Dear Nina and Paul,

Just a note:

> And a quote is used from the Patisambhida Magga:< "The
> Excellent Way is the Eightfold way; four are truths;
> dispassion is the best of things belonging to the wise;
> besides that Way there is no other for the purifying of vision.
> Walk along that Way so that you may confound Death, and put
> an end to suffering.">

This is actually probably a quote from the Dhammapada v.273-276. And quite
a good quote for people (including, I am told, some very prominent monks)
who say the Buddha didn't mean "the only way" by ekayana magga. It says
"eso'va maggo n'atth'a~n~no" - "this indeed is the path, there is no other."

I think Paul you have the right idea... too often I think people are quick
to argue against "one way" just because it doesn't suit their speculative
temperment. In Buddhism there are different methods of practice, but they
all are mindfulness for the purpose of seeing clearly the three
characteristics of impermenance, suffering and non-self in the end.

Just like climbing Mount Everest. You could take different routes, but in
all of them you have to go up to get to the top. If you walk around the
base, or dig a hole, you'll never get there.

Just a side note I got from America:

> the FATTEST religious people are Baptists!
> the THINNEST religious people are Buddhists!

Sadhu,

Yuttadhammo