1 00:00:00,578 --> 00:00:01,340 Theravada Buddhism 2 00:00:01,618 --> 00:00:03,540 hides the Buddha's factory settings 3 00:00:04,276 --> 00:00:05,274 at the end of the last episode 4 00:00:05,276 --> 00:00:07,378 we talked about a very ironic phenomenon 5 00:00:07,716 --> 00:00:09,715 Ashoka used the power of his empire 6 00:00:09,715 --> 00:00:11,658 to send Buddhism out of India 7 00:00:11,955 --> 00:00:12,978 but in the end 8 00:00:12,996 --> 00:00:16,578 the place that preserved Buddhism's oldest texts most completely 9 00:00:16,715 --> 00:00:18,159 was precisely not the center of the empire 10 00:00:18,516 --> 00:00:19,898 but an island 11 00:00:20,116 --> 00:00:20,639 this island 12 00:00:20,915 --> 00:00:22,339 is Sri Lanka 13 00:00:22,368 --> 00:00:22,731 hey 14 00:00:22,969 --> 00:00:23,452 everyone 15 00:00:23,769 --> 00:00:24,832 I'm Wang Lijie 16 00:00:25,392 --> 00:00:29,175 if today you want a manual closest to early Buddhism 17 00:00:29,273 --> 00:00:30,552 many people will tell you 18 00:00:30,552 --> 00:00:31,935 to read the Pali Canon 19 00:00:31,992 --> 00:00:33,155 to look at Theravada Buddhism 20 00:00:33,513 --> 00:00:35,175 to look at the Theravada tradition 21 00:00:35,553 --> 00:00:36,475 is this right 22 00:00:36,992 --> 00:00:38,016 broadly yes 23 00:00:38,352 --> 00:00:40,056 but if you take it to mean 24 00:00:40,072 --> 00:00:44,096 that Theravada is a raw recording of the Buddha's own words 25 00:00:44,313 --> 00:00:45,456 then you're wrong again 26 00:00:46,044 --> 00:00:48,626 this is where history gets most interesting 27 00:00:48,724 --> 00:00:52,266 it never gives you an answer so clean it has no dust 28 00:00:52,483 --> 00:00:54,206 it only gives you one that carries fingerprints 29 00:00:54,483 --> 00:00:57,946 an answer with repair marks and the creases of time 30 00:00:58,203 --> 00:00:59,763 the value of Theravada Buddhism 31 00:00:59,763 --> 00:01:01,626 is not that it never changed at all 32 00:01:01,684 --> 00:01:03,842 a tradition passed down for over two thousand years 33 00:01:03,843 --> 00:01:04,686 how could it possibly not change 34 00:01:05,163 --> 00:01:07,267 what's truly special about it is 35 00:01:07,284 --> 00:01:10,026 it kept the changes relatively minimal 36 00:01:10,083 --> 00:01:12,282 keeping the skeleton of early Buddhism 37 00:01:12,284 --> 00:01:14,267 preserved relatively most completely 38 00:01:14,903 --> 00:01:17,286 it's like getting hold of an ancient phone 39 00:01:17,864 --> 00:01:20,646 of course it's not exactly as it left the factory 40 00:01:21,063 --> 00:01:21,947 the battery has been replaced 41 00:01:22,304 --> 00:01:23,646 the shell is worn 42 00:01:23,744 --> 00:01:25,327 the system has been patched 43 00:01:25,744 --> 00:01:26,926 but the moment you power it on 44 00:01:27,024 --> 00:01:30,926 you find its core architecture menu logic and basic functions 45 00:01:30,944 --> 00:01:33,607 still carry the scent of that first generation design 46 00:01:34,104 --> 00:01:36,727 this is the most fascinating thing about Theravada Buddhism 47 00:01:37,143 --> 00:01:39,087 it's not a sacred specimen 48 00:01:39,304 --> 00:01:41,926 it's more like an old machine that can still boot up 49 00:01:42,761 --> 00:01:44,503 let's first get the name straight 50 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:45,484 Theravada Buddhism 51 00:01:45,841 --> 00:01:46,844 why is it called the southern transmission 52 00:01:47,321 --> 00:01:50,624 because this tradition spread mainly south from India 53 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:52,023 first to Sri Lanka 54 00:01:52,041 --> 00:01:56,383 later influencing Myanmar Thailand Cambodia Laos and other regions 55 00:01:56,601 --> 00:01:58,083 the name it more