I was a Theravada monk in southern Thailand for a month. I would love to chat. I had to go to the source and it’s interesting how it gets translated into Western Society.
Okay I see you Doug. Disregard my latest comment. I get very passionate about this because as the Dalai Lama stated, “ if your Christian stay Christian.” That’s a message you society at large but also true because inevitably in any Buddhist practice you come to terms either the fact that no one is giving to save you. The Buddha taught you how to free yourself, not save yourself. Peace and love. Good stuff doug
It's AMAZING to me that we have this knowledge at our fingertips in this age. The knowledge in this video would have taken an entire lifetime of travel and study across many distant countries.
Indeed so Yuron Long, the Buddha's focus was suffering and its end. Interestingly though there is dispute about the "only". (Something I only recently realized as well!) tricycle.org/magazine/i-teach-only-suffering-and-end-suffering/
I’ve been having a hard time finding simple explanations about Buddhism. I appreciate the fact that you’re breaking things down logically, before getting into all of the philosophical stuff.
Thanks Anna, yes I'm trying to make it understandable to folks without too much philosophical background or interest. There will be some videos that have more of that kind of material however. Just depends on the topic. 🙂
Also just read or watch videos from alan watts. You will see the true meaning to karma and what zen is, a mixture of Daoism and Buddhism. The popular version of Buddhism or Hinduism has a lot of misleading ideas. Alan watts will give clarity.
I am 51 years old. And just in the last week, have been interested in learning about Buddhism. I am glad I came across your channel. You are a good teacher. I have subscribed to your channel. Thank you.
2:37 Theravada Buddhism - Insight Driven - Focus on the historical buddha - Less Ritual - Less Hierarchical - Rational and Conceptual Clarity in their teachings - Uses interpreted texts - Become awakened reduce greed, hatred, ignorance does not focus on buddha nature - Very strict monks 7:21 Mahayana Buddhism - Encompasses Zen, Tibeten, Pure Land Buddhism - Devotional Driven (robes, incense, bells, elaborate rooms) - Mantra and ritual based practice - Guru and Teacher based. You would - Very relaxed monks - Break reliance on Reason to understand the world. More non-rational. - Uses more modern texts 11:46 Vajrayana Buddhism - Tantric Buddhism - Intensely guru based, typically work with one teacher for years and years - Intensely hierarchical - Devotional Focused - Initiation rights to bind to gods, gurus, etc. - Mantras, Mudras - Texts are VERY powerful - A lot of aspects are kept secret and not able to be studied without leacher (sex, alcohol, etc. )
Being a mahayana Buddhist I request u that question and criticise us and on buddhism as much as u can. Blind faith is the cause of decline of buddhism. U have lots of knowledge of buddhism, so whenever u meet a Buddhist plz must ask so many question . Thanks for learning and teaching buddhism behalf of all Buddhist.
Thank you so much for this video! I left the Jehovah’s Witness religion with my husband last summer. We’ve decided Christianity isn’t for us, so we’re exploring eastern spirituality. We feel as if it represents us better. We are going to a Buddhist temple tomorrow, and by watching this video, we are much more informed- and prefer the Theravāda temple!
Great overview! Even though I’ve considered myself Buddhist for a decade and been to one of Thich Nhat Hahn’s monasteries and did a day of mindfulness, read many books, and taught meditation groups, I still get the different schools confused and overlapped mentally. Granted, I mostly take what’s helpful for me and leave the rest. Great vid. Best wishes.
Hi Doug! I've been attracted to buddhism for a long time, but every time I try to study or practice it I feel overwhelmed and I don't know where to start, your videos are helping me a lot, so thank you so much for doing this ✨ I'm sending you good wishes from Argentina!
I know this is an old vid but I just found this now and as someone interested in Buddhism this is so informative and easy to digest. Trying to find info about the schools through self research was sooo confusing
I first know Buddhism when I was 7 years old through my Dad. I read some Mahayana Sutras ,I find it long and quite hard for me to understand. Meanwhile I later read the 5 Nikaya Pali Sutra (which I believe they belong to Theravada Buddhism), I find them simple and easier to understand. The context in Pali Sutra is close to ancient Indian lives, many simple examples Buddha use to explain his teachings.
Mahayana mantras are more complicated as they're Chinese, the hardest language in the world for English speakers. But to make it more simple, is to find the pronunciation version of the mantra.
It’s a very good explanation Doug! When I first converted to buddhadharma you built my foundation. I myself have been a vajrayana practitioner for some years because I have been attracted to Tibetan Buddhism since a little child, and it’s been the biggest gift of my life to find the teachings, the Buddha, my sangha and my gurus. As my root guru His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche says: “It doesn’t matter if one calls a Buddhist or not, the dharma is love”. Also from a broader view I think it would be very good to mention that every teaching that fits under the 4 seals Is Buddha dharma: 1. All compounded things are impermanent. 2. All contaminated phenomena cause suffering. 3. All things are selfless, or in other words interdependent. 4. Nirvana is beyond extremes( nihilism and eternalism). This is the teaching of the Buddha.
Hi Doug! I found your channel maybe two years ago at the beginning of quarantine and now two years later I’ve fully found myself as also a secular buddhist. In many ways, I’ve found you to be my “guru” or teacher when it comes to learning more about buddhism and finding new methods and concepts shared in the pali canon and other texts of early buddhism that has really resonated and affirmed my beliefs. Like what you say in every intro of your videos, I’ve found myself becoming kinder, wiser, and living a more fulfilling life. I think what I’m trying to say with this message is thank you for making these videos. Without it, I wouldn’t have realized how compatible buddhism is to my life as someone who has left roman catholicism and faced many times I felt adrift, bouncing between athiest and agnosticism. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more videos soon!!
I love your clarity, humility, and your open minded depictions of the various schools of thought. It is a difficult world we live in and your words are helpful in both dealing with it, and giving the opportunity to still enjoy life. "Live long and prosper." modern Buddhist friend. ;)
Thanks Doug, another excellent video. It's always been fascinating to see how people of different spiritual ideas incorporate local beliefs. Christianity is rife with it and Buddhism is no exception. You mentioned the Hindu connections. Tibetan Buddhists absorbed aspects of the Bo tradition. Chan, later Zen, happily includes Taoist ideas. Now we are seeing how the different schools are adapting to Western lifestyles and we can compare the same schools with the way they work in other parts of the world. A Christian evangelist acquaintance insists that all Christian denominations, at least the ones he approves of, have the same core beliefs. I hope we can all remember the roots of Buddhism. Your series of talks helps that ideal a lot.
Thanks so much martynsnan. Yes, as you say the adaptation continues today where contemporary ideas are changing Buddhism, making it a more secular practice. That will work for many of us but not all, and that's fine so long as we retain that ethical core of kindness, compassion, generosity, wisdom. The best of Christianity follows the same approach, and it's one we should celebrate. 🙏
i’m just getting into Buddhism and only beginning my research, and your videos have already been so helpful in forming my understanding of Buddhism as a whole and where I see myself fitting in with my personal practice. thank you so much for your clear and direct explanations!! 🖤
As someone who is recently convinced by the core ideas of the four truths and eightfold path, I’m conflicted, because I’m drawn towards the rationalism in Theravada, but I’m also drawn towards the compassion towards others and the bodhisattva vows and so forth in mahayana. I don’t care for devotional practices, but I feel rituals in general have a practical purpose of spiritual centering/re-centering and strengthening conviction if that makes sense. Meanwhile the very few western/secular buddhists I have met seem to largely be interested in adopting only the aesthetic of a buddhist while cherrypicking concepts and practices that match pop psychology and the self-help industry, ultimately more interested in personal improvement for the end goal of material benefits rather than a cessation of suffering in either the self or others. But I can’t help be drawn to the idea of secularism as an empiricist myself. But this is the perspective of a prospective outsider, just voicing my frustration with not feeling like any school is a good fit for me rather than trying to disparage anybody
Well it helps to realize that each of the schools of Buddhism was created from someone in the past feeling dissatisfied with the options of Buddhism available to them. I don't believe there is any right or wrong path in life. Simply what is right or wrong for each individual. That was my long-winded way of agreeing with Doug; forge your own path.
@@lucalinadreemur9448 It goes deeper than that. The forerunner to Mahayana, the Mahasangika, caused the first schism at the follow up to the second council, mostly because they didn't like the vinaya (the monk's rules) that the Buddha set forth. Notably, they didn't like the rule against eating after midday, or that they couldn't take monetary donations. They then denigrated the achievements of Arhats, saying they're not fully enlightened and not destined to leave samsara after death. I say this with all love, but the Mahasangika and the Mahayana that grew out of it simply have wrong view. It's not that they haven't done great things or that the hearts of present day Mahayana folks aren't in the right place, as for the most part I think they are, it's that Theravada, despite its own flaws, at least remains fairly close to the Buddha's actual teachings. The Mahasangika movement was instead born out of a faction of monks who just weren't there to achieve the goal of Nibbana and wanted laxer rules so they could freely pursue their own objectives. It's important to have discipline as well as compassion about these things. It does people no good to follow teachings that don't lead to liberation from suffering. There's schools within Mahayana (as well as Theravada - dry insight comes to mind) that need loving chastisement as their teaching isn't liberating anyone.
It is a normal view within Mahayana Buddhism that a foundation of Hinayana views and practices is of great importance. The different Yanas may seem as different paths with different aims but really they all point towards the same thing, the taming of the mind in order to overcome the causes of suffering and samsara. The view within Tibetan Buddhism is that one cannot just jump right into the more esoteric type of practices (as a beginner) but we must build a foundation that stem right back to the foundational practices and views taught in the First turning of the Wheel of Dharma (Hinayana) by the Buddha. For any practitioner within the Tibetan tradition the Buddha is considered our founding root source and is placed at the center of the tradition. The path of Varjayana is considered open to us only if we have a thorough understanding of Hinayana and Mahayana first. For a Varjayana practitioner the Buddha turned the Wheel of the Dharma three times, meaning that the Buddha appeared in different forms at different times to introduce a new set of teachings for differently inclined students. To have a sense of starting from the beginning with the essential teachings taught by the historical Buddha will build an excellent foundation should we feel inclined towards more Mahayana type of practices later. But it is also considered not a problem, nor danger, to start out right away with a practice more inclined towards a Mahayana view either. The view of Mahayana has all the Hinayana views embedded within it and is in no way a contradiction to the First turning of the Wheel of the Dharma. It is more like an expanded form, we can say. Even though Mahayana and Varjayana seems to express more flair and colours those are secondary outwardly appearances, mostly. Both these vehicles requires extraordinary discipline, commitment and focus to be effective. They are not meant for the faint hearted or lazy person, as it sometimes have been portrayed as to be. It is in fact the absolute opposite! The view, commitment and practice of a Bodhisattva is no small thing at all! It should be seen as an culmination of what the heart of enlightenment (Bodhicitta) is all about. When we enter into a Mahayana practice we become an “aspiring” Bodhisattva which entails things such as eternal (not just for one lifetime) commitment towards enlightened aspiration and the sincere will to bringing liberation to all sentient beings. The path towards becoming a Buddha goes through all the stages of being on the path of a Bodhisattva first. That transition may happen as a slow or rapid progression, but no Buddha is said to have appeared without having traversed the ten (or thirteen) stages (Bumis) of a Bodhisattva first. This is the Mahayana view. It should be noted that the Mahayana (and Varjayana) vehicle(s) of practices are not recognized by all Hinayana practitioners as authentic teachings of the Buddha. Conversely, all practitioners within Mahayana and Varjayana are advised to accept and appreciate the First turning of the Wheel of the Dharma (Hinayana) by the Buddha, at least as being foundational in practice and views. It may seem puzzling why we have so many different styles, ways and costumes within the Buddhist community? The traditional explanation for that is the different inclinations we practitioners are endowed with. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appear continuously throughout space and time to teach and help sentient beings overcome their obscurations and achieve the realization of their true nature, or liberation. No teaching will fit all types of beings but the Buddhas are endowed with the infinite capacities to teach in accordance to the inclinations of the students listening. Over time this will form into, what seems to be separate traditions and schools of thought. It is for that reason we always need to look back into the first set of teachings the historical Buddha of our time gave in order not to fall into the trap of sectarianism or “skipping the grade”-type of mentality. No teachings given by the Buddha should be seen as trivial or negligible. It was given to us with full intent and insight knowing it contains no contradictions, if understood correctly.
Thank you very much for your videos. I only discovered them a week ago. They are so very helpful. I have been studying Tibetan Buddhism for a few years because I had easy access to teachers in my area. But I have been struggling to find faith in all the deities, mantras and rituals, which left me feeling not worthy and somehow guilty (even though they say there is no word for guilt in Tibetan). I thought of looking into Zen but suspected that they would have a lot of rituals as well, this time just from a different culture. I like listening to Theravaden talks online, but didn't know where to start finding out more about them. By chance I found your videos and they are a great help. I am trying to find more clarity which path to choose and I am very tempted to become a secular Buddhist even though I believe in rebirth 😉. I am looking forward to find out more about Buddhas original teachings. Thank you so much Birgit 🙏
I just would love to say that I’m great full to come across your channel. You organized this video very well. I’m currently 15 years old and very confused in the world and after hearing about Buddhism, I became very interested in the idea of each branch. I found it very hard to find anything with a straight answer so I appreciate having people like you, know exactly what you’re talking about and teaching others. Thank you!
