The Mahayana can view others however it likes and take that view as authoratative, whether the Theravada accepts the Mahayana view is another problem. The Theravada does not cultivate full awakening as defined by the Buddha they aim for arhatship at most in the majority of cases outside of certain exceptions like the extinct Mahayana Theravadins and people like Bhikkhu Bodhi's teacher. The Mahayana simply reveals the higher teachings not taught in the Theravada.múscailt wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 6:09 amSince no school ever chose to define itself by the negative sectarian term, hīnayana, as constructed by the Mahayana, there is certainly no reason to expect that the Theravāda would choose to define itself in such way that is congruent with such an inappropriate term as hīnayana and its polemical baggage, when in fact the Theravāda can rightly characterize itself as a path to sambodhi, full awakening, as outlined by the Buddha. The Mahayana does not get to be the arbiter of what is so for any other school of Buddhism.ItsRaining wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 2:32 amIt would make no sense for the Theravada and Mahayana to unify. The Theravada would have to willingly accept being a lower path to the Mahayana and that their goal is just a skillful means the Buddha taught for people of lower falculties not ready to practice the Mahayana.AkashicBrother wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2019 1:30 am
that would be awesome. unification of theravada and mahayana in a new, renewed and stronger buddhist path.
If one would be willing to step beyond the limitations of sectarianism (cease to cherish opinions, as suggested by Seng-T'san), it is quite possible to see that the differences tend to be far more apparent than real.
Sengcan is likely not even a real person so I'm not too sure how weighty his opinion should be but going by his Xinxin Ming I doubt Theravdins or other Sravakas would have accepted his view. Otherwise they would not have been so averse to the Madhyamaka or Thathgata teachings in ancient India and now as well going by some of their polemics.
The Mahayana does step beyond sectarianism in the teaching of the One Vehicle where all followers of the Buddha are revealed to ultimately attain Buddhaood. This does not mean that the mahayana should simply change its doctrine to accomodate Theravadins or orther Sravak schools as the teachings between the two are often contradictory and take completely different routes.