhayana or Pathway of the Solitary Self-Enlightened Beings;
3. Bodhisattvayana or path of the Enlightened Beings who seek the Awakening of all beings;
4. Kriyayoga (Kriyatantrayana);
5. Charyayoga (Charya Tantra or Upayogatantrayana);
6. Yoga Tantra (Yogatantrayana);
7. Mahayoga (Mahayogatantra) or stage of development;
8. Anuyoga (Anuyogatantrayana) or stage of completeness;
9. Atiyoga or Dzogchen (Atiyogatantrayana).

Like the Saijojo Zen, the ninth vehicle of the Atiyoga has three concordant subdivisions: First, the Semde, it is about the primordial knowledge (ye-shes) or immediate intrinsic Awakening (rig pa’i rtsal) of the Luminous Emptiness; Second, the Longde, which is the state of presence in the here and now beyond dualism; Third, the Mengagde, being the conduct of self-liberation (rang grol) and integration (bsre ba) of the Buddhic nature in daily life by means of detached love and righteous conduct. On the other hand, just like Saijojo Zen, Dzogchen could be considered as the second outline of Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna), because it is a synthesis of Buddhism with two other disciplines: Shamanism and Yoga.

As for the eighth scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna), it is raised in Socially Engaged Buddhism, raising the existence of four pathways: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Navayana.

Finally, the Maitriyana has a model of Integral Buddhism (Purna) and a model of Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna). In this way, the ninth scheme of Integral Buddhism (Purna) is posed in Maitriyana from the tripartite definition of Buddhism as Buddha-Dharma-Sangha or Dhyana-Prajna-Sila, which is clearly associated with the structure of the Pali Canon (Abhidhamma-Sutta-Vinaya). Thus, the Maitriyana poses the existence of three main theoretical pathways:

1. Buddhist Metapsychology;
2. Buddhist Metaphilosophy;
3. Buddhist Metapolitics.

At the same time, these theoretical ways have their correlate with 3 main practices:

1. Analytical meditation,
2. Existential meditation
3. Libertarian meditation.

These practical and theoretical pathways form the Analytical-Existential-Libertarian Discourse of Integral Buddhism, which is based on the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path created by Siddhartha Gautama: first, life is intrinsically unsatisfactory (dukkha); second, the cause of dissatisfaction (dukkha) is avidity; third, the Cure for dissatisfaction is detachment; fourth, detachment must be followed through the Noble Path composed of righteous understanding, righteous thinking, righteous speech, righteous conduct, righteous livelihood, righteous effort, righteous attention and righteous concentration.

In addition, the Maitriyana has a tenth model of Integral Buddhism (Purna), developing a model of Buddhist Civilization of the past through a scheme composed of 20 vehicles:

1. Buddhist Psychology
2. Buddhist Psychiatry
3. Buddhist Medicine
4. Buddhist Pedagogy
5. Buddhist Psychotherapy
6. Buddhist Philosophy
7. Buddhist Ethics
8. Buddhist Arts
9. Buddhist Science
10. Buddhist Ecology
11. Buddhist Politics
12. Buddhist Economy
13. Buddhist Sociology
14. Buddhist Law
15. Buddhist Anthropology
16. Buddhist History
17. Buddhist Theology
18. Buddhist Gnosis
19. Buddhist Mysticism
20. Buddhist Priesthood

With regard to the definitive model of Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) created by the Maitriyana, there are two schemes. The introductory scheme is composed of the evolution of Buddhism through the incorporation of a fourth principle that transcends and includes its previous elements. Thus, Buddhism is redefined as Buddha-Dharma-Sangha-Maitri, as well as Dhyana-Prajna-Sila-Karuna. The same happens with the incorporation of a fourth basket within the Buddhist Canon (Abhidhamma-Sutta-Vinaya-Bodhi), but also with the incorporation of new practical and theoretical elements. In this way, the first model of Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) is an Analytical-Existential-Libertarian-Mystical Discourse which has four theoretical pathways:

1. Buddhist Metapsychology
2. Buddhist Metaphilosophy
3. Buddhist Metapolitics
4. Buddhist Metarreligion

Also, it has four practical pathways conforming the Analytical-Existential-Libertarian-Mystical Discourse of Maitriyana:

1. Analytical meditation
2. Existential meditation
3. Libertarian meditation
4. Mystical meditation

These four contemplative practices have four poisons to defeat: the Ego, Ideology, the State and Nihilism.

