Ask a Buddhist: Is Theravada Buddhism closest to the Buddha’s?

Ask a Buddhist: Is Theravada Buddhism closest to the Buddha’s?

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Commentary by Ven. Sangye Khadro | FāVS News

Q: Is Theravada Buddhism most reflective of what the Buddha actually taught? And are the four noble truths and the eightfold middle path most emphasized in that denomination of Buddhism? (It seems like they are not emphasized as much in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Is that correct?)

The sutras included in both the Theravada tradition and the Mahayana tradition were taught by the Buddha. During his 45-year teaching career, the Buddha spoke to a wide variety of people who came from different backgrounds and had different inclinations. Some were interested in freeing themselves from suffering and attaining liberation, or nirvana. To those people, the Buddha taught the sutras that later developed into the Theravada tradition. Those sutras were transmitted orally for several centuries until the first century B.C.E., when they were written down in Sri Lanka and became known as the Pali Canon.

Other people who met the Buddha wished to follow the bodhisattva’s path and become buddhas themselves for the benefit of all beings. To those people, the Buddha taught the sutras that later developed into the Mahayana tradition. Those sutras were also transmitted orally from teacher to disciple for a number of centuries before they were written down; they began to appear more publicly in the first century B.C.E. and later became known as Mahayana sutras. Because those sutras were not as widely known as were the Pali sutras in the first few centuries after the Buddha passed away, some scholars have questioned if they were really taught by the Buddha. But if you carefully examine them, you will see that they contain the same basic teachings as found in the Pali Canon, such as the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the three trainings (ethics, concentration and wisdom), and so forth. In addition, they provide a detailed explanation of the bodhisattva path — the path the Buddha himself followed to attain unsurpassed enlightenment — which is not so clearly explicated in the Pali sutras. 

It’s true that the four noble truths and eightfold path are strongly emphasized in Theravada Buddhism, but they are also emphasized in Mahayana Buddhism (by the way, Vajrayana is a branch of Mahayana and not a separate type of Buddhism). In the book, “Buddhism: One Teacher, Many Traditions,” the Dalai Lama writes: “The four truths of the āryas (Pāli: ariyas), commonly known as the four noble truths, form the framework for understanding all of the Buddha’s teachings. Contemplating them deeply motivates us to seek liberation and enables us to understand how the practices we do lead to liberation. Both the Pāli and Sanskrit traditions speak of sixteen attributes of the four truths. Although the list of the sixteen differs in the two traditions and there are differences in their subtle meaning, their overall meaning is similar.”

The four truths and eightfold path are studied extensively in Tibetan monastic universities using classic Indian commentaries such as Maitreya’s “Ornament for Clear Realization” and Vasubhandu’s “Treasury of Knowledge.” Tibetan texts about the path to enlightenment, such as Gampopa’s “Jewel Ornament of Liberation” and Tsongkhapa’s “Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path,” contain detailed explanations of the various types of sufferings in samsara, as well as the causes of suffering, the possibility of attaining liberation from suffering (nirvana) and the path leading to that state. And nowadays, for those new to Buddhism, there are books about the four noble truths by Tibetan teachers such as the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Tashi Tsering. 

When it comes to the eightfold path, there is a difference between the way it’s taught in the Theravada and Tibetan traditions. The Theravada tradition teaches it in a practical way — how even beginners can incorporate it in their daily life — but in the Tibetan tradition it is said to be the domain of highly-accomplished meditators (āryas). The Dalai Lama, who frequently discusses dharma with Theravada teachers and practitioners, says that he “appreciate[s] the perspective of the Pāli tradition in which we begin to practice it [the eightfold path] now, as ordinary beings. In doing so, it will guide our lives until we actually enter the path.”

So, in conclusion, both the Theravada tradition and the Mahayana tradition contain sutras taught by the Buddha, and both traditions emphasize the four noble truths and the eightfold path. 

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.