thankfully Buddhism is growing, flourishing in the West...and will in time I think even be taken to a deeper level due to Buddha's enriched teachings which still apply today. I have had the great fortune to attend teachings by both Jack Kornfield and Norman Fischer who are so open...embracing the dharma from all perspectives. Thank you for sharing this interview _/\_
The actual teachings of Shakyamuni are in the center of every buddhist tradition, but each of them also expanded further, including Theravada. Mahayana's fancier expeditions out of this center don't make it less authentic, rather more open minded, dialectical and less vulnerable to fragmentation (which we see today in the mindfulness movement) and academicism (at the time of the early mahayanists).
'Why do non-theravadins settle for their partial truths?' Shouldn't you try to find an answer for this yourself? The corollary of this question's assumptions you already said: they haven't read the Pali canon or are not practicing meditators. Is that so?
Mahayana is less authentic, if you disagree then you haven't read the Pali canon and are not a practicing meditator. I agree that there are kernels of truth in all the traditions (i.e Zen is > Islam) but why settle for obfuscation and partial truths when you can go to the source and have a clear and concise set of instructions from the Buddha himself?
There is no mandala of Buddhism, there is only Buddhism. We should endeavour to find out what the Buddha actually taught and reject derivative practices. The Pali Canon is the closest approximation we have to the actual word of the Buddha (universally acknowledged by scholars) and this is to be found in the Theravada tradition. The Buddha did not teach Vajrayana or Zen or Mahayana. Anyone with a basic foundation of Buddhist history can see the falsity of these alternate paths.
thankfully Buddhism is growing, flourishing in the West...and will in time I think even be taken to a deeper level due to Buddha's enriched teachings which still apply today. I have had the great fortune to attend teachings by both Jack Kornfield and Norman Fischer who are so open...embracing the dharma from all perspectives.
Thank you for sharing this interview _/\_
Thoughtful discussion among teachers from different traditions. Thanks for posting!
another fantastic and moving video of interviews
gratitude!
The actual teachings of Shakyamuni are in the center of every buddhist tradition, but each of them also expanded further, including Theravada. Mahayana's fancier expeditions out of this center don't make it less authentic, rather more open minded, dialectical and less vulnerable to fragmentation (which we see today in the mindfulness movement) and academicism (at the time of the early mahayanists).
So good... thank you!
Excellent and inspiring!
Wow..WHat a discussion..Thank you.
Awesome!
thank you! :)
'Why do non-theravadins settle for their partial truths?' Shouldn't you try to find an answer for this yourself? The corollary of this question's assumptions you already said: they haven't read the Pali canon or are not practicing meditators. Is that so?
@cikcikosman Because sadly Buddhism doesn't really have a large appeal to the west
Mahayana is less authentic, if you disagree then you haven't read the Pali canon and are not a practicing meditator. I agree that there are kernels of truth in all the traditions (i.e Zen is > Islam) but why settle for obfuscation and partial truths when you can go to the source and have a clear and concise set of instructions from the Buddha himself?
There is no mandala of Buddhism, there is only Buddhism. We should endeavour to find out what the Buddha actually taught and reject derivative practices.
The Pali Canon is the closest approximation we have to the actual word of the Buddha (universally acknowledged by scholars) and this is to be found in the Theravada tradition.
The Buddha did not teach Vajrayana or Zen or Mahayana. Anyone with a basic foundation of Buddhist history can see the falsity of these alternate paths.