Warring Opinions

Mahayana versus Hinayana et al.

Mahayana — Hinayana — Opinions Opinions Opinions

Most opinions are fine, of course (it’s kind of a human birthright), as long as they are labeled opinions; as long as they don’t come masquerading as “alternate facts” and proceed to hold forth on spiritually important issues such as path, liberation, Nirvana, and such, and then — if challenged — double down on being right (the only one that is right, in fact) while you (stupid thing) are (obviously) wrong.

The authors of the notorious Lotus Sutra are often (in many instances deservedly and correctly so in my view) accused of writing a very long polemic tract vilifying those fellow Buddhists who do not concur, in other words, all those of the Theravada persuasion. The Lotus Sutra refers to Theravada, The Buddha’s original teachings, as Hinayana — the lesser and often incorrect, even dangerous path so much lesser than the correct and so much greater and beautiful and correct path known as (our) Mahayana.

There are places in the Lotus Sutra that accuse the original disciples of the Buddha to be not only selfish but to be promulgating dangerous teachings. Attaining Nirvana, holds the Lotus Sutra, is a purely selfish act. The original teachings of the Buddha were only for people with little minds. Mahayana is for big minds.

Oh, well. Perhaps I’m drawing too simple (and somewhat biased) a picture here but it is not too far off the mark, I think you’ll find.

Now, as a neophyte seeker coming across this spiritual mudslinging, what is one supposed to conclude? I tell you what I would conclude, if I didn’t (by experience, by now) know better: They are both crazy, so let me steer as clear as possible of Buddhism altogether. Wide birth. And that would be my loss.

Very much so.

And it would be the very lamentable outcome of pigheaded opinions masquerading as fact and insisting on being right.

And here I’m talking two-thousand-year-old mudslinging. Fast forward to today’s insane me-me-me porridge of brainless opinions, and forgive me for shaking my head in overwhelmed disbelief.

These days, there seem to be as many gurus as grains of sand along the Ganges. And they are ALL right. And they often, too often conflict with each other.

What is a novice seeker to think?

I think some spiritual police (forgive the expression) should round them all up and lock them in a very large room (why not a roofed-over football stadium?) and make it very clear that they will not be let out, not a single one of them, until they AGREE. Work it out and agree on the path. Not my path, or our path, but THE PATH. Signed by all.

Now the novice seeker has something to rely on.

Sheer fantasy, of course.

As it stands, and will most likely continue to stand, the seeking can be hit and miss. I know that from experience.

At twenty I joined a religious persuasion that claimed, in no uncertain terms and very loudly, that it was the ONLY, repeat the ONLY path that led all the way to spiritual freedom. Other paths were laughably mistaken, so very misguided, only we saw the truth, only we knew the way out. There is a terrible addiction involved in buying into such a thing, and I stayed addicted for years.

Came to discover, the path did not, as advertised, lead out. Still, there are many that even today subscribe wholeheartedly to this movement and remain convinced that they, and only they, are on the right path. Hold the ultimate key.

Once I saw the light (or the darkness) it still took me years to fully shed these notions of superiority, of rightness, of us against the world of stupids.

Eventually, I found Buddhism and breathed a huge sigh of relief only to soon enough discover similar mindsets, i.e., Lotus Sutra versus Theravada. Why? Why? Why? It’s not helping anyone.

Yes, I have reconciled things by now. I have developed a very good nose for truth and can sift the chaff from the grain as I study.

Today, I would, if asked, call myself a Theravada Buddhist. I would also be the first to point out that there are many amazing insights and practices in the Mahayana tradition, including, of course, Zen.

Now, I don’t care whether Mary and Beth Instagram-disagree on some fish recipe, or Bob and Dan are Twitter-fighting about the best running shoe. I mean, who really cares?

But when supposedly learned and “senior” religious teachers and gurus disagree about the path and practices, that has a very detrimental impact on the world.

Perhaps it’s not so strange that religious disagreements often lead to bloodshed — the Crusades, the Islam invasion of India and other countries that were converted at sword-point, the Christian rape of South America in the trail of Columbus — the list does indeed go on.

Nothing is more important than the true spiritual way out of Samsara and the more agreement we can find, the better.

This I have discovered: the true sages, the saints, the mystics, all do agree.

© Wolfstuff

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