The Mahayana Rebellion – Summary of Topic #3 in the Treasured Teachings monthly series

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.