Its been years since I have compiled a list of Zoro's attacks based on Buddhism. It seems some of you are interested in this stuff, so I am posting the list here so I can keep it as a reference for future:
(1) The first reference of Buddhism in Zoro's attacks is none other than Sanzen Sekai, which means
three thousand worlds. Its taken from Buddhist cosmology, I will explain this later in (5).
(2) The next Buddhist reference was given when Zoro faced Braham in Skypea and hit him with a 36-pound canon:
Zoro says,
"Sight, sound smell, taste, touch, thought...the 6 senses are sometimes good, evil or neutral. Each of them can then be pure or tainted. They make up the thirty six passions of life"
In traditional Buddhism, people are said to have 36 passions. They arise from 18 feelings. Each of these feelings can be either attached to pleasure or detached from pleasure. People perceive those feelings through their six senses.
(3) This continued against Ohm.
Zoro says,
"One lifetime, 36 torments...........two lifetime, 72 torments.........three lifetimes, 108 torments......."
Again, from Buddhism, the 36 passions may be manifested in past, present and future, making a total of 108
afflictions/torments.
(4) The most obvious one is Asura. An Asura in Buddhism is a demigod or titan. They are described as having three heads with three faces each and either four or six arms. Before using Asura Ichibugin, Zoro says this (ViZ butchered this translation):
"Suffering is welcome .......... on the path of carnage"
This is a very complex concept. Buddhism talks a lot about suffering and in some way, suffering is considered as a good thing. The idea is something like suffering should be embraced because it makes you mentally stronger. I am not myself clear about it and need to study if I get time. I am also not sure why Zoro says
on the path of carnage.
(5) Next, before cutting Pica, Zoro says, "
Over the 9 mountains and 8 seas... Throughout the world itself... There is nothing I cannot cut."
-- This again refers to the mountains and seas that constitute a world according to Buddhist cosmology. The nine mountains are Mount Sumeru at the center of the world and eight concentric mountain ranges that surround it. Eight concentric seas separate these mountain ranges.
The name of his attack is
daisen sekai = Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds
A 1000 worlds (9 mountain, 8 sea = one world) constitute a 'thousandfold world system'. A thousand of these makes up a 'second-order thousandfold world system'. Then, when multiplied a thousand times further, this makes a 'third-order world system' or 'trichiliocosm'. Therefore, Three-Thousand does not mean 3,000, but 1,000 raised to the power of 3.
Basically, it means a universe with billions of worlds.
(6) A few minor reference:
(i) Daibutsu Giri means Great Buddha chop
(ii) Yasa Garasu against Oars: Wiki says Yaksha is the devil which embraced Buddhism
(iii) Rokudo no Tsuji: Literal meaning "
Crossroad of Six Paths", A reference to six paths of Buddhism