Yāna
Yana is a Sanskrit word with a range of meanings that includes nouns such as 'vehicle', 'journey' or 'way', and verbs such as 'go, move, ride or march'.
In the field of Buddhism and Hinduism, yana and marga ('path, path') express the metaphor of spiritual practice as a path or a journey. Ancestral texts of both religions speak of doctrines and practices associated with various yanas.
In Buddhism, yana often explains the metaphor of the spiritual path with the idea of various vehicles that transport a person along the path.
The yana/marga metaphor is similar to the Chinese image of Tao, but Indian and Chinese cultures appear to have developed these metaphors independently.
Origins of yana: vehicles and roads
The use of yana to refer to a spiritual journey may date back to the Rigveda, possibly composed around 1500 BC. C., whose tenth mandala makes numerous references to the deva yana (the 'path of the gods') and a reference to the pitri yana ('path of the parents'). The first verse of the Rig Veda requiem (10.18) roughly translates as: 'Death, take the other path, which is different from the path of the gods' (paraM mrityo anu parehi panthāM yaste swa itaro devayānāt). The "other path" is the pitryana, also mentioned in hymns 10.2, 10.14 and 10.16.
Devayana and pitriyana developed from the Rig Veda's concern for immortality to the classical Hindu concern about the finite existence of the samsara. The Upanishad refer to the devayana and pitri yana. Among other differences, the pitriyana referred to the religious practices of the villagers, and the devayana to the practices of the hermits, who lived in the forests. The Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad (2.4.11 and 4.5.12) also mentions the ekayana, which is distinguished in the phrase vedānām vākhekāyanam, which is roughly translates as 'the Vedas are the direct path to the spirit of the word'.
The Buddhist use of yana emerged from the pre-existing world view of Vedic culture. The Pali version of the Satipatthana Sutta serves as an example of the primary use of yana in a Buddhist context. In this classic text attributed to Sakya Muni (the historical Buddha) he prescribes a number of meditation techniques; Near the end of the sutra, the phrase ekāyano ayaū bhikkhave maggo... appears. This passage roughly translates as 'This is the direct route along the path of purification.' Thus, Nikaya Buddhism expressed at least some contrast between yana (yano in this Pali syntax) and marga (maggo) i>.
A clear distinction between vehicle and road appears in Mahāyāna texts, especially in chapter three of the Lotus Sutra, which tells a parable of a father who promises his sons three chariots to convince them to get out of a burning building, which correspond to the three types of Buddha. In the parable, the goat cart represents Sravaka Buddhahood; the deer chariot, Pratyeka Buddhahood; and the bullock cart Samyaksam Buddhahood. The sutra goes on to say that the teachings of the three vehicles are only convenient meanings (upaya); essentially a white lie. Its purpose is to direct the people towards ekayana (the 'only vehicle'), represented in the parable as a jeweled chariot driven by a white ox.
Yana has subsequently been used in a number of schemes of the Buddhist Mahayana teachings, in which there are two, three, five, six, nine and more vehicles.
The only yana
As stated above, the ideas of the "direct path" or the "only way" appear in the Upanishads, and are reiterated in the Pali Canon. Mahāyāna texts such as the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra sought to unite all the different teachings into a single great path. These texts serve as inspiration for using the term ekayana in the sense of 'a vehicle'. This "single vehicle" became a key aspect of the doctrines and practices of the Tiantai Buddhist School (and its Japanese version, Tiantai Buddhist School), and subsequently influenced the doctrines and practices of "Chán" #3. 4; (and its Japanese version, Zen).
The two yanas
Traditionally, the "two vehicles" in Mahayana Buddhism are sravakayana and pratekyabuddhayana. Both refer to doctrines and practices that supposedly aim to achieve two of the three types of Buddha. Mahayana Buddhists take their vows to reach the third type, called bodhisattvas. Therefore, Mahayana Buddhist texts sometimes use terms such as "followers of the two vehicles" to refer to Buddhists who do not accept the Mahayana sutras.
Some Mahayana sutras consider the two vehicles together to comprise the Hinayana (literally, 'lower vehicle'; sometimes, 'small vehicle'). Modern texts sometimes refer to Mahayana and Hinayana as "two vehicles." But referring to a "lower vehicle" could be disparaging to Buddhists who do not consider the Mahayana sutras to be the word of the historical Buddha. Most often, Theravāda refers to many non-Mahayanic Buddhists in the world today. Nikaya Buddhism refers to current and former Buddhists who do not accept the Mahayana sutras.
The three yanas
Mahayana Buddhists often express two different schemes of the three yanas. The first presents three paths to liberation that culminate in one of the three types of Buddha:
- Shravakayana: The Listener's Vehicle: A path that leads to Mrsvaka-Buddha, who attains liberation after listening to the teachings of a Buddha Bodhisattva. If there is no Bodhisattva present in the world, Mrsvaka-Buddhas cannot discover dharma.
- Pratyekayana: The Individual Vehicle: A Lone Buddha (Pratyekabuda) achieves liberation, but does not teach other beings. Pratyeka Buddhas do not depend on a teacher and can discover dharma even if they do not find a Bodhisattva. They usually remain silent and lonely.
- Bodhisatttvayana (Voto del bodhisattva): The Samyaksambuda achieves liberation and wants to benefit as much as possible. To help others, they commit to remain in the world to foster the end of the cycle of birth and death.
The second scheme comes into use with the appearance of Vajrayana, which created a hierarchy of teachings, with Vajrayana being the highest path. The Vajrayana itself was divided into layers, especially in Tibetan Buddhism.
- Hinayana
- Mahāyāna
- Vajrayāna
The four yanas
Mahayana Buddhists sometimes mention four yanas that include the two schemes of the three yanas:
- Sravakayana
- Pratyekayana
- Mahāyāna
- Vajrayāna
The five yanas
This is a Mahayana list found in East Asian Buddhism:
- Purisayana: the human vehicle. This is the beginning of the spiritual path.
- Devayana: the practice of ethics and meditation.
- Shravakayana: the practice of renunciation and Four noble truths.
- Pratyekayana: practice related to dependent presence (pratitya-samutpada).
- Bodhisatttvayana: practice of the six perfections.
The six yanas
They are the five yanas plus the Vajrayāna. This classification is associated with Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It was invented by Kukai to help differentiate the Vajrayana teachings he imported from China in the early IX century. Kukai wanted to show that the new teachings were completely new.
The nine yanas
The Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism has nine yanas, a list made by combining the first type of the three yanas and the six kinds of tantras.
- Shravakayana
- Pratyekayana
- Mahayana
- Vajrayana, which consists of:
- External
- Kryatantra
- Upatantra (in Tibetan) spyod rgyud) ‘tantra of practice’ and Ubhayatantra (gnyis ka’i rgyud), ‘sotra dual’, because it practices the vision of the next vehicle, the Yogatantra, together with the action of the previous one.
- Yogatantra
- internal tantras
- Mahayoga
- Anuyoga
- Atiyoga (also Dzog Chen)
The twelve yanas
Another classification associated with Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna sources:
- Sravakayana
- Pratyekabuddhayana
- Bodhisatttvayana (Voto del bodhisattva)
- Kriyā yoga
- Charyayoga or Upayoga
- Yogatantra
- Mahayoga
- Anuyoga
- Atiyoga or Mahasandhiyoga; in Tibetan, Dzogpa Chenpo
- Semde
- Longde
- Mengagde