Dear Piya and friends,

personally, I will not compare the Tipitaka with the Bible. The Bible
is dogmatic but the spirit of the dhamma is ehipassiko. Neither would
I compare Buddhaghosa with the apostle Paul. All buddhist traditions
are defined by the works of one or a few great commentarians.
Buddhaghosa is for Theravada as Nargarjuna is for Madhyamika. Both
brought the understanding of the dhamma to new peaks.

The central teachings of the 4NT, Middle Way and Dependent
Origination are giving a different coat of paint in different
traditions. That is why I think the issue we are looking at is about
distinguishing ultimate wisdom from conventional wisdom, and the
personal choice between a more contemplative life and a more social
life.

metta,
Yong Peng

--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, Piya Tan wrote:
My concern again is that we should treat the Buddhist texts like the
Bible and Buddhaghosa as St Paul. This is the impression I am getting
thus far. If we can open up a bit more, I think this website will
attract more beyond this nuclear family of back slappers.