Transcript: https://www.rigzindrubde.org/mahayana-or-hinayana
Notable quotes:
- What defines a Buddhist or non-Buddhist lies in the view of dependent origination. That is, a Buddhist is one who believes in the view of dependent origination—that all phenomena, whether inner mind or outer objects, lack intrinsic existence. Among all the religions in the world, most theist doctrines would not accept the view of dependent origination.
- Once you believe in liberation, if you remain focused solely on seeking liberation for yourself alone, then that is truly a sign of weakness!
- Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, involves shouldering significant burdens, bearing great responsibility, and cultivating great wisdom alongside an open and excellent mind.
- There is one important thing we need to observe closely. With the support of wisdom, when we engage in the six paramitas—such as generosity, discipline, diligence, patience, meditative concentration and so forth—only then will these practices become the causes of Buddhahood, the state of omniscience. Without the support of wisdom that recognizes the nature of emptiness, without the exceptional wisdom that realizes the suchness of all things, the six paramitas will only yield concordant causes for worldly samsaric perfections.
- Considering the outcomes of practice—specifically, the four perfect results yielded by tantric practices—highlights a significant distinction between Sutric and Tantric traditions. What are considered perfect results? It refers to transforming the impure aspects of samsara into the pure or transforming the impure three doors of body, speech and mind into pure ones.
- If you ask, 'Since Tantra originated in India, does it have a connection to Hinduism?' Yes, there are connections. However, we must examine the details. There are cross-border similarities among different religions. The methods of meditating on the deities are similar. The fire puja is similar and the various expressions and appearances of these deities and gods are similar. What’s the distinction? The distinction lies in the understanding that buddhist meditation on deities can only be practiced in a way that the deities appear from the self-radiance of emptiness and compassion. Keeping this in mind is essential for us Buddhists, especially today among the youth who are exposed to various perspectives. Otherwise, if disharmony arises within our buddhist communities as a result, it will create obstacles for us. Thus, we need to know the significant differences between Buddha Dharma and non-Buddha Dharma. While some may claim that they are similar, in fact, they are fundamentally different! They are not alike at all!
- Since we are all Buddhists, the dispute over Mahayana and Hinayana is not just about who is greater and who is lesser. Those who identify themselves as Mahayana practitioners and look down upon Hinayana practitioners are making a serious mistake. This is so wrong because the Four Noble Truths are our foundation. If you dismiss and minimize your foundation, then you are just plain awful. When it comes to practice, we need to make progress; we need to go from the bottom up. Believing that you can skip the foundational teachings of the Four Noble Truths and go straight to Mahayana is merely wishful thinking. For those who take the Four Noble Truths as their main practice, please do not consistently go against Mahayana teachings, such as bodhicitta.
This video features teachings delivered to Sri Lankan Buddhist students via Zoom on September 29, 2024.
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