often uses for itself 56 00:01:58,360 --> 00:01:59,824 is Theravada the teaching of the elders 57 00:02:00,041 --> 00:02:00,484 the word elder 58 00:02:00,761 --> 00:02:01,904 refers to the senior monks 59 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,943 behind this name is a strong sense of self positioning 60 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,223 we are the ones who follow the tradition of the elders 61 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,624 what we preserve are the rules and teachings of the early sangha 62 00:02:11,310 --> 00:02:11,673 note 63 00:02:11,989 --> 00:02:12,972 there's a trap here 64 00:02:13,549 --> 00:02:14,548 Theravada 65 00:02:14,549 --> 00:02:18,709 is not the same as the Sthavira school that first broke away which we discussed earlier 66 00:02:18,709 --> 00:02:20,852 carried on unchanged to this day 67 00:02:21,269 --> 00:02:23,553 in between it went through many sectarian divisions 68 00:02:23,869 --> 00:02:27,173 regional migration textual editing and commentarial traditions 69 00:02:27,709 --> 00:02:29,233 today's Theravada 70 00:02:29,470 --> 00:02:30,692 more precisely 71 00:02:30,750 --> 00:02:34,733 is the form later preserved by Sri Lanka's Mahavihara tradition 72 00:02:35,310 --> 00:02:37,972 so we need to hold two statements at once 73 00:02:38,348 --> 00:02:39,070 first 74 00:02:39,070 --> 00:02:43,053 it really is one of the most complete surviving lineages of early Buddhism 75 00:02:43,470 --> 00:02:43,792 second 76 00:02:44,109 --> 00:02:45,852 it is also not a time capsule 77 00:02:46,229 --> 00:02:46,553 you see 78 00:02:46,869 --> 00:02:49,092 as long as both statements hold at the same time 79 00:02:49,109 --> 00:02:52,252 many debates won't so easily lead you astray 80 00:02:52,937 --> 00:02:54,020 some people hear the word Theravada 81 00:02:54,338 --> 00:02:55,321 and immediately say 82 00:02:55,377 --> 00:02:56,460 this is the true Dharma 83 00:02:56,778 --> 00:02:58,481 everything else is later processing 84 00:02:58,817 --> 00:03:00,441 this claim is too crude 85 00:03:00,778 --> 00:03:02,340 others hear the words later processing 86 00:03:02,578 --> 00:03:03,520 and immediately say 87 00:03:03,697 --> 00:03:04,740 well it all changed anyway 88 00:03:04,977 --> 00:03:06,481 so no one gets to claim being earlier 89 00:03:06,778 --> 00:03:08,680 this claim is far too lazy 90 00:03:08,977 --> 00:03:10,680 history is not an either or choice 91 00:03:11,178 --> 00:03:12,541 history is about degree 92 00:03:12,778 --> 00:03:13,761 about layers 93 00:03:13,858 --> 00:03:14,981 about which part changed 94 00:03:15,217 --> 00:03:16,560 and which part did not 95 00:03:17,456 --> 00:03:19,740 so what exactly did Theravada Buddhism preserve 96 00:03:20,417 --> 00:03:21,139 the most important thing 97 00:03:21,456 --> 00:03:22,759 is the Pali Canon 98 00:03:23,377 --> 00:03:23,819 the three baskets 99 00:03:24,176 --> 00:03:25,560 literally three baskets 100 00:03:25,977 --> 00:03:27,299 the first basket is the Vinaya 101 00:03:27,537 --> 00:03:29,079 preserving the monastic discipline 102 00:03:29,417 --> 00:03:31,039 the second basket is the Sutta 103 00:03:31,176 --> 00:03:33,400 preserving the teachings of the Buddha and his disciples 104 00:03:33,736 --> 00:03:35,440 the third basket is the Abhidhamma 105 00:03:35,537 --> 00:03:38,240 the later systematic analysis and philosophical organization 106 00:03:39,027 --> 00:03:41,330 when we talked about the oral tradition earlier we said 107 00:03:41,428 --> 00:03:43,586 at first Buddhism was not preserved through writing 108 00:03:43,587 --> 00:03:44,811 but through recitation 109 00:03:44,988 --> 00:03:45,870 not one person memorizing 110 00:03:46,148 --> 