[SOUND] Another very important school of Chinese Buddhism which is called Huayan. Flourished in Chinese 6 and 7 Centuries. This school had a very beautiful, and even picturesque name, Huayan, which means Flower Ornament School, or flower garland school. This came from the Sanskrit name Avatamsaka because this school used as a main idea, as a main text, used the Avatamsaka Sutra. This Huayan school also based on the same ideas as the Tiantai school but really small differences. First of all, the reality is understood as an independent rating thinks in independent rating reality. It just an illusion. For example, evil is interpenetrating with the good and vice versa. Nothing is stable. Nothing is fixed. Nothing is arranged as it was. So everything just is changing. And we have to find our middle way to understand the illusion of this reality. Huayan school played a very important role in the codification of Chinese Buddhism. And this clarification was made for the first time in the history of China by the teachers of Huayan school. But they made this clarification, this structure, this lineage in favor of the Huayan followers. The main idea was very, very simple. All schools of Indian and even of Chinese Buddhism could be divided in several stage or several steps of the development. The fist one was called the Hinayana school, which already existed in India. It was just a basic, a grant for the future development of Buddhist. The 2nd its a Mahayana school or Mahayana stream which opened in China, so it was the 2nd one. Finally, it was the final teacher or final school, one of the highest point of the development of this doctrine based on the so-called the idea of Tathagatagarbha, the womb of Buddha. It means that the womb of Buddha includes an embrace of everything. So all schools, all ideas, all streams, all teacher could be embraced by these Tathagatagarbha. Huayan school, also, the very highly praised the Sudden school. It means [FOREIGN]. Right now we have a little discussion. What does it mean, the Sudden school? Some schools argue that it was an idea about this called the future Chang Buddhism, which emphasizes on the sudden enlightenment. But the highest way, the highest point of the development of all Buddhism by the idea of the Huayan teachers where the so called the complete perfect teaching, which is Avatansaka-sutra and which is Huayan school. So it means that Huayan school supported all other streams of the Buddhism. But at the same time, in a very smart way, they just supported the idea that all schools and all ideas could be embraced in one school which was Huayan. The beginning of the very long lasting discussions about different schools of Chinese Buddhaism. So for the first period of the development Chinese Buddhaist started to discuss several main ideas. The first idea was the debates about enlightenment. Who could be enlighted? In what way it could be enlight? The Faxiang school are told that the main Faxiang school was that because people are different by the nation, and that's why they have different ways to enlightenment. And they have different chances for this enlightenment, it means that not everyone can be enlightened in this life, and in this body. So it means, we have to come back to the idea of the resurrection. And maybe after some resurrections, rebirth, we could be enlighten. So it's not for everyone. The idea of Tiantai school was a little bit different. It means that everyone of us has a good nature inside. We don't have any big difference with Buddha which lived in India, with the Buddha Guatama. It means that the way to Buddhahood is open for everyone, you have just make some try, more attempt to do it. It does mean that you can be alloted in this life, but anyway, you have a chance to be enlightened in this life. Chan school of Buddhism had in this way much more democratic approach. Yes, the way to Buddhahood is open for everyone. It's prepare it for everyone. But there are some preconditions. Prerequisites for the enlightenment. First of all, you have to make a very smart, a very strong attempt to do it. So it does mean that it could be attended just as it was without any effort. Not the first idea. The second idea you need to find or to meet in your life an enlightened teacher and this teacher will explain to you what to do and what not to do. How to practice to give the enlightenment. So it means that Chan Buddhists lay stress on the that teach and student connection. So it means that the most important idea to find a good school, a good teacher and to be inside a sangha, also it called the Buddhist community. That's was the second stage of the debate about sectarianism of Buddhism. That's a very important idea. And there are a lot of contradictions about it. Sectarianism, is it good or bad? Is it possible to have a lot of sects with different point of views inside one religious tradition? If you look, for example, from the Western point of view, not impossible. There is only one orthodoxy. And all other streams are just sects. So they are not coincided by the views and the approach or even by the [INAUDIBLE] with the main orthodox tradition. That the beginning of the very crucial really just wars during the medieval history of Europe. Even today we can see some remains of these discussions in the religious wars. But it's not the case about China. Buddhism, we can find a lot of discussions in Buddhism, but not wars. Sectarianism in Buddhism, comprehended as a sign of the vitality of the tradition. It means more sects, more streams, more teacher, is more vital, this tradition. This tradition could survive for a long time. So it's very good to have a lot of sects, a lot of teachers, and a lot of explanation, even understanding what does mean Buddha nature. For example, even today when Chinese try to be connected to Buddhism he or she tries not to find a good monastery or good temple or just to read some books. These future students tried to find a good teacher. And so it's a teacher basic Buddhism. And teacher will explain you what to do. What not to do. How to meditate. What to do. For example, in your life what food to eat and what to sustain. So it means that first of all, you had to find your teacher. It means that the teacher based Buddhism. And this idea of the teacher based Buddhism born in the medieval Chinese Buddhism in the epoch of Tan and Su. [MUSIC]
