[Buddha-l] Mahayana taught by the Buddha?

[curt]

While Mahayana texts probably don't contain word for word
teachings of the historical Buddha, there is good reason to consider
the possibility (probability in my opinion) that they are in fact based
on oral teachings that predate the written texts - possibly by centuries.
Some could in fact be directly based on oral teachings of the historical
Buddha that were not committed to writing until centuries after his
death.

On the other hand - the fairy tale that the Buddha taught the Avatamsaka
Sutra while seated under the Bodhi tree (and that everything else is just
for those who need something more dumbed down), is neither more nor
less satisfying than the fairy tale that the Pali cannon contains the "real"
teachings of the Buddha, while the Mahayana Sutras are just "made up".

- Curt

Andrew Ward wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Was the Mahayana taught by the Buddha, or was it invented after his 
> death? The Dalai Lama asserts in one of his books that it was in fact 
> taught by the Buddha, but he does not go into any more detail than 
> that. Other books I have looked at say the Mahayana emerged 500 or so 
> years after the Buddha's death.
>
> Andrew Ward.