An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism: The Essentials of Buddhist Spirituality (13 page)

one of the titles of the Buddha is
Shūnyamūrti
,
“Manifestation of the

Void”. This title is a clear indication of the Buddha’s role as
Logos
or

Avatārā.

In Buddhism, Ultimate Reality is also referred to, in different

contexts, as
Dharma
(“Law”),
Bodhi
(“Awakening”, “Enlightenment”,

“Knowledge”), and
Ātmā
(“Self”).
Ultimate or Divine Reality—and

this is particularly the case in
Mahāyāna
Buddhism—is also regarded

as a Supreme Being.1

1 Relevant here, and applicable in all religions, is the theological distinction between

God Transcendent, the Divine Being or “Object” (
Brahma
,
Mahāvairochana
,
Jehovah
,
Allāh
)
and God Immanent, the Divine Self or “Subject” (
Ātmā
).

32

An Illustrated Outline of Buddhism

The foregoing makes it clear why, whether Ultimate Reality be

primarily viewed as a Supreme State (
Nirvāna
)
or a Supreme Being

(
Dharmakāya
or
Mahāvairochana
),
it is erroneous to call Buddhism

“atheistic”. Ultimate Reality, as envisaged by Buddhism (be it conceived

as “State” or “Being”), is absolute, infinite, and perfect, and these are

precisely the transcendent categories that atheism denies.

Likewise, it is incorrect to call Buddhism a “philosophy” (in the

modern sense of this word), rather than a “religion”. Apart from the

fact that common sense tel s us that Buddhism has all the marks of a

religion, and not a “philosophy”, Buddhism is a religion for the simple

reason that, unlike post-Renaissance “philosophies”, it is not man-

made, but has its origin in a divine revelation.

*

* *

On receiving “enlightenment” (
bodhi
)—which amounted to the provi-

dential revelation of Buddhism—, Siddhārtha Gautama himself be-

came the
Buddha
(the “Enlightened One”). He also enjoys other ti-

tles, such as,
Shākyamuni
(“Sage of the Shākya tribe”),
Shūnyamūrti

(“Manifestation of the Void” or “Exteriorization of the Inward”), and

Tathāgata
(the “Thus-Gone” or the “Ful y-Arrived”, i.e., the one who

has himself accomplished, and now “incarnates” both the path and

the Goal). The Buddha is also identified with
Mahākarunā
,
the “Great

Compassion”.

The Buddha’s life story, as outlined in the preceding pages, provides

the framework for the central doctrine of the Buddhist religion, which

the Buddha himself expressed in the following words: “I teach two

things only, O disciples, suffering and release from suffering.” His life

story likewise provides the background for his doctrine of the “Middle

Way” (Sanskrit:
madhyamā-pratipad
/Pali:
maj hima-pātipadā
),
that is

to say, the golden mean between asceticism and self-indulgence.

All the Buddha’s essential teachings were given in his famous First

Sermon, “the First Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Law” (
Dhar-

machakra Pravatana
),
and are enshrined in what are known as “The

Four Noble Truths” and “The Eightfold Path”.

The Nature and the Teachings of Buddhism

33

Stone Wheel of the Law (
Dharmachakra
), Thailand, 7th-8th century