This model has, in turn, a counterpart into five distinct types of Samyaksambuddhas:

• Analytical Buddha
• Existential Buddha
• Libertarian Buddha
• Mystical Buddha
• Integral Buddha or Synthesis Avatar

On the other hand, while the Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) of Master Zongmi synthesized Ekayana Buddhism with two disciplines of China, which were Taoism and Confucianism, the Maitriyana, on its part, developed the more extraordinary Super-Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) of history when synthesizing Buddhism with 20 disciplines from West and East, creating a model of Future Buddhist Civilization composed of 20 vehicles:

1. Buddhist Psychoanalysis
2. Buddhist Humanism
3. Buddhist Transpersonalism
4. Buddhist Cognitivism
5. Buddhist Integralism
6. Buddhist Existentialism
7. Buddhist Stoicism
8. Buddhist Surrealism
9. Buddhist Relativism
10. Buddhist Environmentalism
11. Buddhist Socialism
12. Buddhist Cooperativism
13. Buddhist Anarchism
14. Buddhist Abolitionism
15. Buddhist Shamanism
16. Buddhist Christianity
17. Buddhist Revisionism
18. Buddhist Messianism
19. Buddhist Sufism
20. Buddhist Ecumenism

Finally, in correspondence with the model of Integral Buddhist Civilization, then the Maitriyana transmits the Five Noble Truths and the Noble Twentyfold Path of Buddhist Evolution.

First Noble Truth: Everything in the Universe is inherently unsatisfactory, impermanent, insubstantial and interdependent;

Second Noble Truth: The ordinary human being lives with attachment to suffering, repetition in the face of change, unconsciousness of Emptiness, and aversion to others;

Third Noble Truth: The Evolution of the human being is through Detachment, Serenity, Awakening and Mutual Support.

Fourth Noble Truth: Detachment, Serenity, Awakening and Mutual Support must be practiced through the Noble Twentyfold Path comprised of appropriate attention, appropriate peace, appropriate health, appropriate liberation, appropriate concentration, appropriate thought, appropriate knowledge, appropriate comprehension, appropriate truthfulness, appropriate harmony, appropriate speech, appropriate work, appropriate conduct, appropriate justice, appropriate effort, appropriate responsibility, appropriate love, appropriate intuition, appropriate unity and appropriate salvation;

Fifth Noble Truth: Individual Evolution is not the ultimate goal, but is only the righteous means for the True Purpose (Dharma) which is the Cosmic Evolution of all sentient beings in the Multiverse.

O the other hand, even the Maitriyana has a scheme of Super-Integral Spirituality (Mahapurna Sasana) that preserves and dialectically transcends all traditions by means of a practical and theoretical framework of 20 vehicles: Super-Integral Psychology, Super-Integral Psychiatry, Super-Integral Medicine, Super-Integral Pedagogy Super-Integral Psychotherapy, Super-Integral Philosophy, Super-Integral Ethics, Super Integral Arts, Super-Integral Science, Super-Integral Environmentalism, Super-Integral Politics, Super-Integral Economy, Super-Integral Sociology, Super-Integral Law, Super-Integral Anthropology, Super-Integral Theology, Super-Integral History, Super-Integral Gnosis, Super-Integral Mysticism and Super-Integral Priesthood. In this way, Super-Integral Spirituality (Mahapurna Sasana) would not be a mere discipline but rather the set of peak knowledge and compassionate wisdom of the whole humankind.

In addition, Maitriyana’s Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) includes within its meta-lineage the Awakened Beings (Buddhas) of multiple Buddhist and non-Buddhist traditions, because Free and Enlightened Beings (Arhats-Bodhisattvas) always emerge when humans follow the Path of generosity (dana), ethics (sila), detachment (nekkhama), wisdom (panna), tenacity (viriya), patience (khanti), veracity (saccha), commitment (adhitthana) spiritual love (metta) and equanimity (upekkha). Thus, while the Theravada has a meta-lineage of 28 Sammasambuddhas and the Ekayana has a lineage of 28 Sravakabuddhas, on its part the Maitriyana pays tribute to the past by making a list in which 28 Buddhas are recognized that have appeared along the whole history, even though some of them have not been Buddhists, demonstrating the revolutionary and reconciling nature of Maitriyana’s Super-integral Buddhism (Mahapurna). While this meta-lineage includes Buddhists such as Siddharta Gautama, Garab Dorje, Nagarjuna, Asanga, Bodhidharma, Zhiyi, Hui Neng, Chinul, Padmasambhava, Guifeng Zongmi, Hotei, Honen, Dogen, Nichiren, Wonhyo, Hakuin Ekaku and Ambedkar, at the same time Laozi, Confucius, Socrates, Pyrrho, Jesus of Nazareth, Mani, Jingjing, Francis of Asisi, Eckart, St John of the Cross and Baháulláh are also recognized as Awakened Ones (Buddhas).

