Esoteric Theravada meditation

[form]

Is everything that is outside from literal meditation content in the Nikayas considered as Esoteric?

[Caodemarte]

Is everything that is outside from literal meditation content in the Nikayas considered as Esoteric?

“Esoteric Buddhism” refers to Buddhist sects or schools that rely on secret instruction (as distinct from private). In Mahayana the main examples of esoteric schools would be Shingon, Mantrayana, Tantricism. There are some Tendai esoteric instructions, but Tendai is not exclusively esoteric. Zen, Pure Land etc.would be exoteric. I am unaware of any explicitly Theravada esoteric sects. There are several esoteric schools or sects in Theravada majority countries (see the discussion on Tantric Theravada).

[salayatananirodha]

The Teaching has been taught by me, Ānanda, without having made a distinction between esoteric and exoteric, for the Realised One there is nothing, Ānanda, of a closed teacher’s fist in regard to the Teaching.