Best Of

Christianity puts it all 'out there'.
Buddhism brings it all 'in here'.
Christianity is abdication of responsibility.
Buddhism - the Buck stops with you.

This reminds me of the "my Buddhism is better than yours" arguments I have heard/seen among some people. I find it unskillful and not important in the scheme of things. I'd rather focus on learning the Dharma and trying to implement it in my day to day life.

I grew up Catholic - other denominations (particularly the Lutherans here) would say really crappy things about Catholics (including that favourite chestnut "you worship Mary and the Saints, you're not really Christians" etc). Yet for all the infighting going on between Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans etc - they're ALL Christians who believe the same thing - that Jesus died for the world and is the Messiah. Yet they sweat the small stuff and miss the point. That's how I see any argument for different schools of Buddhism being "The One True Path ™"

@opiumpoetry said:
Would anyone agree that Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Navayana are actually 4 different religions rather than just one?

I supposed it would all depend on how you view it/define Buddhism. They can be viewed as arising out a common person/teaching and evolving in different times and cultures into a variety of related branches; or they can be viewed for their unique approaches and not on what they share in common. One could make the same argument for any religion with multiple variations, such as Christianity. It's the eternal question of, how much can something change/evolve until it's something new? The answer depends on where you draw that line. Is it the very first change made? Is it when something becomes totally unrecognizable? Or is it somewhere in the middle?

@opiumpoetry said:
Would anyone agree that Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Navayana are actually 4 different religions rather than just one?

Sure.

Just as the enlightenment in Buddhism is different to the enlightenment in other religions. Oh wait it is not ...

Let us try again ... four divided by one is four but that is only one quarter true. As each of the quarters is one. Maths the whole basis of science was never my corner.

Perhaps if we think in reflecting fractals, where agreement is empty and therefore there is no opposing mirroring ...