00:03:48,170 but the whole sangha memorizing by division of labor 111 00:03:48,388 --> 00:03:49,670 some specialized in the Long Discourses 112 00:03:49,907 --> 00:03:51,370 some in the Middle Length Discourses 113 00:03:51,388 --> 00:03:52,691 some in the Vinaya 114 00:03:52,988 --> 00:03:55,450 like a living array of human hard drives 115 00:03:55,747 --> 00:03:57,031 this sounds very unreliable 116 00:03:57,227 --> 00:03:57,670 doesn't it 117 00:03:58,187 --> 00:03:59,227 but think about it 118 00:03:59,227 --> 00:04:03,330 in an age with no printing where manuscripts were costly and fragile 119 00:04:03,428 --> 00:04:06,930 writing wasn't necessarily more reliable than well trained collective recitation 120 00:04:07,227 --> 00:04:08,351 writing gets eaten by worms 121 00:04:08,587 --> 00:04:09,191 it molds 122 00:04:09,388 --> 00:04:10,450 it burns 123 00:04:10,627 --> 00:04:12,866 but a cross regional recitation network 124 00:04:12,868 --> 00:04:14,146 as long as the sangha survives 125 00:04:14,148 --> 00:04:16,050 can keep verifying itself 126 00:04:16,385 --> 00:04:16,907 the problem is 127 00:04:17,225 --> 00:04:18,784 even the strongest oral system 128 00:04:18,785 --> 00:04:20,088 fears one thing 129 00:04:20,544 --> 00:04:22,448 it fears the world suddenly turning bad 130 00:04:23,064 --> 00:04:24,847 Sri Lanka's traditional records say 131 00:04:25,025 --> 00:04:26,847 around the first century BCE 132 00:04:26,864 --> 00:04:30,528 the island went through war famine and a crisis in the sangha 133 00:04:30,984 --> 00:04:34,487 many elders who could recite the scriptures died one after another 134 00:04:34,905 --> 00:04:36,328 people suddenly realized 135 00:04:36,345 --> 00:04:38,727 if they kept relying only on living memory 136 00:04:38,785 --> 00:04:41,088 the whole body of teachings might truly be lost 137 00:04:41,424 --> 00:04:41,828 so 138 00:04:42,105 --> 00:04:43,888 at the Aluvihara in Sri Lanka 139 00:04:44,064 --> 00:04:46,927 the sangha wrote the Pali Canon onto palm leaves 140 00:04:47,424 --> 00:04:49,088 this was extremely crucial 141 00:04:49,465 --> 00:04:52,407 it wasn't as simple as Buddhism taking notes for the first time 142 00:04:52,785 --> 00:04:55,583 it was more like Buddhism syncing down from the cloud 143 00:04:55,585 --> 00:04:57,687 landing on a local hard drive for the first time 144 00:04:58,969 --> 00:04:59,769 before this 145 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:03,101 the Dharma lived in people's throats their ears their memories 146 00:05:03,199 --> 00:05:03,642 now 147 00:05:03,959 --> 00:05:05,741 the Dharma also came to live in writing 148 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:07,161 this step saved the scriptures 149 00:05:07,358 --> 00:05:08,661 and it also changed the scriptures 150 00:05:08,910 --> 00:05:09,434 why 151 00:05:09,831 --> 00:05:11,293 because once written down 152 00:05:11,310 --> 00:05:13,254 fluid things begin to harden 153 00:05:13,550 --> 00:05:15,814 oral tradition has a kind of elasticity 154 00:05:15,910 --> 00:05:18,694 it stays stable through communal recitation 155 00:05:18,790 --> 00:05:21,814 and leaves subtle differences across regions 156 00:05:21,951 --> 00:05:23,134 after being written down 157 00:05:23,151 --> 00:05:25,413 one particular version begins to hold authority 158 00:05:25,511 --> 00:05:28,014 and the other versions slowly recede into the shadows 159 00:05:28,151 --> 00:05:28,713 so you see 160 00:05:29,071 --> 00:05:30,269 preserving and fixing in place 161 00:05:30,271 --> 00:05:31,853 are always two sides of one coin 162 00:05:31,951 --> 00:05:33,430 in order to keep it alive 163 00:05:33,430 --> 00:05:35,093 you have to make it a little more rigid 164 00:05:35,310 --> 