What Kind of Buddhism

Q: What kind of Buddhism is this?

This was not a direct question but added for clarification.

A: In short: this is a framing of Buddhadharma created by Exertion River to address contemporary concerns.

Asheyana Secular Buddhism is not in competition with other Buddhist doctrines. It is not an Eastern Buddhism with deep cultural expressions and hierarchies of authorization. It is also not a Western Buddhism attempting to imitate Eastern Buddhism, creating novel cultural expressions and new hierarchies of authorization.

From a traditional perspective, Asheyana is not a 'shravakayana' form -- based on canonical words of Buddha Shakyamuni and close commentaries and taking the early sangha as the example for progress along the path. 

Asheyana is also not a 'bodhisattvayana' form -- based on emulating the past-lives example of Buddha Shakyamuni in attempt to progress along the path towards rebirth into a life with the momentum to accomplish full Buddhahood.

Asheyana is more like a householder 'pratyekabuddhayana' form -- the form of a 'solitary realizer' taking the Buddhadharma itself--and the views and practices described therein--as a self-directed path to one's own liberation in this or a future life.

The Pratyekabuddha

Some selections from Kloppenborg:

"In order to find a legitimate place within Buddhist teaching, [Paccekabuddha] ascetics had to fit in with the system of thought. They were given their place as a way of recognising that the Dhamma, the eternal and highest truth, is always accessible and can be attained by those of great virtue and spiritual maturity even when the formulated Dhamma of a Buddha is not available. For the Dhamma, as the formulated teaching, is subject to the law of origination, growth, and decay. It appears in history, revealed by a Buddha, and for a period is studied, practised, and taught by human beings. But these periods during which the Dhamma is known alternates with other periods during which it has disappeared, remaining only on the level of absolute truth. This does not mean, however, that the truth cannot be attained during this time. It only means that the truth must be personally discovered without the guidance of an articulated doctrine and map of the path, an achievement calling for a very highly developed faculty of wisdom.

"Those who discover the Dhamma by themselves are of two types: the Sammāsambuddha, who, after realising the Dhamma, teaches it in its fullness and re-establishes the dispensation in the world; and the Paccekabuddha, who does not reveal it or preach it to the great mass of people. To proclaim the Dhamma anew requires special qualities—omniscience and supreme compassion—and even then the decision to reveal the abstruse, ultimate truth is difficult to make. The figure of the Paccekabuddha provided the means to accommodate the notion of one who discovers the truth for himself without possessing all the powers of a supreme Buddha, and thus chooses not to try to teach the truth at large. This same figure also serves to confirm the validity of the achievements of ascetics and sages of pre-Buddhist times."

Also:

"Paccekabuddhas are said to exist only in periods when there are no Buddhas... One of the main characteristics of the Paccekabuddha’s career is that he attains insight during such a period. But this does not mean that his whole aspiration to enlightenment is restricted to this time; it is invariably a matter of many existences of hard work, during which he practises the perfections and accumulates the conditions for enlightenment."

Also:

"The stories of the lives of Paccekabuddhas, especially those found in the Suttanipāta Commentary, again and again stress the importance of solitariness for their attainment of enlightenment. This need to retire from the world and from men is well known in the Indian religious tradition; but contrary to the practise of most Hindu and Buddhist ascetics, who leave the world but not necessarily their fellow-ascetics, the Paccekabodhisatta strives for insight in isolation. A community of fellow ascetics is felt by him to be on obstruction to his goal."

Contemporary Concerns

Here are placeholders for future topics of discussion relating to the timeliness of a pratyekabuddhayana Buddhist form:

• Individualism and Social Isolation as Training Asset rather than Personal Liability or Failing

• Egalitarian Access to the Breadth of Public Human Information Offers a Lifetime of Learning

• Joyful Concentration and Altruistic Abiding as Antidotes to Competitive Spite

• Conditioned Freedom and Unconditioned Freedom as Complementary Modes of Human Life

Asheyana Vision

The words posted on this site are intended to provide inspiration in contemporary language for discovering and deepening in the Buddhadharma for oneself. Understanding 'future lives' as an ethical support to one's spiritual training in this very life, may these words inspire realization and liberation in this or a near future life. May it be of benefit.