Sounds like quite a spiritual journey. Iâm glad to hear that you have found some benefit in Theravada. I hope you find Nibbana soon. All the best
Something to keep in mind when considering the teachings is that they are a compendium of various practical instructions given to different kinds of people at different times. Not all will sync with a particular personalityâŠnor are you expected to follow all the paths simultaneously! That is an impossibility!
Traditionally, the teacherâs role was to evaluate the character of the student (details of how to do this are given in the Vimuttimagga) and gently guide the student to the teachings best suited for him. So, one kind of person with deep faith might benefit from applying the teachings of Sila and the brahmaviharas⊠another more radically intellectual person might find the hard dry truths of Anicca and Anatta supported by Jhana meditations more up their alley.
Regardless, the common thread is to overcome suffering by abstaining from evil, cultivating the good and purifying the mind.
Congratulations on discovering your particular path. Stick to it! Iâm rooting for you! Go Team!!!
Thank you so much for sharing.
This has come to me like a gift.
I truly hope that your reestablished practice does lead to peace of mind.
May we all find peace.
May you be safe.
Have you ever looked into âearly Buddhism,â as opposed to âTheravada Buddhismâ?
Even if you end up choosing Theravada, at least you would have explored that option fully too.
After studying a bit of the history of Southeast Asia, itâs funny that the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread title was about how e.g. Thailand has lost and rediscovered Buddhism several times in the last few millennia. Itâs interesting how things go round. In circles small and large.
Whatâs the difference between the two?
In a nutshell and oversimplified:
Theravada = Pali EBTs + Pali Abhidhamma + Commentaries (incl. Vissudhimagga)
Early Buddhism = Pali EBTs (~ 4 nikayas) + Chinese EBTs (~ agamas) + other EBTs (Tibetan, Sanskrit etc)
You can find multiple perspectives on this topic in these threads:
Here is a helpful book on the topic of early Buddhist texts specifically, called âThe Authenticity of Early Buddhist Textsâ:
This reminds me of one of the songs which fascinate me most: âLittle wheel spin and spin, big wheel turn around and aroundâ by Buffy St. Marie.
In the âRainbow-questâ episode, invited by Pete Seeger (in the 1960ies, if not earlier, I think), she plays this song in the true, amazing, and mystifying mode, which I feel Iâll never forget - my heart is just too much resonating with the refrain. Unfortunately the sound-quality of this recording is low. (see Rainbow Quest: Buffy Sainte-Marie - Little Wheel Spin and Spin (Poor quality) - YouTube )
A better sound&video (remastered) : Buffy Sainte-Marie - "Little Wheel Spin and Spin" (Remastered) - YouTube
Here is the text:
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and aroundMerry Christmas, Jingle Bells
Christ is born and the devilâs in Hell
Hearts, they shrink, pockets swell
Everybody know and nobody tellLittle wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and aroundOh, the sins of Caesarâs men
Cry the pious citizens
Who petty thieve the five and tens
And the big wheels turn around and aroundLittle wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and aroundBlame the angels, blame the fates
Blame the Jews or your sister Kate
Teach your children who to hate
And the big wheels turn around and aroundLittle wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and aroundTurn your back on weeds youâve hoed
Silly sinful seeds youâve sowed
Add your straw to the camelâs load
Pray like hell when your world explodeLittle wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and aroundSwing your girl, fiddler say
Later on the piper pay
Do see do, swing and sway
Dead will dance on judgment dayLittle wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
Little wheels spin and spin, big wheels turn around and around
(taken from https://genius.com/Buffy-sainte-marie-little-wheel-spin-and-spin-lyrics)
The following book by Choong Mun-keat may be useful for your personal spiritual and academic interest in seeking out âthe original teachings of the Buddhaâ, leading to happiness, peace, and understanding:
The Fundamental Teachings of Early Buddhism: A Comparative Study Based on the Sutra-anga portion of the Pali Samyutta-Nikaya and the Chinese Samyukta-agama (Series: Beitrage zur Indologie Band 32; Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2000).
Thank you. For now, Iâll stay with Theravada, with just the two suttas and Jatakas as my foundation. I may add a few more suttas from the Sutta Nipata and Anguttara Nikaya later. If I stray too deep beyond that, I worry that my practice will become cluttered and debilitating again. As @faujidoc1 mentioned, the teachings are a compendium of instructions for different people. I feel that once youâre set on a path that suits your needs, unless those needs change, you should stay on that course to make progress.
I agree because, as you rightly noted I think, that the Buddha seemed to teach particular individuals the relevant parts of the Dhamma-Vinaya as per their (perhaps pressing) concerns, needs, interests, aspirations, etc.
May I ask what value you see in the Jatakas? Also, what parts of/sources of the Jatakas are you using?
I ask because I think that many of the Jatakas were actually not likely taught by the Buddha and created later on by the Theravada tradition to perhaps glorify and glamorize the Buddha in his previous lives.
And these texts seem to sometimes contradict the Dhamma-Vinaya in favor of pop culture values that seem to appeal more to the masses - one example that comes to mind is the story of when Siddhartha sacrificed himself to offer himself up to a tiger or some animal who was about to eat her own cub due to starvation.
However, this contradicts the Buddhaâs own instructions to do actions that do ânot hurt oneself,â âdo not hurt others,â and âneither hurt oneself nor others.â
But perhaps because the value of being a âselfless martyr who sacrifice himself to save othersâ (not unlike that found in other religions, such as Christianity, and in sects such as Mahayana) seems to be appealing to people at large, perhaps this story was created to appeal to that sentiment or inclinationâŠdespite it going contrary to Buddhism/Dhamma-Vinaya, I think.
Bhikkhu Bodhi sums it up neatly here: âWhereas Western intellectuals seek the essence of Buddhism in its doctrines and meditation practices, the traditional Buddhists of Asia absorb the ideas and values of their spiritual heritage through its rich narrative literature about the Buddha and his disciples. The most popular collection of Buddhist stories is, without doubt, the JÄtakas.â
I appreciate their accessibility. Like the Puranic literature of Hinduism, they humanize the teachings.
The same could be said for many parts of the Pali Canon. My only concern is whether or not a teaching works, not the endless debates about authenticity.
People have greatly benefited from both approaches, so Iâm not really worried about it.
Iâve been investigating the Dhamma for over 12 years. This is the practice Iâve settled on.
I think perhaps we should be appreciative of the OP in sharing their story regarding their spiritual journey and leave it at that. Theravada itself has already been discussed elsewhere.
This topic has fulfilled its purpose and is now closed. Thank you tonysharp for sharing your story.
I wanted to clarify some things.
âIncessant pessimismâ isnât a fair way to characterize the tone of the teachings. The truth is, I like sense pleasures. I enjoy having money to buy unnecessary things, and sex is fun. But would I be happier if I reduced my need for temporary pleasures, and found motivation elsewhere? Yes. Thatâs where I want to be eventually, equipped to eagerly perform selfless action not rooted in selfish needs.
One of the most chilling quotes I read from the Bible was Isaiah 45.7 (ESV): âI form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.â Thatâs bloody terrifying if such a god actually exist. There are likely brilliant theologians somewhere who can rationalize the apparent cruelty of the Abrahamic God, but, admittedly, I havenât looked further into it.
If you have similar seeker experiences, or critiques, I welcome them.