DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Where do you stand on the historicity of the Mahayana suttas?

**maxsobq** · 09-16-2010, 10:48 AM

If a particular Mahayana/Vajrayana sutra is proven to be written after the time of the Buddha, do the Buddhist teachings contained within the sutra become automatically invalid? Can the teachings still be useful, valuable, as a part of the continuum of Buddhist thought

Hi Bill, thanks for contributing, its lovely to hear from you,

I'm wondering about them being classified as actually being Buddhism, if 'Buddhism' is meant to describe the teachings of the historical Buddha and their study and practice though ?

If they are supposed to be spoken by a deity, or some lineage teacher was said to have been to a heavenly realm to collect them, or they were recorded as being previously hidden in a dragon realm... then that doesn't seem like a natural continuum of Buddhist thought to me, seems more like the present day New-Age pick and mix. Additionally, if later teachings differ radically from what the Buddha actually taught himself, then again, my first point is valid.

As a one time Tibetan Buddhist practitioner myself, I can think of many things that students become involved with in the tradition that aren't really connected to anything that the historical Buddha taught other than by a huge leap of the imagination.

Rita Gross who wrote the 'tricycle' article you mentioned is a herself a Tibetan Buddhism practitioner, by the way.

I'm definately not meaning to offend anyone, I'm just voicing my own doubts, so I hope Mahayana practitioners will understand.

09-16-2010, 10:48 AM	#8
maxsobq Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 396 Senior Member	If a particular Mahayana/Vajrayana sutra is proven to be written after the time of the Buddha, do the Buddhist teachings contained within the sutra become automatically invalid? Can the teachings still be useful, valuable, as a part of the continuum of Buddhist thought Hi Bill, thanks for contributing, its lovely to hear from you, I'm wondering about them being classified as actually being Buddhism, if 'Buddhism' is meant to describe the teachings of the historical Buddha and their study and practice though ? If they are supposed to be spoken by a deity, or some lineage teacher was said to have been to a heavenly realm to collect them, or they were recorded as being previously hidden in a dragon realm... then that doesn't seem like a natural continuum of Buddhist thought to me, seems more like the present day New-Age pick and mix. Additionally, if later teachings differ radically from what the Buddha actually taught himself, then again, my first point is valid. As a one time Tibetan Buddhist practitioner myself, I can think of many things that students become involved with in the tradition that aren't really connected to anything that the historical Buddha taught other than by a huge leap of the imagination. Rita Gross who wrote the 'tricycle' article you mentioned is a herself a Tibetan Buddhism practitioner, by the way. I'm definately not meaning to offend anyone, I'm just voicing my own doubts, so I hope Mahayana practitioners will understand.
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