[spounnypneups]

It is a big issue this one. Traditions are because culture. Culture is bigger than the individual. Culture can be seen as an output of some sort of "social self".

Inadvertently the early teachings have been forced into the social needs and likes of that social self, where they are adopted. So the teachings can become, for example, "Japanise". There is a social becoming or transformation.

It is important to "feel" the cultureless nature of the core teachings of the discourses left by Buddha. They are instructions to understand and realize non self. IMO, the early teachings are practically cultureless anytime we can not point to a cultural essence from them. They talk about a universal feature of mind as its impersonal nature.

For example, the realization that the Khandhas are empty of "I am", "This is mine" or "this is my self" is not a cultural artifact. It is a natural truth available for everybody.

So I think there is no need to adopt cultural beliefs to practice the teachings left by Buddha.

So we will just follow our common sense-a bit of this, a bit of that, as we see fit. And mostly we will take those things which agree with defilement (kilesa) rather than let ourselves be guided by truth-discerning awareness. Spiritual life becomes a matter of rites and rituals, of making merit by rote or to insure against some fear or other. There is no contact with the real Buddhist Teachings.

Heart Wood from the Bo Tree