Purple Lotus Publisher > Journal > Volumn NO. 15

Words of Transcendent Wisdom (cont.)
(6) My View on the Exoteric, Esoteric, and other Sects (07/05/1996)

By Living Buddha Lian-sheng

Translated by Janny Chow

I have been asked, “What are your views regarding the exoteric (scriptural), esoteric, and various other kinds of Buddhist sects?” This is how I look at it. Buddhism is a circle that completely embraces all its sects. Each of the sects has its own uniqueness, and all sects are equal. We have to revere and respect each sect on an equal basis because they have all been taught by the Buddha.

Each of these sects is based on parts of important teachings extracted from the scriptures of Shakyamuni Buddha. Since they are passed down equally from the lineage of Shakyamuni Buddha, they should be regarded as equal. Shakyamuni Buddha taught for many years, and each scripture taught by him has its own characteristics that can help us experience the essence of the Buddhadharma. Based on this important point, we have to venerate all sects.

I spoke briefly in a previous talk on exoteric and esoteric schools already. The exoteric school is like studying in a classroom. It emphasizes the teaching of theories. The esoteric school is like working in a laboratory, where conducting experiments is emphasized. One school stresses theories, the other stresses actual practice. As a Buddhist student, one must embrace both exoteric and esoteric teachings, because theories are the basis of one’s practice. From practice, new theories are developed. From these new theories, one will obtain another kind of effect from experimentation. Theories and experimentation cannot be separated. Therefore, one must embrace both exoteric and esoteric teachings.

I have been asked, "How should combine the exoteric and esoteric practices?" Tsongkhapa, a lineage guru of Tantrayana, has said that to become a true guru, one has to devote twelve years to studying the exoteric Buddhist doctrines and eight years to studying the esoteric practices. This is a total of twenty years. We can also start first with learning the exoteric and gaining a thorough understanding of the Buddhist doctrines and theories. After that, we practice the esoteric. This is very important.

Earlier I talked about Zen, Tantrayana, and Pure Land. In my view, Zen is the most difficult and Pure Land is the easiest. Tantrayana is somewhere in between. That is why today we have chosen the True Buddha Tantric Dharma as our method of cultivation. This is the middle path. We avoid the most difficult and also the easiest. We walk on a pathway between the two extremes. This is exactly in accordance with the Middle Way view advocated by Shakyamuni Buddha.

In my eyes, all religions can be analyzed from the position of levels. That is, the essential differences between religions come from the levels they have reached. That is why mutual attacks and slander exist among religions. But, from the perspective of someone who has cultivated to a very high realm, it is just a matter of being at different spiritual levels. That should not be any problem at all. Instead of slandering any particular school, one should make a deeper study of its religious theories and methods of practice.

Within the circle of Buddhism, calumny should not exist. Neither should there be calumny between Buddhism and other religions. After all, it is just a matter of levels.

Perhaps the following analogy will clarify this issue. Suppose you are studying the University courses of calculus and analytic geometry. A kindergartner has no way of understanding these courses. The kindergartner, however, should not then slander the courses he cannot understand merely because he is not able to understand them yet. On the other hand, if you have studied calculus and analytic geometry, you cannot criticize trigonometry, geometry, or algebra either, because we are talking about different levels of mathematics.

When one cultivates to a very high realm and looks at other religions, one will find that differences are just a matter of different levels. So, to people who know nothing about our True Buddha Tantric Dharma, we have the same advice. Do not criticize presumptuously when you have not yet reached that level. If you already have an understanding of the True Buddha Tantric Dharma, then incorporate the methods into practice, or research its theories and methods.

As spiritual cultivators, we have to embrace both the exoteric and esoteric schools and regard all sects with equal reverence. We will stop here today.

Om Mani Padme Hum