Different Buddhist traditions preserve and transmit different philosophical approaches and ways of achieving Liberation and Enlightenment, because in the process of teaching, the Buddha proceeded from the needs, capabilities and abilities of his students. The Four Noble Truths, the doctrine of cause - dependent origin and karma, the doctrine of the non-existence of the individual Self - the Anatmavada ("no-soul") and Kshanikavada (the doctrine of instantaneity) doctrines, as well as Buddhist cosmology-are a range of general ideas that are characteristic of all branches of Buddhism in one form or another. The highest goals of Buddhist spiritual practice are liberation from the shackles of samsara, the attainment of Buddhahood - complete Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, the state of omniscience and the highest happiness.

The understanding of these basic ideas for all Buddhist traditions, as well as the interpretation of ways and methods of advancing along the path of spiritual development can be very different: Buddhism "is historically represented in the form of various trends and trends, sometimes extremely different from each other and more reminiscent of different religions than different confessions within the same religion" [Torchinov, 2002, pp. 30-32]. The abundance of views "reflects the huge changes that took place in Buddhism over the years, from the time of the Buddha and the early forms of Buddhism to the late Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism that came to Tibet" (Clifford, 2003, p. 37). The goals of spiritual development are achieved in completely different ways according to the differences in their philosophical views.

Diverse currents in Buddhism are traditionally represented by the Small Way, the Great Way and the Diamond Way to achieve a state of Liberation and Enlightenment.

The levels of approach to understanding and applying the Buddha's Teachings are metaphorically referred to as the" Three Turns of the Dharma Wheel "or the"Three Chariots". The turning of the "Wheel of Dharma" means not only that the Buddha teaches those who have the opportunity to meet him in person, but also that the Teaching from that time remains available for a long period of time. The teachings given by the Buddha are divided into various "Chariots" (yana-chariot, tib. thegpa). In the term chariot - a metaphor for a vehicle that allows you to overcome segments of the path of spiritual development. Chariots do not contradict each other, but are based on each other. Traditionally, people talk about two or three Chariots, and this division primarily concerns meditation practice [Zegers, 1998, p. 14].

If we speak of two Chariots, then we are talking about the Chariots of Sutra and Tantra (sutrayana and tantrayana), which are also called "Chariots of cause and effect". Since the Chariot is what brings you to the goal and allows you to find the fruit of effort-the state of Awakening, it has two aspects: the cause and the fruit. The first of these is called the "Chariot of Cause", because the main thing here is to create causes for Enlightenment. This is a long way to the "three immeasurable kalpas" (Torchinov, 2007, p.369). The Causal Chariot is also called the "Chariot of Characterization" and is related to-

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It comes down to the Sutra approach. The name "Chariot of Reason" means that " as you develop your mind, you reach higher and higher levels of knowledge through the study of philosophy, and thus your horizons are constantly expanding... By following it, you will practice as a path such causes for achieving Buddhahood as the six paramitas, the thirty-seven aspects of the path to perfection, and a variety of ethical and intellectual exercises. When the practice of all these causes is completed, as a consequence, Buddhahood occurs" [Gambopa, 2003, p. 30]. The second aspect, called the Fruiting Chariot, is a very short, fast approach in which identification with the fruit (with various aspects of Enlightenment) takes place. The chariot of the fruit belongs to Vajrayana ("The Chariot of Secret Mantrayana"). Since Buddhahood is identical with the unchanging nature of the unity of emptiness and primordial wisdom, there is no need to deal with the causes of its occurrence. The path of Tantra is the path of identification with the fruit (goal) - the perfect state of the Buddha, which is why it is called the Path of Fruit [Gambopa, 2003, p. 34].

If we speak of three Chariots, then we are talking about the Small Chariot (Hinayana), the Great Chariot (Mahayana) and the Diamond Chariot (Vajrayana), or the Secret Chariot of Mantras (Mantrayana). The main division is between Hinayana and Mahayana. Vajrayana, which arose with the development of Tantra, is a further development of Mahayana.