Doug, my experience sitting with the three schools has been pretty much identical to yours. I sat with a Tibetan group for a few months in Rochester NY. The meditation room was exquisitely decorated with ornate tapestries, sculpture, beautiful pillow seating with little sort of desks on the floor for the exquisite little spirals of printed chants we were given. Some people robed. Seated in a u. Good meditation leaders. I sat with a zen like group a couple of times in oyster bay Long Island aligned with plum village. It was not for me. Everyone spoke in whispers. It was overly reverential, I felt like I was in a cleared out reception room of an old mansion, which we were. It just felt forced to me. The Theravadan Long Island Buddhist meditation center in port Jeff and now moved to riverhead was for me. As you say, very egalitarian even though it was led by very skillful monks. They explained everything. We stared with chanting, then readings from the Pali canon where we went around the circle and read aloud, then two meditations… metta followed by breath. The monks were associated with bante g and the Vihara in West Virginia. Some people left as they they got hung up on the issue of rebirth. I’m agnostic on this. I don’t care. But it was a barrier to some. I feel they might have been more content if they just let it go.
Yes I think it matters a lot to some traditional practitioners, and is a barrier to many others. Best to leave it aside and let each person decide for him or herself. Glad to hear you had similar thoughts! 🙏😊
Hey man. I am from Sri Lanka born in buddhist family. Sri Lanka has only Theravada buddism. We are highly practicing sathipattana meditation in our monasteries. As I think Thailand,Mynmar and Laos like that. If you want to learn in deep come to Sri Lanka.. Namo Buddaya.. Sadu Sadu Sadu...
I almost think Zen has more in common with Taoism than traditional Buddhism, especially in the idea of “non-striving”. They argue that one overcomes the self not through training but through sudden awareness. My Zen teacher would often say “Don’t you know? You are already empty. There is nothing to overcome.” That always stuck with me. Also, how liberal a sangha kind of depends on the school. Soto Zen is pretty lax compared to warrior-esque Rinzai.
Interesting idea. Its always confused me a tad how 2 groups in the same school have such polar opposite ideas on conscious use of thier meditation practice as a technique to bring on Awakening (or not, depending on whether Rinzai or Soto). They cannot BOTH BE WRONG? And still commited practitioners in both groups make "progress" and eventually are recognised as having done so by thier teachers? Thank you for the thoughts on Taoism - I have read The Tao Te Ching but did not pick that up. I shall have another look.
That's a very good observation! Zen does have a lot in common with Taoism. Chan, the Chinese progenitor of Japanese Zen (the word Zen is derived from Chan) was directly influence by Taoism during its development.
@@MichaelBurtonGahurton 'Cos zen is a mixture of buddhism and taoism which is linking heavily with chinese culture. Its TAO-ized buddhism. And also hindu-ized buddhism exists in india.
Thank you, Doug. I'm a Sri Lankan living in Australia for the past 45 years. I was raised as a Christian -but now I follow Buddhist practices. Not based on beliefs or dogma. I live a Buddhist life. I understand One dharma (Joseph Goldstein). I understand the 4 noble truths. I practice Mindfulness Meditation daily, also the four immeasurables- Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Uppeka. For me, the practice of purification of the mind to escape suffering is the goal.
As someone new to Buddhism, so much easier to follow than books! I've wanted to learn how to practice for a while but the meditation centre near me is just too expensive for a student :( these are super helpful for teaching myself at home so thankyou!
Sad to hear that a centre charges instead of accepting donations. The internet has plenty of good teachings, but it can indeed be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
thank you for making this video! I've been getting into Nichiren Buddhism lately and this helps me look at the practice from a 10000 foot level, much love from LA
I feel inclined to add that when the Mahayana talk about "emptiness" / "void" / "nothingness", we're not being nihilistic. It's a way to communicate the inconceivable nature of reality. As soon as you conceptualize or define "nothing", it isn't actually nothing anymore. This is Buddha nature (as I understand it), and I liken it to the way that people conceptualize God. If God is omnipotent and omnipresent, then all things must be the expression of that perfectly unified, infinite God (the true nature of which is concealed by our limited perceptive faculties). Anyway, I'm obviously a little more on the superstitious side than you are, and I'm way more pedantic; but I thought this would be a fun addition to your already phenomenal introduction. Love your content, man!
Thanks Alexander, yes "emptiness" isn't meant to be nihilism. I discuss the early doctrine of emptiness in another video here: th-cam.com/video/U1_i6EvYDaY/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Doug for this comprehensive explanation! Another largely secular path is Shambhala, which consists of Mahayana and Vajrayana practices inspired by the Tibetans and Zen. Tibetan deities are acknowledged and invoked but these are usually interpreted as aspects of mind. The founder Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche interpreted Buddha Nature as Basic Goodness; Shambhala seeks to create an enlightened society by practicing to develop this Basic Goodness. More advanced Vajrayana (tantric) practices depend more on Tibetan tradition and working with the Guru, along with a vision of "Sacred World." Notably, Shambhala strives to be ecumenical; Chögyam Trungpa used the term "hinayana" to refer to only the early stages of the path of meditation, and not as any comment on other traditions.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have been interested in Buddhist teaching for a long time. I wasn’t getting anywhere with my internet searches. Thus, I turned to TH-cam for information that is how I found your channel. I am very grateful for your videos.
I’ve been practicing at a Chan Buddhist center in Northern California. It falls under the Mahayana category. Some of what you said was true for my monastery, but some of it was not. Overall, my experience has been extremely positive. The center is definitely ritualistic; there’s a lot of singing, chanting, and of course, lots of meditation. The monastery is beautiful and full of statues of bodhisattvas and arhats. Dharma talks from the head abbas are engaging and informative. Like you said, there is a focus on things like emptiness, non-duality, inherent Buddha nature, and other teachings that feel somewhat paradoxical at times. There is a robust community of monastics at the monetary I attend and they are extremely lighthearted and good humored. However, they are strictly devoted. They don’t marry, they don’t drink alcohol, and they are vegetarians. Thank you for your informative videos! Amitofo!
My introduction was to Pureland Zen from a Zen master from Vietnam who had a temple composed then of two joined houses and another across the street. My journey was to investigate and feel and see whether this religious experience or that was to make me a better person. I was both loved and hated wherever I went. I was also influenced by studies and practices of the sixties and seventies that were involved with self practice. I came to the conclusion that it was the feeling of helplessness from traumas and deprivations in life that were the cause of many blocks to enlightenment and that unlearning the helplessness turned into neurotic symbolic struggles that is the source of greed is an essential part of the introspective process that leads to greater personal enlightenment, less anxiety and freedom from the idea of a permanent unchanging conscious agent called a "soul" or "atman" which concept can block personal change with its inherent clinging to transient conditioned existence. The path as I came to see it involved internal dialogs and deeper pre language or non language mindfulness which develops gradually into a more moral and enlightened state. The path in a nutshell is that one must feel the times of helpless feelings from a position of wisdom and compassion developed in dialogs both internal and external in order to know what one has lost, grieve that loss and let it go, having let go, forgive others from the heart, having forgiven others from the heart, forgive yourself from your heart for the harm your state of non enlightenment had caused, and having done so, know that the one having tears of remorse is no longer the one who did the harm. This is a process repeated at deeper and deeper levels. The middle path, in my view, is about healing anxieties stemming from the past with empathy and compassion, healing anxieties about the future through objectivity and wisdom, and using the creative ability to stand outside yourself and see the hero, the Buddha nature striving to cope, set within a great story to be appreciated and embraced, and to see that others are the same: Buddhas waiting to rise as the lotus from the pond. This kindness to oneself, and kindness to others, are each catalysts for each other and positive change. I see no perfect gurus, or ranks of perfections, just heroes that with the right mindfulness of themselves, are the Buddhas, and I see no perfect Buddha in this conditioned world, unless it is all of us working together in love. Now I grow, and as I change from the baptism of many tears, I know that all life is to be cherished, that real freedom is found in the middle path and a secure mindfulness applied to all our experiences. And when I practice my path in my imperfect way I find tears of compassion, remorse that liberates, and wisdom to help me live my life today and not feel either superior or inferior to anyone, but rather just a potential imperfect friend who is "good enough" because he is on the path, and not because he has achieved anything, and that there is nothing to "achieve". I laugh now in ways that remind me now of my beloved Honorable Venerable Doctor Thich Thien An, who will always be in my heart. I fail everyday, and I am always learning more and more about the difficult skills of tolerance for the superstitious nonsense that corrupts our minds from time to time, I learn to see the hurting hearts that hide the Buddha nature, I learn to restrain from being overly forceful or overly cowardly, and teaching others, and myself, from where each are, instead of from where I think myself or others "should" be. It is not by will that we climb the difficult hill to enlightenment, but by the healing force of compassion and wisdom, that like a seed, grows to a greater vision because we have slowly liberated ourselves from the clinging brought on through no fault of our own because of anxieties and helplessness that are bound to occur in every life. It is both lightning flashes of enlightenment and a slow progression that brings us to our true natures, and the flashes themselves must not be clung to, we are a moving stream, a circle in the air formed by a lit stick of incense in a dark room: Thank you Dr. An.
Great and very informative high-level intro and summary on the 3 main "schools", thank you so much! However, I missed a very important aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism from the video. As far as I know from my studies, the early / ancient Tibetan religion (Bon or Bön) had a very intense influence on Vajrayana, including rituals, visual representations, deities and other beings, afterworlds and so on.
Yes my understanding is that the indigenous Tibetan religion influenced the Tibetan practice of Vajrayāna, but Vajrayāna began in India and has influence around Asia, so the Tibetan practice is only one of many.
@@DougsDharma Thank you for your kind reply. Correct, that’s what I meant, sorry for the confusion.:) What I meant is that Bon / Bön had a strong influence on Tibetan buddhism. 🙏
I was raised within the practice of Zen Buddhism , which my Swedish father converted to when I was a child. Meditation was a large part of our practice, as well as reading, the three-fold path, attempting vegetarianism , sitting Zazen, and chanting almost every morning before school (Franciscan-Catholic school). Surprisingly enough my father was a celebrated Christian filmmaker at the time, and so I was asked to be silent about my Buddhist upbringing. However I found that Buddhism and Catholicism fit together easily, as did my Sicilian mother's adult conversion to Unitarian Universalism. In fact, Zen Buddhism fit easily with every religion and spiritual practice I explored as I grew up, from Hinduism to Christianity, to Witchcraft, to Nature Worship to Paganism, to Sikhism, to Agnosticism, to Kabala, to Atheism, to Ram Dass, to Scientology, to Judaism, to the belief in Ancient Aliens, to Totems, to Alister Crowley, to Astrology, to Huxley, Tolkien, to Transcendentalism, to Universalism, to worship of the Old Gods. Buddhism fit snugly with them all, allowing cohesion to exist no matter what religion I was exploring .
Paganism? Buddhism, hinduism and sikhism are paganisms. Only two non pagan religions exist and they're judaism and christianity. Paganism is a wide term.
Great content and channel. I'm a Jodo Shinshu or Japanese Pure Land Buddhist and find it works for me. The key is to find that path that will work for you
Appreciate your sharing🙏 I'm not a Buddhist practitioner but into Spiral Dynamics (theory on evolution of individual deeper drives/worldviews) instead and just came back from a 7 day meditation workshop (in a small dark room by self...a cave...without talking to other people most of the time) . I believe your teaching sheds light onto what I'm working with now e.g. different Buddhism practice should suit people of different deeper drive. Thanks again!
I have been an Asia traditional practitioner my entire life. This is my first time listening to to a Western Buddhist view. You did great!!! From your pronunciation to the background images, they are really gorgeous and precious. Thank you so much for spreading the words!!! Keep up a good work
Secular Buddhism seems to make the most sense to me. Stories of people remembering past lives and re-birth sound as fantastical as unicorns. But using Buddhism to sharpen your morality and behavior and using meditation to calm yourself, get centered is to me the most important concepts of Buddhism. I've been attending a Buddhist temple in town and they are some of the most non-judgemental and kindest people I've ever met.
Wonderful work Doug, thank you! I woudn't say that Zen is 'irrational' because Dogen is a very rational author, but I would say that Zen uses non-conceptual approach to generate insight as skillful means. Additionally I woudn't say that Vajrayana uses complicated visualization, rather than complex visualizations. I leave here these as suggestions... Your work is amazing, these are just minor points that I think valuable.
Thank you very much for explaining Vajrayana. I have limited understanding, and I what I have read, I found confusing. Your explanation of Tantra and it's apparent link to Shaivism was also very useful. I recall reading somewhere that the sexual practices and some of the deities in Tibetan Buddhism were due, in part, to the pre-Buddhist animist practices in Tibet being co-opted or mingled with Buddhist teachings from India. It seems clear there was a good deal of interaction between various "religions" in the first few centuries after the Buddha lived; same as today.
Yes, I think this mingling of religions is more the norm than the exception, though there pretty clearly are periods where it is more active and lots happens, and other periods where there is less interchange.
