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Re: Despised/lowest/dead letter. . . Pratyeka Buddhas

Jan 12, 1999 11:30 AM
by Richard Taylor


In a message dated 1/11/99 8:02:46 PM, Paul wrote:

<<More parrot quotes. . . . .

Mahatma Letter XVI:

"(1)  The *Paccika Yana* - (in Sanskrit "Pratyeka") means literally - the
"personal vehicle" or personal *Ego*, a combination of the five lower
principles.">>

Yes, Paul, there IS a yana called "Pratyeka-buddha-yana." (Paccika is Pali,
Pratyeka is Sanskrit, same word.)

Do you know how many yanas there are, according to Vajrayana Buddhism?

Nine.

Now, search around in HPB's writings and see if you find a reference to that.
No?  But I know she knew about them, even if she never states it directly.
(She does that a lot, so you have to be careful.)

The lowest yana (of the nine) is "shravaka-yana."  Its fruit is an Arhat.
The second-lowest yana (of the nine) is "pratyeka-buddha-yana."  You can guess
what it's product is.

Then there is the Mahayana.  And six yanas after that.  I'm afriad quoting
from HPB won't help you there, you have to read behind the scenes, and then go
back and read HPB again to *understand*.

But frankly, this discussion is tedious and, I think, fruitless.  However many
quotes from Buddhism I might supply (and these terms are *BUDDHIST* -- they
owned them before HPB was born) you will simply quote HPB, and assume that she
is the supreme authority on all matters Asian.  Which is fine, if that's what
you choose to believe.

Rich



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