The first turn of the Dharma Wheel was made by the Buddha in a Deer Park called Sarnath, near Varanasi, India. Prior to this, people did not know anything about the liberating teaching, and so the Buddha first explained what the Four Noble Truths are, gave instructions on karma-the relationship between cause and effect, and how to practice performing positive actions and avoid negative ones (Zegers, 1998, p. 4). 14]. The teachings of the Small Chariot-Hinayana (Theravada) - the level of the Small Path-emphasize the purification of one's own negative karma, ascetic purity and the development of mindfulness. On this path, the Buddha taught us to work with the knowledge of cause and effect, to solve our own problems, and to take responsibility for our own lives. Hinayana is "a monastic branch of Buddhism that only monks, in fact, consider Buddhists par excellence" (Neukirchen, 2005, p. 18; Torchinov, 2002, p. 97). Theravada contains teachings on how to accumulate merit, how to give up negative actions in order to achieve Liberation. In this context, the Buddha spoke of existence as if karma really exists and every action leads to a sense of the corresponding result. On this path, one can purify oneself from gross obscurations, gross types of suffering, and achieve a state of peace, but mostly it is "taking care of one's own well - being" [Zegers, 1998, p.15; Nydahl, 1997, p. 17-22]. The Theravada way is "the way of the elders", "the school of the more ancient members of the religious order" - a continuation of early Buddhism, its southern branch. Its central concept is impermanence. It is based on the teachings of the Buddha, organized in a collection called "Tripitaka" - three baskets (Vinaya - morality and rules of obedience, Sutras-sermons of the Buddha recorded after his death, and Abhidharma - wisdom, a teaching based on the analysis of data from experience). The spiritual ideal of Hinayana - achieving liberation for oneself-is embodied in the personality of an arhat who attains the silence of nirvana and emerges from the circles of birth and death.

The second turn of the Dharma Wheel took place in Rajgir: 8 years after the first teaching in Sarnath, people of a different type came to the Buddha for knowledge, they had energy for others and a broad vision of life [Nydahl, 1997, p. 22]. In Rajgira, the Buddha gave the teachings of Prajnaparamita. The Mahayana path, also called Bodhisattvayana and corresponding to the northern branch of Buddhism, is characterized by great empathy and understanding of the emptiness of the spatial nature of the mind - the ability to work for the benefit of others is based on this. The teachings on the voidness of all phenomena were given to help beings overcome their attachment to actual existence.

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phenomena arise in interdependence, being at the same time empty in nature [Zegers, 2006, p.26, 32]. The spiritual ideal of the Mahayana Great Path - achieving Liberation for the sake of others-is embodied in the form of a bodhisattva. Here, the Buddha taught us to develop empathy and wisdom, and to help others effectively and lovingly. Buddha showed "how loving empathy can be strengthened until any sense of separation between subject, object, and action disappears" (Neukirchen, 2005, p.18; Nydahl, 1997, p. 22).

The bodhisattva, out of love for all beings, vows to postpone his own departure to nirvana in order to remain in samsara for the liberation of all beings from suffering.

The Bodhisattva path is the path of recognizing emptiness in oneself and others, the path of developing wisdom - more precisely, active empathy as a manifestation of wisdom. Mahayana is based on bodhichitta - an enlightened attitude, striving for Enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, since the Buddha nature-Buddhahood (full enlightenment) - is inherently present in all living beings, but is obscured by their obscurations [Clifford, 2003, p.38]. Bodhichitta is of the nature of emptiness and compassion. The first level, the relative level-the desire to attain Awakening in order to be able to liberate all beings-is developed through compassion. The second is understanding the true nature of reality: it is practiced by contemplating emptiness. Upon reaching these levels, one gains "Buddhahood and the ability to achieve the same goal for all-liberation from suffering" (Gambopa, 2003, p. 27).

According to the Mahayana, there are countless Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and deities-they represent various aspects of Buddha nature. For example, Manjushri is the aspect of wisdom, Vajrapani is the aspect of power, Avalokiteshvara is the aspect of compassion, Tara is the embodiment of the inspiration of emptiness, the female form of Buddha is nature, the Buddha of Medicine is the aspect of healing.

Although the Mahayana path differs from Hinayana in its main points, Mahayana is still based on Hinayana, including it and developing from it.

Mahayana adds "the bodhichitta path of compassion to the path of renunciation of Hinayana, and Mahayana adds the Madhyamika theory of emptiness to the Hinayana concept of interdependent origin" (Clifford, 2003, p.40).

During the third Turn of the Wheel of Dharma, which took place in Vaishali and Shravasti, "inspired and creatively gifted people came to the Buddha, full of joy and life, and he taught them in a relaxed way, using direct experience" [Nydahl, 1997, p. 30]. The Buddha taught about the Buddha-nature inherent in all living beings and abounding in all kinds of perfect qualities of Enlightenment. These teachings make it possible "to achieve Enlightenment in a very short time by identifying with the Buddha-qualities contained in each person: the best practitioners can do this even in one lifetime" (Zegers, 1997, pp. 15-16). The third turn of the Wheel of Dharma is to prevent people from falling into the extremes of existence and non-existence. The Buddha was here explaining ultimate meaning, free from all extremes - primordial wisdom beyond concepts.