00:05:36,273 that statement is a bit harsh 165 00:05:36,511 --> 00:05:38,014 but that's how history works 166 00:05:38,587 --> 00:05:39,749 when the Buddha taught back then 167 00:05:40,107 --> 00:05:41,049 it was alive 168 00:05:41,467 --> 00:05:42,590 he faced different people 169 00:05:42,946 --> 00:05:43,970 and said different things 170 00:05:44,587 --> 00:05:46,729 to the greedy he taught contemplation of impurity 171 00:05:46,986 --> 00:05:49,049 to the scattered he taught mindfulness of breathing 172 00:05:49,267 --> 00:05:51,849 to those clinging to a self he taught the five aggregates and not-self 173 00:05:52,107 --> 00:05:55,849 to those suited for gradual progress he taught giving virtue and rebirth in heaven 174 00:05:55,986 --> 00:05:57,849 then step by step led them toward liberation 175 00:05:58,306 --> 00:06:00,169 but at the stage of preserving the scriptures 176 00:06:00,306 --> 00:06:03,330 these living dialogues had to be organized into text 177 00:06:03,587 --> 00:06:04,909 and text needs order 178 00:06:05,186 --> 00:06:06,145 needs classification 179 00:06:06,147 --> 00:06:07,249 needs boundaries 180 00:06:07,546 --> 00:06:10,106 so Buddhism began to shift from a living act of teaching 181 00:06:10,107 --> 00:06:12,130 into a system that could be handed down 182 00:06:12,467 --> 00:06:13,986 what Theravada Buddhism preserved 183 00:06:13,986 --> 00:06:18,330 is the earliest clearest and most restrained version of this system 184 00:06:19,139 --> 00:06:20,702 its core goal is very clear 185 00:06:21,098 --> 00:06:22,401 to attain arahantship 186 00:06:22,418 --> 00:06:23,541 to cut off greed hatred and delusion 187 00:06:23,938 --> 00:06:24,961 to escape the cycle of rebirth 188 00:06:25,178 --> 00:06:26,981 its method of practice is also very plain 189 00:06:27,378 --> 00:06:28,921 virtue concentration and wisdom 190 00:06:29,178 --> 00:06:30,741 first use discipline to steady behavior 191 00:06:31,019 --> 00:06:32,721 then use meditation to steady the mind 192 00:06:32,779 --> 00:06:35,841 then use insight to see impermanence suffering and not-self clearly 193 00:06:36,438 --> 00:06:37,597 here you'll notice 194 00:06:37,597 --> 00:06:41,380 Theravada rarely gives you that grand cosmic narrative 195 00:06:41,558 --> 00:06:46,861 it's not keen on countless Buddha lands countless bodhisattvas and inconceivable powers 196 00:06:47,157 --> 00:06:48,561 so what is its temperament more like 197 00:06:49,037 --> 00:06:51,220 like an extremely rigorous old doctor 198 00:06:51,397 --> 00:06:51,960 you come in 199 00:06:52,198 --> 00:06:53,941 he doesn't start by talking about the universe 200 00:06:54,238 --> 00:06:55,001 he first asks you 201 00:06:55,238 --> 00:06:56,101 where does it hurt 202 00:06:56,277 --> 00:06:57,041 when does it hurt 203 00:06:57,438 --> 00:06:58,220 how does it hurt 204 00:06:58,558 --> 00:06:59,361 then he tells you 205 00:06:59,638 --> 00:07:01,140 what the cause of the pain is 206 00:07:01,198 --> 00:07:02,640 what might relieve it 207 00:07:02,957 --> 00:07:04,061 and how to take the medicine 208 00:07:04,742 --> 00:07:06,526 this is the temperament of the Four Noble Truths 209 00:07:06,942 --> 00:07:07,146 suffering 210 00:07:07,703 --> 00:07:08,605 is the symptom 211 00:07:09,103 --> 00:07:09,305 its origin 212 00:07:09,822 --> 00:07:10,725 is the cause of the illness 213 00:07:11,223 --> 00:07:11,425 cessation 214 00:07:11,942 --> 00:07:13,925 is the recoverable state of health 215 00:07:14,302 --> 00:07:14,506 the path 216 00:07:15,023 --> 00:07:15,966 is the prescription 217 00:07:16,583 --> 00:07:18,805 this framework is so plain it feels a bit cold 218 00:07:19,182 --> 00:07:20,725 but precisely because it's cold 219 00:07:20,822 --> 00:07:23,165 