Why did you choose Theravada?

[Cittasanto]

Surely you have all gone through a process of looking at the various interpretations available.
And then after much thought have decided on Therevada....right?
Or maybe I'm living in an intellectual fantasy land.

maybe you are maybe your not? but some peoples first meeting with Buddhism will be Theravada and they never needed to look for or at alternatives!

I'm asking in a spirit of openness. Not trying to upset anyone.
Was there an idea or concept in Mahayana you (all) did not agree with?
If so, which? why?

Everyone can only answer for themselves!

Thanks so much for putting up with my questions.

what is to put up with?
a quote from a sutta I linked in another thread

"When, brahman, one abuses back when abused, repays anger in kind, and quarrels back when quarreled with, this is called, brahman, associating with each other and exchanging mutually. This association and mutual exchange we do not engage in. Therefore you alone, brahman, get it back; all this, brahman, belongs to you."

different topic but could be applied here, more or less.

ps a convert is someone who changes religion.

[alan]

Thank you for the responses. But I'd like to get back to the original question.
What is it, exactly, that you do not agree with about the Mahayana view?
Exactly. Specifically. In plain English. Without an emotional focus.
Convert me, if you like that idea. Show me why. Tell me why. Give me a glimpse into your world view. Here's your chance. Take it!

[seanpdx]

Thank you for the responses. But I'd like to get back to the original question.
What is it, exactly, that you do not agree with about the Mahayana view?
Exactly. Specifically. In plain English. Without an emotional focus.
Convert me, if you like that idea. Show me why. Tell me why. Give me a glimpse into your world view. Here's your chance. Take it!

Why? What's the point?

[Monkey Mind]

A visitor asked this question: "How is this Sangha different than other Sanghas here in town?"
Teacher: "We meditate differently, we chant differently, our rituals are different, our festivals are different."
Visitor: "Yeah, but how are your TEACHINGS different?"
Teacher: "The teacher we call Buddha told his followers that there were no secret teachings. Other Sanghas learned secret teachings from the one they call Buddha."
Visitor: "Well, what are the secret teachings?"
Teacher: "I don't know, I didn't study with those sanghas."

[Cittasanto]

A visitor asked this question: "How is this Sangha different than other Sanghas here in town?"
Teacher: "We meditate differently, we chant differently, our rituals are different, our festivals are different."
Visitor: "Yeah, but how are your TEACHINGS different?"
Teacher: "The teacher we call Buddha told his followers that there were no secret teachings. Other Sanghas learned secret teachings from the one they call Buddha."
Visitor: "Well, what are the secret teachings?"
Teacher: "I don't know, I didn't study with those sanghas."

a man visits a goenka center
visitor - what style of meditation did the buddha teach
goenka teacher - the goenka style
V - imposible!
GT - how so?
V - the MAhasi monk said the buddha taught Mahasi style,& the zen Master said he taught Zazen you all can not be right!

[Mawkish1983]

What answer would you like to hear Alan? I am under the impression you have an answer in mind that you were expecting to see, but haven't.

I'm not sure how being negative about another tradition would fit with the forum rules. I'm not sure how being negative about another tradition would fit with the dhamma.

Why do you assume we have something on our chests that we'd like to get off? Maybe explore your expectations a bit and be reflective

[seanpdx]

A man walks into a bar...

Wait, wrong forum. Nevermind.

[Cittasanto]

Mawkish - Sadhu
Sean - ROLF

[alan]

I ask a honest question and get no reply. I press further and then my motivation is called out. This is all very discouraging.
If you can't answer the question then please just say so.
Thought I might encounter some wise people here; perhaps I was mistaken...
Goodnight.

[BlackBird]

Read some of the Pali suttas, read some of the Mahayana sutras.

Problems I had with some Mahayana Sutras:
- Seemed pretty circular and recursive (ie. the Buddha spends a lot of time extolling the virtues of the particular sutra, within the sutra itself)
- Persistent warnings that anyone who denigrated such a Sutra would go to hell for sure.
- Seemed incongruous compared to the Pali suttas I had read, there seemed to be a completely different voice behind them.

There was also a lot of doubt in my mind that repeating a mantra could actually have such a high kammic intrinsic value as is commonly proposed. My western scepticism just could not reconcile itself with what appeared to me to be just colour a fluff.

