The Isaiah Thomas Bookstore is between Falmouth and Hyannis on Cape Cod. Said to have over “50,000” books, the one I found, Manifestations of Buddhas, published in 2008 in Singapore is a beautifully illustrated rendering of how Buddhadarma relates to Shakyamuni Buddha, values, teachings, ancestors, and places. This reading helped me have a better view of all of various Buddhas by type, time, attributes, and schools of Dharma thought. As well as the history of ancestors and how practices paths have unfolded. This is an overview.
Pantheon (from Greek pan- meaning “all” and theos meaning “god”) refers to:
- The collective group of gods, goddesses, or sacred beings within a specific religion or mythology (e.g., past Buddhas before Shakyamunia and into the future).
- Symbols: Placeholders for representing a much larger interpretation. These may be words, pictographics, monuments, poems, songs, or clothing.
- A Temple Dedicated to All Gods: A sacred monument built for all deities, most stupas, monasteries, hermitages.
- A Group of Illustrious Figures: An elite, highly celebrated group of individuals renowned in a specific field or discipline (e.g., “the pantheon of Arhats, Bodisatvas, Mahasatvas.
- A Memorial Place: A space and or facility housing the tombs or memorials of respected historic figures.
Jakata Tales
- A canonical collection of over 500 moral stories recounting the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal forms as he cultivated the perfections (paramis) necessary for enlightenment.
- Story of the Present (Paccuppannavatthu): The occasion in the Buddha’s current lifetime that prompted him to tell the story.
- Story of the Past (Atitavatthu): The main narrative detailing the actions of the Buddha in a past incarnation (the Bodhisattva).
- Canonical Verse (Gatha): The poetic verse summarizing the moral or spiritual lesson.
- Identification (Samadhana): The conclusion where the Buddha links the characters in the story to people in his present life.
- Vessantara Jataka: Demonstrates supreme generosity (dana) as Prince Vessantara gives away all his possessions, including his children and royal elephant.
- Mahakapi Jataka: Illustrates compassionate leadership as a monkey king uses his own body as a bridge to save his troupe from royal soldiers.
- Sasa Jataka: Highlights ultimate self-sacrifice as a hare leaps into a fire to offer itself as food to a hungry wanderer.
- Visual Teaching Tool: Played a foundational role in Buddhist art, heavily depicted on stone reliefs at Bharhut, Sanchi, and Borobudur, as well as the cave frescoes at Ajanta.
- Literary Influence: Shared narrative motifs with ancient folklore collections like the Panchatantra and the Hitopadesha, influencing fable traditions throughout Asia and Western Asia.
- Transition from Symbols to Images: Traces how early Buddhist devotion moved from aniconic placeholders (stupas, footprints, wheels of law) to human likenesses following Shakyamuni Buddha’s parinirvana to fulfill the human need for visual reverence.
The Trikaya Framework (Three Bodies):
- Dharmakaya: The ultimate, unmanifest reality of the Buddha as the cosmic Law or Absolute.
- Sambhogakaya: The glorified “Bliss Body” enthroned in heavenly realms, often depicted adorned in royal robes and jewels as a Universal Monarch (chakravartin).
- Nirmanakaya: The physical emanation body born into the mortal realm (like Siddhartha Gautama) to teach the Dharma.
- Iconography & Superhuman Lakshanas: Explains the artistic conventions derived from the 32 major physical marks (mahapurusha lakshanas) and 80 subsidiary features, including the cranial protrusion (ushnisha), forehead mark (urna), elongated earlobes, and webbed fingers.
- Expansion into a Celestial Pantheon: Outlines how Mahayana and Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhism introduced diverse forms, including medicine Buddhas (Bhaishajyaguru), longevity deities (Amitayus), Bodhisattvas, and wrathful protectors.
This package of beliefs is built and changes over time serving as reminders/symbols of life’s teachings, values, and behaviors to address the great matter of birth and death. Joseph Campbell defined it this way: The Mystical/Metaphysical Function Awakening and maintaining in the individual a sense of awe and gratitude before the ‘mystery of being’ and his or her participation in it. According to Campbell, the absolute mystery of life, what he called transcendent reality, cannot be captured directly in words or images. Symbols and mythic metaphors on the other hand point outside themselves and into that reality. They are what Campbell called “being statements”[46] and their enactment through ritual can give to the participant a sense of that ultimate mystery as an experience. “Mythological symbols touch and exhilarate life beyond the reach of reason and coercion.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell#cite_note-Campbell_J._1969-46
In comparison to Buddhism, think of the Norse Pantheon. In Norse Mythology, human struggles are championed by various demigods under Odin. Conflict is human focus and the fate of the righteous is Valhalla. Adherence to a particular code of conduct by followers creates a meaning of life and great warriors are kept alive in songs and sagas. In Buddhism, stories are told of historical figures before Shakyamui Buddha who found the keys to Samadhi. The six Buddhas of Antiquity: Vipashyin (Vipassī), Shikhin (Sikhī),Vishvabhū (Vessabhū), Krakucchanda (Kakusandha) – First Buddha of our current cosmic cycle (Bhadrakalpa). Kanakamuni (Koṇāgamana) – Second Buddha of our cycle. Kāshyapa (Kassapa) – Third Buddha of our cycle and the immediate predecessor to Gautama.
There are also twenty-seven ancient names in the Pali Cannons and are variations of variations from Vedic teachings of sacrificial ritual, the caste hierachy, denial of scriptural infallibility, redefining karma, subordinating of devas, and countering Atman with Anatta. These changes spawned a set of values that were against the beliefs and rituals backdrops of the dominating teachings of the time.
Then, after the paranirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha his followers expanded their thoughts about his various activities through six Buddhist Councils.
I suggest several influences on Buddhism, Mayahanna, and Zen leading us to this our current time to explore:
- Pre-Shakyamuni
- Shakyamuni Buddha
- First and Second Buddhist Councils
- Asoka’s Rein,
- Greek influence,
- Chinese Zen,
- Bodhidharma
- Huineng
- Dogen
- Meiji Period 1868-1912
- Asian migration beginning in the 1860s
- D.T. Suzuki
- Zengaku Motsuoka 1941, came to US
- Freedom movements after World War II
- Taiun Micheal Elliston- Householder Zen
- Development of video communications and the Internet.
- Falmouth Soto Zen Sangha