it isn't easily swept away by emotion 220 00:07:24,161 --> 00:07:27,120 Theravada Buddhism's greatest value for modern people 221 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:28,423 may lie right here 222 00:07:28,841 --> 00:07:31,384 it forces you back to the most basic question 223 00:07:31,961 --> 00:07:34,663 don't rush to ask whether the universe has higher dimensional beings 224 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:36,663 don't rush to ask who you were in a past life 225 00:07:36,841 --> 00:07:39,543 don't rush to ask whether you have a special mission 226 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:41,223 first see clearly 227 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:45,623 this moment's flash of greed of fear of wanting to prove yourself 228 00:07:45,721 --> 00:07:47,103 how it arises 229 00:07:47,481 --> 00:07:49,024 this is the factory settings 230 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:50,204 not more mysterious 231 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:51,623 but more direct 232 00:07:52,303 --> 00:07:53,026 a viewer asked 233 00:07:53,382 --> 00:07:55,726 since Theravada is closer to early Buddhism 234 00:07:55,743 --> 00:07:57,825 shouldn't we all just go back to Theravada 235 00:07:58,502 --> 00:08:00,125 this question can't be asked that way 236 00:08:00,502 --> 00:08:01,346 going back to the early 237 00:08:01,702 --> 00:08:03,166 does not equal going back to the truth 238 00:08:03,543 --> 00:08:04,705 early just means early 239 00:08:05,262 --> 00:08:06,685 it doesn't automatically mean complete 240 00:08:06,902 --> 00:08:09,606 a childhood photo of someone is very real 241 00:08:09,663 --> 00:08:11,925 but it isn't that person's whole life 242 00:08:12,342 --> 00:08:17,005 Mahayana later developed the bodhisattva path Madhyamaka Yogacara and Buddha-nature 243 00:08:17,183 --> 00:08:20,205 these things didn't just fall out of the sky 244 00:08:20,423 --> 00:08:22,462 they arose within new historical circumstances 245 00:08:22,462 --> 00:08:23,805 answering new questions 246 00:08:24,623 --> 00:08:24,986 for example 247 00:08:25,303 --> 00:08:27,382 when Buddhism entered a more complex society 248 00:08:27,382 --> 00:08:30,005 when practice was no longer only for the monastic sangha 249 00:08:30,103 --> 00:08:32,925 when ordinary people in suffering also wanted to find a path 250 00:08:32,983 --> 00:08:35,086 Buddhism naturally grew new forms of expression 251 00:08:35,342 --> 00:08:37,382 so when we judge a tradition 252 00:08:37,382 --> 00:08:39,006 we can't just look at how early it is 253 00:08:39,022 --> 00:08:40,725 we also look at what problems it solves 254 00:08:41,589 --> 00:08:44,571 Theravada solves the problem of preservation and calibration 255 00:08:45,109 --> 00:08:46,492 it's like a ruler 256 00:08:46,548 --> 00:08:49,892 letting us know roughly what the Buddha's early teaching looked like 257 00:08:50,388 --> 00:08:53,171 Mahayana solves the problem of expansion and transformation 258 00:08:53,668 --> 00:08:54,032 it asks 259 00:08:54,388 --> 00:08:56,571 if all beings are in suffering 260 00:08:56,628 --> 00:08:59,112 can practice be more than me alone reaching the shore 261 00:08:59,788 --> 00:09:00,792 so which one would you say is more correct 262 00:09:02,165 --> 00:09:03,109 it's like asking 263 00:09:03,165 --> 00:09:06,029 which is more like a tree the seed or the canopy 264 00:09:06,405 --> 00:09:07,129 without the seed 265 00:09:07,446 --> 00:09:09,029 the canopy is a castle in the air 266 00:09:09,446 --> 00:09:10,129 without the canopy 267 00:09:10,405 --> 00:09:12,468 the seed is forever only a possibility 268 00:09:13,086 --> 00:09:14,668 a truly mature view 269 