Dear Bhante Sujato,

Long time no speak. Hope all is well with you. [For the purpose of establishing seniority of monks in this forum, let me declare that I'm of 6 vassas, upasampada 23 July 1999.]

It often amazes me when people could read the Texts again without the glasses (or glosses) of the commentaries and discover something "new". With the help of people like you and Bhante Aggacitta, I've realised that there's just so much of what modern Buddhists understand today which actually does not come from the Canon.

I notice that over here in SBS <http://www.sasanarakkha.org>, there are more and more occasions when we speak of something, then someone questions, "Does that come from the Canon or the Commentaries?" Hmm....

Blended within our present, popular Theravadin knowledge, there's quite a substantial amount of commentarial understanding which is not supported, or sometimes even contradicted, by the Canon. Sometimes, we even get a bit tired of looking it up. Sigh!

It seems that there are more discrepancies than what we already know, more than what most of us would like to acknowledge. But it sure is eye-opening, and even fun too, for those who are willing to find out..

It's sometimes rather difficult to tell a longtime Theravadin that such-and-such a popular understanding is actually not true, or not likely so. It's something like telling a old dentist that the dental amalgam fillings that he has been putting in people mouth throughout his working life has been harming people.

Would he consider the truth of that? Tough. That would be admitting a great fault of his knowledge, and perhaps even inviting blame. It would take a special person to be willing to set aside personal considerations, so that he is able to look into the truth of things.

If the dentist would be willing to find out about the history of his profession, the history of amalgams being used as fillings, he may than realise the need for him to reassess what he has long held and preached to be true and unquestionable. In the same way, if a Theravadin would be willing to find out about the history of his faith, he may than realise the need for him to reassess what he has long held and preached to be true and unquestionable.

Would he? It would take a special person.

(Btw, Bhante, I've replaced all my amalgams with safer materials, and have been enjoying much better health and meditation. Thank goodness I've found out!)


Gâravena,
Kumâra

An old error is always more popular than a new truth. (German proverb)