91 Final Afternoon Session: The History and Development of Buddhism

Although there are two more days of retreat, this is our last
afternoon session. Alan begins by jumping right in to a guided
meditation in which he "puts us through the paces" of the three
types of mindfulness of breathing, settling the mind in its
natural state, awareness of awareness, and, finally, vipashyana.


This is followed by a long question and answer period. [26:55]
Alan answers these questions from the group, particularly
focusing on the final three questions.


1. I have noticed during the retreat how the English language,
with personal pronouns an integral grammatical structure, both
serves to assist the development of a concretized sense of
self/ego and duality, and then becomes like their protector. (I
understand most languages represent individuals or groups to a
lesser or greater degree (except for Thai, Burmese, and
Japanese).)


I experimented during the retreat with not using "I, me or mine"
and it showed just how deeply ingrained the constructed sense of
the world and self is in language.


What is your advice about negotiating the dissonance between
language, encoding as it does samsara and ultimate reality,
especially anatta, that we are seeking to understand and
experience?


2. I am aware of the Tibetan custom of not talking about
meditative experiences and realizations. As we begin to talk -
and soon will be home and doubtless facing the questions of loved
ones and acquaintances ("So how did it go? What did you get
to?!?") - do you have any advice on how we talk about our
retreat? Or our plans for the future? Could you say a little
about why the Tibetans take this attitude of saying little or
nothing? Is it relevant for us and does it apply to a very
ordinary level of experience?


3. Are vividness and clarity simply alternate translations of the
same Tibetan/Sanskrit term or do they carry a difference in
meaning? Also Gen Lamrimpa mentions 'lucidity' and 'strength of
clarity'; what is the distinction?


4. In one of the talks you mentioned briefly that after the
Buddha lived, it did not take very long till different
interpretations of his teachings started to emerge. Can you tell
us a little bit more how the different schools of Buddhism were
formed? (How long after the Buddha we can say there was
'Buddhism'?)


5. How did Buddhism develop also to a religion and why do you
think it did?


6. Do all schools of Buddhism share the [worldview + practice +
way of life] being the heart of the teachings?