The Maitriyana’s Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) not only shows the Path to unity and harmony of Buddhist teachings and spiritual traditions, but is also a direct Path to world peace, social justice, advanced education, and ecological health of the entire humanity. This pathway not only teaches how to save the world, but also how to realize the appropriate evolution of the human being, so that this comprehensive and integrative approach is based on the essential pathway of compassionate wisdom. Therefore, the Maitriyana teaches the lifestyle of Perennial Spirituality in the here and now. Although the Maitriyana’s Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) is hard to understand because it is an ocean within which many streams are found, this integrative and reconciling scheme is the supreme vehicle of Spirituality because it preserves the most fundamental principles of contemplation, wisdom, ethics and compassion. The supremacy of Maitriyana comes precisely from showing how to appropriately liberate the inner and outer world, always paying tribute to the Truth of the past, present and future. In this way Maitriyana’s Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) is the core and culmination of Universal Spirituality, unifying the Buddhist Spirituality and going beyond it by uniting all wisdom of East and West. In this sense, Maitriyana compiles all the different types of Integral Buddhism (Purna) within a supreme vehicle of Super Integral Buddhism (Mahapurna) that allows to buddhizate or to spiritually convert the main disciplines of history’s thought. This dharmic conquest promoted by the Maitriyana may be considered as powerful as the Buddhist missions that King Ashoka sent to different continents of the world. On this occasion, far from trying to influence societies, it is sought the spiritualization of psychology, psychiatry, medicine, pedagogy, psychotherapy, philosophy, ethics, art, science, environmentalism, politics, economics, sociology, law, anthropology and theology, since only through the transformation of these disciplines the Super-Integral Spirituality (Mahapurna Sasana) of the Maitriyana will be able to create a better civilization and a healthy and awakened humankind. Even if that Purpose (Dharma) is never attained, to live and die for this Path is the best way to exist.

[1] Anguttara Nikaya, Pali Cannon.

[2] Buddhavamsa, Khuddaka Nikaya (Sutta Pitaka, Canon Pali)

[3] Dasabodhisattuppattikatha (The Birth Stories of the Ten Bodhisattas)

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BUDDHAS PROJECT

 

Seeking the virtues of 1 Buddha is the same as seeking the virtues of all Buddhas, since all the Buddhas have a single and common Dharmic Nature.

Siddharta Gautama

 

Buddhas in the Theravada

There are three variations of Awakened Beings (Buddhas) according to the Theravada Buddhism:

1. Samyaksambuddha (Samasambuddha). This is the one who wakes up by himself and teaches the entire humanity to attain the Awakening.
2. Pratyekabuddha (Paccekabuddha). This is the one who wakes up by himself but he does not have the oath to teach to everyone.
3. This is the apprentice who wakes up after the contact with an Awakened Being. Bodhisattvas can be found in this category.

Buddhism has lost this categorization, since it usually recognizes only to Siddhartha Gautama as a Buddha (Awakened Being), a Samyaksambuddha (Self-enlightened one) thus forgetting that there have been many others who have achieved by themselves this same spiritual level. Therefore, the Theravada recalls that there are three types of Samyaksambuddhas: with a greater wisdom (prajñādhika), with a greater effort (vīryādhika) and with a greater faith (śraddhādhika). Gautama was a Prajñādhika Buddha (through greater wisdom).

The Sammasambuddha is also called Sabbanu Buddha (Omniscient Buddha), having the mission of Saving the Spiritual Truth for the Cure (Nirvana) and the Awakening (Bodhi) of all beings. By such reason, a Self-enlightened is a Medic (bhisakko) and Master (Sattharo), although his function of spiritual leadership grants him the title of Lord (Bhagava) and even of Universal Monarch (Raja Chakkavatti) or Descendent from the Sun (Adiccha-Bandhu’).

