I was wondering in what ways do Zen and Tibetan Buddhism reflect and promote what the Buddha taught and in what ways do they alter or neglect what the Buddha taught?
The historical Buddha lived in India, and His teachings were not written down at the time. Over the last 2000 years scriptures have been written down and translated into different languages, sometimes from translations! I would think that parts of the scriptures are very close to the original teachings – such as the precepts and rules for the monastic Sangha. Others incorporated folk tales. Others were added to reflect the philosophy of the time. Some were perhaps altered to suit the new countries and cultures that Buddhism spread into. That process is going on now in the west – some translations of scriptures are literal and scholarly others attempt to make the essence of Buddhism understandable. On the other hand the message of Buddhism is that every being has the ability to become an enlightened Buddha. So does it matter that the teaching has been added to by enlightened teachers who were/are doing their sincere best to help their students? If enlightenment is possible and people ac
Related Questions
- I was wondering in what ways do Zen and Tibetan Buddhism reflect and promote what the Buddha taught and in what ways do they alter or neglect what the Buddha taught?
- How does Tibetan Buddhism relate to what the historical Buddha actually taught? What is Tibetan Buddhism?
- Who was Buddha or Siddhartha Gautama?
