I'd put it this way... Theravada is the way as taught by the Buddha to achieve nibbana in this very life, through full dedication to one own cultivation, as the Lord Buddha did, and originally intended. But this way would be too difficult for many, and would prevented many from entering the stream. Thus Mahayana is a way to plant seeds of Buddhism as it allows Buddhism to be practiced in a way adaptable to local customs. Such as worshipping using mantras (which are basically hymns and praises in Sanskrit), seeking bodhisattas (which can manifest as gods or humans) to pave a starting path for the common folk. The divergence started when the teachings were overly expounded to make it simple for the common folk... However, if we look into the soul of its teachings, it is still essentially Buddhism. A Buddhist is basically a person who takes refuge in the Triple Gems. Both roads leads to the same goal...
Theravada says that Mahayana is false teaching,the Pali Canon being without Mahayana doctrines.The point should be whether Mahayana is Truth or not,not whether it is in or not in certain historical records.Take Pure Land.Thai monks tell us straight to the face that there is no Amitabha Buddha or Sukhavati.How do they know ?Because the Pali Canon has nothing of them.The Canon also does not say that our Earth,on which Lord Shakyamuni attained Enlightenment,rotates on a tilted axis and revolves round the Sun.What the Pali Canon never mention does not necessarily mean something is not true.More important is to practise it,and find out for ourselves whether something is true or not.Lord Buddha,before He attained Enlightenment,also practised under different teachers,faithfully following their instructions in His quest for Enlightenment.However,after serious,single-minded practice,He found that His questions were not answered.Then he abandoned the practices and went to meditate under that Bodhi tree.Pure Land practitioners have many positive spiritual experiences,not something that can be easily dismissed by Theravadins.
did mahayana sutras tell you how to wash your ass after you poop? so, then mahayana sutras are wrong? :D Theravada suttas deal with Buddha, not sun earth or solar system
@@cosmicocean2868 Theravadins say that what not recorded in the Pali Canon is not spoken by Lord Shakyamuni Buddha,meaning it is not Truth.My point is ,what not recorded there is not all untrue,just like the Pali Canon also does not say anything about the Earth's movements.That means the Earth's movements are also not true,since the Canon does not say anything about them.Personal practice is the only way to verify religious tenets,not what is said about them being true or false.Some say meditation is false religious teaching.Have they practised it,and do so correctly?
(...cont) Because he attended the Buddha personally and often traveled with him, Ānanda overheard and memorized many of the discourses the Buddha delivered to various audiences. Therefore, he is often called the disciple of the Buddha who "heard much". At the First Buddhist Council, convened shortly after the Buddha died, Ananda was called upon to recite many of the discourses that later became the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon.
Very simple explanation from myself: Mahayana spreads Buddhism quickly, but in a very confused and messed up form. Theravada points people confused by Mahayana's later additions to the Pali Canon to read for themselves what Buddha said and straighten the mess out.
Please....please....please...3 times as buddhist i emplore you..not take any of his advice as reference...please take your time...as l9ng as you can...learn...just learn about what BUDDHA taught...take advantage of it...and thats it.
Hahaha.. your point of views delighten me so much.. hahaha.. well, I'm from Mahayana my self, I would like to apologize for those confusing Mahayana texts. But in my defense I would also said this: those confusing texts are there so we could have a chances to gain self realization and become a Buddha our self. You could think of it as a one big logic puzzle which also consist of smaller logic puzzle spread every where through out all Mahayana texts. Try turning the wheel(mind) your self. I just realized your comment is from 6years ago.. I hope you are doing well.. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Theravada? You mean the branch with statues of literal Brahma? Really? Also both of them are the Buddha's teachings, just one is higher teachings than the other
@@Stephanopoulosaugustus That is true, no teachings are higher than Sakyamuni's, but he did give different teachings depending on the needs of the people at that time. We believe Mahayana is a higher truth as it talks more about existence, reality and answers a lot of the questions that Sakyamuni refuses to answer in the Pali Canon. But no offense, I respect the Pali Canon very much and have read some of the suttas of it
(...cont) Mahākāśyapa is one of the most revered of the Buddha's early disciples. He is often depicted in statuary together with Ananda, each standing to one side of the Buddha. Now, with 50 years as Buddhist qualified you to question Ananda or Mahākāśyapa and said Buddha wrote nothing? What kind of practicing are you talking about? You cannot just meditate and imagine what should be a proper teaching unless you want to found a new religion. Buddha teachings were written in Tripitaka.
It was not believed only by theravadins. It is fact from best european and american neutral scientists, historicians, religionists, linguists and ethnographists. Read and learn.
Is not true, study better and you will know that is not true. Pali canon Tipitaka is older, fragments of Tipitaka exists in Mahayana canon, it was texts of sanskrit version of Tipitaka called "Tripitaka" But mahayana has not united canon like Theravada and old 18 Hinayana schools with their own very similar Tripitakas and different interpretations in third pitaka of early Sutras. But all Mahayana schools respect Sutta pitaka (part of Tipitaka/Tripitaka). Paramitas are from 1th century AD.
