What is Hināyāna Buddhist school Sir?
I have never heard of the Buddhist school Hināyāna throughout my life when I was a layman outside the monastic life. I’m now 52. However, I heard of this word, Hināyāna just the word not more than that. I’m not too much interested in any names and labels. These are not important for me. Dhamma itself is the most important in my life.
There has been no Hināyāna school too in my mind since I was young. I have never experienced with Hināyāna Buddhist school but I know there have been two major schools: Theravāda and Mahāyāna in eastern Buddhist countries.
However, when I became a monk, and studied the texts of the Buddha’s Teaching, I unavoidably have to know it because I’m a Buddhist monk. I also thought I must know it. And also, I was getting interested in all the Buddhist schools split from original Buddha’s Teaching.
However, I have never lost my interest in the Buddha’s Teaching because I became a monk when I was fully grown up after my university studying Mathematics. I started my in Buddhism with meditation which touched my heart so closely. Meditation practice changed my life more than a lot.
After I have studied theory in the scriptures and put into practice, I understood the Four Noble Truths are the essence of the Buddha’s Teaching. They are very scientific, experiential and realizable to everyone who practices “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation.
No matter who you are, Buddhist or non-Buddhist, if you practice “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation, you will experience with the Four Noble Truths because they are within your reach.
Therefore, the essence of the Buddha’s Teaching is the Four Noble Truths truly discovered by the Buddha, by practicing very deep and serious meditation. If there are no “Four Noble Truths” in Buddhist schools of any name split from the original Teaching of Buddha, it will not be called “Buddhist school” but It can be called “superstitious religious schools” based on too many believes and deities.
Such schools will not make us clear and comprehensive but rather confused in the essence of the Buddha’s Teaching which is extremely scientific even to these days in the age of technology.
In my own understanding, “Mindfulness-Based Vipassanā” meditation is the purest form of Buddha’s Teaching proven by science and applicable even in our day-to-day life in these days. Names and labels are not important for me but the essence of the Buddha’s Teaching is the most important of all in Buddhism. I don’t like this word, Buddhism very much. However, it is a conventional term used by many people across the world for a long time. I hope you get it.