In order to purge the Buddhist Spirituality from every possible religious nuance, the Maitriyana claims that in the verses of the Jataka stories, the tenth book of the Khuddaka-Nikaya (Sutta Pitaka), it is described that Siddharta Gautama himself is only one appearance within a long chain of Samyaksambuddhas. In fact, in the Jataka Atthakatha and the Lalitavistara, a list of more than two dozen of Samyaksambuddhas is submitted, while the Mahavastu has a list of about a hundred Samyaksambuddhas. Now, regarding the Buddhavamsa text which is part of the Khuddaka Nikaya (Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon), it provides a particular description of the sermons and auras of these twenty eight Samyaksambuddhas (Samasambuddhas), who taught Spirituality to people. The last one of this list was Siddhartha Gautama, however he obviously was not the first Buddha nor the latest. In countries -such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Thailand, where Theravada Buddhism predominates, it is effectively a custom to celebrate festivals in order to pay tribute to the twenty eight Samyaksambuddhas. In Theravada Buddhism, the first Samasambuddhas are considered as primordial, especially the first three (Taṇhaṅkara, Medhaṅkara, y Saraṇaṅkara) because they lived before the fourth Samasambuddha called Dipankara, who is very important in both the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. But obviously the twenty eight Samyaksambuddhas are not the only ones who have existed, since Siddharta Gautama himself taught that have appeared countless amount of Samyaksambuddhas or Sabbanubuddhas in the past. In the current era, called Bhadrakalpa (Bhaddakappa), it is expected that 1000 Samyaksambuddhas appear, although a single Samyaksambuddha usually appears one at a time.

Below, the list in Pali and Sanskrit of the twenty eight Samyaksambuddhas is presented according to Theravada, at the same time future Samyaksambuddhas who are expected to come after Siddharta Gautama Buddha are listed.

Buddhas from other ages

1. Buddha Taṇhaṃkara (p)
2. Buddha Medhaṃkara (p)
3. Buddha Saraṇaṃkara (p)
4. Buddha Dīpankara (p) Buddha Dīpankara (s)
   5. Buddha Koṇdañña (p) Buddha Kauṇḍiya (s)
   6. Buddha Mangala (p)   Buddha Mangala (s)
   7. Buddha Sumana (p)   Buddha Sumana (s)
   8. Buddha Revata (p)  Buddha Raivata (s)
   9. Buddha Sobhita (p)  Buddha Śobhita (s)
   10. Buddha Anomadassa (p)  Buddha Anavamadarśin (s)
   11. Buddha Paduma (p)  Buddha Padma (s)
   12. Buddha Nārada (p)  Buddha Nārada (s)
   13. Buddha Padumuttara (p)  Buddha Padumottara (s)
   14. Buddha Sumedha (p)  Buddha Sumedha (s)
   15. Buddha Sujāta (p)  Buddha Sujāta (s)
   16. Buddha Piyadassi (p)  Buddha Priyadarśin (s)
   17. Buddha Aţţhadassi (p)  Buddha Arthadaśin (s)
   18. Buddha Dhammadassi (p)  Buddha Dharmadarśin (s)
   19. Buddha Siddhattha (p)  Buddha Siddhārtha (s)
   20. Buddha Tissa (p)  Buddha Tiṣya (s)
   21. Buddha Phussa (p)  Buddha Puṣya (s)
5. Buddha Vipassi (p) Buddha Vipaśyin (s)
6. Buddha Sikhī (p) Buddha Śikhin (s)
   24. Buddha Vessabhu (p) Buddha Viśvabhuj (s)

Buddhas from the current Bhadrakalpa era:
25. Buddha Kakusandha (p) Buddha Krakucchanda (s)
26. Buddha Koṇāgamana (p) Buddha Kanakamuni (s)
27. Buddha Kassapa (p) Buddha Kāśyapa (s)
28. Buddha Siddhattha Gotama (Sakiyamuni) (p) Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama

29. Metteya

 Future Buddhas from the Bhadrakalpa era according to some Sinhalese sources
1. Metteyya

2. Rama
3. Buddha Dhammaraja (king Pasenadi of Kosala)
4. Buddha Dhammassami (Abhibhu king of devas)
5. Buddha Narada (Dighasona)
6. Buddha Ramsimuni (Canki)
7. Buddha Devadeva (Subha)
8. Buddha Narasiha (Todeyya)
9. Buddha Tissa (elephant Dhanapala)
10. Buddha Sumangala (elephant Parileyya)

Many Buddhists pay homage to the Samasambuddha 29, Metteyya, as the spiritual successor of Siddhartha Gautama, appearing on the Earth to teach pure Spirituality. The prophecy of this event is found in the canonical literature of both the Theravada and the Mahayana, considering that this would happen before the eventual loss of the True Buddhism. The Chakkavatti Sihanada and the Anagatavamsa Sutra describe the features of this advent. However, Dasabodhisattuppattikatha (The Birth Stories of the Ten Bodhisattas) may describe even the next nine successors of Metteyya. This clearly demonstrates the spirit of Maitriyana in its attempt to recognise the different Samasambuddhas who have appeared after Siddhartha Gautama.