Basically he is right. But there is one problem, which he as a Theravada follower cant avoid. I'm talking about the "originallity" of Pali (not.: Bali) canon.. Even though its believed to be the oldest, written canon, n I think it is, it is just first written, n we cant really proof that its what Buddha actually said... Moreover, the oldest preserved piece of Buddhist writting, I mean the preserved phisical piece of paper, is a Mahaprajniaparamita, which belonges to Mahayana canon....
Buddhism is to train ourselves to contemplate on Tranquility and practise inner peace and outer peace to meet new people with a common goal Seekers of Enlightenment to make the world a better place to live to understanding of cause and effect and cause and condition to train ourselves to letting go of anger hatred and resentment replacing it with compassion love and happiness and appreciate the true Treasures that we have in Simplicity of Our Lives
Mahayana does not follow Buddha's teaching, but following bodhisatta's teaching. Mahayana should rename as Mahayana Bodhisattrism, they worship bodhisatta and beg blessing. They don't want enter into parinibbana but would like sansara. They chant Amitabha, created by western master of sammatiiya around 60AD. In China, they desire to hold and participate in different Repentance activities such as Great Compassion Repentance or Water Repentance. They desire to chant mantra.
How old are you? Are you like 2555+ year old to hear personally what Buddha taught? Do you know who is Ananda? Ānanda was the first cousin of the Buddha by their fathers, and was devoted to him. In the twentieth year of the Buddha's ministry, he became the Buddha's personal attendant, accompanying him on most of his wanderings and taking the part of interlocutor in many of the recorded dialogues. (...cont)
@@niallahorana3377 Thērāvādā being older doesn’t matter… there are Certain Māhāyānān scriptures that are older then the Thērāvādā it’s self, the idea of Thērāvādā being the most authentic is bullshit, and all Buddhist sects are true and came form Shakayamuni Buddha himself, it’s just the matter of Self-Power & Other-Power
@@elmirbratic1211 What kind of Buddhist are you to use profanity seriously 😒 someone seems triggered. Guess you forgot to followed the Buddhist precepts.
May be Mahayana, Theravada, Hinyana or vajrayana, most important is to relieve human firstly from the sorrow. Let human know the Aryan Ashtangik path for practicing.
(...cont) The objective of the council was to record all of Buddha's teachings into the doctrinal teachings (sutra) and Abhidhamma and to codify the monastic rules (vinaya). Ānanda, one of the Buddha's main disciples and his cousin, was called upon to recite the discourses and Abhidhamma of the Buddha, and Upali, another disciple, recited the rules of the vinaya. These became the basis of the Tripiṭaka (Three Baskets), which is preserved only in Pāli. (cont...)
Buddha trusted his followers to use their own intelligence as to what reforms would be appropriate as times change, for example, in Theravada: devotional practice is focussed almost exclusively on the historical Buddha, a monk shouldn't cook, shouldn't drive, touch money, eat after midday, be in the same room as a woman without another man being present, YET! Vegetarianism isn't mandatory in Theravada, in Mahayana (reform? Buddhism) which came about much later, there are other Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, some more lenient rules regarding handling money, work, YET most Mahayana ordained sangha are vegetarian which Buddha said was optional, not mandatory - PROVIDED the animal isn't deliberately ordered to be killed for someone's consumption, seen to be killed or heard to be killed for consumption, then we have Vajrayana - with all its sexual and gory imagery, blissful deities entwined in ecstatic embrace, wrathful deities consuming human flesh & blood festooned with jewellery, bone ornaments & skull necklaces, flaying knives and skullcups, having teachers reincarnating, elaborate lengthy detailed religious practices (what else can you do when it's so snowy & there's so little else happening in Vajrayana countries other than to attend LENGTHY colourful musical ceremonies? Bhutan, Ladakh, Tibet, Zanskar, Mustang, Mongolia) and initiations/empowerments - now easily available for the right price
First written piece was written in 1 century BC after pestis attack in Sri Lanka by theravada bhikshus. Must learn better from scientists not from theravada or mahayana teachers. With respect to all schools.
U r almost right.. Almost. First council took place. probably as soon as after 3 months after parinibbana. Sutta-pittaka was recited by Ananda n acclaimed by the council, Vinaya-pittaka recited by Upali and acclaimed by the council. No trace of Abidhamma-pittak. Abhidhama is later than Sutta n Vinaya, thats why Abhidhamas of different schools r differs considerbly when Vinayas r almost the same. Moreover, schools like Sautrantika, openly oppossed the view that Abhidhama was spoken by Buddha.
