[Buddha-l] hiinam dhammam

[Mike Austin]

Jayarava <jayarava at yahoo.com> writes

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

   h
na
 dhamma
 na seveyya pam
dena na sa
vase (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