Looking back now, I know there's a lot more to the Vajra and Mahayana paths than might appear on the surface, just didn't seem like it at the time. But I think Theravada definitely has that almost 'scientific' appeal to the intellectual mind, it's very stimulating.

[Mawkish1983]

Thought I might encounter some wise people here; perhaps I was mistaken...

More expectation? More dukkha.

You asked, we answered, you didn't read the answer that satisfied your expectations so you kept asking.

If you feel we have behaved inappropriately, I sincerely apologise. Importantly, we have answered .

[mikenz66]

Hi Alan,

I ask a honest question and get no reply. I press further and then my motivation is called out. This is all very discouraging.
If you can't answer the question then please just say so.
Thought I might encounter some wise people here; perhaps I was mistaken...
Goodnight.

Strange. I thought gave an extremely direct answer. I follow Theravada because I wanted to be calm and happy like the Theravada monks and lay people that I met. For me it's not a matter of examining and rejecting other forms of Buddhism. I just didn't see the need to worry about them. I just stuck with what seemed to work, with teachers who I had confidence in.

I try to always keep this Sutta in mind when discussing other approaches: MN 95 Canki Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"If a person has conviction, his statement, 'This is my conviction,' safeguards the truth. But he doesn't yet come to the definite conclusion that 'Only this is true; anything else is worthless.'

The rest of the Sutta is similar to my experience:

"There is the case, Bharadvaja, where a monk lives in dependence on a certain village or town. Then a householder or householder's son goes to him and observes him with regard to three mental qualities — qualities based on greed, qualities based on aversion, qualities based on delusion: 'Are there in this venerable one any such qualities based on greed that, with his mind overcome by these qualities, he might say, "I know," while not knowing, or say, "I see," while not seeing; or that he might urge another to act in a way that was for his/her long-term harm & pain?' As he observes him, he comes to know, 'There are in this venerable one no such qualities based on greed... His bodily behavior & verbal behavior are those of one not greedy. And the Dhamma he teaches is deep, hard to see, hard to realize, tranquil, refined, beyond the scope of conjecture, subtle, to-be-experienced by the wise. This Dhamma can't easily be taught by a person who's greedy.

When, on observing that the monk is purified with regard to qualities based on greed, he next observes him with regard to qualities based on aversion...

When, on observing that the monk is purified with regard to qualities based on aversion, he next observes him with regard to qualities based on delusion...

When, on observing that the monk is purified with regard to qualities based on delusion, he places conviction in him. With the arising of conviction, he visits him & grows close to him. Growing close to him, he lends ear. Lending ear, he hears the Dhamma. Hearing the Dhamma, he remembers it.

Of course I can't say that I've finished this bit yet...

Remembering it, he penetrates the meaning of those dhammas. Penetrating the meaning, he comes to an agreement through pondering those dhammas. There being an agreement through pondering those dhammas, desire arises. With the arising of desire, he becomes willing. Willing, he contemplates (lit: "weighs," "compares"). Contemplating, he makes an exertion. Exerting himself, he both realizes the ultimate meaning of the truth with his body and sees by penetrating it with discernment.
...

[Cittasanto]

I ask a honest question and get no reply. I press further and then my motivation is called out. This is all very discouraging.
If you can't answer the question then please just say so.
Thought I might encounter some wise people here; perhaps I was mistaken...
Goodnight.

you were answered!

you were the one who called others wise elders, and I don't remember calling or seeing your motivation being questioned, although it is an impression which can be gotten from your posts which was expressed, but have a read SN 7.2 I quoted it earlier.

if you want to talk about something specific it is best to start a thread on that specific.

[Laurens]

I ask a honest question and get no reply. I press further and then my motivation is called out. This is all very discouraging.
If you can't answer the question then please just say so.
Thought I might encounter some wise people here; perhaps I was mistaken...
Goodnight.

Firstly you got a whole page of answers - perhaps you need to give a more specific question if people aren't answering in the way you would like?

Also I don't think its very kind to imply that the people who kindly replied to your question are unwise.

Goodnight Alan.

[Monkey Mind]

I agree with what Black Bird said, nice summary.

For the Theravada, Buddha is the ultimate voice. Any enlightened being who came after him might have helped explain an old analogy in a new way, but at the end of the day it is still Buddha's teaching. In the Mahayana, some of the enlightened teachers who have followed in Buddha's footsteps are considered to be as prominent as Lord Buddha. To me, many of those teachings seemed difficult to digest.