--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "frank" <frank@4...> wrote:

>> The lesson that the follower of the Buddha can take from this

is that all

> of the sacred texts are only a map. Another Buddhist might have a

map that

> looks different than yours, with different labels. My only

concern over map authenticity is

> whether the map shows a path that leads to nibbana. If I walk the

path and

> it leads to nibbana, I don't care what the labels on the map are,

what color

> the font is, who it attributes as the mapmaker. The map could be

made by a

> Christian, Taoist, Mahayanist, vajrayanist, Satanist, but if I

walk the path

> it shows and it leads to nibbana,

+++++++
Dear Frank,
that is fine, but we can't overlook the impotance of getting the map
right. If the map has even small mistakes it can only make things
more difficult. It is why the Theravada have so carefully preserved
the word and meaning of the teachings.
Robertk