In Mahayana and the Nikayas, the Buddha is actually the dharma body which is the absolute. This absolute body is never born nor can it die. Puthujjana monks saw and old man named Gotama die - the Buddha's true disciples (ariya-savaka) didn't see the Buddha die because they understood he was always the dharma body. In this sense the Buddha is always with us - he never left. The Dharma or dhamma body is niccam (permanent), sukham (blissful), and atta (self).
First of all, I didnt say that Mahayan is older than Theravada, n that Mahayana canon, or any piece of it is older than the one of Theravad. What I did say, is the fact that the oldest PIECE OF MATERIAL WRITTEN SCRIPTURE is the one commonly considered as belonging to Mahayan tradition. Another think, all the stuff with "18 schools", n "originallity" of Theravada canon is simply a believe by Theravada followers.
hinayana is the basis for mahayana every buddhist should read tripitaka mahayana sutras and practices are just for people with higher capacity one who learns hinayana in one life will practice mahayana in another life
social nature "1. For him who has completed the journey, 2 for him who is sorrowless, for him who from everything 3 is wholly free, 4 for him who has destroyed all Ties, 5 the fever (of passion) exists not. " ~ Dhammapada verse 90 If you become Arahant, you won't be reborn. And when you don't reborn, you can't be practising Mahayana.
U have much knowledge I'm impressed.. But that much knwoledge is like having a 1000 foot pole, but the fish is an inch away. PUT IT ALL DOWN, don't make, check, do anything! Just eat your rice when your hungry... Sleep when sleepy... Moment to moment, put your heart at ease.. With all this thinking, of past, future, and opposites it leads to judgement to distinction which leads to like and dislike... You've studied greatly the history, the suttas... Stop seeking and you'll be like the patriachs
Mahayana basically teach us our own happiness is not important if others are suffering. Relieve our people from suffering then we attain the real happiness. It is not what this monk mention to get followers then you teach. Or Buddha is not relieved from the cycle and need to enlightene all beings first. Non of this are mentioned in the Mahayana Sutra and this monk is breaking the pancasila and telling lie.
Ugh no! Mahayana is staying inside samsara and helping others from suffering. Theravada is to end suffering and escape rebirth and attained Nirvana which you never go back to the wheel cycle of life.
I think nirvana is a place you can revisit over and over, it seems like they're putting it on a pedestal and leaving it to myths instead of personal experience
I speak about 18 concretes old hinayan schools example : Sarvastivada, Sautrantika, Pudgalavada, Vibhajavada etc. Read some religionistic or historic book about buddhism if you are buddhist or if you sympatize with buddhist teachings.
I’m not anger nor frustrate. Who do you think you are to judge people? I was born as Buddhist, my parents are Buddhist, my ancestors are Buddhist, I used to ordain in Theravada Buddhism since 10 years old. Yet no one can deny what it’s written in Tripitaka. Do you think your 50 years as Buddhist qualified you to question Tripitaka? The first Buddhist council was held just after Buddha's Parinirvana, and presided over by Mahākāśyapa, one of His most senior disciple (cont...)
If there is anybody who needs to read some historic book its u... Believe me, I know what u r talking about. Sarvastivada, Mulasarvastivada, Sautrantika, Vibhajavada splitted into Dharmaguptaka, Mahasisaka, Tamrasatiya, Kasyapiya, Pudgalavada (actual name was Vatsiputriya, Pudgalavada is name coming from the view they held), Mahasanghika, and many others. Im not saying that they didnt exist, but simply that the number "18" is a symbolical, since they had been splitting for ages!
The Buddha firt TEACHING IS NOT PALI !!!! its MAGADHI PRAKITA or Maghada language..SINCE lord Buddha is a prince therefore the language and the location is mostly SANSKRIT as NOBLE LANGUAGE
Alright, obviously it's you who anger and frustrate, with 50 years as Buddhist taught you to call people a dog? With 50 years as Buddhist qualified you to question Ananda or Mahākāśyapa and said Buddha wrote nothing??
I understand that u r a Theravada follower, n so on, but please... Dont tell me to read books about Buddhism, since Ive read more than u can imagine, in 6 different languages (English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Polish, plus some Pali Canon..) Myself, Im pro- Early Buddhism, we can learn from Pali Nikayas n Chinese Agamas + Nagarjuna teaching. Im anti- Cittamatra and totally anti-Tathagatagarbha. But remeber, Budhism is a knowledge not just "faith". Buddha taught: Rely on Dharma, not on people.
very sorry but no offencing here, i think the phraku here need to really gets into the mahayana teaching first b4 making saying the similarities and differences of each schools.
Dude, funny, where did you wrote all that from the beginning? All you wrote were the Buddha wrote nothing The writings BTW were compiled later by monks. Dude, one of that monks were Ananda and Mahakasyapa, if you know who they are. All you wrote is to bring your 50 years as Buddhist to judge people and said people bark like a god. Wow, with 50 years as Buddhist that what you got.
