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Question
Hey Alex, Tony here again with yet another question on Buddhism.
My first question is what sutra(s) would i find the topics of impermanence and Atman in? and do the Mahyana's also use the Pali Canon like the Theravadas?
Thanks again
Tony
Hi Tony,
First: >do the Mahyana's also use the Pali Canon like the Theravadas?
No. Quite a lot of equivalent texts are in the Sutras read by the Mahayanists, but for historical reasons these are not in Pali but in a form of Sanskrit. Often it is not a very "pure" form, and while some "opponents" have said that it's degenerate, there is also a view that it is simply different, relatively old, and from the general linguistic background from which "classical" Sanskrit emerged.
Interestingly, I don't know offhand the answer to your first question - the two topics, especially anatman and its corrolary, emptiness, permeate so many sutras, I'm not quite sure what the starting point would be. Both were taught from the Buddha's very first teaching onwards.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thanks for your help again Alex :D | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Alex Wilding
Expertise
I have practiced and studied Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions since the early 1970s, and have a good knowledge of theory, history and of the struggles of trying to practice the teachings, including meditation, while leading a normal, modern life. I am also available to provide background information for journalists.
Experience
I have been a practitioner since the early 1970s; have run a small Buddhist centre in the English Midlands and was vice-president of Kagyu Benchen Ling e.V. in Germany, for whom I managed three large Buddhist summer-camps. More importantly, I maintain a habit of personal practice.
I am the "owner" of the Kagyu list at Yahoo.
Education/Credentials
My first degree was an M.A. from Oxford. I later obtained a Master of Philosophy degree for a research thesis in "Initiation in Tibetan Buddhism" from Leicester University. I also have engineering and educational qualifications.
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