There are two main
points of this topic:
1. The Mahayana
(“large vehicle”) movement was a rebellion against elitism – the monastic
institution was excluding people who weren’t morally “worthy” (didn’t strictly
uphold the rules). And it was also a rebellion for the true essence of the
Buddha’s teachings which was that all beings participate in awakening – that
there is no requirement that leaves anyone out. This is the fundamental
teaching symbolized by the jewel that was hidden in the “dragons’ lair,” the entrenched
hierarchy of institutional Buddhism that Nagarjuna had to fight his way through
in order to bring that jewel into the open air.
[Tibetan depiction of
Nagarjuna receiving sutras from the water-dragon]
Unfortunately
throughout Buddhist history the elites wanted to keep burying that jewel and
characterize awakening as their own private prize and so Mahayana rebels (such
as Shinran) arose to reclaim the Buddha’s teachings for the people, all people.
Today there are still Buddhist groups in the West who call themselves
“Mahayana” but are very elitist, clinging to the narrative that only morally
pure, intellectually superior people can be enlightened.
2. Shinran saw
Nagarjuna as a prime example of someone from that erroneous narrative who came
to embrace the Pure Land teachings. One evidence of this is he started writing
a commentary on the ten Bodhisattva stages but gave up during his study of the
second one because the first one, the Stage of Joy, struck him so powerfully.
Shinran quotes passages of Nagarjuna where he hears Nagarjuna speaking from his
heart to Shinran’s heart.
If you want to study
the “morally pure, intellectually superior” figure of Nagarjuna worshipped by
elitists, that’s okay as a side project. But if you are a Shin Buddhist
follower your time and effort is better spent hearing Nagarjuna’s words of
passionate joy as received by Shinran. From Shinran’s view, Nagarjuna, like all
the other koso (“high monks”),
started out trekking the difficult path but realized there was no way of
transcending the ego if you’re continually thinking, “I’m doing this to win my prize.” The so-called “easy path” is
the true “everybody on board” vehicle of Mahayana.
