Problems within Mahayana Buddhism

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• published: 15 Dec 2012
• views: 23125

Welcome. In this video compilation you will see how Mahayana Buddhism arose in competition with the Theravada. Here is the theory that it's posture of being disrespectful to enlightened arahants resulted in the rise of Communism wiping out most of the Mahayana in Communist countries. Finally, the last word on the Mahayana is that Mara Mada Mahayana - Marayana. About a month after posting this video, I received these enthusiastic emails from an American Mahayana Buddhist monk, Ven. Mui Ananda. Then, I got a phone call from an American Mahayana monk on the west coast and he was in favour of starting an association with me, of non partisan Buddhists to better reveal this historic truth about Buddhism. Now, this is on my theravada.ca website with "The 7th Council - A Call for Papers". I had no idea that such support would come from Mahayanists. Ven. Mui Ananda's Message: You are truly a teacher of authentic Buddhism. In 1971 I was ordained a monk in the Thai forest Tradition. I spent five years as a monk before I returned home to the United States, by way of Germany, the home of my parents. In the US I found no Theravada centers in the late 1970s. So I studied Zen and became ordained in Zen. Later I wandered, that is the correct term, into Pure Land Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. As time went on I became a fairly well established teacher in these areas of Mahayana and Vajrayana. I tried to filter the teachings of these schools through the Pali canon every time there seemed to be a conflict. This practice is discouraged in many of the schools. When there is a conflict the same reasoning was expressed, "Pali is for people not advanced enough to understand the full meaning of the Buddha." While skeptical of this reasoning I accepted it with a grain of salt. About ten years ago I began teaching Theravada Buddhism again. My Zen Master and I had a falling out over this. She was very bitter and I was told to leave her sangha. So I remained a Zen priest/monk afterwards, I was not attached to a specific temple but wandered to different centers throughout America I continued studies in Pure Land and Vajrayana. Over time I became agitated. I returned to the Pali Canon and Theravada and began teaching that exclusively. I tried to bridge the gaps between Mahayana and Theravada. In doing this I was no longer teaching Zen, Pure Land and Vajrayana. I was only pointing out inconsistency. It became impossible for me to faithfully teach the Mahayana any longer. After studying the Saddhammapatirupaka Sutta it became obvious what was happening in my life. So today I am called a Theravada teacher disguised as a Mahayana (Zen) monk. It is true. To a certain extent, this has cost me my livelihood as a teacher. So having said all this, I am very please to have recently found Youtube video "What's Wrong With Mahayana Buddhism". You have validated my deepest feelings and concerns. Unfortunately, the US is inundated with these dubious teachings and teachers where money not Dhamma is important. You have convinced me of the need to continue teaching the Dhamma as Buddha taught it. Mui Ananda sensei Jan. 19, 2013... I viewed another couple of your videos last night where nailed Pure Land quite rightly. It was actually the flaws in Pure Land that led me to further investigate the Soto Zen teachings and find problems there. After a while I was scratching my head and had a perpetual WTF expression on my face while asking, "What happened to the Buddha in Buddhism?" Yes, I was in Thailand with Ajahn Chah for a time. Some of the moments are quite vivid but after all this time much of the memories are like delicate cobwebs. They crumble at the slightest touch. In Peace and with Metta, Anagarika Ananda Abhaya -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Ruhe is a Buddhist activist and occasional troublemaker. Please donate to support these videos and my work by going to my website at www.brianruhe.ca linked on this YouTube channel and click on the PayPal Donate button. Even the smallest donation helps! To see my diary of what I'm up to please send me a friend request and I'll accept you on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrianRuhe . I am available for one-to-one counselling for $25/ half hour by Skype, phone or in person, on any matter. You can connect with me on Skype at: brianaruhe . My most recent book is "A SHORT WALK ON AN ANCIENT PATH - A Buddhist Exploration of Meditation, Karma and Rebirth", is available in book or ebook form at Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/Short-Walk-Anci...... I was a Buddhist monk in Chiangmai, Thailand in 1995 - 1996 and I have been teaching Theravada Buddhism and meditation for 20 years. My first book from 1999, is "Freeing the Buddha," also at Amazon. I follow the Theravada Buddhist Forest tradition.