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22
Introduction
andsignificantdifferencesinview,conductandpractice,religiousstudies
sometimesrefertoBuddhismsratherthantoBuddhism.Terefore,asLoy
putitinhisBuddhistHistoryofTeWest.StudiesinLack(2002:2),inthis
bookuaBuddhist”perspectiveispresented,asopposedtoutheBuddhist
perspective3.”
Forthemethodologicalpurposes,intheTibetantraditionthreeuydnas”
oruvehicles”toliberationcanbedescribedinordertopresentthevarietyof
Buddha’sadvice.TeyinvolveteachingsonTreeTurning’sofTeWheelof
Dharma(orthreevehiclesSkt.hīnaydna,mahdydna,vajraydna)–arefer-
encetoAncientIndiankingswhoproclaimedtheirlawsbyturningawheel,
theirroyalinsignia.ComprehensiveBuddha’steachingsarecomparedto
awell-stockedpharmaciststorehere,wherenooneisencouragedtocon-
sumeallavailablemedicaments,buttochoosetheonessuitableinapartic-
ularpersonalcontext.
TefirstkindofBuddhismappealstopatientsinterestedinpersonalde-
velopmentandself-help,whichiswhyitiscalledHinayāna,aSmallVehi-
cle4.TemainteachingsonthisbasiclevelinvolveFourNobleTruths(Skt.
catvdridryasatydni)andteachingsonkarma,bothofwhichformafounda-
tionforallwaysofBuddhism.
InordertoelucidateadifferenceinapproachofBuddhatootherreli-
gions’founders,whopresentthemselvesasprophetsproclaimingtheword
ofGod,oftenacomparisonofTeAwakenedOnetoaphysicianisprovid-
ed.InthiscontexthisFourNobleTruths(Skt.catvdridryasatydni)canbe
seenasthefollowingdiagnosisandtreatment:
1.Tereissuffering.Teillness,oldageanddeathareinevitable.Condi-
tionedexperiencesarealwaysimpermanentandcanprovidenolast-
inghappiness.Sentientbeingsarethusinacyclic,involuntarypath-
ologicalstatesincetheydonotexperiencethehighesthappiness,
compassionandfreedomofenlightenment,comparedtowhicheven
themostelevated,conditionedexperiencesarelikesuffering.
3Loy’sbookisinterestingherealsoforanotherreason,asitisnotabouthistoricalde-
velopmentsofBuddhismintheWest,butaboutBuddhistperspectiveontheWesternhis-
toricaldevelopment.Similarly,thisbookisnotsomuchaboutanalyzingBuddhistthemesin
theuBuddhist”literature,butmainlyitisaboutBuddhistperspectiveonWestern(unon-Bud-
dhist”)literatureandofferstheoreticalperspectiveforsuchananalysis.
4TisactuallyisapolemicaltermandmaybealsotranslatedasaLesserVehicle–worse,
becauseitisbasedonanegoisticalmotivation.InestablishingthekindofBuddhismoneprac-
tices,themotivationisseenasamoredecisivefactorthantheverypracticeortraditionone
follows.