Buddhas in Mahayana

However, this tradition of the 28 Samasambuddhas has lost itself within Mahayana Buddhism, remaining symbolically preserved in Chan with the 28 indian patriarchs.

1. Mahakashyapa
2. Ananda
3. Shanavasa
4. Upagupta
5. Dhritaka
6. Mikkaka
7. Vasumitra
8. Buddhananda
9. Buddhamitra
10. Parshva
11. Punyayashas
12. Ashvaghosha
13. Kapimala
14. Nagarjuna
15. Aryadeva
16. Rahulata
17. Samghanandi
18. Samgayashas
19. Kumarata
20. Jayata
21. Vasubandhu
22. Manorhita
23. Haklena
24. Aryasimha
25. Vasiasita
26. Punyamitra
27. Prajnatara
28. Bodhidharma

Concordantly, with regard to Mahayana Buddhism, it is theoretically considered that the quantity is enormous, so it is affirmed that there are a Thousand Buddhas. Some of them are Vessabhū Buddha, Kakusandha (Krakucchanda) Buddha, Konagamana (Kanakamuni) Buddha and Kassapa (Kashyapa) Buddha. This implies that there has been a timeless succession of numerous Samasambuddhas who appeared in the past and they will also appear in the future. Nevertheless, traditionally it is spoken of a holy trinity composed of Dipankara, Gautama and Metteyya, who are considered as the Buddhas of the Three Times: from past, present and future. Popularly, Budai (Hotei) has been recognised as the incarnation of Metteyya, while some Buddhist groups consider that Nichiren was.

As regards the Vajrayana, it is considered that there are five heavenly figures called Dhyani Buddhas.

1. Vairochana
2. Aksobhya
3. Ratnasambhava
4. Amitabha
5. Amoghasiddhi

At the same time, these five figures correspond respectively to the five human Buddhas: Krakuchandra, Kanakamuni, Kashyapa, Gautama and Maitreya.

Furthermore, there is a veneration to a list of 18 Arhats (Lohans) within the Chinese Buddhism, a group that supposedly has the Purpose (Dharma) of caring the Buddhist Spirituality and wait for the advent of Metteyya.

1. Pindola Bharadvaja
2. Kanaka Vatsa
3. Karaka Bharadvaja
4. Subhinda
5. Nakula
6. Bhadra
7. Kalika
8. Vajraputra
9. Gobaka
10. Maha Panthaka
11. Rahula
12. Nagasena
13. Angida
14. Vanavasa
15. Asita
16. Panthaka
17. Nantimitolo
18. Pindola

Buddhas in Maitriyana

Throughout the history of humanity there have been both Buddhists and non-Buddhists who have achieved a kind of similar Enlightment and Liberation to that of Siddhartha Gautama’s, thus developing the unique qualifications to convert someone into an Awakened Being (Buddhakarakadhamma). In this way any human being can become an Awakened Being (Buddha) as long as he follows the Path of generosity (dana), ethics (sila), detachment (nekkhama), wisdom (panna), tenacity (viriya), patience (khanti), truthfulness (Saccha), engagement (adhitthana), spiritual love (metta), and equanimity (upekkha). In this way there are 18 unique qualities which characterise the Awakened Beings (Buddhas): rectitude in action, discourse and mind; non-dualistic thinking; concentration and discernment without fail; will and unlimited vigor; mindfulness, wisdom and infinite liberation; free vision and knowledge; appropriate speaking; balanced thoughts; clear insight about the past, present and future.

Just as the 28 Buddhas of Theravada and the 28 Indian Patriarchs of Zen, the Maitriyana makes a list recognising 28 Samyaksambuddhas that have appeared throughout the entire history. Many of them are Buddhists, while others are not. While the vast majority of them attained Awakening (Bodhi) for their own spiritual merit, others were able to go beyond the conventional system of lineages and they developed a Reconciliatory Spirituality. The Maitriyana pays tribute to these supreme human beings.

