02-24-2021, 01:31 PM
Someone I briefly discussed Buddhism with not so long ago made a few interesting distinctions.
Firstly, there's a big difference between the standardized versions of the religion practiced by the many, even "normal" groups of monks, and that practiced by the few, lone yogic people who now and historically stay physically apart from any religious community. It's a difference in the essence of what it all ends up amounting to. (But people who don't personally go and study such differences have, in almost all cases, only vague ideas about such differences. I only have vague ideas.)
Secondly, a second big division in the spirit of it all can be seen in the historically more new and widespread "great vehicle" (Mahayana) vs. the older branch. In practice, the older is more focused on individual spiritual development, while the newer views that as less important than spreading the message like missionaries in order to help the rest of the world first, the "preach first, practice second" approach seen as the most enlightened and compassionate thing to do, much like Christian missionaries view the salvation of the world as more important than the fate of a single individual. As a result, there are the same basic problems resulting among the majority, with a hollowness of deeper development in their lives excused with the righteousness of representing a movement greater in value than the development of the individual.
So, there may be a path with twists and turns towards finding the most essentially valuable in Buddhism. Note that I have not myself set out on such a journey, I only summarize ideas here. The gist seems to be that, for those who view their own development into better people as the most valuable or the real starting point in becoming able to help others spiritually, there are basic divisions in attitudes and traditions that roughly allow sifting through different types of Buddhism. In part, what's widely available differs in how close a match it may be for a serious seeker. In part, the most advanced varieties in which nothing is missing belong to the isolated few whose non-standard mentalities are not at all in line with any usual teaching.
Firstly, there's a big difference between the standardized versions of the religion practiced by the many, even "normal" groups of monks, and that practiced by the few, lone yogic people who now and historically stay physically apart from any religious community. It's a difference in the essence of what it all ends up amounting to. (But people who don't personally go and study such differences have, in almost all cases, only vague ideas about such differences. I only have vague ideas.)
Secondly, a second big division in the spirit of it all can be seen in the historically more new and widespread "great vehicle" (Mahayana) vs. the older branch. In practice, the older is more focused on individual spiritual development, while the newer views that as less important than spreading the message like missionaries in order to help the rest of the world first, the "preach first, practice second" approach seen as the most enlightened and compassionate thing to do, much like Christian missionaries view the salvation of the world as more important than the fate of a single individual. As a result, there are the same basic problems resulting among the majority, with a hollowness of deeper development in their lives excused with the righteousness of representing a movement greater in value than the development of the individual.
So, there may be a path with twists and turns towards finding the most essentially valuable in Buddhism. Note that I have not myself set out on such a journey, I only summarize ideas here. The gist seems to be that, for those who view their own development into better people as the most valuable or the real starting point in becoming able to help others spiritually, there are basic divisions in attitudes and traditions that roughly allow sifting through different types of Buddhism. In part, what's widely available differs in how close a match it may be for a serious seeker. In part, the most advanced varieties in which nothing is missing belong to the isolated few whose non-standard mentalities are not at all in line with any usual teaching.
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