Thank you for this 🙏 Is all so confusing when you are just starting out. Have been following Theravada practise as again, i just stumbled across it from by chance. You have clarified that it is definitely the right for me so thank you for that. Really interesting, really appreciated...... 🙏
I just moved to a new state and one of the closest Buddhist temples to me is a Theravada Buddhist temple. I have been doing more research into that school of Buddhist thought due to proximity for the most part.
SINCE you asked for comments.....here goes! Secular Bhuddist, that sounds about right, at this point. Me, schooled in Zen, Zen, Zen Tripple ZEN lately I've been investigating Catholizim but just can't get with the Virgen Mary stuff and you are in NY as I am, sooooooooooooooooooHello. I will be enjoying your going forward and in the near future.
Thanks so much for this video Doug. I have always found buddhism interesting and turned to meditation and mindfulness in recent years to cope with and deal with significant stress/trauma. Lately, I have realised I would like to know much more about buddhism and turn towards buddhist practice in a stronger way so I am grateful for you breaking down the highly complex nature of the various aspects!
Growing up from a family lineage practising Pure Land Buddhism in Singapore, I remember when I was a kid my parents started me off by sending me to a Sri Lankan Theravada temple to learn the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Paths, the 10 precepts, Samatha meditation and some Theravadin suttas from a Theravadin monk. Couple of years later, they sent me to a Pure Land buddhist temple to learn more about Bodhisattvas' vows and Compassion, Amitabha's vows and the 3 Pure Land sutras from Pure Land monks. If someone asks me what is my religion.. my answer is always... I'm a Buddhist. I don't and will never be very specific by saying I'm a Pure Land or Mahayana Buddhist. I personally feel there shouldn't be any form of branding in Buddhism. Even today I go to both Theravada and Mahayana temples and whichever I go to, I am always welcomed by the temple monks and devotees. Distinguishing oneself and claiming one Buddhist tradition or school is better than the rest is not Buddhism. According to the Dharma (sanskrit)/Dhamma (pali) our historical Lord Buddha Sakyamuni didn't teach us to think as such.
Thanks for your thoughts on this A Tan. I think it depends on our interest. Some people like a syncretic approach to Buddhist practice, but others don’t. Some people prefer a more devotional practice, others less. So it’s good to know the differences in case you weren’t aware that there was a form of practice that was more appropriate to your own lifestyle and approach.
Post-Buddhism is fun. Many mindfulness practitioners as myself do not use the label "Buddhist", but use modified Buddist meditation and maybe some insight in Anatta, Anycca and such.
I would describe myself as a secular Zen Buddhist, funnily enough I started just by reading about the 3 teachings in china and gradually being more interested in both daoism and buddhism. Which culminated in my buddhist practice becoming more Zen focused. A year after I started my journey a study buddy of mine at the University asked me how to become a buddhist, which I found odd. I explained how I just started my practice and that was it. However this question stayed with me when I went home and so I looked up if there was some form of Buddhist center and there was. At that point I had known about Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, but no idea what Vajrayana was. Of course this was a Vajrayana center. I went there a few times, but was pretty put off by the over indulgence practiced after a meditation session. Okay I have to emphasize I was a vegetarian for 2 years when I became a buddhist. However the way they indulged in consumption of meat, cuddling, grooming and making out with multiple people, as well as frequent discussions about killing insects, because that couldn't be too bad for your karma, was all a bit much for me. I felt like I had walked into the center of a mara cult to be honest ^^. It just wasn't for me.
I have often wondered if there is a core, or an archetype, to Buddhism which finds its expression in various manifestations and through the lens of various cultures. So if you look hard enough at all of them there is a primal form which is formless, yet which gives rise to all the differences. I have visited many of the sacred places in India, China, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam as part of my personal investigation into Buddhist history. A powerful illustration of this unity in diversity was provided by my stay at that extraordinary location of the tree at Bodh Gaya, India where all the various traditions (including Secular Buddhism) meet to pay their respects ... as they have been doing for perhaps 25 centuries.
Well it's hard to say Simon, I think there may be many overlapping cores that we touch upon when reflecting on the dharma. Thanks for your observations!
Seeing how it was possible to spawn different schools based on the very same teachings from the Buddha really helps me to further understand the very essence of the Buddha's teachings, as well as awed by the unimaginable wisdom of the Buddha. However, it also brings up more questions. This is really a very common phenomenon, different people look at the very same thing and each may come up with different opinions and/or different ideas of what it is. It all depends on what the state of mind the individual is in. This "state of mind" is indeed one's "ego" or "sense of self". In fact, we always put our own personal stamp on everything that we deal with. "Non-self" is probably the Buddha's way of dissociation from one's very subjective state of mind and be completely impartial. Whether consciously or subconsciously, every one of our thinking, everything that we do, and everything that we react to, is always associated with an intention and some purpose that ultimately serves the "self". This certainly applies to how one receives and interprets the Buddha's teachings as well. It is simply impossible for each of the Buddha's followers during His lifetime to receive and understands His teachings at the same level and in the same way. This may be one of the reasons why the Buddha stressed so much on "emptiness" and "non-self". Everything is "emptiness", including every dharma that the Buddha expounded. However, how many of us really treat the Buddha's teachings as "emptiness"? Each of us usually put our own personal stamp on the Buddha's teachings, thinking what it really means with our own interpretations and thinking. This is when we need to apply the "non-self" to the Buddha's teachings as well as to everything else. Furthermore, the Buddha taught for over 45 years. He must have touched on an enormous amount of topics. He also had over a thousand followers during His over 45 years of teaching. I simply wonder if all of them were present at every one of the Buddha's congregations. Even if all the 1000+ followers were all present, could every one of them hear what the Buddha said? If the Buddha could really make every one of them hear Him clearly, then He must truly have supernatural power. Could it also be possible that different groups of His followers received different teachings but not all. Could that be the source of certain disputes among members in the original Sangha because different groups were absent at different times? As a result, could it be possible that not every one of the Buddha's followers could have received the exact same teachings?
Good thoughts Andrew. Yes we know from the suttas that nowhere near all his followers heard all his dharma talks. Indeed, in his earliest dharma talks he only had five listeners! And he seems to have tailored many talks to the needs of the audience. So he said different things in different places, to different people.
Do you think this applies only to buddhism? Dude Every religion has several different sects and they have own interpretations. Thats why many secular people nowaday are leaving religions
Haven't you ever heard of unitarianism,trinitarianism, coptic christianity.. etc? And haven't you ever heard of shia, sunni, sufi... etc? Nature of religions is a little weird.
Hi! Great video! I first learned zazen at the age of nine due to martial arts training. I spent some time in Thailand, and here locally with Theravadan monks who instructed me on preliminary techniques, shamatha and vipassana. I attended Pure Land services and other Chinese Buddhist/Taoist Temple services for several years in San Diego. I practiced Soto Zen for several years, and hosted the local sangha at my house for several years. I also hosted and now work inside a Vajrayana Temple in the Gelugpa tradition for over ten years now. I also receive practice, empowerments, in the Mahamudra tradition, but my primary lineage now is Nyingmapa. I am writing this because you asked if anyone had practiced any of these traditions. So, anyway, great job discussing the three schools. My only criticism is the word transgressive. Seems the lack of transparency, like Freemasonry, for instance, creates a mystique that outsiders project upon what goes on within the tiled room.
Thanks for your input! As for the word, it's one often used in scholarly circles when discussing some of these early practices. They transgressed norms of the day.
@@DougsDharma Thanks for the clarification. Transgressing norms versus transgressing vows, or morals carry different weight and connotation. For instance, offering alcohol and meat are essential when doing tsok in certain rituals, but not amongst the 8 most common types of offering. Some practitioners of others schools might find that inappropriate.
This helped me a lot :)) thank you!!! Also, a recommendation - I am a visual learner, and I would find it helpful if you could incorporate some!! either way, I’ll keep watching! nice job!!
Thanks Brandon! Yes, I'm a visual learner too. The problem with visuals is twofold: first is finding good visuals that are not copyrighted. The second is finding visuals for topics that are kind of abstract or philosophical. I will when I can! If you have ideas let me know. 🙂
Your videos are just amazing to me. I appreciate them so, so much. This topic is fascinating to me. I study yogi spirituality and Buddhism. Buddhism and the yogis of India have much in common, but there a few important differences (not the topic here lol). I'm drawn to all schools of Buddhism in some way. I've been studying it for about 4-5 years. I have listened to many different teachers from all schools (Ajahn Brahm and Yuttadhammo Bhikku [Theravada], Amy Miller Robina Courtin, and Geshe-la [Tibetan], Brad Warner [Zen], etc.). I have learned a lot from all three schools. Tibetan Buddhism feels more like "religion" to me (more like yogi spirituality in India). It is also much more complicated than all the other schools. I like the heart-feeling aspect of Tibetan Buddhism (heart yoga); its chants and the receiving of blessings (good wishes). It uses emotion more to tap into the Buddha's teachings. On the other hand, Theravada is logical and rational, focused solely on healing the mind to "see clearly." Here's your mind; here's ultimate reality - now let's deal with it (end of story). And lastly, we have Zen (not familiar with mayahana Pure land): Zen is simplistic but uses paradoxes (as you said) to transcend the "logical" mind (koans). You don't use your intellect and reasoning as you do in Theravada Buddhism. You cannot be taught enlightenment - you get there being always in the present through zazen (meditation). Enlightenment cannot be explained, only known. There are just my generic assessments. But they may be helpful to someone. Who knows? I am a highly emotional person, so Theravada and Zen are more suitable to me overall than Vajrayana. I need to become less emotional. lol. I like the logic of Theravada for dealing with everyday issues (non-reactive mind), but there is something about Zen should I want to go "further" (the paradoxes of existence). And the Zen gardens represent reality so well for me. At any rate, fabulous videos. I look forward to watching more of them. I wish you peace and enlightenment with all my heart.
Great video. Would you ever consider doing a deeper dive into each of the three major schools? I'd be really interested in a video on the various schools of Theravada Buddhism, differences, similarities, history, and practice styles. I.e. Thai & Thai Forest (Ajahn Chah), Sri Lankan schools, Burma, Cambodia, etc... -with Metta
It should be noted that this isn't a strict separation. For example, the Plum Village tradition founded by Thay Nhat Hanh, is an off shoot of Thien, or Vietnamese Zen, which blends Zen/Chan and Theravada Buddhism.
My experience with Therevada centers here in middle America has been somewhat different in that they are very structured, have strict monastics as heads of the temple, and are based on a continuation of the original sangha. Most of these temples are Thai or Laotian based. I have never considered the Western meditation centers as Theravadin nor heard them refer to themselves as such, but after your discussion I have to agree they can be - just a different flavor of the same tradition with a bit of ‘new age’ psychology mixed in, depending on who is attending. It also seems that the Thai temples also serve as community centers for cultural traditions for the diaspora, and a way for people to gain merit by supporting the monastics and the temple, which is very important activity for the Thai, Lao, Burmese culture, but a little perplexing for westerners. I practice regularly in both types of centers. Thanks.
Yes great points to make Austin. There is a good book comparing Theravāda meditation centers in the US. It's called Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravāda Buddhism in America by Wendy Cadge. You might want to take a look.