1. Siddharta Gautama
2. Laozi
3. Confucius
4. Socrates
5. Pyrrho
6. Jesus of Nazareth
7. Garab Dorje
8. Nagarjuna
9. Mani
10. Asanga
11. Bodhidharma
12. Zhiyi
13. Hui Neng
14. Chinul
15. Jingjing
16. Padmasambhava
17. Guifeng Zongmi
18. Hotei
19. Honen
20. Wonhyo
21. Francis of Asisi
22. Dogen
23. Nichiren
24. Meister Eckart
25. Hakuin Ekaku
26. Baháulláh
27. Ambedkar
28. Maitreya

By considering these 28 Samyaksambuddhas as Precursors of Maitriyana, it is clear that this movement has the Supreme Purpose (Dharma) to lead humanity toward a global spiritual evolution, allowing many more Buddhas to emerge in the future.

On the other hand, while the Theravada proposes the existence of three different types of Samyaksambuddhas, such as a Prajñādhika Buddha (with greater wisdom), a vīryādhika Buddha (with greater effort) and a śraddhādhika Buddha (with greater faith), instead, the Maitriyana raises the existence of six different types of Samyaksambuddhas: 1) Analytical Buddha, 2) Existential Buddha, 3) Libertarian Buddha, 4) Mystical Buddha, 5) Integral Buddha (Purna) or Avatar of Synthesis, and 6) Super-Integral Buddha (Maha-Purna).  These archetypes were fully expressed in Gautama (Analytical Buddha who teaches the Cure of the mind), Laozi (Existential Buddha who teaches the Awakening of reality), Confucius (Libertarian Buddha who taught the Harmony of society), Jesus (Mystical Buddha who taught Liberation from the divine), and Maitreya (Integral Buddha who teaches the Unity of compassionate knowledge of all Buddhas, and also Super-Integral Buddha who teaches Reconciliation and the peak knowledge of all spiritual traditions and civilizations).

Now, although any ignorant might consider this model of the Maitriyana as a new age syncretism, nevertheless, it is confirmed that this type of spiritual synthesis with lineages of prophets or universal mediators has not been the exception but has been the norm throughout the entire history of Spirituality. Indeed, almost all spiritual traditions have a prophetic lineage or chain of progressive revelation of the divine composed of mediators, prophets, messengers, avatars or holy manifestations.  Certainly, there are integral prophetic lineages composed of mediators belonging to the same tradition, such as Zoroastrianism that has a list of 4 mediators or divine incarnations, Jainism that has a list of 24 prophets that have occurred periodically in history, and Judaism that theorizes about the existence of a chain of divine messengers composed of 55 prophets (major or minor).  But there are also integral prophetic lineages composed of mediators from different traditions, such as in the case of Ebionites and pseudo-Clementines who recognize a list of 8 incarnations of the true prophet in which Jesus is the final messenger; the case of Islam and Shaykhism that recognize Jewish and Christian prophets simultaneously affirming Muhammad as the final messenger.

Accordingly, there are super-integral prophetic lineages that just like the Maitriyana also include Siddhartha Gautama along with prophets from other spiritual traditions. The first example is Hinduism has a chain of 10 avatars or manifestations (pradurbhava):

1. Matsya
2. Kurma
3. Varaha
4. Nara-simha
5. Vamana
6. Parashu-rama
7. Rama
8. Krishna
9. Siddhartha Gautama
10. Kalkin

 

The second example is the case of Manichaeism, which was a new integral world religion with respect to the previous ones. Its founder, Mani, recognized the existence of a super-integral prophetic lineage composed of 4 prophets or revelators: Gautama, Zarathustra, Jesus and Mani. At the same time, Al-Shahrastani considers that in Manichaeism there are 8 prophets:

1. Adam
2. Seth
3. Noa
4. Abraham
5. Siddhartha Gautama
6. Zarathustra
7. Jesus
8. Paul

Finally, Bahaism distinguishes the existence of two types of prophets: the dependent and the independent. In the case of dependent prophets, they are those who were followers, promoters, and transmitters of the Law, while the case of independent or universal prophets are those religious founders who have revealed the Law. Thus, Baha’ism teaches a super-integral prophetic lineage composed of the following mediators:

1. Adam
2. Noa
3. Krishna
4. Abraham
5. Moses
6. Siddhartha Gautama
7. Zarathustra
8. Hud
9. Salih
10. Jesus
11. Muhammad
12. Bab
13. Bahaullah

In this way, just like the Maitriyana, the Bahaism of Abdul Baha and Bahaullah not only affirms that the complete list of these divine manifestations is unknown, with envoys in each era and in each nation since immemorial time, but also affirms that this prophetic chain of divine manifestations will continue in the future forever, since Bahaullah considered himself as the most recent manifestation but not the last or final one, since the number is undefined.