Sanga In Mahayana Buddhism

Images play a major role within our society today. Social media, magazines, advertisements have become a major part of our lives. We are constantly evolving in order to keep up with the people around us; this same concept applies to religions. When people hear the word, “Buddhism,” most people think about a bald man sitting in a room meditating. However, Buddhism has changed over the years just like everything else in our daily lives. Physical representations play a key role in the Buddhist religion in various ways. Each representation may have a different meaning to different people; however, the main purpose of physical representations or icons of Buddha will come back to one central idea. These icons provide Buddhists a physical thing to
In Tibetan Buddhism, this type of person is part of the Sanga, as are monks, nuns, laywomen, and Dharma protectors and Dakinis. In Mahayana Buddhism, this type of person is also a part of the Sanga, along with monks, nuns, and laywomen. The goal of the members of Sanga in Mahayana Buddhism is Bodhisattva. In class, we discussed that the Bodhisattva provides compassion for people residing in Samsara. In Consecrating the Buddha, Swearer explains the “Bodhisattva came to understand the nature of all compounded things which, because of ignorance continually die and are reborn” (Swearer 201). This is the person who is now the icon of Buddha. He pertained “wisdom like the radiance of a great diamond, perceived the three characteristics of existence – impermanence, suffering, and not-self – and the nature of the cause and effect of all things” (201). These are the ideas of Dharma, the three marks of existence. In Bones of the Master, Tsung Tsai asks Georgie to translate the Diamond Sutra. He tells Georgie,

Diamond can cut many, many hard material. Material cannot cut diamond. Means wisdom can cut foolish. Foolish cannot cut wisdom. I tell you clear the philosophy and nature of Diamond Sutra. Of Buddha mind (Crane