A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism
Vicarious. Primitive Bsm. knows nothing of vicarious atonement; each must work out his own salvation.
We may help each other by thought, word and deed, but cannot bear results or take over consequences of another’s errors or misdeeds. In Mahāyāna the stress on compassion has produced doctrine of Bodhisattvas who help humanity by renouncing benefit of their accumulated store of ‘merit’, and ‘handing it over’ to credit of bad karma of humanity. This’ has further developed into salvation by grace of Amida by calling on his name. If, however, atonement is understood as an ‘at-one-ment’ with the Law of the universe (Dharmakāya q.v.) then it may be called a Buddhist principle. (See Amitābha, Parivarta, Tariki.)
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