Dhamma Talk on the Differences Between Theravada and Mahayana by Ven. Kusala Ratana Karuna

Ven. Kusala Ratana Karuna is resident Buddhist monk at IBMC. His interest in meditation brought him to IBMC in 1980. He took refuge and accepted the five precepts of a lay Buddhist in 1981, and was given the Dharma name Kusala (skillful). In 1983, with a growing interest in early Buddhism, he began his studies with Ven. Dr. H. Ratanasara at the College of Buddhist Studies. In 1994, he took his novice monk vows, and in 1996, received full ordination as a Bhikkhu (Monk) with Ven. Dr. Ratanasara and Ven. Dr. Karuna Dharma serving as two of the ordaining masters.

Kusala Bhikshu was a member of the Buddhist- Roman Catholic Dialogue of Los Angeles, Buddhist Chaplain for the University Religious Conference at UCLA and director of the University Buddhist Association at UCLA for 11 years. In 2000, Rev. Kusala was invited to join the UCLA Spiritual Care Committee Medical Center Spiritual Care Committee and is still a member as of 2012.

[jordyraewarren]

This is great. I have been on a Buddhist video watching marathon & I can say with confidence that Ven. Kusala Ratana Karuna is a compassionate teacher that reflects his understandings clearly with ease and happiness. His actions have helped me & my suffering, I am grateful.

[yojimbo]

"Monks, these four types of individuals are to be found existing in the world. Which four? The one who practices neither for his/her own benefit nor for that of others. The one who practices for the benefit of others but not for his/her own. The one who practices for his/her own benefit but not for that of others. The one who practices for his/her own benefit and for that of others.

"Just as a firebrand from a funeral pyre — burning at both ends, covered with excrement in the middle — is used as fuel neither in a village nor in the wilderness: I tell you that this is a simile for the individual who practices neither for his/her own benefit nor for that of others. The individual who practices for the benefit of others but not for his/her own is the higher & more refined of these two. The individual who practices for his/her own benefit but not for that of others is the highest & most refined of these three. The individual who practices for his/her own benefit and for that of others is, of these four, the foremost, the chief, the most outstanding, the highest, & supreme. Just as from a cow comes milk; from milk, curds; from curds, butter; from butter, ghee; from ghee, the skimmings of ghee; and of these, the skimmings of ghee are reckoned the foremost — in the same way, of these four, the individual who practices for his/her own benefit and for that of others is the foremost, the chief, the most outstanding, the highest, & supreme.

"These are the four types of individuals to be found existing in the world."

Anguttara Nikaya 4.95

[MeME-lqtx]

If there is Virtue, Self Control, The Noble Eightfold Path, Overcoming The Roots of Evil, True Dharma and Discipline ; there can't be any Schism .

[Relish]

Within the Mahayana tradition itself there are differences between its sub-traditions or schools ie.. Zen/Chan, Pure Land, Huayan, Tendai/Tientai.

[NishantSingh-qevv]

Sir thervada followers strictly believe in pali canon because, i dnt know if you know this that later many brahmins and enemy of buddhism, entered into buddism and wrote false texts about him, they even claim buddha to be the hindu god vishnus avatar, thervadas dnt have any problem with any sects practice but, there are many things which thervadas cant believe about buddha in sanskrit scriptures, they arr trying to save the real teachings and thervafas are not selfish, if you can visit temples of buddha in india is becuase of struggle of thervada monks, they faught for years for freedom of temples from hindu brahmins, even now mahabodhi temple is not 100% free from the brahmins, thervadas are trying to establish buddhism in india again and teching indian people in their languages, they learn local infian languages to teach indians, specially sri lankan buddhists, they are giving their lifes to save and establish buddhism again, how can they be selfish ??

[NishantSingh-qevv]

Sir here the scriptures are talking about the buddhs in the tradition their buddha s, anybody can became buddha, buddha means the awakened one, thousansand sof people have became buddha in this 2600 years in india and world

[jarredhischemellor]

Vn. Kusala, did the Rm. Catholic church excommunicate you for taking on the robes ? Not a judgement, i'm buddhist and have heard how strict the Catholic church can be...RH, pgh pa

[virakvijay]

paticca samuppada, avidya pajaya marana.buddha marana buddha avidya.

[ivanwong]

Both is correct but fighting for useless impermanent human ideas. Dont not compare the finger that point the moon instead the appreciate the grandure shine of the moon. Those who are wise would understand without saying a word or concept and bow 3 times silently

[dustyytsud]

Thank you so much, it resonated so much with me. Thank you for a great explanation . Underneath difference lies unity . Amazing, perfectly simple and elegant .

[nick-htcn]

If you postpone your own enlightenment to save others first how exactly are you supposed to do that if you are not enlightened yourself? Imagine if the Buddha had said I'm going to delay my own enlightenment until everyone else is enlightened first? How could he have shown the path without having walked it himself? It makes no sense.

[tiagocarioca]

Hinayana does not relate to Theravada. Theravada has already migrated to Sri Lanka when the term Hinayana was coined by the mahayana group. Besides that, Hinayana is a pejorative term.

[enstigatorofficial]

wow so much wrong in such a short time. made it to RT 7:02 and had to comment. There is never any statement that only one Buddha can be on earth at any one time, you are just making that up. The biggest horror is that you say the man postpones his Buddhahood to show others the way to Nirvana. Why that is impossible, unless he himself had been to nirvana it is impossible to show others the way there.

[MK-gnnz]

Mahayana is more akin to "gods & saviours" school of Hinduism & western religions. Nalanda was exposed to Hindu & Abrahamic Creator God thinkings

[Hupplang]

Dear Kusula 
What is different between Hinayana and Mahayana?
What is the different between Theravada and mulasaravastivada.?
What does Theravada monk Vows become obstacle to development bodhichitta?
How mulasarvastivada monks Vows doesn’t become obstacle because all the monks Vows are in Tibetan are mulasarvas’s and many of them are Mahayana
What is the different between monks Vows, monks Characters, and monks Views?
How could you say that a Theravada monk can’t become a Mahayana?

From my understanding 
There are Tibetan monks who are HinayanaAnd Theravada monks who are Mahayana.

[nanamim]

Bodhisattva path to be Budda is longer than Trillion years.Bodhisattva have to born in the the hell, the heaven, be an animal, be a ghost.I prefer Theravada .We have Arhants who someone are Bodhisattva who give up teach us how to practice .They are not selfish .You can finish the job and teach other .In theravada we also have Bodhisattva monk but they only do samatha not vipassana.sorry for wrong grammar :)

[Ozric]

The Buddha did not teach either Theravada or Mahayana, they were both later developments! These are just the same old rhetoric's, from minds bound by conventions?

zAz

[karambos]

Skip to 3;40 to get to the real content and skip a bunch of unnecessary storytelling

[MK-gnnz]

Too much debate. Not enough practice 😅

[Hupplang]

Mahayana means way of thinking for salvation Theravada is a Lineage of Monks Vows