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American Buddhism .. not a lot of suttra sharing ?

TheologicalTheological
edited August 2010 in Faith & Religion
..

Could I put on my amateur social scientist hat for a moment?

In my background to the Mara-samyutta question. I found something interesting (within members' remarks here). :coffee:
(Quote) "I reject the suttras as being evidence for Dharmic method" (It is much cleaner that way)"."I assume total inaccuracy as the starting point an then can test from there.."
.

"I don't actually spend much time reading sutras and such"

.
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Prompting this question (or observation) ..
(?)American Buddhism .. not a lot of suttra sharing ? Hmm, Weirdness.


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Comments

  • StephenStephen
    edited April 2010
    Americans are still finding their way, since America is not a Buddhist country and it's something of an Thought-Import.

    I'm not sure I'm understanding what you're saying though. ;)

    A lot of the time our traditions can bog us down. I know from personal experience that going with one school or another, or quibbling over certain teachings, is a result of how Buddhism has traditionally been preserved and our attachments.

    We don't need to be scholars of the suttas/sutras and quote them everywhere; what we really need is to understand the concepts that they teach for ourselves, to be able to internalize the teachings and one day through proper practice to "realize" them for ourselves.

    The importance of the suttas is ultimately only insofar as they help you awaken. They're only a guide to seeing the truth that already stands before us, and would be self-evident if not for the "self".

    I rarely, if ever, quote the suttas. Better to speak in a contemporary manner out of wisdom than to expect people to digest the rather archaic and formulaic teachings that they may have already been exposed to and didn't "get".
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited April 2010
    Firstly, if I may say so, you're assuming the poster is from the USA...But I don't know that he is....in fact, I'm more inclined to believe he's not...

    Secondly, if you would LIKE to actually discuss suttas in great detail and analytical depth, there is a very good forum which is very scholarly and academically-oriented where in-depth discussions on the suttas and Buddha's teachings are not only commonplace but actively encouraged and well-frequented....
    If you like, I'll give you a link. :)
  • TheologicalTheological
    edited April 2010
    American Buddhism & the Buddhist suttras . . .
    federica wrote: »
    .. to actually discuss suttras in great detail and analytical depth, there is a very good forum which is very scholarly and academically-oriented where in-depth discussions on the suttas and Buddha's teachings are not only commonplace but [also] well-frequented....

    I mean, When you go to messageboards it is almost ignored or soon discarded as a subject of (serious) study

    ps -- Asked that the "social scientist" hat be emphasized
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited April 2010
    A lot of american students start out with a simple meditation instruction. The sutras are difficult to understand if you don't know any of the experiences they point to. Just an example I can think of is the description of the Jhanas. Its pretty meaningless unless you have some first hand experience of those states. Which is not to say that all sutras are not helpful, of course.
  • RenGalskapRenGalskap Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Theological wrote: »
    American Buddhism .. not a lot of suttra sharing Hmm, Weirdness.
    The majority of people who follow any given religion are not terribly familiar with the basic texts of that religion. In Islam, some conservative groups still expect males to memorize the entire Quran, but even there the people who fulfill this requirement are a minority of all Muslims.
  • TheologicalTheological
    edited April 2010
    RenGalskap wrote: »
    The majority of people who follow any given religion are not terribly familiar with the basic texts of that religion. In Islam, some conservative groups still expect males to memorize the entire Quran, but even there the people who fulfill this requirement are a minority of all Muslims.


    RenGalskap makes an insightful 'observation'.

    In one Of the Three modes of attaining moral wisdom. One of which is attaining moral wisdom from reading, hearing and learning from the instruction: Sutamaya-panna
  • FoibleFullFoibleFull Canada Veteran
    edited April 2010
    Well, this IS a Buddhist site. Not a Tibetan Buddhist site, not a Zen Buddhist site, etc, etc.

    So we have people from all the various schools and traditions, people who do not belong to any tradition.

    Same thing happens in every religion ... my sister's husband has a sister who is a devout Christian, but she has made up her own version and never goes to church because she's never found a church she agrees with. You'd find it weird listening to her if you were Christian!
  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    edited August 2010
    I enjoy sutra sharing and hope that people continue to read and study different sutras.
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