Hey Doug. Thanks for the post! The last two responses I've made to 'Buddhist' posts have not been all together positive...Im not a troll 😁 lol) Not so with this post... 😀 I thought I would mske mention of the previous 2 people and make a couple of additional comments re: my own experiences. I feel thar coming from primarily Christian background and upbringing / school etc, it's actually quite a, long - shot that someone like me (UK Born) would have the good fortune to comr into contact with The Dharma. Let alone from thar small first brush - develop a regular practice, begin studying, find a teacher and a centre. So that first 'brush' i mentioned. It's so SO important (IMHO) thst this brush id is of ths best quality possible... Or if stated negatively : Is NOT of a poor quality, ie being given duff information due to... Overecuberance of the " themselves - newly - converted" 😀🙄 Or worse still, again being fed duff information by individuals with some alterior motve which is AT BEST merely thier own self - promotion. I always feel something of a burdensl when discussing Buddhist Teachings with a 'new' person. Im ÜBER - careful for fear 😱 of saying the wrong thing, something thst will turn people off instead of on. Just FYI i do not go about evangelising lol. I hsve one friend who is very fond of declaring to anyone with a padsing interest - "Stu's s Buddhist you should tslk to him!" i did Jukai in 2010 snx and have never felt the need to identify myself as sucheven once in all thst time. Which brings me morev onto the topic of your post. I smiled when you said something alomg the lines of "Mahayana 'tends' to be... 😀 ' scuppered already before you had even started. As soon as we open our mouths snd words come out we begin contradicting ourselves. I practice Soto Zen. Thsts where my hat has endedvup being hung. I moved house 13 years ago to be with my (now) wife. This just hsppens to be 30 minutes drive from Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. Jiyu Kennett who started the Abbey in the early 70's along with Shasta Abbey in CA USA 🇺🇸 one of her books (Zen is Eternal Life?) she has a paragraph entitled : ZEN IS A RELIGION. Her history is very 'churchy'. Wanted to be a Christian priest or monk ideally - initially anyway. When she returned from Japan she re-did everything in an occidental style. Chants in English to plain song. Lots of ceremonial stuff. I have an unhappy history with Christianity so im not particularly keen on that side if things. But i use it to practice with when im there. If i wsx in the US I would seek out Steve Hagen at Dharmafield in Minneapolis. Over the years they have reduced to s minimum thr ceremonial stuff, in fact they don't even have a Buddha Statue on the altar... Judt s huge rock. I am a member of the audio section soni get my talks there snd some courses (in the middle of Nagarjuna at the moment) So here we have 2 Mahayana practitioners set up thier own places and they couldn't be more different. And not only thst, they were both ordained with Soto Zen snd spent time at Soji-ji in. Yokahama. It really is difficult trying to categorise anyone... Even if on paper they should be the same. I do lean very much more towards living by the Precepts. Regular sitting practice. Mix thst up. With a few sesshins a year. And then AAAALLLLL the rest of thr time judt keep coming back. Keep coming back. No chastisement - judt recognise, and you sre already back. The 2 previous podts were one girl who was telling all her 'followers' how she got into Buddhism. Hsndl8ng it like a make - up tutorial. But she was TEACHING IT. And she said about 5 or 6 things thst were judt pants! I felt bad pointing these things out, but I felt worse forvsny potential new people later on Googling thr Zen. Percepts. Last thing. The guy was a whole different can of worms. I csught him indicating he had had an Awakening working on the Koan "what is the water?"? Podts on How to do Zazen. Hechad even started having meetings. I asked him to confirm whst hr had said. Where he practiced and who his teacher was. Still don't know 🙄🤔😏 but within hours he had posted an apologt to his followers about exaggerations he had made. THAT video was gone but I don't doubt he will be at his guru nonsense again before the year's end. Such a shame. This / thst may be the only chance some of his poor followers ever get... 😕 Most Zen folks don't take stories and sutras /teachings necessarily to be true. Big issue with the bible people. Butbit is difficult to work out where Zen ends and Japanese culture begins... Watching stuff on NHK about Japan im blown awsy at how "Zen" their whole culture actually is. Sorry for the Novella. And thanks for passing on a simple message witj no strings! 😃
Thanks for that Something Wonderful, yes it's pretty impossible to summarize enormous schools of thought like these in a short video. I did what I could but there are a lot of asterisks, and especially with a practice like Zen that is so odd in many ways! 😄
Vajrayana has a surprisingly large influence in the US, as compared to the other two schools. Apparently in the early 1900s, or late 1800s, Buddhist missionaries from Tibet and Nepal came over and built vajrayana temples, specifically dedicated to drikung kagyu
Yes, Vajrayāna and Tibetan Buddhism generally has had an outsized effect worldwide I think. But exactly the history of that I'm not sure of. Certainly the exile of the Dalai Lama accelerated it.
Buddhism can be either very complex or very simple, i grew up on zen practice and teachings but the monastery i went to seemed to be more dedicated to shakyamuni buddha himself and his original teachings or fundamental teachings of the four noble truths and the eightfold path. As well as the three jewels, five precepts and the rules, which i forgot what they were actually called. It seemed to focus more on how we can become like the historical buddha based on his teaching but there were many mahayana sutras tought in the process. I personally like both zen and theravada but im currently studying nichiren and his interpretation of the lotus sutra.
i would say that Dogen's brand of Soto Zen moves away from many of the devotional aspects of Mahayana back towards the insight practices of Theravada. even at the time he saw himself as "returning to original Buddhism," although probably every sect thinks the same.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you my great teacher, your classes help me step by step to be free of my ignorance, little by little I understand more. Lotus for you. Evangelina Cortes.
I appreciated the video very much, however found it interesting that Thailand, where Theravada Buddhism is the official religion was not mentioned. I say this because I mostly follow the Thai Forest teachings. Also some of the most beautiful Buddhist temples can be found there.
Ah yes Lina, I don't recall but if I left out Thailand it was an oversight of mine.The Thai forest tradition is a wonderful source of meditation teachings.
Very informative. Thank you! My own experience is with both Theravada and Mahayana (Soto school). One of the biggest differences I noticed was in the ways that women are viewed. In Soto Zen, female (or any genders in between f/m) are generally considered equal to men. In Theravada, however, there remains, to this day, an unremitting tension between male and female monastics as to the place of women. There has been a significant influx to the United States of female monks (bhikkhunis) from the UK and other countries as part of their struggle for equality within the Therevadin monastic community. They had to either leave their monastic homes or accept this puzzling "distinction." And I call it puzzling because, as I understand it, though it took a bit of coercing, the Buddha supported equality between males and females in the monastic community (though female monks are bound by many more rules). Of course, not all Therevadin monks (bhikkhus) subscribe to the idea of bhikkhunis as underlings, but the issue is far from being resolved. It was only after a retreat at a Soto monastery that I came to understand just how differently women are viewed in these two schools. Nonetheless, my experience with both schools has been beneficial. Still, I'm confounded because if Theravada is so "in" to "early" teachings, I wonder how they justify their stance on female monastics -- unless "early" means "before the Buddha was convinced to give women equal standing"(?) Thank you again for such a wonderful opportunity to learn.🙏
Yes Vivien this is a very complicated sociohistorical issue. I did an earlier video on women in Buddhism where I discuss some of it: th-cam.com/video/864ksDOZwXk/w-d-xo.html . Basically though there is a difference of opinion among Theravāda monastics as to the “legality” in the monastic rules as to readmitting nuns. More liberal monks like Ajahn Brahm, Bhikkhu Sujato, and Bhikkhu Anālayo support nuns, while more conservative monastics like Thanissaro Bhikkhu and many in Thailand do not believe nuns can be readmitted. There are separate issues as to equality, but the Buddha’s admittance of nuns did make them subservient in certain respects to the monks.
@@DougsDharma I've heard something about this. Interestingly enough (or maybe not), I've yet to meet a bhikkhuni who agrees.🤔 I don't know if that proves there is sexism in the sangha or women simply refusing to know "their place." From what I have read, the Buddha's stepmother was very active in pressing for women's equality, along with one of his most trusted monks. I myself was raised Lutheran. The Lutheran church had two branches: LCA and Missouri Synod. In 1986, I visited the Missouri Synod church of my best friend, a white woman (just for kicks). After the service, as we all filed past the minister to shake his hand, he refused to talk to me or shake my hand. Why? The Missouri Synod didn't allow blacks to become members. And it was only in 1978 that the Mormon Church bestowed a type of equality on blacks. I think that many people believe whatever they want to believe -- even bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. Sadly, one of the greatest conveniences is keeping "others" at the bottom so that others can be on top. But the rudest practice of all, from what I can tell, is verbalizing this. Few who do not have to deal with care to hear about it. Still, it's all power for the course and an opportunity to deepen one's practice (or totally freak out).
Thanks for the idea BossZen. It would require a great deal of additional study on my part to do that, but maybe someday. Have you seen my earlier video on the history of Zen? th-cam.com/video/lRAW-GN4TUA/w-d-xo.html 🙂
My only critique is that in a Theravada Monastery there are many rituals involved but it was made clear to me that those rituals are related more to the indigenous belief systems of that specific culture , in this case Thailand, that became enveloped into Buddhism. We would call it animism mixed with Buddhism. The Buddha was against rituals, or any action where doesn’t does something without thinking.
I'm quite new to Buddhism, but I was involved for a time with Soka Gakkai International, however, I found them too insular, irrational and sectarian. I am now mostly involved with an organisation known as The School of Philosophy and Economic Science which focuses on Advaita Vedanta and Greek philosophy. I really like it because it's totally open to anyone from any belief system. I think the Buddhism that most attracts me is Secular Buddhism, and I have the book Confession of a Buddhist Atheist which you recommended in another video which I still need to read!
I practice meditation with a Theravada monk. Sometimes I sit with Zen practitioners which is an opportunity for group meditation. I do find their Dhamma talks a little beyond my understanding because some of their concepts are different from what I've studied. One thing though, I do find the Buddha more of a human- like character within the Theravada tradition then I do in Mahayana.
Teravada buddism has no deity. They have deva aka angels. Well people are conflating angels and deities Its not about hindu deities but about art adopted from south asia. Well buddism was spread in southeast asia by an indian (south asian) king Asoka. He sent missionaries to most parts of asia, buddy
Check out my new free-mini course and other courses on early Buddhism, at onlinedharma.org/
I was a Theravada monk in southern Thailand for a month. I would love to chat. I had to go to the source and it’s interesting how it gets translated into Western Society.
Okay I see you Doug. Disregard my latest comment. I get very passionate about this because as the Dalai Lama stated, “ if your Christian stay Christian.” That’s a message you society at large but also true because inevitably in any Buddhist practice you come to terms either the fact that no one is giving to save you. The Buddha taught you how to free yourself, not save yourself. Peace and love. Good stuff doug
Hey dug did another buddhist where aware of another buddhist.
Talking about Buddhism, this will give you Power! th-cam.com/video/FAsCMaqSrmY/w-d-xo.html
It's AMAZING to me that we have this knowledge at our fingertips in this age. The knowledge in this video would have taken an entire lifetime of travel and study across many distant countries.
Yes the internet is amazing, I myself have learned so much from the material published online!
Epic bro
Indeed, we can learn so efficiently now. It’s really worlds away from even a few decades ago. Thanks for this.
Though travelling and studying across many countries a lifetime long, would have had the knowledge a completely different reach and meaning.
By travelling you will have the chance to actually practise and experience the thing, in here were just doing a little research kinda thing
Buddha said: “I teach one thing and one thing only: suffering and the end of suffering,” which is the ultimate goal of Buddhism.
Indeed so Yuron Long, the Buddha's focus was suffering and its end. Interestingly though there is dispute about the "only". (Something I only recently realized as well!) tricycle.org/magazine/i-teach-only-suffering-and-end-suffering/
Yuron Long... It could be argued that's 2 things 😉😁
Nope ur wrong.he taught few ways (there r among many other) to be liberated from life death circle.
@@birju4333 there is only onw way to reach enlightenment i.e. eight fold path
@@birju4333 "Nope ur wrong" is one of the last things I'd ever expect to hear from someone who claims to practice Buddhism.
7:16 mahayana
2:39 therevada
11:47 vajrayana
Introduction is also way..... Tooooo long
Thanks bro
@@kelvinseah8258 only 2 minutes and a half
Is vajrayana fourth school ?
I’ve been having a hard time finding simple explanations about Buddhism. I appreciate the fact that you’re breaking things down logically, before getting into all of the philosophical stuff.
Thanks Anna, yes I'm trying to make it understandable to folks without too much philosophical background or interest. There will be some videos that have more of that kind of material however. Just depends on the topic. 🙂
@@sifusanticriado spot on
Wow, this is incredibly helpful. Thank you!
Also just read or watch videos from alan watts. You will see the true meaning to karma and what zen is, a mixture of Daoism and Buddhism. The popular version of Buddhism or Hinduism has a lot of misleading ideas. Alan watts will give clarity.
@cloudfloat4179
Alan Watts is good. There is a reason why so many people came to understand these things through his lectures/teachings.
Im from Thailand. And This channel gives me more reliable information than my 12 years in school
Glad to be of help TeenwerT! 🙏🙂
I am 51 years old. And just in the last week, have been interested in learning about Buddhism. I am glad I came across your channel. You are a good teacher. I have subscribed to your channel. Thank you.
That's nice to hear Florinda, I hope you find the videos useful. 🙂
2:37 Theravada Buddhism
- Insight Driven
- Focus on the historical buddha
- Less Ritual
- Less Hierarchical
- Rational and Conceptual Clarity in their teachings
- Uses interpreted texts
- Become awakened reduce greed, hatred, ignorance does not focus on buddha nature
- Very strict monks
7:21 Mahayana Buddhism
- Encompasses Zen, Tibeten, Pure Land Buddhism
- Devotional Driven (robes, incense, bells, elaborate rooms)
- Mantra and ritual based practice
- Guru and Teacher based. You would
- Very relaxed monks
- Break reliance on Reason to understand the world. More non-rational.
- Uses more modern texts
11:46 Vajrayana Buddhism
- Tantric Buddhism
- Intensely guru based, typically work with one teacher for years and years
- Intensely hierarchical
- Devotional Focused
- Initiation rights to bind to gods, gurus, etc.
- Mantras, Mudras
- Texts are VERY powerful
- A lot of aspects are kept secret and not able to be studied without leacher (sex, alcohol, etc. )
Thanks, I've added the timestamps to the video! 🙏
Being a mahayana Buddhist I request u that question and criticise us and on buddhism as much as u can. Blind faith is the cause of decline of buddhism. U have lots of knowledge of buddhism, so whenever u meet a Buddhist plz must ask so many question . Thanks for learning and teaching buddhism behalf of all Buddhist.
Thanks Albert, yes I do agree it’s very important to be curious and ask questions. You’re very welcome!
This is quite a different take from Western religions.
Buddha said, " question everyone & everything...including me" !
@@LiquorWithJazz dhramic faiths (hindu, buddhist, jains, sikhs), encourages questioning.
Pure truth path vipasana meditation
I'm not entirely sure why, but everytime I'm having a hard time in my life, I end up finding myself back on your channel. Good material my friend.
Hey that's very nice to hear. I hope it's useful to you! All the best.
Thank you so much for this video!
I left the Jehovah’s Witness religion with my husband last summer. We’ve decided Christianity isn’t for us, so we’re exploring eastern spirituality. We feel as if it represents us better.
