hayana seven lines
of thought or practice. All are not found in all sects and some are
shared with the Hinayana but probably none are found fully developed
outside the Mahayana. Many of them have parallels in the contemporary
phases of Hinduism.

1. A belief in Bodhisattvas and in the power of human beings to become
Bodhisattvas.

2. A code of altruistic ethics which teaches that everyone must do
good in the interest of the whole world and make over to others any
merit he may acquire by his virtues. The aim of the religious life is
to become a Bodhisattva, not to become an Arhat.

3. A doctrine that Buddhas are supernatural beings, distributed
through infinite space and time, and innumerable. In the language of
later theology a Buddha has three bodies and still later there is a
group of five Buddhas.

4. Various systems of idealist metaphysics, which tend to regard the
Buddha essence or Nirvana much as Brahman is regarded in the Vedanta.

5. A canon composed in Sanskrit and apparently later than the Pali
Canon.

6. Habitual worship of images and elaboration of ritual. There is a
dangerous tendency to rely on formulae and charms.

7. A special doctrine of salvation by faith in a Buddha, usually
Amitabha, and invocation of his name. Mahayanism can exist without
this doctrine but it is tolerated by most sects and considered
essential by some.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: Sanskrit, _Mahayana_; Chinese, _Ta Ch'eng_ (pronounced
_Tai Sheng_ in many southern provinces); Japanese, _Dai-jo_; Tibetan,
_Theg-pa-chen-po_; Mongolian, _Yaekae-kuelgaen_; Sanskrit, _Hinayana_;
Chinese, _Hsiao-Ch'eng_; Japanese, _Sho-jo_; Tibetan, _Theg-dman_;
Mongolian _Uetsuekaen-kuelgaen_. In Sanskrit the synonyms agrayana and
uttama-yana are also found.]

[Footnote 2: Record of Buddhist practices. Transl. Takakusu, 1896, p.
14. Hsuean Chuang seems to have thought that acceptance of the
Yogacaryabhumi (Nanjio, 1170) was essential for a Mahayanist. See his
life, transl. by Beal, p. 39, transl. by Julien, p. 50.]

[Footnote 3: Saddharma-Pundarika, chap. III. For brevity, I usually
cite this work by the title of The Lotus.]

[Footnote 4: The date 58 B.C. has probably few supporters among
scholars now, especially after Marshall's discoveries.]

CHAPTER XVII

BODHISATTVAS

Let us now consider these doctrines and take first the worship of
Bodhisattvas. This word means one whose essence is knowledge but is
used in the technical s