Śrāvakayāna
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''Śrāvakayāna'' (; ; ) is one of the three '' yānas'' known to
Indian Buddhism Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion, which arose in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (now Bihar, India). It is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE and was deemed a "Buddha" or an ...
. It translates literally as the "vehicle of listeners .e. disciples. Historically it was the most common term used by
Mahāyāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
Buddhist texts to describe one hypothetical path to enlightenment. Śrāvakayāna is the path that meets the goals of an Arhat—an individual who achieves liberation as a result of listening to the teachings (or following a lineage) of a Samyaksaṃbuddha. A Buddha who achieved enlightenment through ''Śrāvakayāna'' is called a ''Śrāvakabuddha'', as distinguished from a Samyaksaṃbuddha or pratyekabuddha.


Use of the term

Isabelle Onians asserts that although "the
Mahāyāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
... very occasionally referred contemptuously to earlier Buddhism as the Hinayāna, the Inferior Way," "the preponderance of this name in the secondary literature is far out of proportion to occurrences in the Indian texts." She notes that the term Śrāvakayāna was "the more politically correct and much more usual" term used by Mahāyānists. "Hīnayāna" (the "lesser vehicle"), however, was used to include both Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekabuddhayāna in contrast to the Mahāyāna.


In Early Buddhist schools

At least some of the
early Buddhist schools The early Buddhist schools refers to the History of Buddhism in India, Indian Buddhist "doctrinal schools" or "schools of thought" (Sanskrit: ''vāda'') which arose out of the early unified Buddhist monasticism, Buddhist monastic community (San ...
used the concept of three vehicles including Śrāvakayāna. For example, the
Vaibhāṣika Sarvāstivāda-Vaibhāṣika () or simply Vaibhāṣika () is an ancient Buddhist tradition of Abhidharma (scholastic Buddhist philosophy), which was very influential in north India, especially Kashmir.Westerhoff 2018, pp. 60–61. In various tex ...
Sarvāstivādins are known to have employed the outlook of Buddhist practice as consisting of the Three Vehicles:Nakamura, Hajime. ''Indian Buddhism: A Survey With Bibliographical Notes.'' 1999. p. 189 # Śrāvakayāna # Pratyekabuddhayāna #
Bodhisattvayāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
The
Dharmaguptaka The Dharmaguptaka (Sanskrit: धर्मगुप्तक; ; ) are one of the eighteen or twenty early Buddhist schools from the ancient region of Gandhara, now Pakistan. They are said to have originated from another sect, the Mahīśāsakas f ...
s regarded the path of a śrāvaka (''śrāvakayāna'') and the path of a bodhisattva (''bodhisattvayāna'') to be separate. One of their tenets reads, "The Buddha and those of the Two Vehicles, although they have one and the same liberation, have followed different noble paths."


In Mahāyāna traditions

In the 4th century Mahāyāna
abhidharma The Abhidharma are a collection of Buddhist texts dating from the 3rd century BCE onwards, which contain detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal material appearing in the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. It also refers t ...
work ''Abhidharmasamuccaya'', Asaṅga describes those who follow the Śrāvaka Vehicle (Skt. ''śrāvakayanika''). These people are described as having weak faculties, following the Śrāvaka Dharma, utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, being set on their own liberation, and cultivating detachment in order to attain liberation.Boin-Webb, Sara (tr). Rahula, Walpola (tr). Asanga. ''Abhidharma Samuccaya: The Compendium of Higher Teaching.'' 2001. p. 199-200 While those in the Pratyekabuddha Vehicle (Skt. ''pratyekabuddhayānika'') are portrayed as also utilizing the Śrāvaka Piṭaka, they are said to have medium faculties, to follow the Pratyekabuddha Dharma, and to be set on their own personal enlightenment. Finally, those in the Mahāyāna (Skt. ''mahāyānika'') are portrayed as utilizing the
Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
Piṭaka, as having sharp faculties, following the Bodhisattva Dharma, and set on the perfection and liberation of all beings, and the attainment of complete enlightenment.


In Tibetan Buddhism

In the work written by Gampopa (1074-1153 C.E.), " The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, The Wish-fulfilling Gem of the Noble Teachings", the ‘Pratyekabuddha family’ are described as those who fear samsara and yearn to reach nirvana, but have little compassionate activity, benefiting other beings. They cling to the idea that the unsullied meditative absorption they experience is Nirvana, when it's more like an island to find rest on the way to their actual goal. Rather than feel discouraged, the Buddha taught the ''Śravakabuddha'' and ''Pratyekabuddha'' paths for rest and recuperation. After finding rest, they are encouraged and awakened by the Buddha's body speech and mind to reach final Nirvana. Inspired by the Buddha, they then cultivate Bodhicitta and practice the
Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
path.


In Theravāda traditions


''Sāvakabuddha''

Sāvakabuddha is a
Pali Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
term (equivalent to
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
: ), used rarely in
Theravada ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dharma (Buddhi ...
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, to refer to an enlightened disciple of a Buddha. '' Sāvaka'' means "one who hears"; a person who follows the path to enlightenment by means of hearing the instructions of others. Lay persons, who take special vows, are called ''sāvaka''s. Such enlightened disciples obtained by hearing the
dhamma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold'' or ''to support' ...
as initially taught by a sammasambuddha. A Sāvakabuddha is distinguished from a Sammasambuddha and a Paccekabuddha. The standard designation for such a person is " arhat". Buddhas are supposed to reach by their own efforts and insights. A ''Sāvakabuddha'' might also lead others to enlightenment, but cannot teach the dhamma in a time or world where it has been forgotten, because they depend upon a tradition that stretches back to a ''Sammasambuddha''. The term ''Sāvakabuddha'' is used in Theravadin commentaries''Udana Commentary'', tr Peter Masefield, volume I, 1994, Pali Text Society, page 94; Theragatha commentary, PTS edition, volume I, page 10, not yet translated, cited by Pruitt in ''Journal of the Pali Text Society'', volume XXIX, forthcoming but does not occur in the scriptures of the
Pāli Canon The Pāḷi Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhism, Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the most complete extant Early Buddhist texts, early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from t ...
.


See also

*
Early Buddhist schools The early Buddhist schools refers to the History of Buddhism in India, Indian Buddhist "doctrinal schools" or "schools of thought" (Sanskrit: ''vāda'') which arose out of the early unified Buddhist monasticism, Buddhist monastic community (San ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sravakayana Arhats Mahayana Theravada Early Buddhism