Just as Mahayana is based on Hinayana, Vajrayana includes and builds on Mahayana: "Vajrayana methods are based on Mahayana and act as fertilizers that accelerate development. Vajrayana implies additional means, which, in turn, are not separate from Mahayana " [Shamar Rinpoche, 2005, p. 5]. Vajrayana focuses on the awakening of wisdom through the transformative energy of phenomena originating from emptiness that are actually inseparable from it. The difference between Vajrayana concepts reflects the description of Enlightenment: "... not renunciation of samsara for the sake of the fruit of nirvana, as in Hinayana; not the separate existence of samsara and nirvana found in Mahayana; but Enlightenment, which is a real awareness of the unity of samsara and nirvana" [Clifford, 2003, p. 41].-

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according to the Diamond Path view, all phenomena - " I "and" others " (relative truth) - share the nature of this emptiness (absolute truth), and both truths are inseparable from each other. To understand the true nature of the radiant void is to dissolve the differences between samsara and nirvana. "Pure perception" is the perception of any phenomena as inseparable from the shining void, as manifestations of Buddha-nature. Recognizing the nature of emptiness is direct and blissful; any manifestation is perceived as a game of emptiness. Emptiness is "something that in itself, without being something, contains and recognizes all the diversity of what is happening" [Nydahl, 2005, pp. 8-9].

This is a great relief and a great joy: "Since the Mind as such is pure from the beginning and cannot take root in anything but itself - there is no intermediary and no need to do anything, the mind can be happy... Since everything is only a mirage, perfect in what it is, having nothing in common with either good or bad, acceptance or denial, it is quite possible to burst out laughing "(Rabzhampa, 2003, p. 41). The ideal of Vajrayana is to achieve Enlightenment in one lifetime, as opposed to the gradual path of Mahayana. The transformation of ignorance and delusion into Enlightenment is achieved through the practice of tantra and direct knowledge of the nature of the mind. The Tantric approach is beyond duality and concepts. The true nature of the mind - clear light-is identical with the Buddha, and remains hidden due to ignorance, obscurity, and interfering feelings. The example often given is that the true nature of man is like the sky - an open space with no beginning and no end, while the obscurations and veils of the mind are like clouds. The goal of Tantric Buddhist practices is to remove and transform obscurations so that one can rediscover and understand one's identity with the Buddha. The nature of emptiness is " Clear light, pure, present from beginningless times. Space-the basis of Clear Light-is as pervasive as the sky in any stream of consciousness "[Rabzhampa, 2003, p. 36].

The great Indian masters Nagarjuna and Asanga recognized the need for a consistent path of spiritual development: on the basis of controlling interfering emotions on the Hinayana path, additional forces are developed, using which you can benefit others, and then you can move to the Mahayana level. It is noteworthy that the algorithm of each Buddhist meditation contains a sequence of paths: taking Refuge corresponds to Hinayana, and then awakening an Enlightened mood refers to Mahayana. The main practice in Tibetan Buddhism is always consistent with the Diamond Path - Vajrayana. Finally, the dedication of the collected merit at the end again places the practice in the context of Mahayana (Zegers, 1998, p. 18).

The basis for the division into three Chariots is differences in meditation practice. This can be demonstrated by examining the relationship between all the aspects (attributes) that make up the Chariots.

In the process of moving towards the goal on the path of spiritual development using the Buddhist Chariot, clear vision, appropriate behavior and good concentration are necessary. Therefore, the explanation of each of the Chariots contains four points: point of view( view), behavior, meditation practice, and fruit. They correspond to the Four Noble Truths: point of view - understanding suffering, behavior-understanding the causes of suffering, meditation practice - the path leading to the cessation of suffering, fruit - the cessation of suffering.

The three Chariots are Shravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. The first two, the Shravaka Chariot ("The Chariot of the Hearers") and the Pratyekabudd ("The Chariot of those who Understand alone"), can also be combined under the concept of the Small Chariot (Hinayana). The chariot of Bodhisattvas (the Chariot of Enlightened Heroes) is identical to the Great Chariot (Mahayana). Hence the idea of two Chariots, Small and Great-Hinayana and Mahayana. However, a more commonly used classification is the classical representation of three Chariots (Zegers, 2005, p. 11; Torchinov, 2002, p. 82-84).

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As for the view, the Shravaka view is that the external world does not exist as we perceive it. However, they believe in the true existence of the smallest indivisible particles that (like atoms) make up external phenomena. This is the view of the Vaibhashiks and Sautrantiks. They believe that there are brief, undivided moments of awareness, they fear the suffering of cyclic existence, they have little empathy, they have a strong desire for Liberation. Pratyekabudd's point of view is that nothing truly exists in the external world, including atoms, but they believe in the shortest moments of consciousness, considering external phenomena to consist of these moments of consciousness put together in time. Behavior is expressed by actions on the external, internal and secret levels, which are based on the corresponding vows: for personal liberation (Pratimoksha), Bodhisattva and tantric. In the Chariots of the Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, it is primarily about avoiding negative actions and performing positive ones. In the Bodhisattva Chariot, the most important thing is to help others. As for the tantric vows, the main point here is to observe the obligations based on"pure vision".

