Dhammawheel is by far more friendly than its sister forum, Dharmawheel. No need to get into defending or praising. I am merely saying that in this particular area, Connections To Other Paths, it doesn't seem that Theravadins are really open to connections to other paths, even other Buddhist paths. The mindset is almost always 'our way is the best way'. As Sam Vara said, on sites like this, it is to be expected that there is some of that. I agree, but what connection does Theravada have with Vedanta? Theravadins usually run like hell from the mention of Atman or Soul. What kind of a brother has no soul?
Saengnapha wrote: ↑Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:08 pm
No_Mind,
Dhammawheel is by far more friendly than its sister forum, Dharmawheel. No need to get into defending or praising. I am merely saying that in this particular area, Connections To Other Paths, it doesn't seem that Theravadins are really open to connections to other paths, even other Buddhist paths. The mindset is almost always 'our way is the best way'. As Sam Vara said, on sites like this, it is to be expected that there is some of that. I agree, but what connection does Theravada have with Vedanta? Theravadins usually run like hell from the mention of Atman or Soul. What kind of a brother has no soul?
Most of the members here are not running from Vedanta but from Christianity. They cannot comprehend the word soul to mean anything other than what they have learned as Christians.
The idea that there is something greater than us but is not creator God is very difficult to wrap ones head around if one is coming from Christian background with its vengeful God .. who sends floods and pestilence ..
I have little doubt that eventually they will come around to the same point of view .. that we are part of a whole .. an underlying principle .. maybe a primordial vibration .. from which universe came and to which it will return.
And in a way what they do is not wrong .. if one opens oneself up to lot of views then one gets caught in a thicket of views. Since all roads lead to the same destination in the end it matters little if they do or do not accept Vedanta.
In this video Eido Roshi quite nicely expresses the western dilemma with God
"The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”― Albert Camus