We are going to a Buddhist temple tomorrow, and by watching this video, we are much more informed- and prefer the Theravāda temple!
Hey nice to hear, all the best on your journey, Peach!
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu...
Sādhu Sādhu Sādhu
Great overview! Even though I’ve considered myself Buddhist for a decade and been to one of Thich Nhat Hahn’s monasteries and did a day of mindfulness, read many books, and taught meditation groups, I still get the different schools confused and overlapped mentally. Granted, I mostly take what’s helpful for me and leave the rest. Great vid. Best wishes.
Thanks so much Bob. Yes, a lot of us tend to pick and choose from the various traditions, which is fine so long as we don't get too confused! 😄
Hi Doug! I've been attracted to buddhism for a long time, but every time I try to study or practice it I feel overwhelmed and I don't know where to start, your videos are helping me a lot, so thank you so much for doing this ✨ I'm sending you good wishes from Argentina!
That’s great Mielsita, you’re very welcome and thanks for the comment! 🙏
I know this is an old vid but I just found this now and as someone interested in Buddhism this is so informative and easy to digest. Trying to find info about the schools through self research was sooo confusing
Yes that's right Unhøly, it's one reason I wanted to make these videos! 😀
I first know Buddhism when I was 7 years old through my Dad. I read some Mahayana Sutras ,I find it long and quite hard for me to understand. Meanwhile I later read the 5 Nikaya Pali Sutra (which I believe they belong to Theravada Buddhism), I find them simple and easier to understand. The context in Pali Sutra is close to ancient Indian lives, many simple examples Buddha use to explain his teachings.
Yes I also find them simpler and easier to understand, more down-to-earth practices. Thanks Lona!
@@DougsDharma but down to earth doesn't always mean truth...sometimes truth is complicated...
For sure!
Mahayana mantras are more complicated as they're Chinese, the hardest language in the world for English speakers. But to make it more simple, is to find the pronunciation version of the mantra.
It’s a very good explanation Doug! When I first converted to buddhadharma you built my foundation. I myself have been a vajrayana practitioner for some years because I have been attracted to Tibetan Buddhism since a little child, and it’s been the biggest gift of my life to find the teachings, the Buddha, my sangha and my gurus. As my root guru His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche says: “It doesn’t matter if one calls a Buddhist or not, the dharma is love”. Also from a broader view I think it would be very good to mention that every teaching that fits under the 4 seals Is Buddha dharma:
1. All compounded things are impermanent.
2. All contaminated phenomena cause suffering.
3. All things are selfless, or in other words interdependent.
4. Nirvana is beyond extremes( nihilism and eternalism).
This is the teaching of the Buddha.
Thanks XO, glad it's been of help to you! 🙏🙂
Hi Doug! I found your channel maybe two years ago at the beginning of quarantine and now two years later I’ve fully found myself as also a secular buddhist.
In many ways, I’ve found you to be my “guru” or teacher when it comes to learning more about buddhism and finding new methods and concepts shared in the pali canon and other texts of early buddhism that has really resonated and affirmed my beliefs. Like what you say in every intro of your videos, I’ve found myself becoming kinder, wiser, and living a more fulfilling life.
I think what I’m trying to say with this message is thank you for making these videos. Without it, I wouldn’t have realized how compatible buddhism is to my life as someone who has left roman catholicism and faced many times I felt adrift, bouncing between athiest and agnosticism. Keep up the good work and I hope to see more videos soon!!
Hey that's great to hear! Thanks for the comment and please keep in touch! 🙏😊
I love your clarity, humility, and your open minded depictions of the various schools of thought. It is a difficult world we live in and your words are helpful in both dealing with it, and giving the opportunity to still enjoy life. "Live long and prosper." modern Buddhist friend. ;)
Wonderful, thanks for your comments Optimistic Integration. 🙏
At 54 I’m wanting to expand my knowledge and understanding of Buddhism as feel this could be a path for me. Thank you for these amazing videos
You're most welcome! 🙏
Thanks Doug, another excellent video. It's always been fascinating to see how people of different spiritual ideas incorporate local beliefs. Christianity is rife with it and Buddhism is no exception. You mentioned the Hindu connections. Tibetan Buddhists absorbed aspects of the Bo tradition. Chan, later Zen, happily includes Taoist ideas. Now we are seeing how the different schools are adapting to Western lifestyles and we can compare the same schools with the way they work in other parts of the world.
A Christian evangelist acquaintance insists that all Christian denominations, at least the ones he approves of, have the same core beliefs. I hope we can all remember the roots of Buddhism. Your series of talks helps that ideal a lot.
Thanks so much martynsnan. Yes, as you say the adaptation continues today where contemporary ideas are changing Buddhism, making it a more secular practice. That will work for many of us but not all, and that's fine so long as we retain that ethical core of kindness, compassion, generosity, wisdom. The best of Christianity follows the same approach, and it's one we should celebrate. 🙏
i’m just getting into Buddhism and only beginning my research, and your videos have already been so helpful in forming my understanding of Buddhism as a whole and where I see myself fitting in with my personal practice. thank you so much for your clear and direct explanations!! 🖤
You're very welcome Hope, glad to help out!
As someone who is recently convinced by the core ideas of the four truths and eightfold path, I’m conflicted, because I’m drawn towards the rationalism in Theravada, but I’m also drawn towards the compassion towards others and the bodhisattva vows and so forth in mahayana. I don’t care for devotional practices, but I feel rituals in general have a practical purpose of spiritual centering/re-centering and strengthening conviction if that makes sense. Meanwhile the very few western/secular buddhists I have met seem to largely be interested in adopting only the aesthetic of a buddhist while cherrypicking concepts and practices that match pop psychology and the self-help industry, ultimately more interested in personal improvement for the end goal of material benefits rather than a cessation of suffering in either the self or others. But I can’t help be drawn to the idea of secularism as an empiricist myself. But this is the perspective of a prospective outsider, just voicing my frustration with not feeling like any school is a good fit for me rather than trying to disparage anybody
Well so make your own path in the dharma! So long as it helps promote the cessation of suffering, it's headed in the right direction. 😀
Well it helps to realize that each of the schools of Buddhism was created from someone in the past feeling dissatisfied with the options of Buddhism available to them. I don't believe there is any right or wrong path in life. Simply what is right or wrong for each individual.
That was my long-winded way of agreeing with Doug; forge your own path.
@@DougsDharma hear, hear.
@@lucalinadreemur9448 It goes deeper than that. The forerunner to Mahayana, the Mahasangika, caused the first schism at the follow up to the second council, mostly because they didn't like the vinaya (the monk's rules) that the Buddha set forth. Notably, they didn't like the rule against eating after midday, or that they couldn't take monetary donations. They then denigrated the achievements of Arhats, saying they're not fully enlightened and not destined to leave samsara after death.
I say this with all love, but the Mahasangika and the Mahayana that grew out of it simply have wrong view. It's not that they haven't done great things or that the hearts of present day Mahayana folks aren't in the right place, as for the most part I think they are, it's that Theravada, despite its own flaws, at least remains fairly close to the Buddha's actual teachings. The Mahasangika movement was instead born out of a faction of monks who just weren't there to achieve the goal of Nibbana and wanted laxer rules so they could freely pursue their own objectives.
It's important to have discipline as well as compassion about these things. It does people no good to follow teachings that don't lead to liberation from suffering. There's schools within Mahayana (as well as Theravada - dry insight comes to mind) that need loving chastisement as their teaching isn't liberating anyone.
It is a normal view within Mahayana Buddhism that a foundation of Hinayana views and practices is of great importance. The different Yanas may seem as different paths with different aims but really they all point towards the same thing, the taming of the mind in order to overcome the causes of suffering and samsara.
The view within Tibetan Buddhism is that one cannot just jump right into the more esoteric type of practices (as a beginner) but we must build a foundation that stem right back to the foundational practices and views taught in the First turning of the Wheel of Dharma (Hinayana) by the Buddha. For any practitioner within the Tibetan tradition the Buddha is considered our founding root source and is placed at the center of the tradition. The path of Varjayana is considered open to us only if we have a thorough understanding of Hinayana and Mahayana first. For a Varjayana practitioner the Buddha turned the Wheel of the Dharma three times, meaning that the Buddha appeared in different forms at different times to introduce a new set of teachings for differently inclined students.
To have a sense of starting from the beginning with the essential teachings taught by the historical Buddha will build an excellent foundation should we feel inclined towards more Mahayana type of practices later. But it is also considered not a problem, nor danger, to start out right away with a practice more inclined towards a Mahayana view either. The view of Mahayana has all the Hinayana views embedded within it and is in no way a contradiction to the First turning of the Wheel of the Dharma. It is more like an expanded form, we can say. Even though Mahayana and Varjayana seems to express more flair and colours those are secondary outwardly appearances, mostly. Both these vehicles requires extraordinary discipline, commitment and focus to be effective. They are not meant for the faint hearted or lazy person, as it sometimes have been portrayed as to be. It is in fact the absolute opposite! The view, commitment and practice of a Bodhisattva is no small thing at all! It should be seen as an culmination of what the heart of enlightenment (Bodhicitta) is all about. When we enter into a Mahayana practice we become an “aspiring” Bodhisattva which entails things such as eternal (not just for one lifetime) commitment towards enlightened aspiration and the sincere will to bringing liberation to all sentient beings. The path towards becoming a Buddha goes through all the stages of being on the path of a Bodhisattva first. That transition may happen as a slow or rapid progression, but no Buddha is said to have appeared without having traversed the ten (or thirteen) stages (Bumis) of a Bodhisattva first. This is the Mahayana view.
It should be noted that the Mahayana (and Varjayana) vehicle(s) of practices are not recognized by all Hinayana practitioners as authentic teachings of the Buddha. Conversely, all practitioners within Mahayana and Varjayana are advised to accept and appreciate the First turning of the Wheel of the Dharma (Hinayana) by the Buddha, at least as being foundational in practice and views.
It may seem puzzling why we have so many different styles, ways and costumes within the Buddhist community? The traditional explanation for that is the different inclinations we practitioners are endowed with. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appear continuously throughout space and time to teach and help sentient beings overcome their obscurations and achieve the realization of their true nature, or liberation. No teaching will fit all types of beings but the Buddhas are endowed with the infinite capacities to teach in accordance to the inclinations of the students listening. Over time this will form into, what seems to be separate traditions and schools of thought. It is for that reason we always need to look back into the first set of teachings the historical Buddha of our time gave in order not to fall into the trap of sectarianism or “skipping the grade”-type of mentality. No teachings given by the Buddha should be seen as trivial or negligible. It was given to us with full intent and insight knowing it contains no contradictions, if understood correctly.
Thank you very much for your videos. I only discovered them a week ago. They are so very helpful. I have been studying Tibetan Buddhism for a few years because I had easy access to teachers in my area. But I have been struggling to find faith in all the deities, mantras and rituals, which left me feeling not worthy and somehow guilty (even though they say there is no word for guilt in Tibetan). I thought of looking into Zen but suspected that they would have a lot of rituals as well, this time just from a different culture. I like listening to Theravaden talks online, but didn't know where to start finding out more about them.
By chance I found your videos and they are a great help. I am trying to find more clarity which path to choose and I am very tempted to become a secular Buddhist even though I believe in rebirth 😉. I am looking forward to find out more about Buddhas original teachings. Thank you so much
Birgit 🙏
Yes of course Birgit, that’s wonderful! You’re very welcome, I hope you find what is most beneficial! 🙏🙂
I just would love to say that I’m great full to come across your channel. You organized this video very well. I’m currently 15 years old and very confused in the world and after hearing about Buddhism, I became very interested in the idea of each branch. I found it very hard to find anything with a straight answer so I appreciate having people like you, know exactly what you’re talking about and teaching others. Thank you!
Hey you're very welcome Lynn! Glad to be of help! 😀
me too i want the teaching of buddhism, Im atheist btw but I want to be budhist.
I really agree with the secular buddhism, but i also respect to others school😇🙏
May all beings be free from suffering..
May all of u be happy 😇
That's right candra, thanks and be well! 🙏
Doug, my experience sitting with the three schools has been pretty much identical to yours. I sat with a Tibetan group for a few months in Rochester NY. The meditation room was exquisitely decorated with ornate tapestries, sculpture, beautiful pillow seating with little sort of desks on the floor for the exquisite little spirals of printed chants we were given. Some people robed. Seated in a u. Good meditation leaders. I sat with a zen like group a couple of times in oyster bay Long Island aligned with plum village. It was not for me. Everyone spoke in whispers. It was overly reverential, I felt like I was in a cleared out reception room of an old mansion, which we were. It just felt forced to me. The Theravadan Long Island Buddhist meditation center in port Jeff and now moved to riverhead was for me. As you say, very egalitarian even though it was led by very skillful monks. They explained everything. We stared with chanting, then readings from the Pali canon where we went around the circle and read aloud, then two meditations… metta followed by breath. The monks were associated with bante g and the Vihara in West Virginia. Some people left as they they got hung up on the issue of rebirth. I’m agnostic on this. I don’t care. But it was a barrier to some. I feel they might have been more content if they just let it go.