The practice of meditation in the Shravaka Chariot is contemplation of the Four Noble Truths, and in the Pratyekabuddha Chariot is contemplation of the twelve links of interdependent arising. Both Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas calm the mind and practice penetrating vision into the nature of the mind. In the Chariot of Bodhisattvas, the Sutra or Tantra is practiced. The practice of meditation is based on an accurate investigation of things, through which the realization of the emptiness or lack of self of all manifestations is achieved.

The result achieved through the practice of Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas is liberation from the suffering of samsara, the state of Arhats who have realized the state of no-self or "I". The result of the Bodhisattva Chariot is the realization of no-self phenomena and perfect Buddhahood.

The four signs of the three Chariots show that based on correct behavior, the practice of meditation should always be associated with a specific view. After all, "to reach the goal, you need eyes to see the goal and the path, and the feet that follow it" [Zegers, 2005, p. 12]. The goal of any Buddhist tradition is to overcome the fundamental ignorance of the mind and experience the nature of the mind directly - outside of concepts.

If the Bodhisattva Chariot is divided once again into Mantrayana and Vajrayana, Sutra and Tantra, then the reason for this division is, firstly, the emphasis on meditation-it is emphasized that in the Tantra Chariot, or Vajrayana (Diamond Path), the methods are especially strong and fast; secondly, this connects the results obtained in this division. Chariots - Small Chariot, Great Chariot and Diamond Chariot with a triple turn of the Dharma Wheel. The Small Chariot is based on the first turn of the Dharma Wheel, the Great Chariot mainly on the second, but also includes the third turn. The Diamond Path mostly falls on the third turn of the Dharma Wheel, but it also includes the second turn. The second and third turns of the Wheel of Dharma deal with the nature of the mind - both are described from the absolute level, only different aspects are emphasized. The second turn focuses more on emptiness, the spatial nature of the mind, and the third one focuses on clarity, on what is manifested in the mind. However, " the correct view is described by the Buddha in many texts as the inseparability of phenomena and emptiness. This view moves away from the extremes of existentialism and nihilism, it is the Great Middle Way beyond the extremes" [Zegers, 2005, p. 12]. The Diamond Chariot, which contains the complete transmission of the Buddha's teachings, includes all other Chariots.

Consideration of the three Chariots helps to understand the essence and specifics of various Buddhist philosophical traditions. One of the most relevant areas of development of modern philosophy - philosophical comparative studies - explores the possibilities of applying a new approach to modern philosophy.-

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research of philosophical systems of Buddhist knowledge for understanding modern problems of the individual and society. This is due to the fact that modern people have a psychological need for new, non-dogmatic forms of spiritual life. Buddhist philosophy is used by those who "oppose the decoding of the world by the presence of a heteronomous deity to the unlimited potential of a person, his intuition and responsibility for himself and the world as a whole" (Alekseev-Apraksin, 2005, p.96). In addition, the results of research in the twentieth century on such phenomena as the object and subject of cognition, space and time, reality and unreality, obtained by philosophy, psychology, and physics, largely coincide with Buddhist knowledge about the nature of the mind, transmitted over thousands of years, with descriptions that "reality" is essentially empty, that the "creator" of reality is the collective mind, and that the subject and object of knowledge are inseparable.

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Jae Gambopa. The four dharmas. Precious Rosary beads for the Higher Path / Comment. Longchen Rabzhampy. St. Petersburg: Karma Yeshe Paldron Foundation, 2003.

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Zegers M. Terms of Buddhism. St. Petersburg: Almazny Put Publ., 2006.

Zegers M. Chariots of the Buddha from the point of view of the Diamond Path / / Fundamentals of the Diamond Path. Kiev: Regional Center of the Ukrainian Association of Karma Kagyu Schools, 2005.

Clifford T. Demons of Our Mind: The Diamond of Healing, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg Public Organization for the Development of Tibetan Medicine, 2003.

Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. If we don't want to be blind, we must learn to see. Fundamentals of the Diamond Path / / Buddhism today. Kiev: Regional Center of the Ukrainian Association of Karma Kagyu Schools, 2005.

Lama Ole Nydahl. What everything really is. St. Petersburg: Almazny Put Publ., 1997.

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Torchinov E. A. Religions of the world: experience of the beyond. St. Petersburg: Azbuka-klassika; Peterburgskoe vostokovedenie, 2007.

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