The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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JohnK
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The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Post by JohnK »

I'm considering getting a copy of the book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions by HH the Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron. The book compares the teachings as presented in what they call the "Pali Tradition" and the "Sanskrit Tradition." As neither author was formally trained in the "Pali Tradition," I'm wondering if folks from that tradition think the book gives a reasonably good presentation of it. Perhaps this has already been discussed as the book was published in 2014. Thanks.
http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/buddhism
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
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Coëmgenu
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Re: The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Post by Coëmgenu »

JohnK wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:18 pm I'm considering getting a copy of the book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions by HH the Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron. The book compares the teachings as presented in what they call the "Pali Tradition" and the "Sanskrit Tradition." As neither author was formally trained in the "Pali Tradition," I'm wondering if folks from that tradition think the book gives a reasonably good presentation of it. Perhaps this has already been discussed as the book was published in 2014. Thanks.
http://www.wisdompubs.org/book/buddhism
They will likely be operating in what I call "the received tradition" for understanding śrāvakayāna. It is likely to be an informative book, IMO, but that (this 'received tradition') is likely to be the hermeneutic at play when they address the earlier dispensation. For instance, the difference between personal and phenomenological selflessness is likely to be touched on, with "bodhisattvayāna believes Y but śrāvakayāna believes X". Oftentimes, due to this received tradition, "śrāvakayāna" wont actually believe X, its just something Mahāyānis think they believe.

If you can get over that, it is likely to be an interesting book. Indeed, it might not even suffer from the polemical flaws I outline above.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
JohnK
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Re: The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Post by JohnK »

Poking around, I see that Rita M. Gross had this to say:
...The level of scholarship informing this book is very high, and the information provided about both the Pali and the Sanskrit traditions is accurate and complete...
https://tricycle.org/magazine/under-one-umbrella/ (though I don't know of Rita M. Gross -- someone else to google)
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
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bodom
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Re: The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

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I have the book. If my memory serves me right it basically covers the 7 purifications as outlined in the visuddhimagga as comprising the entire Theravadan tradition. Of course as we know not all of the Theravadan subsets view the visuddhimagga as authoritative. I have the book packed away and I'll try to dig it out later to let you know what all is covered.

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
JohnK
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Re: The book, Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions

Post by JohnK »

bodom wrote: Fri Nov 24, 2017 6:28 pm ...I have the book packed away and I'll try to dig it out later to let you know what all is covered...
Thanks -- no need to dig it out -- the publisher's website does provide the Table of Contents and a pdf of the first 22 pages, so I can get a pretty good idea of what is covered -- I mostly wanted to be sure, before buying, that there was not a sense in the Theravada community that the book was off-base on that side. Perhaps because of the tradition of the two authors, the book was not read much by Theravada folks??? (which happens to be one of the general observations made by the authors -- not much inter-group engagement -- I suspect that is why they had Bhate G. do the Foreward; some T-cred.).
Those who grasp at perceptions & views wander the internet creating friction. [based on Sn4:9,v.847]
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