A Vital new debate of What can we know of the Buddha.

[Mkoll]

Doubtless.

I want the OP to explain how the subject to which he is specifically alluding to, can improve my practice or positively affect it.

I don't think that is their intention. I think at least part of their intention is to make a name for themselves by sparking vehement debates with their controversial claims and theories. I imagine that for some, the scholar's life must get boring sometimes...

[ArkA]

Read Learning vs. Practice on page 31 about scholars and meditators.

[TheNoBSBuddhist]

Doubtless.

I want the OP to explain how the subject to which he is specifically alluding to, can improve my practice or positively affect it.

I don't think that is their intention. I think at least part of their intention is to make a name for themselves by sparking vehement debates with their controversial claims and theories. I imagine that for some, the scholar's life must get boring sometimes...

I am not concerned with their intention but the fact that they are unable to respond positively to my request is sufficient for me to know that such examination and ruminative speculation is of no use to me whatsoever.
Thus in being unable to respond, he has in fact responded perfectly.

[Mkoll]

Arka,

Very interesting read, thanks for the link. This passage was illuminating:

Manorathapūraṇī148 states that around 20 B.C.E.—about 500 years after The Buddha's enlightenment—a discussion arose
among the bhikkhus of Great Monastery (Mahā Vihara) in Sri Lanka: “Whether learning (pariyatti) was the root of The
Buddha's teaching or whether it was practice (paṭipatti).” Finally, the preachers (dhammakathikas) defeat the practitioners
(paṃsukūlikas) gaining supremacy over the practice.149 Succeeding this decision, Sri Lankan and south Indian scholar bhikkhus endeavour on compiling and accumulating a huge body of secondary literature, namely, chronicles,
commentaries, sub commentaries, sub-sub commentaries, textbooks, manuals, and etc.150 This new thought, surprisingly
contrary to the original and old Buddhism. Perhaps, because it was easier to be a scholar bhikkhu than to be a saint—
easier said than done. Unfortunately this decision marked a decline in Theravada. One of the main causes of the decline of
The Buddha's Dispensation is inexperienced teachers teaching the Dhamma or sometimes non-Dhamma, inexperienced
both in learning151 and practice.