Differences Between Thai Buddhism Vs. Others

[derekgraddy]

What are the differences between Thai Buddhism vs Chinese Buddhism or any other Buddhism?

[Brucenkhamen]

That's a huge topic.

This might be a good starting point http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/snapshot02.htm

[derekgraddy]

That's a huge topic.

This might be a good starting point http://www.buddhanet.../snapshot02.htm

Thanks.

[healthcaretaker]

Here's my observations:

I find Chinese Buddhism full of "heavens & hells" and their devotees tend to pray to Buddha like the way they pray to other gods. Also more superstitious. Imagine Hinduism mixed with the pure Buddhism we know.

Thai Buddhism is getting very commercial with those expensive amulets or even monks that claimed supernatural powers. I must justify that I only observed and heard from some people but not any monks personally.

Of course, these don't actually represent what the OP tried to ask for.

1 more BIG difference. Chinese Buddhism don't encourage and even disallow taking photos of the Buddha. Others allow it.

[lungmi]

The basic understanding of the Teaching of Buddha you can put on one page/

Try to do it with Christian or Muslim sects.

Edited January 27, 2011 by lungmi

[phetaroi]

The basic understanding of the Teaching of Buddha you can put on one page/

Try to do it with Christian or Muslim sects.

1. I think there are many Christians (I can't speak for Muslims...I've never been a Muslim) who would disagree with you. You might, for example, want to check out the "Jefferson Bible". While not one page, it is also not written as a summary, but it is a tiny volume.

2. But my bigger question is, why is it significant how many pages it takes?

3. My copy of "The Teaching Of Buddha", if you count just the pages in English, is over 300 pages in length.

[Xangsamhua]

The basic understanding of the Teaching of Buddha you can put on one page/

Try to do it with Christian or Muslim sects.

Is this a game? If so, let me try - just for fun (and without having checked Bruce's Buddhanet reference above).

Teaching of Buddha:

Anitta. Dukkha. Anicca.

Five Precepts

Teaching of Jesus:

(Matthew 25: 31-46)

34. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. 36. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37. "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38. When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39. When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40. "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Teaching of Christianity

Believe in the salvific mission of Jesus the Christ, who died on the cross and was resurrected so that humans can be reconciled to God and live eternally in God's presence.

Teaching of Muhammad

There is one God. Submit to God and obey his commands revealed in the Qur'an and by his prophets, of whom Muhammad is the last and the Seal.

Teachings of Islam

A. The Five Pillars:

1. There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is God's messenger.

2. Prayer and ablutions five times a day.

3. Fasting (obligatory during Ramadan).

4. Give alms (2.5% of income for the poor and needy)

5. Make the Hajj to Mecca once in your life if you can afford it.

B. (Not a 6th Pillar) Abide by the Sharia as rightly interpreted by one with authority and learning in the law.

Edited January 28, 2011 by Xangsamhua

[Brucenkhamen]

Anitta.

Anitta? that's anatta typo.

As you've demonstrated as long as you stick to the core teachings and don't digress into sectarian interpretations no religion is necessarily more complex than the others, maybe Hinduism is an exception I'd like to see how you summarise that.

[camerata]

Guys, the topic is the difference between Thai Buddhism and other types of Buddhism. The BuddhaNet article doesn't seem to get it right on nirvana/nibbana. In Mahayana, the ultimate goal is "buddhahood," which is not the same as the nibbana described in the Pali Canon, even though it is confusingly referred to as "final nirvana" or "perfect nirvana."

[Xangsamhua]

Anitta.

Anitta? that's anatta typo.

Oops! Sorry. Thanks for picking it up. (I wonder which Anita I was thinking of??)

[Xangsamhua]

That's a huge topic.

This might be a good starting point http://www.buddhanet.../snapshot02.htm

I think the Buddhanet outline of differences is pretty good, but am mindful of Camerata's comment that it doesn't sufficiently take note of the Buddha-nature ideal in Mahayana.

Some other things I noted (and there are big gaps in my general knowledge) are as follows:

7. Does not include Vietnam in the Northern tradition, yet Vietnamese Thien (Zen) is very significant via Thich Nhat Hanh's teaching.

15. I don't think one meal a day is the norm in Thailand, though some temples and/or some monks may practise it.

18. It couldn't really be expected, I suppose, but there is no mention of more recent US-based "schools". I'm particularly interested in the "Nothing Special" Zen teachings of Jakusho Kwong and Joko Beck in the US. These are Japanese-derived, so perhaps not really "schools" as such. Some might argue that they aren't really "Buddhist" at all. (I don't mind, as I'm not so concerned about getting back to a pure and original dhamma).

20. The sentence on Buddha-nature in Mahayana doesn't make sense. Something's been left out.

[camerata]

Another post on Christianity has been deleted. Keep it related to Buddhist sects, please.