Reply To: Different types of Buddhism

#47550
Christian
Participant

Tibetan buddhism is not real Buddhism or Dhamma that leads to Nibbana. Tibetan buddhism books and practices (tantras) contain things like human flesh eating, sexually consuming body secretions, and “guru practices” which are directly or indirectly connected to hinduism (I’m talking as a general term, not specific tradition) shatras and tantras. Before learning Dhamma I was studying those various texts and if you are influenced by ignorance those things may be appealing to people. It was explained why that happens in a thread about music and notes (https://puredhamma.net/forums/topic/music-and-distorted-sanna/) – what is more “shocking'” that it uses the word “Buddha” explaining those practices. I sincerely hope people will reconsider practicing this type of “buddhisms”. Not only that, there are plenty of occultism and rituals, and when compared to suttas – suttas are against those practices, they are not leading to Nibbana but developing unwholesome states of mind. Buddha said clearly that Dhamma is good at the beginning, middle, and at the end. Tibetan quasi-buddhism is only sometimes good at the beginning but in reality, it’s just a sectarian attitude based on manipulation of people who are unable to think for themselves.

Many people would say “But its just meaning is different” or “meaning is secret teachings”, while the real Buddha said clearly in the suttas that there are no secret teachings.

“Thus spoke the Venerable Ananda, but the Blessed One answered him, saying: “What more does the community of bhikkhus expect from me, Ananda? I have set forth the Dhamma without making any distinction of esoteric and exoteric doctrine; there is nothing, Ananda, about the teachings that the Tathagata holds to the last with the closed fist of a teacher who keeps some things back. Whosoever may think that it is he who should lead the community of bhikkhus, or that the community depends upon him, is such a one that would have to give last instructions respecting them. But, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such idea as that it is he who should lead the community of bhikkhus, or that the community depends upon him. So what instructions should he have to give respecting the community of bhikkhus?”

With all due respect to tibetan culture, and way of life as people do not choose where they are born and I know we are all limited one way or another, but I would strongly advise not to calling “Tibetan Buddhism” “Buddhism” rather just Tibetan Tantra or Tibetan Hinduism as they worship hindu gods like shiva in many temples they build with specific goal go for rituals (in Nyingma Tibetan school).

Tibetan Hinduism (so-called “buddhism”) goes clearly against the Buddha Dhamma in many ways that it just can not be called or classified as Dhamma.

(I’m initiated into Shingon also in certain Tibetan teachings, I had “secret teachings” that were only available for people who were initiated – those are all in the bin of course, many of those texts were pretty extreme and pretty much line for line with hindu tantric texts while using “Buddhist” iconography to assert certain “authority” for person reading/studying)

I welcome everybody no matter what background they are from, I’m not talking in a judgemental way as I believe most people studying wrong things are most likely good people, trying to do good things and being not necessarily intentionally “hoaxed” but they are buying snake-oil. Many of those monks believe those teachings as many of them are part of yoga so obviously there may be some anariya jhanas or states/samadhis/powers but those do not lead to Nibbana.