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

[Benito Carral]

On Monday, January 30, 2006, Richard Nance wrote:

> OK,  but  I  hope  you  see why I opted to phrase the
> point  the  way  I did. [...] Hence, in protesting as
> you  do  against  the  hijacking  of history, you may
> think  of  yourself as guarding the tradition against
> misappropriation  from  outside.  But you may, in the
> process,  actually  be  denying  that  Buddhism has a
> history to hijack.

   I  have  always  appreacited  your  posts and I also
appreciate  this  one.  Your  point  is very well taken
here.  I  think  that  Buddhism has a history, how have
different  practitioners  and  scholars  dealt with the
Buddha's teachings?

   BTW,  I don't think that I'm guarding the tradition.
There  are  many good individuals who will preserve it.
I'm  just afraid that some people who don't know enough
Buddhism  can  think,  for  example, that rebirth is an
accessory  teaching or that the Buddha's goal was other
than the complete cessation of dukkha.

   As always, thank you for your interesting words.

   Best wishes,

   Beni