The myth of Hinayana. Kare A. Lie.

hermitwin

I read it recently and found it very interesting.
Any comments?

http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/2008/08/myth-of-hinayana.html

BhanteLucky

I can't get to the next page of the article... It says not found.

person

I think its important to note that the blog points out that Theravada is not considered part of the Hinayana discussion and debate.

shanyin

I'm confused. Mahayana were critisized by when they formed and then the Mahayanists called these 'older schools' hinayanists. But that's not reffering to Theravadin. Who were the older schools they were reffering to?

Glow

There were many schools of early Buddhism before Mahayana came around. Wikipedia has a pretty good article on them. Theravada is simply one of these schools.

BhanteLucky

When Mahayana followers and teachers denigrate Hinayana today, they are not denigrating a long-extinct sect that the term was originally used to insult.
They are belittling, slandering, and insulting Theravada instead.
The target has changed.

Jeffrey

@JamestheGiant, Mahayana teaches hinayana. They honor and study the agamas. My teachers husband wrote a book about the four noble truths. They (broad pen) do not insult anyone.

Jeffrey

Often theravadins say mahayana is hinduism. The grossest most disgusting people are threatened and sling mud.

karmablues

To be honest, prior to being a member of newbuddhist.com, I use to feel that Mahayana Buddhism was a little bit inferior to Theravada. However, since reading stuff available here and comments posted by students of the Mahayana tradition, I no longer feel that way. In fact, I've begun to think I could learn some things from the Mahayana tradition that would enhance my own practice. I'm so glad about this.

BhanteLucky

Jeffrey said:

@JamestheGiant, Mahayana teaches hinayana. They honor and study the agamas. My teachers husband wrote a book about the four noble truths. They (broad pen) do not insult anyone.

Some do though. I've met both monks and laypeople who spoke scornfully and sneeringly of the ignorant and foolish Theravadans.
They said Theravadans are satisfied with their meagre Expedient Means, their selfish hinayana path, and that they are incapable of appreciating or understanding teachings such as the Lotus Sutra.

Enigma

Sectarianism goes both ways. May all beings be free from attachment to views.

"Among those who live above confrontation
not pitting view against view,
whom would you gain as opponent, Pasura,
among those here
who are grasping no more?"

Pasura Sutta, Sutta Nipata 4.8

zenff

It seems to me that the use of denigrating language must have a purpose. It must have something to do with building up the group identity or with justifying and confirming the individual’s choice for being in that particular sect.

The ideological differences between sects are so minimal that outsiders really don’t understand why they are any issue at all, but these minimal differences need to be blown out of proportion because they explain and justify the separate existence of the sect or school.

It happens in every religion and too often sectarianism fuels violence. Buddhists are relatively relaxed about their differences, I think.