[Buddha-l] Re: Where does authority for "true" Buddhism come from?

[Benito Carral]

On Saturday, January 28, 2006, Richard P. Hayes wrote:

> Attachment  to  any theory can cause a huge amount of
> unnecessary misery and mischief.

   That's  why  I don't like the theories that Buddhism
perfectly  works  without  rebirth and that its goal is
reducing dukkha.

   I'm going to quote the Buddha:

           There’s  another  world. So their view there
           is no other world, becomes wrong view. Words
           that  say,  there is no other world, becomes
           wrong  speech.  The  view, there is no other
           world,  is  completely  opposite to what the
           noble  ones  say.  The  noble  ones  talk of
           another  world. Their instructions, there is
           no  other world, becomes wrong instructions,
           and  the  wrong  teaching.  Giving the wrong
           instructions,  they  praise  themselves  and
           disparage  others.  By that they decrease in
           their  virtues  andaccumulate various things
           of  demerit,  on account of wrong view. Such
           as  wrong  thoughts,  wrong  speech,  giving
           instructions  in  the  wrong  teaching quite
           opposite  to  the  noble one’s teaching, and
           praising  themselves and disparaging others.
           [...] The wise will blame them here and now,
           they  will  decrease in virtues and birth in
           hell after death. (MN 60)

           Friend,  do  you  lead  the holy life in the
           dispensation   of   the   Blessed  One--Yes,
           friend.--Friend,  do  you lead the holy life
           for purity of virtues.--No, friend.--Friend,
           do  you  lead  the  holy  life for purity of
           mind.--No,  friend..--  Friend,  do you lead
           the  holy  life  for the purity of view--No,
           friend.--Friend,  do  you lead the holy life
           for  purity  through dispelled doubts..--No,
           friend.  --Friend, do you lead the holy life
           for  the  purity  of knowledge and vision of
           the path and non path --No, friend.--Friend,
           do  you lead the holy life for the purity of
           knowledge   and   vision--No,  friend.--What
           friend,  when  asked is it for the purity of
           virtues,  that  you  lead the holy life, you
           say  no;  When asked is it for the purity of
           mind,  that  you lead the holy life, you say
           no  When asked is it for the purity of view,
           that  you  lead  the  holy life, you say no.
           When  asked  is  it  for  the purity through
           dispelled  doubts  that  you  lead  the holy
           life,  you  say  no.  When  asked  is it for
           purity  of  knowledge and vision of the path
           and  the  non-path  that  you  lead the holy
           life,  you  say  no.  When  asked  is it for
           knowledge  and vision that you lead the holy
           life  you  say  no  -  Then  indeed for what
           purpose  do you lead the holy life--The holy
           life  is  lead  in  the  dispensation of the
           Blessed  One  for  the purpose of extinction
           without a hold. (MN 24)

   Best wishes,

   Beni