[Buddha-l] hiinam dhammam

Mike Austin mike at lamrim.org.uk
Mon Jul 27 06:43:31 MDT 2009


Jayarava <jayarava at yahoo.com> writes

"Curiously I just stumbled upon this passage in the Dhammapada while
 looking up something else:

   hna dhamma na seveyya pamdena na savase (Dhp 167a)

 Do not follow evil law. Do not live in thoughtlessness. (p.115)"

Interesting.  It suggests to me that 'hina' in this usage does not refer
to a Buddhist path or practice.

I have also been looking for definitions of hinayana, in a rather futile
attempt to know what I am talking about. On one of my favourite websites
(Access to Insight) John Bullitt says, "The Theravada school of today is
a descendent of the Hinayana". Is Theravada therefore more self-effacing
than a mistaken object of Mahayana disparagement?

I wonder if 'hina' is a relative term - i.e. evil from the viewpoint of
someone who is merely naughty. I leave this to those who can Pali.

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin


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