Prajnaparamita is Unverifiable

[Pondera]

The so called “Perfection of Wisdom” is not open to verification. The four thousand verse version of this later development in Mahayana Buddhism (authored likely by Nagarjuna) allows one to admit a state of emptiness - but insists that any experienced state of emptiness is inferior to “perfect emptiness” by not only definition - but (more to the point) by the authority of the speakers (Buddha, and Sariputta to be precise).

Let’s ignore the fact that someone in the first or third century AD had the audacity to compose this literature and ascribe it to the great Buddha and his right hand man. Let’s instead ask if real Buddhism is verifiable.

Are there any bench marks that allow us to verify the authentic and original teachings of the Buddha? Feel free to add your own.

For my part - there are eleven that stand out.

One with faith produces joy. With joy you have rapture. With rapture, tranquility. With tranquility, sukha. With sukha, samadhi. With samadhi, knowledge and vision of things as they really are. With THAT, disenchantment. With disenchantment, dispassion. With dispassion, release. And finally with release, knowledge and vision of ending.

Contrary to the unreachable ideal of the Mahayana Prajnaparamita, the ideal of original and authentic Buddhism ends with knowledge and vision (in an ultimate sense). It is no wonder that the 8FP is extended to include “right liberation” and “right knowledge” for the arahants.

For the Bodhisatvas, unfortunately, the moment you think you have something, the authority (old Prajnaparamita text) tells you that you have misappropriated the ideal. Too bad for Mahayana, I suppose. All the more encouraging for those who seek the ideals of authentic and original dhamma as taught by the living Buddha.

[Coëmgenu]

The so called “Perfection of Wisdom” is not open to verification.

It's only verification is experience. Its highest tenets are not open to verification via body, speech, and mind. It is through their ending that the verification comes. Conventional emptiness is established via logic. Ultimate emptiness is known only through itself, not though anything else. You are correct there.

It is highly unlikely that Venerable Nagarjuna himself wrote the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. They pre-date him.

[Rambutan]

Are there any bench marks that allow us to verify the authentic and original teachings of the Buddha? Feel free to add your own.

For my part - there are eleven that stand out.

One with faith produces joy. With joy you have rapture. With rapture, tranquility. With tranquility, sukha. With sukha, samadhi. With samadhi, knowledge and vision of things as they really are. With THAT, disenchantment. With disenchantment, dispassion. With dispassion, release. And finally with release, knowledge and vision of ending.

You basically claim that the Theravada tradition has a monopoly on what’s on that sequential list. But a mahayanist could make the claim from their own experience.

[Pondera]

Are there any bench marks that allow us to verify the authentic and original teachings of the Buddha? Feel free to add your own.

For my part - there are eleven that stand out.

One with faith produces joy. With joy you have rapture. With rapture, tranquility. With tranquility, sukha. With sukha, samadhi. With samadhi, knowledge and vision of things as they really are. With THAT, disenchantment. With disenchantment, dispassion. With dispassion, release. And finally with release, knowledge and vision of ending.

You basically claim that the Theravada tradition has a monopoly on what’s on that sequential list. But a mahayanist could make the claim from their own experience.

No. This is transcendental dependent origination for your information. This list was expounded by the Buddha. To be found in the Upanissa Sutta.

If such a list exists in the Mahayana canon of sutras, feel free to provide a source.

[Ceisiwr]

…

I’m sceptical of verificationism. In philosophy, in the end, those who promoted it ended up abandoning it. In science nothing is verified, because you can’t account for all variables.

[Ontheway]

I wouldn't say it is wrong entirely....maybe it is overreached.