Yes I think it matters a lot to some traditional practitioners, and is a barrier to many others. Best to leave it aside and let each person decide for him or herself. Glad to hear you had similar thoughts! 🙏😊
Excellent talk. I have been. a member of a Theravadan Sangha for 20+ years, Great Lakes Buddhist Vihara in Southfield, Michigan.
🙏😊
Hey man. I am from Sri Lanka born in buddhist family. Sri Lanka has only Theravada buddism. We are highly practicing sathipattana meditation in our monasteries. As I think Thailand,Mynmar and Laos like that. If you want to learn in deep come to Sri Lanka.. Namo Buddaya.. Sadu Sadu Sadu...
Thanks NFT! I would like to go there someday!
This is a big big huge subject. Kudos to brother Doug to kept it concise. Its not easy.
Thanks Nathaniel. Yes, it's really a huuuuge topic, that's for sure. 🙂
Thanks for the great video, great insight to someone who is just a year into my Buddhist journey. Much love from Wales, UK.
You're most welcome! 🙏
I almost think Zen has more in common with Taoism than traditional Buddhism, especially in the idea of “non-striving”. They argue that one overcomes the self not through training but through sudden awareness. My Zen teacher would often say “Don’t you know? You are already empty. There is nothing to overcome.” That always stuck with me. Also, how liberal a sangha kind of depends on the school. Soto Zen is pretty lax compared to warrior-esque Rinzai.
Yes indeed Garrity, agreed! 🙏
Interesting idea. Its always confused me a tad how 2 groups in the same school have such polar opposite ideas on conscious use of thier meditation practice as a technique to bring on Awakening (or not, depending on whether Rinzai or Soto). They cannot BOTH BE WRONG? And still commited practitioners in both groups make "progress" and eventually are recognised as having done so by thier teachers? Thank you for the thoughts on Taoism - I have read The Tao Te Ching but did not pick that up. I shall have another look.
Yes. I think of Zen as “Buddhism viewed through the lens of Taoism.” Same teaching, but having a non-dualistic starting point changes the flavor
That's a very good observation! Zen does have a lot in common with Taoism. Chan, the Chinese progenitor of Japanese Zen (the word Zen is derived from Chan) was directly influence by Taoism during its development.
@@MichaelBurtonGahurton
'Cos zen is a mixture of buddhism and taoism which is linking heavily with chinese culture.
Its TAO-ized buddhism.
And also hindu-ized buddhism exists in india.
Thank you, Doug. I'm a Sri Lankan living in Australia for the past 45 years. I was raised as a Christian -but now I follow Buddhist practices. Not based on beliefs or dogma. I live a Buddhist life. I understand One dharma (Joseph Goldstein). I understand the 4 noble truths. I practice Mindfulness Meditation daily, also the four immeasurables- Metta, Karuna, Mudita, and Uppeka. For me, the practice of purification of the mind to escape suffering is the goal.
Glad to hear it Ranjit, thanks.
As someone new to Buddhism, so much easier to follow than books! I've wanted to learn how to practice for a while but the meditation centre near me is just too expensive for a student :( these are super helpful for teaching myself at home so thankyou!
Great to hear, Phoebe. You're very welcome! 🙏
Sad to hear that a centre charges instead of accepting donations. The internet has plenty of good teachings, but it can indeed be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.
thank you for making this video! I've been getting into Nichiren Buddhism lately and this helps me look at the practice from a 10000 foot level, much love from LA
Glad you found it useful Make Major!
I start my MA in Buddhist Studies this September and your videos are so helpful. Thank you!
That's great to hear Hannah! Best of luck with your MA, let us know how it goes!
I feel inclined to add that when the Mahayana talk about "emptiness" / "void" / "nothingness", we're not being nihilistic. It's a way to communicate the inconceivable nature of reality. As soon as you conceptualize or define "nothing", it isn't actually nothing anymore. This is Buddha nature (as I understand it), and I liken it to the way that people conceptualize God. If God is omnipotent and omnipresent, then all things must be the expression of that perfectly unified, infinite God (the true nature of which is concealed by our limited perceptive faculties). Anyway, I'm obviously a little more on the superstitious side than you are, and I'm way more pedantic; but I thought this would be a fun addition to your already phenomenal introduction. Love your content, man!
Thanks Alexander, yes "emptiness" isn't meant to be nihilism. I discuss the early doctrine of emptiness in another video here: th-cam.com/video/U1_i6EvYDaY/w-d-xo.html
Try them all! They are all great beneficial practices to experience and observe..and importantly enjoy
Thanks Doug for this comprehensive explanation! Another largely secular path is Shambhala, which consists of Mahayana and Vajrayana practices inspired by the Tibetans and Zen. Tibetan deities are acknowledged and invoked but these are usually interpreted as aspects of mind. The founder Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche interpreted Buddha Nature as Basic Goodness; Shambhala seeks to create an enlightened society by practicing to develop this Basic Goodness. More advanced Vajrayana (tantric) practices depend more on Tibetan tradition and working with the Guru, along with a vision of "Sacred World."
Notably, Shambhala strives to be ecumenical; Chögyam Trungpa used the term "hinayana" to refer to only the early stages of the path of meditation, and not as any comment on other traditions.
Interesting, thanks Paul.
Great explanation of the three major schools of Buddhism. Thank you. Regards from Mexico :)
You're very welcome! Me encanta Mexico! 🇲🇽
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have been interested in Buddhist teaching for a long time. I wasn’t getting anywhere with my internet searches. Thus, I turned to TH-cam for information that is how I found your channel. I am very grateful for your videos.
Great to hear Sharon, thanks!
I’ve been practicing at a Chan Buddhist center in Northern California. It falls under the Mahayana category. Some of what you said was true for my monastery, but some of it was not.
Overall, my experience has been extremely positive. The center is definitely ritualistic; there’s a lot of singing, chanting, and of course, lots of meditation. The monastery is beautiful and full of statues of bodhisattvas and arhats. Dharma talks from the head abbas are engaging and informative. Like you said, there is a focus on things like emptiness, non-duality, inherent Buddha nature, and other teachings that feel somewhat paradoxical at times. There is a robust community of monastics at the monetary I attend and they are extremely lighthearted and good humored. However, they are strictly devoted. They don’t marry, they don’t drink alcohol, and they are vegetarians.
Thank you for your informative videos!
Amitofo!
Yes, for sure each center will have its own flavor. Thanks for the info! 🙏
This is a very clear and helpful description of the 3 different schools of Buddhism
Very glad you found it useful, Lisa!
My introduction was to Pureland Zen from a Zen master from Vietnam who had a temple composed then of two joined houses and another across the street. My journey was to investigate and feel and see whether this religious experience or that was to make me a better person. I was both loved and hated wherever I went. I was also influenced by studies and practices of the sixties and seventies that were involved with self practice. I came to the conclusion that it was the feeling of helplessness from traumas and deprivations in life that were the cause of many blocks to enlightenment and that unlearning the helplessness turned into neurotic symbolic struggles that is the source of greed is an essential part of the introspective process that leads to greater personal enlightenment, less anxiety and freedom from the idea of a permanent unchanging conscious agent called a "soul" or "atman" which concept can block personal change with its inherent clinging to transient conditioned existence. The path as I came to see it involved internal dialogs and deeper pre language or non language mindfulness which develops gradually into a more moral and enlightened state. The path in a nutshell is that one must feel the times of helpless feelings from a position of wisdom and compassion developed in dialogs both internal and external in order to know what one has lost, grieve that loss and let it go, having let go, forgive others from the heart, having forgiven others from the heart, forgive yourself from your heart for the harm your state of non enlightenment had caused, and having done so, know that the one having tears of remorse is no longer the one who did the harm. This is a process repeated at deeper and deeper levels. The middle path, in my view, is about healing anxieties stemming from the past with empathy and compassion, healing anxieties about the future through objectivity and wisdom, and using the creative ability to stand outside yourself and see the hero, the Buddha nature striving to cope, set within a great story to be appreciated and embraced, and to see that others are the same: Buddhas waiting to rise as the lotus from the pond. This kindness to oneself, and kindness to others, are each catalysts for each other and positive change. I see no perfect gurus, or ranks of perfections, just heroes that with the right mindfulness of themselves, are the Buddhas, and I see no perfect Buddha in this conditioned world, unless it is all of us working together in love. Now I grow, and as I change from the baptism of many tears, I know that all life is to be cherished, that real freedom is found in the middle path and a secure mindfulness applied to all our experiences. And when I practice my path in my imperfect way I find tears of compassion, remorse that liberates, and wisdom to help me live my life today and not feel either superior or inferior to anyone, but rather just a potential imperfect friend who is "good enough" because he is on the path, and not because he has achieved anything, and that there is nothing to "achieve". I laugh now in ways that remind me now of my beloved Honorable Venerable Doctor Thich Thien An, who will always be in my heart. I fail everyday, and I am always learning more and more about the difficult skills of tolerance for the superstitious nonsense that corrupts our minds from time to time, I learn to see the hurting hearts that hide the Buddha nature, I learn to restrain from being overly forceful or overly cowardly, and teaching others, and myself, from where each are, instead of from where I think myself or others "should" be. It is not by will that we climb the difficult hill to enlightenment, but by the healing force of compassion and wisdom, that like a seed, grows to a greater vision because we have slowly liberated ourselves from the clinging brought on through no fault of our own because of anxieties and helplessness that are bound to occur in every life. It is both lightning flashes of enlightenment and a slow progression that brings us to our true natures, and the flashes themselves must not be clung to, we are a moving stream, a circle in the air formed by a lit stick of incense in a dark room: Thank you Dr. An.
Thanks very much for your thoughts! Yes it is at times a path of failing again and again but when you look back you do see progress.
Great and very informative high-level intro and summary on the 3 main "schools", thank you so much! However, I missed a very important aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism from the video. As far as I know from my studies, the early / ancient Tibetan religion (Bon or Bön) had a very intense influence on Vajrayana, including rituals, visual representations, deities and other beings, afterworlds and so on.
Yes my understanding is that the indigenous Tibetan religion influenced the Tibetan practice of Vajrayāna, but Vajrayāna began in India and has influence around Asia, so the Tibetan practice is only one of many.
@@DougsDharma Thank you for your kind reply. Correct, that’s what I meant, sorry for the confusion.:) What I meant is that Bon / Bön had a strong influence on Tibetan buddhism. 🙏
I was raised within the practice of Zen Buddhism , which my Swedish father converted to when I was a child. Meditation was a large part of our practice, as well as reading, the three-fold path, attempting vegetarianism , sitting Zazen, and chanting almost every morning before school (Franciscan-Catholic school). Surprisingly enough my father was a celebrated Christian filmmaker at the time, and so I was asked to be silent about my Buddhist upbringing. However I found that Buddhism and Catholicism fit together easily, as did my Sicilian mother's adult conversion to Unitarian Universalism. In fact, Zen Buddhism fit easily with every religion and spiritual practice I explored as I grew up, from Hinduism to Christianity, to Witchcraft, to Nature Worship to Paganism, to Sikhism, to Agnosticism, to Kabala, to Atheism, to Ram Dass, to Scientology, to Judaism, to the belief in Ancient Aliens, to Totems, to Alister Crowley, to Astrology, to Huxley, Tolkien, to Transcendentalism, to Universalism, to worship of the Old Gods. Buddhism fit snugly with them all, allowing cohesion to exist no matter what religion I was exploring .
Yes, Zen practice is like that! Thanks for your story, Eric. Very interesting!
Paganism?
Buddhism, hinduism and sikhism are paganisms.
Only two non pagan religions exist and they're judaism and christianity.
Paganism is a wide term.
What is paganism? Whats your understanding?
Really good video and I appreciate you trying to be as open and honest on this.
Thanks, I try!
Great content and channel. I'm a Jodo Shinshu or Japanese Pure Land Buddhist and find it works for me. The key is to find that path that will work for you
Exactly so. Find what works for you. 🙏
Appreciate your sharing🙏
I'm not a Buddhist practitioner but into Spiral Dynamics (theory on evolution of individual deeper drives/worldviews) instead and just came back from a 7 day meditation workshop (in a small dark room by self...a cave...without talking to other people most of the time) .
I believe your teaching sheds light onto what I'm working with now e.g. different Buddhism practice should suit people of different deeper drive. Thanks again!
You're very welcome Frank, glad it was helpful!
Thank you for making the effort to put this video together. Much appreciated.
My pleasure!
I have been an Asia traditional practitioner my entire life. This is my first time listening to to a Western Buddhist view. You did great!!! From your pronunciation to the background images, they are really gorgeous and precious. Thank you so much for spreading the words!!! Keep up a good work
My pleasure, votuvan. Thanks so much for your comment! 🙏
how do u think it differs from eastern explanations?
Love to hear your take on Shingon and Nichiren Buddhism.
Excellent explanation regarding the schools of Buddhism. Love your channel.
Thanks Melodie, very kind of you to say. 🙏
Secular Buddhism seems to make the most sense to me. Stories of people remembering past lives and re-birth sound as fantastical as unicorns. But using Buddhism to sharpen your morality and behavior and using meditation to calm yourself, get centered is to me the most important concepts of Buddhism. I've been attending a Buddhist temple in town and they are some of the most non-judgemental and kindest people I've ever met.
Wonderful to hear. Yes, that has generally been my experience as well!
