[Buddha-l] Non Orthodox Elements within Thai Buddhism

[jkirk]

Well--chacun a son gout, as the ol' lady said when she kissed the cow.
J
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> Shiva, Krsna, Kali, Durga, even Vishnu. In order to really get into the 
> spirit of "polytheism" you really need to worship Them all, at least a 
> little.
> 
> I believe that prior to the "rise" of Theravada in Southeastern Asia a 
> "Sanskritized" Mahayana Buddhism
> was quite prevalent there - with a heavy dose of Esoteric Buddhism, 
> which inevitably drags in Hindu (or at least "Hinduish") Deities. Even 
> after the Theravadins managed to establish their hegemony there were 
> still lots of remnants of both pre-Buddhist (probably including Hindu) 
> stuff as well as holdovers from the Mahayana Deity worshipers.
> 
> In various forms of Esoteric Buddhism it is quite common to find Hindu 
> Deities. I'm supposed to be a Zen student - but I often stray into the 
> more interesting and extravagant things that one finds in Esoteric 
> Buddhism and also Hinduism.
> 
> As far as "benefit" goes - I think that having a devotional aspect to 
> one's practice is very beneficial.
> 
> - Curt