Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
Disciple
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Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Disciple »

I've been following Mahayana teachings for some time now but would like to know amongst strictly Theravada practitioners why you have have chosen Theravada over Mahayana. Surely many of you have done your research and know specifically why you have chosen the path you are on.

Thanks.
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Kamran
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Kamran »

Mainly because Theravada resources are free and high quality. Thanissaro Bikhu's dhamma talks and resources at http://www.dhammatalks.org, for example, really motivate me to meditate.

First became interested in Zen, but I would have had to spend a lot of money on books. Zen was also difficult to understand. It seemed like they purposely used unclear language in order give it an aura of mystique, rather than the straight forward approach with helpful similes that is found in the Pali Canon.
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tiltbillings
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by tiltbillings »

I don't think we need to bash the Mahayana here. This thread will have a very short life if that what starts to happen.
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Dan74
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Dan74 »

Hi!

There have been many related threads on the Forum and Ive collected most of them here http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=18976
_/|\_
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manas
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by manas »

Another problem I feel, is that Dhamma Wheel also has a sister site, Dharma Wheel, linked from this site. I don't think we here, would appreciate a similar topic phrased in the reverse, over there.
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Digity
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Digity »

I went to various Mahayana temples before eventually settling on going to a Theravada meditation center. My experience with the Mahayana centers wasn't that positive to be honest. For instance, the last place I went to I didn't feel the teacher knew that much. A lot of times I was giving more details about the suttas, etc than she was. Also, they focused on discussions like "There is no God" or "These are all the realms of existence." I just felt like there wasn't enough focus on the important stuff. In the Theravada center I go to they focus on stuff like the Satipathanna Sutta, which is far more valuable to your practice and development than having discussions about there being no God or what realm you might end up in. The Theravada center placed a great amount of emphasis on daily practice and working with the here and now. Once I saw that I knew it was right for me. I just wasn't getting that at the Mahayana centers I went to.
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Ben
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Ben »

manas wrote:Another problem I feel, is that Dhamma Wheel also has a sister site, Dharma Wheel, linked from this site. I don't think we here, would appreciate a similar topic phrased in the reverse, over there.
:anjali:
We are keeping a close eye on this thread and any sectarianism will be dealt with as per our TOS.
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Digity
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Digity »

Actually, I remember the last Mahayana teacher say something to the effect that there wasn't any more enlightened people because they weren't praying to someone (forget which deity)...or something to that effect...about praying and getting enlightened. Once I heard that, which made no sense to me, I completely stopped going and focused on Theravada instead.

In my mind, everything you need to know is in the Pali Canon. Just put it into practice and see where it takes you.
Reductor
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Reductor »

Why? The Theravada chicks are way hotter! :tongue:

But seriously, the phrasing of this question is loaded with dubious meaning. Why not ask "Good reasons to choose Theravada over Mahayana?"

Now to answer the OP: I was young and had read a number of Mahayana books. But since I wasn't made of money, I needed some inexpensive material on the internet. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how all the Mahayana stuff out there was supposed to fit together into a cohesive piece, as there were so many kinds and so many teachers and the whole scene seemed fractured (1998-99). Then I found AccessToInsight, which had so, so many suttas for free, along with study guides and the teachings of new and old teachers.

So there I was, a neophyte who just found a huge collection of organized material, which was reputed to be closer to the original teachings, all for free. And so I started to read and learn that instead of spending a lot of time and money trying to figure out Mahayana. And it hadn't helped that many Mahayana pages spoke of the need for face to face teachings, empowerments and root teachers, none of which was practicable for a 16 year old in the Canadian wastelands.

Since then I have had read a lot of the suttapitaka and mediated. I have reflected on what I've learned. I've concluded that the Pali canon is the best source for me, and that the teachers who taught or teach from it are the most sensible for me. I've concluded that the Dhamma put forward here is just what I need for ease of mind.
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reflection
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by reflection »

This won't answer your question, but you can also choose both. Or - and this is what I prefer to identify with - neither. I want to follow the Buddha's original teachings as close as possible, not later additions, commentaries and traditions that have gotten in. And this happened to both groups you mention. Also I see the division is mainly a geographical one and doesn't really have to do much with what is actually taught and practiced, which differs from group to group, person to person.

:anjali:
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cooran
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by cooran »

Many of us take Teachings from Theravada plus some from other Traditions. I myself have learned much from various Mahayana and Vajrayana teachers.

With metta,
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Disciple
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Disciple »

tiltbillings wrote:I don't think we need to bash the Mahayana here. This thread will have a very short life if that what starts to happen.
I hope that doesn't happen either as I am a Mahayanist myself. I'm just looking to read well written intelligent responses.
Disciple
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Disciple »

Reductor wrote:
But seriously, the phrasing of this question is loaded with dubious meaning. Why not ask "Good reasons to choose Theravada over Mahayana?"
That works for me.
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Modus.Ponens
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Disciple wrote:I've been following Mahayana teachings for some time now but would like to know amongst strictly Theravada practitioners why you have have chosen Theravada over Mahayana. Surely many of you have done your research and know specifically why you have chosen the path you are on.

Thanks.
Hi

My first contact with buddhism was through accesstoinsight.org . It probably made an impression. But I didn't reexplore buddhism until 3 years later. Then I started reading Dalai Lama books and I realy liked it. And I bought into the absurd marketing that the "hinayana" was the slow vehicle, the mahayana was the fast vehicle and the vajrayana was a super fast vehicle. So I went to teachings and even one retreat.

But I took a break from buddhism for about a year. The next contact I had was with Goenka's vipassana courses. It was so pure and direct, when compared to mahayana _ let alone vajrayana _ that I slowly started to change my mind. Then, through forums, I learned what constituted the original teachings of the Buddha and what were later additions. Theravada was, without any doubt, the closest school to the original teachings of the Buddha. And the original teachings were much more coherent, rational, down to earth, direct and not secretive. That's basicaly it.

Metta
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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Bhikkhu Pesala
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Re: Good reasons to reject Mahayana and follow Theravada

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

I don't think many actively choose one tradition over another. It's more a matter of where their kamma leads them.

I was first introduced to Buddhism by meditators who practised with Goenka in India, following the U Ba Khin tradition. Through retreats in that tradition I met Sayādaw U Rewata Dhamma, who was a friend of Goenkaji. When Bhante was studying in India at the Benares Hindu University, he knew the Karmapa Lama.

Disciples of the Karmapa Lama in Birmingham asked him to send them a Lama, so he sent Sayādaw U Rewata Dhamma. Thus, when I moved to Birmingham in 1976 to stay with the Sayādaw, he was supported by a mixture of English Tibetan Buddhists (John Maxwell QC), Indian Buddhists who were followers of Dr Ambedkar, and some Burmese, Thai, Sri Lankan, and other Theravāda Buddhists.

While staying at that centre, I met several Lamas, attended a Black hat ceremony, helped an English Tibetan nun type her Abhidhamma Thesis, attended Vipassanā retreats in Samye Ling with the Sayādaw, and met Ajahn Khemadhammo who stayed at the centre for some time. All sorts of Buddhists passed through the centre, but I had no interest in the ritualism of Tibetan Buddhism. I read one or two books that I found helpful, like the Bodhisattvācariyavatara, but seeing monks blowing trumpets was just weird. I can see why some people like ritualism, but it's not for me.
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