@@DougsDharma
Thanks Doug, a new subscriber here and I appreciate your content.
You're awesome. Thank you for clarifying this in such a simple way.
You're very welcome Benson! 🙏
You are a great lecturer, Doug! Thanks a lot for all these fantastic videos! 🙏🏻
You're very welcome xiao mao!
Wonderful work Doug, thank you! I woudn't say that Zen is 'irrational' because Dogen is a very rational author, but I would say that Zen uses non-conceptual approach to generate insight as skillful means. Additionally I woudn't say that Vajrayana uses complicated visualization, rather than complex visualizations. I leave here these as suggestions... Your work is amazing, these are just minor points that I think valuable.
Thanks Daniel!
I'm very thankful for this video, I've been trying to find a simple explanation of the different types. Thank you very much for making it!
You're very welcome!
Great video ! This video gives me a quick overview of major schools of buddism
Thanks for letting me know Kenny. Glad you found it useful!
Thank you very much for explaining Vajrayana. I have limited understanding, and I what I have read, I found confusing. Your explanation of Tantra and it's apparent link to Shaivism was also very useful. I recall reading somewhere that the sexual practices and some of the deities in Tibetan Buddhism were due, in part, to the pre-Buddhist animist practices in Tibet being co-opted or mingled with Buddhist teachings from India. It seems clear there was a good deal of interaction between various "religions" in the first few centuries after the Buddha lived; same as today.
Yes, I think this mingling of religions is more the norm than the exception, though there pretty clearly are periods where it is more active and lots happens, and other periods where there is less interchange.
Doug is the man. Buddhist philosophy is incredible
😄 Thanks Kendall, yes it's pretty neat!
Thank you for this 🙏
Is all so confusing when you are just starting out. Have been following Theravada practise as again, i just stumbled across it from by chance. You have clarified that it is definitely the right for me so thank you for that. Really interesting, really appreciated......
🙏
Wonderful!
I just moved to a new state and one of the closest Buddhist temples to me is a Theravada Buddhist temple. I have been doing more research into that school of Buddhist thought due to proximity for the most part.
SINCE you asked for comments.....here goes! Secular Bhuddist, that sounds about right, at this point. Me, schooled in Zen, Zen, Zen Tripple ZEN lately I've been investigating Catholizim but just can't get with the Virgen Mary stuff and you are in NY as I am, sooooooooooooooooooHello. I will be enjoying your going forward and in the near future.
Glad to hear it berit, thanks!
Thanks so much for this video Doug. I have always found buddhism interesting and turned to meditation and mindfulness in recent years to cope with and deal with significant stress/trauma. Lately, I have realised I would like to know much more about buddhism and turn towards buddhist practice in a stronger way so I am grateful for you breaking down the highly complex nature of the various aspects!
That's wonderful to hear, Fiona. It's my pleasure!
Wonderful summary, very comprehensive, thank you for this service!
You're very welcome! Glad to help!
You are like an incarnate of the Buddha himself! Speaking with such clarity, objectivity, and teaching calibre! Thank you!
Very kind of you to say Anand, but I can't compare to the Buddha ... 🙂
Growing up from a family lineage practising Pure Land Buddhism in Singapore, I remember when I was a kid my parents started me off by sending me to a Sri Lankan Theravada temple to learn the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Paths, the 10 precepts, Samatha meditation and some Theravadin suttas from a Theravadin monk. Couple of years later, they sent me to a Pure Land buddhist temple to learn more about Bodhisattvas' vows and Compassion, Amitabha's vows and the 3 Pure Land sutras from Pure Land monks. If someone asks me what is my religion.. my answer is always... I'm a Buddhist. I don't and will never be very specific by saying I'm a Pure Land or Mahayana Buddhist. I personally feel there shouldn't be any form of branding in Buddhism. Even today I go to both Theravada and Mahayana temples and whichever I go to, I am always welcomed by the temple monks and devotees. Distinguishing oneself and claiming one Buddhist tradition or school is better than the rest is not Buddhism. According to the Dharma (sanskrit)/Dhamma (pali) our historical Lord Buddha Sakyamuni didn't teach us to think as such.
Thanks for your thoughts on this A Tan. I think it depends on our interest. Some people like a syncretic approach to Buddhist practice, but others don’t. Some people prefer a more devotional practice, others less. So it’s good to know the differences in case you weren’t aware that there was a form of practice that was more appropriate to your own lifestyle and approach.
Post-Buddhism is fun. Many mindfulness practitioners as myself do not use the label "Buddhist", but use modified Buddist meditation and maybe some insight in Anatta, Anycca and such.
That's great, "Buddhism" is just a label anyway. What matters is the practice.
2:39 to get right to the point
Thanks Andre! Takes me awhile. 😄
I would describe myself as a secular Zen Buddhist, funnily enough I started just by reading about the 3 teachings in china and gradually being more interested in both daoism and buddhism. Which culminated in my buddhist practice becoming more Zen focused. A year after I started my journey a study buddy of mine at the University asked me how to become a buddhist, which I found odd. I explained how I just started my practice and that was it.
However this question stayed with me when I went home and so I looked up if there was some form of Buddhist center and there was. At that point I had known about Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism, but no idea what Vajrayana was. Of course this was a Vajrayana center. I went there a few times, but was pretty put off by the over indulgence practiced after a meditation session. Okay I have to emphasize I was a vegetarian for 2 years when I became a buddhist. However the way they indulged in consumption of meat, cuddling, grooming and making out with multiple people, as well as frequent discussions about killing insects, because that couldn't be too bad for your karma, was all a bit much for me. I felt like I had walked into the center of a mara cult to be honest ^^. It just wasn't for me.
Interesting, thanks ice3oy! I think each center has its own peculiarities.
Thank you so much - very informative and clear
You’re very welcome, thanks for watching. I’m glad you found it useful. 🙏
I have often wondered if there is a core, or an archetype, to Buddhism which finds its expression in various manifestations and through the lens of various cultures. So if you look hard enough at all of them there is a primal form which is formless, yet which gives rise to all the differences. I have visited many of the sacred places in India, China, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam as part of my personal investigation into Buddhist history. A powerful illustration of this unity in diversity was provided by my stay at that extraordinary location of the tree at Bodh Gaya, India where all the various traditions (including Secular Buddhism) meet to pay their respects ... as they have been doing for perhaps 25 centuries.
Well it's hard to say Simon, I think there may be many overlapping cores that we touch upon when reflecting on the dharma. Thanks for your observations!
Seeing how it was possible to spawn different schools based on the very same teachings from the Buddha really helps me to further understand the very essence of the Buddha's teachings, as well as awed by the unimaginable wisdom of the Buddha. However, it also brings up more questions.
This is really a very common phenomenon, different people look at the very same thing and each may come up with different opinions and/or different ideas of what it is. It all depends on what the state of mind the individual is in. This "state of mind" is indeed one's "ego" or "sense of self". In fact, we always put our own personal stamp on everything that we deal with. "Non-self" is probably the Buddha's way of dissociation from one's very subjective state of mind and be completely impartial.
Whether consciously or subconsciously, every one of our thinking, everything that we do, and everything that we react to, is always associated with an intention and some purpose that ultimately serves the "self". This certainly applies to how one receives and interprets the Buddha's teachings as well. It is simply impossible for each of the Buddha's followers during His lifetime to receive and understands His teachings at the same level and in the same way. This may be one of the reasons why the Buddha stressed so much on "emptiness" and "non-self". Everything is "emptiness", including every dharma that the Buddha expounded. However, how many of us really treat the Buddha's teachings as "emptiness"? Each of us usually put our own personal stamp on the Buddha's teachings, thinking what it really means with our own interpretations and thinking. This is when we need to apply the "non-self" to the Buddha's teachings as well as to everything else.
Furthermore, the Buddha taught for over 45 years. He must have touched on an enormous amount of topics. He also had over a thousand followers during His over 45 years of teaching. I simply wonder if all of them were present at every one of the Buddha's congregations. Even if all the 1000+ followers were all present, could every one of them hear what the Buddha said? If the Buddha could really make every one of them hear Him clearly, then He must truly have supernatural power. Could it also be possible that different groups of His followers received different teachings but not all. Could that be the source of certain disputes among members in the original Sangha because different groups were absent at different times? As a result, could it be possible that not every one of the Buddha's followers could have received the exact same teachings?
Good thoughts Andrew. Yes we know from the suttas that nowhere near all his followers heard all his dharma talks. Indeed, in his earliest dharma talks he only had five listeners! And he seems to have tailored many talks to the needs of the audience. So he said different things in different places, to different people.
Do you think this applies only to buddhism?
Dude
Every religion has several different sects and they have own interpretations.
Thats why many secular people nowaday are leaving religions
Haven't you ever heard of unitarianism,trinitarianism, coptic christianity.. etc?
And haven't you ever heard of shia, sunni, sufi... etc?
Nature of religions is a little weird.
Hi! Great video! I first learned zazen at the age of nine due to martial arts training. I spent some time in Thailand, and here locally with Theravadan monks who instructed me on preliminary techniques, shamatha and vipassana. I attended Pure Land services and other Chinese Buddhist/Taoist Temple services for several years in San Diego. I practiced Soto Zen for several years, and hosted the local sangha at my house for several years. I also hosted and now work inside a Vajrayana Temple in the Gelugpa tradition for over ten years now. I also receive practice, empowerments, in the Mahamudra tradition, but my primary lineage now is Nyingmapa. I am writing this because you asked if anyone had practiced any of these traditions. So, anyway, great job discussing the three schools. My only criticism is the word transgressive. Seems the lack of transparency, like Freemasonry, for instance, creates a mystique that outsiders project upon what goes on within the tiled room.
Thanks for your input! As for the word, it's one often used in scholarly circles when discussing some of these early practices. They transgressed norms of the day.
@@DougsDharma Thanks for the clarification. Transgressing norms versus transgressing vows, or morals carry different weight and connotation. For instance, offering alcohol and meat are essential when doing tsok in certain rituals, but not amongst the 8 most common types of offering. Some practitioners of others schools might find that inappropriate.
This helped me a lot :)) thank you!!! Also, a recommendation - I am a visual learner, and I would find it helpful if you could incorporate some!! either way, I’ll keep watching! nice job!!
Thanks Brandon! Yes, I'm a visual learner too. The problem with visuals is twofold: first is finding good visuals that are not copyrighted. The second is finding visuals for topics that are kind of abstract or philosophical. I will when I can! If you have ideas let me know. 🙂
Incredibly helpful. Thank you very much for your work, Doug 🙏🎧☮️🎻
You're very welcome, Markus!
Great Video. Trivial Point : Therevada is in South East Asia but also SOUTH Asia as it is practiced in Sri Lanka.
True, thanks Cheeroth!
Your videos are just amazing to me. I appreciate them so, so much. This topic is fascinating to me.
I study yogi spirituality and Buddhism. Buddhism and the yogis of India have much in common, but there a few important differences (not the topic here lol).
I'm drawn to all schools of Buddhism in some way. I've been studying it for about 4-5 years. I have listened to many different teachers from all schools (Ajahn Brahm and Yuttadhammo Bhikku [Theravada], Amy Miller Robina Courtin, and Geshe-la [Tibetan], Brad Warner [Zen], etc.). I have learned a lot from all three schools. Tibetan Buddhism feels more like "religion" to me (more like yogi spirituality in India). It is also much more complicated than all the other schools. I like the heart-feeling aspect of Tibetan Buddhism (heart yoga); its chants and the receiving of blessings (good wishes). It uses emotion more to tap into the Buddha's teachings. On the other hand, Theravada is logical and rational, focused solely on healing the mind to "see clearly." Here's your mind; here's ultimate reality - now let's deal with it (end of story). And lastly, we have Zen (not familiar with mayahana Pure land): Zen is simplistic but uses paradoxes (as you said) to transcend the "logical" mind (koans). You don't use your intellect and reasoning as you do in Theravada Buddhism. You cannot be taught enlightenment - you get there being always in the present through zazen (meditation). Enlightenment cannot be explained, only known.
There are just my generic assessments. But they may be helpful to someone. Who knows?
I am a highly emotional person, so Theravada and Zen are more suitable to me overall than Vajrayana. I need to become less emotional. lol. I like the logic of Theravada for dealing with everyday issues (non-reactive mind), but there is something about Zen should I want to go "further" (the paradoxes of existence). And the Zen gardens represent reality so well for me.
At any rate, fabulous videos. I look forward to watching more of them.
I wish you peace and enlightenment with all my heart.
Thanks very much Didier Jules, there is a huge amount to learn! 🙏
@@DougsDharma There surely is so much to learn but the fundamentals are the same. Best wishes again to you!
It's a great video, easy to understand and so helpful to have all the information in a neat overview in one place. Thank you 🙏
You're very welcome Sarah, glad you found it helpful! 🙏🙂
Great video. Would you ever consider doing a deeper dive into each of the three major schools? I'd be really interested in a video on the various schools of Theravada Buddhism, differences, similarities, history, and practice styles. I.e. Thai & Thai Forest (Ajahn Chah), Sri Lankan schools, Burma, Cambodia, etc...
-with Metta
Thanks jaakizamazin, I might eventually do a deeper dive into Theravāda but it would take a lot more historical research on my part. So we'll see. 🙂
@@DougsDharma Please do, I would love to learn more about Theravada.
