Aspects of Mahayana Buddhism and its Relation to Hinayana c6.s13.16

c6.s13.16

Though there is an attempt to decry Hinayānism in almost all the Mahāyāna works, they cannot afford to deny the Hinayānists credit for some advance in the path of sanctification, specially for moral progress. According to the *Puṇḍarīka*⁴ there are in each Buddha-kṣetra innumerable Śrāvakas, who are all endowed with energy (vīrya) and are like jewels without any flaw in the observance of the śīlas. The disparagement of the dharma of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas is considered one of the mūlapattis for a bodhisattva⁵. The *Śikṣāsamuccaya*⁶ and the *Bodhicaryāvatāra*⁷ enjoin upon bodhisattvas that they should show equal respect to both Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna. The *Bodhisattvabhūmi*⁸ considers it an offence if a bodhisattva thinks that he should not listen to, learn, or practise the dharmas which are connected with Śrāvakayāna. It is not an unusual occurrence for bodhisattvas to approach Śrāvakas⁹ to hear religious discourses, and it is striking that Subhūti undertakes the rôle of giving an exposition of the Śūnyatā philosophy in the Prajñāparamitās. Thus it is evident that in the early stages of Mahāyāna, Śrāvakas were treated with reverence; this is also apparent from the formula of salutation which appears at the commencement of the early Mahāyāna works, in which among Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Śrāvakas are also mentioned. In some of the later Mahāyāna treatises, the formula has been shortened, e.g., the formula of the Śatasāhasrikā, the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, and the Lalitavistara, which runs as “Namaḥ sarvatathāgatapratyekabuddhāryaśrāvakebhyo, etc.”, is shortened in the Śikṣāsamuccaya, Sūtrālaṅkāra, and the Mahāvyutpatti into “Namaḥ sarvabuddhabodhisattvebhyaḥ”. It is clearly seen in the Mahāyāna works that the progress of Śrāvakas in the path of perfection is recognised by them: their moral life is also admired. It was their ideal and their less metaphysical conception of things that failed to win the approval of the Mahāyānists, and consequently their codes of ethics and philosophical views were regarded by the latter as inadequate and superficial.