hahaha wrote:
There are many different traditions and different interpretations. What this would do would be to promote the tradition that happens to be popular among higher members of the forum. And this brings the same problems as with having the whole forum vote: promoting the tradition and interpretation that is most popular on the particular forum.
Those who form the majority tradition already have more power to propagate their ideas by the simple fact that they are bigger in numbers. Why create another system to further help promote the dominant tradition ? Why not let newcomers use their own mind, not the majority mind, to figure out who is right in a debate or witch tradition is more in line with what Buddha taught ?
When a man wants to be a member in your house, he should respect your house's rules and tradition at first. Otherwise, you would not welcome him in your house (I guess.) Just as you cannot go to a Christian's forum and tell them that they should not believe in Jesus, but they should believe in kamma instead.
If we come to a forum for debating, we are actually not there for learning, but to show off our ego. We come here to learn and share our understandings. Even if our ideas are not well received in the forum, it does not mean that it is wrong. Just that it is not appropriate in that environment.
If a newcomer has the same belief with the community or the community accept his/her belief, he/she will be easily received into the community. A tradition is a collection of people with similar belief/understanding. If we do not have the same belief system, we do not belong to that tradition.
If we think that we can come to a tradition/community to change its belief, we will surely in trouble. Just try to go to a Christian's forum and debate that there is no God.
Ironically, the gate to heaven is small but the gate to hell is extremely large. The wise is hard to find, but the fools are everywhere. If we rely on the majority, we will be in trouble.
Of course, there is no perfect system. Any system will has some flaws. However, if it serves our purposes then it is worth to follow.
One should not be negligent of discernment, should guard the truth, be devoted to relinquishment, and train only for calm - MN 140.