00:09:14,686 --> 00:09:18,149 both respects the early skeleton Theravada preserved 270 00:09:18,206 --> 00:09:21,348 and understands why later Buddhism kept growing 271 00:09:21,806 --> 00:09:24,085 you can't blame the tree for growing branches and leaves 272 00:09:24,086 --> 00:09:25,788 and accuse it of betraying the seed 273 00:09:26,086 --> 00:09:28,005 nor can you let the lush foliage 274 00:09:28,005 --> 00:09:30,188 make you forget what the seed originally looked like 275 00:09:31,085 --> 00:09:34,469 so how did Theravada later move from Sri Lanka into Southeast Asia 276 00:09:34,565 --> 00:09:36,128 and how did it influence the modern world 277 00:09:36,685 --> 00:09:38,289 here there's a very key clue 278 00:09:38,406 --> 00:09:39,348 it's called Vipassana insight meditation 279 00:09:39,725 --> 00:09:40,528 the word Vipassana 280 00:09:40,845 --> 00:09:42,589 is very popular today 281 00:09:42,805 --> 00:09:44,949 many people attend ten day retreats 282 00:09:45,085 --> 00:09:49,789 practicing observing the breath bodily sensations and the rise and fall of thoughts 283 00:09:49,965 --> 00:09:51,429 many mindfulness courses 284 00:09:51,445 --> 00:09:54,189 have also absorbed a great many methods from this tradition 285 00:09:54,406 --> 00:09:55,508 but you need to know 286 00:09:55,605 --> 00:09:59,908 the modern Vipassana movement was not carried over unchanged from the Buddha's time 287 00:10:00,286 --> 00:10:04,189 it came out of Theravada regions like Myanmar Sri Lanka and Thailand 288 00:10:04,205 --> 00:10:07,868 after a modern revival simplification and popularization 289 00:10:07,925 --> 00:10:10,069 before re-entering everyday life 290 00:10:10,246 --> 00:10:11,508 this isn't a bad thing 291 00:10:12,166 --> 00:10:13,045 quite the opposite 292 00:10:13,046 --> 00:10:15,549 it shows Theravada Buddhism is full of vitality 293 00:10:15,685 --> 00:10:17,669 it doesn't just lie in old books 294 00:10:17,685 --> 00:10:21,429 it took the four foundations of mindfulness breath meditation and contemplation of impermanence from the early scriptures 295 00:10:21,486 --> 00:10:23,908 and retranslated them into something modern people can practice 296 00:10:24,771 --> 00:10:26,194 but here too we must be careful 297 00:10:26,730 --> 00:10:28,413 any method once it becomes popular 298 00:10:28,691 --> 00:10:29,874 gets simplified 299 00:10:30,411 --> 00:10:31,013 and once simplified 300 00:10:31,411 --> 00:10:32,834 it easily turns into just a tool 301 00:10:32,834 --> 00:10:33,610 originally 302 00:10:33,610 --> 00:10:36,834 Vipassana is meant to see impermanence suffering and not-self clearly 303 00:10:37,291 --> 00:10:40,413 but modern people often use it for stress relief and focus 304 00:10:40,771 --> 00:10:42,994 for sleeping better and steadier moods 305 00:10:43,411 --> 00:10:45,033 these of course have value too 306 00:10:45,330 --> 00:10:46,994 but if you stop only here 307 00:10:47,051 --> 00:10:49,474 you're like using a scalpel to peel an apple 308 00:10:49,891 --> 00:10:50,293 it works 309 00:10:50,610 --> 00:10:51,874 but what a waste 310 00:10:52,854 --> 00:10:54,373 the Buddha's factory settings 311 00:10:54,374 --> 00:10:56,957 aren't meant to turn you into a more efficient worker 312 00:10:57,535 --> 00:10:58,797 they're meant to let you see 313 00:10:58,894 --> 00:11:00,893 that the very person desperate to become more efficient 314 00:11:00,894 --> 00:11:02,917 is itself the structure of suffering 315 00:11:03,614 --> 00:11:04,758 have you noticed 316 00:11:04,854 --> 00:11:07,437 this is the sharpest thing about Theravada Buddhism 317 00:11:07,935 --> 00:11:09,277 it doesn't really coddle you 318 00:11:09,614 --> 00:11:10,978 it won't start by telling you 319 