Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00242)

>In a message dated 11/16/98 2:23:04 AM, Jerry S. wrote:
>
><<Buddha, according to Buddhism, went into nirvana. The teaching
>>that we are just figments of imagination and not in need of help is
>>taught by the Hinayana or Theravadin School.  >>
>
>I respectfully disagree.  Theravada does not teach anything about the
Buddha's
>imagination now that he is in Nirvana.  The "illusory" part of the teaching
>came into great play with the early "Perfection of Wisdom" Sutras
>(Prajnaparamita) around the beginning of the Common Era (A.D.)  This
doctrine
>of emptiness and illusion is primarily a Mahayana emphasis, and it is
>demonstrated clearly in a Scripture called Vimalakirti-nirdesha.  I don't
have
>time to seek a quote right now, but basically that text and many other
>Mahayana "emptiness" texts claim paradoxically that we are illusions, and
>therefore very *much* in need of saving.  But what we are saved from and we
>are saved for are very interesting questions.
>

I stand corrected, Rich. Sorry, I used poor choice of words in my response.
You are technically correct here.


>If we are already Buddhas in reality (if not in conscious awareness on this
>plane) any saving merely has to do with waking us up.
>


Exactly.

Jerry S.