@@SheffieldShuffle I have this video on the history of the Theravāda that might interest you: th-cam.com/video/S0B1xqTjt50/w-d-xo.html
It should be noted that this isn't a strict separation. For example, the Plum Village tradition founded by Thay Nhat Hanh, is an off shoot of Thien, or Vietnamese Zen, which blends Zen/Chan and Theravada Buddhism.
Yes that's right Robert. All these distinctions are limited and conventional.
My experience with Therevada centers here in middle America has been somewhat different in that they are very structured, have strict monastics as heads of the temple, and are based on a continuation of the original sangha. Most of these temples are Thai or Laotian based. I have never considered the Western meditation centers as Theravadin nor heard them refer to themselves as such, but after your discussion I have to agree they can be - just a different flavor of the same tradition with a bit of ‘new age’ psychology mixed in, depending on who is attending. It also seems that the Thai temples also serve as community centers for cultural traditions for the diaspora, and a way for people to gain merit by supporting the monastics and the temple, which is very important activity for the Thai, Lao, Burmese culture, but a little perplexing for westerners.
I practice regularly in both types of centers. Thanks.
Yes great points to make Austin. There is a good book comparing Theravāda meditation centers in the US. It's called Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravāda Buddhism in America by Wendy Cadge. You might want to take a look.
Thank you so much!!! You are amazing!!! I am forever grateful for your explanation!!!
You’re very welcome Eduardo!
@@DougsDharma Nice to meet you! Thank you so much!!!
Hey Doug. Thanks for the post!
The last two responses I've made to 'Buddhist' posts have not been all together positive...Im not a troll 😁 lol)
Not so with this post... 😀 I thought I would mske mention of the previous 2 people and make a couple of additional comments re: my own experiences.
I feel thar coming from primarily Christian background and upbringing / school etc, it's actually quite a, long - shot that someone like me (UK Born) would have the good fortune to comr into contact with The Dharma. Let alone from thar small first brush - develop a regular practice, begin studying, find a teacher and a centre.
So that first 'brush' i mentioned. It's so SO important (IMHO) thst this brush id is of ths best quality possible... Or if stated negatively : Is NOT of a poor quality, ie being given duff information due to... Overecuberance of the
" themselves - newly - converted" 😀🙄 Or worse still, again being fed duff information by individuals with some alterior motve which is AT BEST merely thier own self - promotion.
I always feel something of a burdensl when discussing Buddhist Teachings with a 'new' person. Im ÜBER - careful for fear 😱 of saying the wrong thing, something thst will turn people off instead of on.
Just FYI i do not go about evangelising lol. I hsve one friend who is very fond of declaring to anyone with a padsing interest - "Stu's s Buddhist you should tslk to him!" i did Jukai in 2010 snx and have never felt the need to identify myself as sucheven once in all thst time.
Which brings me morev onto the topic of your post. I smiled when you said something alomg the lines of "Mahayana 'tends' to be... 😀 ' scuppered already before you had even started. As soon as we open our mouths snd words come out we begin contradicting ourselves.
I practice Soto Zen. Thsts where my hat has endedvup being hung. I moved house 13 years ago to be with my (now) wife. This just hsppens to be 30 minutes drive from Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. Jiyu Kennett who started the Abbey in the early 70's along with Shasta Abbey in CA USA 🇺🇸 one of her books (Zen is Eternal Life?) she has a paragraph entitled :
ZEN IS A RELIGION.
Her history is very 'churchy'. Wanted to be a Christian priest or monk ideally - initially anyway. When she returned from Japan she re-did everything in an occidental style. Chants in English to plain song. Lots of ceremonial stuff.
I have an unhappy history with Christianity so im not particularly keen on that side if things. But i use it to practice with when im there.
If i wsx in the US I would seek out Steve Hagen at Dharmafield in Minneapolis. Over the years they have reduced to s minimum thr ceremonial stuff, in fact they don't even have a Buddha Statue on the altar... Judt s huge rock.
I am a member of the audio section soni get my talks there snd some courses (in the middle of Nagarjuna at the moment)
So here we have 2 Mahayana practitioners set up thier own places and they couldn't be more different. And not only thst, they were both ordained with Soto Zen snd spent time at Soji-ji in. Yokahama.
It really is difficult trying to categorise anyone... Even if on paper they should be the same.
I do lean very much more towards living by the Precepts. Regular sitting practice. Mix thst up. With a few sesshins a year. And then AAAALLLLL the rest of thr time judt keep coming back. Keep coming back. No chastisement - judt recognise, and you sre already back.
The 2 previous podts were one girl who was telling all her 'followers' how she got into Buddhism. Hsndl8ng it like a make - up tutorial. But she was TEACHING IT. And she said about 5 or 6 things thst were judt pants!
I felt bad pointing these things out, but I felt worse forvsny potential new people later on Googling thr Zen. Percepts.
Last thing. The guy was a whole different can of worms. I csught him indicating he had had an Awakening working on the Koan "what is the water?"?
Podts on How to do Zazen. Hechad even started having meetings. I asked him to confirm whst hr had said. Where he practiced and who his teacher was.
Still don't know 🙄🤔😏 but within hours he had posted an apologt to his followers about exaggerations he had made. THAT video was gone but I don't doubt he will be at his guru nonsense again before the year's end.
Such a shame. This / thst may be the only chance some of his poor followers ever get... 😕
Most Zen folks don't take stories and sutras /teachings necessarily to be true. Big issue with the bible people. Butbit is difficult to work out where Zen ends and Japanese culture begins... Watching stuff on NHK about Japan im blown awsy at how "Zen" their whole culture actually is.
Sorry for the Novella. And thanks for passing on a simple message witj no strings! 😃
Thanks for that Something Wonderful, yes it's pretty impossible to summarize enormous schools of thought like these in a short video. I did what I could but there are a lot of asterisks, and especially with a practice like Zen that is so odd in many ways! 😄
Vajrayana has a surprisingly large influence in the US, as compared to the other two schools. Apparently in the early 1900s, or late 1800s, Buddhist missionaries from Tibet and Nepal came over and built vajrayana temples, specifically dedicated to drikung kagyu
Yes, Vajrayāna and Tibetan Buddhism generally has had an outsized effect worldwide I think. But exactly the history of that I'm not sure of. Certainly the exile of the Dalai Lama accelerated it.
Buddhism can be either very complex or very simple, i grew up on zen practice and teachings but the monastery i went to seemed to be more dedicated to shakyamuni buddha himself and his original teachings or fundamental teachings of the four noble truths and the eightfold path. As well as the three jewels, five precepts and the rules, which i forgot what they were actually called. It seemed to focus more on how we can become like the historical buddha based on his teaching but there were many mahayana sutras tought in the process. I personally like both zen and theravada but im currently studying nichiren and his interpretation of the lotus sutra.
Thanks turnip881. Yes, there are many approaches to Buddhist dharma, and we have to find the one that resonates with us.
Excellent explanation. I felt like a good professor was teaching me some new concepts.
🙏😊
i would say that Dogen's brand of Soto Zen moves away from many of the devotional aspects of Mahayana back towards the insight practices of Theravada. even at the time he saw himself as "returning to original Buddhism," although probably every sect thinks the same.
Interesting, thanks!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you my great teacher, your classes help me step by step to be free of my ignorance, little by little I understand more. Lotus for you. Evangelina Cortes.
You're very welcome Evangelina. Thanks for watching!
I appreciated the video very much, however found it interesting that Thailand, where Theravada Buddhism is the official religion was not mentioned. I say this because I mostly follow the Thai Forest teachings. Also some of the most beautiful Buddhist temples can be found there.
Ah yes Lina, I don't recall but if I left out Thailand it was an oversight of mine.The Thai forest tradition is a wonderful source of meditation teachings.
Very informative. Thank you! My own experience is with both Theravada and Mahayana (Soto school). One of the biggest differences I noticed was in the ways that women are viewed. In Soto Zen, female (or any genders in between f/m) are generally considered equal to men. In Theravada, however, there remains, to this day, an unremitting tension between male and female monastics as to the place of women. There has been a significant influx to the United States of female monks (bhikkhunis) from the UK and other countries as part of their struggle for equality within the Therevadin monastic community. They had to either leave their monastic homes or accept this puzzling "distinction." And I call it puzzling because, as I understand it, though it took a bit of coercing, the Buddha supported equality between males and females in the monastic community (though female monks are bound by many more rules). Of course, not all Therevadin monks (bhikkhus) subscribe to the idea of bhikkhunis as underlings, but the issue is far from being resolved. It was only after a retreat at a Soto monastery that I came to understand just how differently women are viewed in these two schools. Nonetheless, my experience with both schools has been beneficial. Still, I'm confounded because if Theravada is so "in" to "early" teachings, I wonder how they justify their stance on female monastics -- unless "early" means "before the Buddha was convinced to give women equal standing"(?) Thank you again for such a wonderful opportunity to learn.🙏
Yes Vivien this is a very complicated sociohistorical issue. I did an earlier video on women in Buddhism where I discuss some of it: th-cam.com/video/864ksDOZwXk/w-d-xo.html . Basically though there is a difference of opinion among Theravāda monastics as to the “legality” in the monastic rules as to readmitting nuns. More liberal monks like Ajahn Brahm, Bhikkhu Sujato, and Bhikkhu Anālayo support nuns, while more conservative monastics like Thanissaro Bhikkhu and many in Thailand do not believe nuns can be readmitted. There are separate issues as to equality, but the Buddha’s admittance of nuns did make them subservient in certain respects to the monks.
(This assumes that these rules go back to the Buddha and were not a later interpolation. IIRC Anālayo argues that they may have been inserted later).
@@DougsDharma Thank you for your kind response, as well as the link! I'll definitely check it out! 🙏
@@DougsDharma I've heard something about this. Interestingly enough (or maybe not), I've yet to meet a bhikkhuni who agrees.🤔 I don't know if that proves there is sexism in the sangha or women simply refusing to know "their place." From what I have read, the Buddha's stepmother was very active in pressing for women's equality, along with one of his most trusted monks. I myself was raised Lutheran. The Lutheran church had two branches: LCA and Missouri Synod. In 1986, I visited the Missouri Synod church of my best friend, a white woman (just for kicks). After the service, as we all filed past the minister to shake his hand, he refused to talk to me or shake my hand. Why? The Missouri Synod didn't allow blacks to become members. And it was only in 1978 that the Mormon Church bestowed a type of equality on blacks. I think that many people believe whatever they want to believe -- even bhikkhus and bhikkhunis. Sadly, one of the greatest conveniences is keeping "others" at the bottom so that others can be on top. But the rudest practice of all, from what I can tell, is verbalizing this. Few who do not have to deal with care to hear about it. Still, it's all power for the course and an opportunity to deepen one's practice (or totally freak out).
Yes, you’re very right Viven. Sorry to hear about the story at the church, that is quite sad! Stay well and safe. 🙏
This is brilliant!!Clarity🙏Thank you😊
Oh, very glad you found it useful, Polly!
Thank you for such a great video. Very informative 👏🏾
Glad it was helpful!
Would very much enjoy a deep dive into the different Zen schools (Korea, Chinese, Japanese, etc)! Thank you Sir!
Thanks for the idea BossZen. It would require a great deal of additional study on my part to do that, but maybe someday. Have you seen my earlier video on the history of Zen? th-cam.com/video/lRAW-GN4TUA/w-d-xo.html 🙂
Thank you I’ve been trying to find a school of Buddhism that kind of fits me
Glad to help!
My only critique is that in a Theravada Monastery there are many rituals involved but it was made clear to me that those rituals are related more to the indigenous belief systems of that specific culture , in this case Thailand, that became enveloped into Buddhism. We would call it animism mixed with Buddhism. The Buddha was against rituals, or any action where doesn’t does something without thinking.
That's right Michael, there are lots of nuances with local practices as you're noting. Thanks!
I'm quite new to Buddhism, but I was involved for a time with Soka Gakkai International, however, I found them too insular, irrational and sectarian. I am now mostly involved with an organisation known as The School of Philosophy and Economic Science which focuses on Advaita Vedanta and Greek philosophy. I really like it because it's totally open to anyone from any belief system. I think the Buddhism that most attracts me is Secular Buddhism, and I have the book Confession of a Buddhist Atheist which you recommended in another video which I still need to read!
Great, thanks for the comment!
I practice meditation with a Theravada monk. Sometimes I sit with Zen practitioners which is an opportunity for group meditation. I do find their Dhamma talks a little beyond my understanding because some of their concepts are different from what I've studied.
One thing though, I do find the Buddha more of a human- like character within the Theravada tradition then I do in Mahayana.
Yes, the suttas that are often relied upon in the Theravāda lineage present the Buddha in the early days of the religion.
Theravada Buddhism in SE Asia seems to heavily emphasize iconography (featuring Hindu deities), architecture, robes, rituals, aesthetics...
Sure, most traditional Buddhism is this way.
Teravada buddism has no deity. They have deva aka angels.
Well people are conflating angels and deities
Its not about hindu deities but about art adopted from south asia.
Well buddism was spread in southeast asia by an indian (south asian) king Asoka.
He sent missionaries to most parts of asia, buddy
The video is so useful! Thank you so much❤️
Glad it was helpful!