00:11:11,215 --> 00:11:12,413 you are already perfect 320 00:11:12,415 --> 00:11:13,457 you are innately complete 321 00:11:13,774 --> 00:11:15,397 you will surely become a Buddha 322 00:11:16,055 --> 00:11:16,937 it first tells you 323 00:11:17,254 --> 00:11:18,238 first look at suffering 324 00:11:18,614 --> 00:11:19,537 don't dodge around it 325 00:11:19,815 --> 00:11:20,957 don't glorify it 326 00:11:20,974 --> 00:11:22,957 don't wrap it in some grand meaning 327 00:11:23,335 --> 00:11:24,577 just watch how it arises 328 00:11:24,974 --> 00:11:25,758 how it ceases 329 00:11:25,894 --> 00:11:28,758 how it replays again and again through your body and thoughts 330 00:11:29,646 --> 00:11:31,990 this is actually quite cruel for modern people 331 00:11:32,406 --> 00:11:34,669 because we're already used to being comforted 332 00:11:35,046 --> 00:11:37,390 we want a body of knowledge to tell us 333 00:11:37,447 --> 00:11:38,469 I'm special 334 00:11:38,567 --> 00:11:39,289 I have a mission 335 00:11:39,687 --> 00:11:41,750 all the suffering I've endured won't be wasted 336 00:11:41,847 --> 00:11:44,429 my present pain has some cosmic arrangement 337 00:11:44,886 --> 00:11:47,949 Theravada Buddhism first strips off all this outer packaging 338 00:11:48,406 --> 00:11:48,770 it says 339 00:11:49,126 --> 00:11:49,870 don't rush 340 00:11:50,366 --> 00:11:51,789 first look at this one breath 341 00:11:52,327 --> 00:11:53,750 first look at this feeling 342 00:11:54,246 --> 00:11:56,589 first look at this mind that wants to grab hold of meaning 343 00:11:57,207 --> 00:11:58,349 this is not indifference 344 00:11:58,766 --> 00:12:00,709 this is a deeper kind of compassion 345 00:12:01,207 --> 00:12:03,309 because it doesn't feed you a new story 346 00:12:03,687 --> 00:12:05,230 it takes you directly to see 347 00:12:05,286 --> 00:12:07,510 how stories manufacture suffering 348 00:12:08,097 --> 00:12:08,459 of course 349 00:12:08,697 --> 00:12:10,719 Theravada Buddhism has its limits too 350 00:12:11,057 --> 00:12:13,415 any tradition that lives on within history 351 00:12:13,416 --> 00:12:16,679 will have problems of institutionalization localization and authority 352 00:12:17,136 --> 00:12:18,339 the sangha develops hierarchy 353 00:12:18,817 --> 00:12:20,439 the state intervenes in religion 354 00:12:20,656 --> 00:12:22,1000 commentarial tradition can override personal experience 355 00:12:23,177 --> 00:12:26,679 discipline can turn from a tool of practice into a marker of identity 356 00:12:27,097 --> 00:12:29,559 so let's not romanticize Theravada 357 00:12:29,817 --> 00:12:31,600 it preserved the factory settings 358 00:12:31,616 --> 00:12:33,480 but it isn't the moment of leaving the factory 359 00:12:34,453 --> 00:12:35,336 more precisely 360 00:12:35,654 --> 00:12:37,277 it is a calibration mirror 361 00:12:37,654 --> 00:12:41,077 when in later Buddhism you hear grander and grander narratives 362 00:12:41,093 --> 00:12:42,692 more and more complex terminology 363 00:12:42,693 --> 00:12:44,396 more and more dazzling practices 364 00:12:44,494 --> 00:12:46,797 you can look back into this mirror 365 00:12:46,813 --> 00:12:47,616 and ask yourself 366 00:12:48,053 --> 00:12:48,836 does this thing 367 00:12:48,933 --> 00:12:52,836 help me see the structure of impermanence not-self and suffering 368 00:12:52,974 --> 00:12:55,937 or does it just dress my ego in prettier clothes 369 00:12:56,534 --> 00:12:57,937 if it makes you more honest 370 00:12:58,213 --> 00:12:59,356 less clinging 371 00:12:59,413 --> 00:13:01,236 more able to see your own reactions 372 00:13:01,333 --> 00:13:03,437 then it isn't too far from the Buddha 373 00:13:03,734 --> 00:13:05,016 if it makes you feel more superior 374 00:13:05,293 --> 00:13:06,236 more mysterious 375 00:13:06,254 --> 00:13:08,557 more eager to prove you stand at a higher level 376 00:13:08,654 --> 00:13:10,893 then no matter how many sutras it quotes 377 00:13:10,894 --> 00:13:12,596 it may already have gone astray 378 00:13:13,406 --> 00:13:16,349 this is the true gift Theravada Buddhism leaves us 379 00:13:16,605 --> 00:13:18,388 not to make you join a camp 380 00:13:18,406 --> 00:13:20,028 but to give you a ruler 381 00:13:20,326 --> 00:13:22,068 this ruler is very simple 382 00:13:22,446 --> 00:13:23,648 have you seen impermanence 383 00:13:24,245 --> 00:13:25,568 has the self loosened its grip 384 00:13:26,166 --> 00:13:27,849 is there a little less greed hatred and delusion 385 00:13:28,446 --> 00:13:29,448 when facing suffering 386 00:13:29,806 --> 00:13:31,205 did you add one more story 387 00:13:31,206 --> 00:13:32,568 or did you shed one layer of grasping 388 00:13:33,326 --> 00:13:34,749 if the answer is the latter 389 00:13:34,765 --> 00:13:37,028 then you're moving in the Buddha's direction 390 00:13:37,396 --> 00:13:38,079 and with that 391 00:13:38,357 --> 00:13:39,900 the second act comes to a close 392 00:13:40,156 --> 00:13:41,539 from the Second Council 393 00:13:41,557 --> 00:13:43,439 to the split between the Sthavira and the Mahasamghika 394 00:13:44,197 --> 00:13:46,380 from the precise analysis of the Sarvastivada 395 00:13:46,437 --> 00:13:47,1000 to the internal pushback of the Sautrantika 396 00:13:48,677 --> 00:13:50,539 from Ashoka's imperial patronage 397 00:13:50,636 --> 00:13:53,900 to Theravada preserving the early tradition on an island 398 00:13:54,077 --> 00:13:56,939 all along we've seen different answers to the same question 399 00:13:57,276 --> 00:13:57,1000 after the Buddha was gone 400 00:13:58,357 --> 00:13:59,636 how could a living awakening 401 00:13:59,636 --> 00:14:00,1000 ever be preserved 402 00:14:01,516 --> 00:14:02,559 some chose discipline 403 00:14:02,837 --> 00:14:04,219 some chose philosophy 404 00:14:04,276 --> 00:14:05,596 some chose empire 405 00:14:05,597 --> 00:14:06,640 some chose writing 406 00:14:06,957 --> 00:14:08,819 some chose generation after generation of practice 407 00:14:09,077 --> 00:14:11,716 each choice saved a part of Buddhism 408 00:14:11,717 --> 00:14:13,740 and also changed a part of Buddhism 409 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:14,604 next time 410 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:16,423 we'll enter the third act 411 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:18,783 Mahayana Buddhism takes the stage 412 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,903 if Theravada is trying hard to preserve the Buddha's factory settings 413 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,423 then Mahayana is like a massive system upgrade 414 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,824 it raises a question that shakes the entire Buddhist world 415 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:32,423 is the end of practice 416 00:14:32,441 --> 00:14:34,403 really just my own liberation alone 417 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:36,344 the moment this question appeared 418 00:14:36,401 --> 00:14:38,680 the greatest paradigm revolution in Buddhist history 419 00:14:38,681 --> 00:14:39,704 had begun 420 00:14:40,461 --> 00:14:41,785 what do you make of Theravada Buddhism 421 00:14:42,301 --> 00:14:44,844 is it more like a precious original manual 422 00:14:44,941 --> 00:14:47,665 or more like a mirror reminding us not to lose our way 423 00:14:48,181 --> 00:14:49,405 tell me in the comments 424 00:14:49,661 --> 00:14:50,384 I'm Wang Lijie 425 00:14:50,622 --> 00:14:51,724 see you next time