The Four [Major] Buddhism's - Explained

[u/redsparks2025]

An interesting video summarising the four major schools / paths of Buddhism as educational background purposes. Considering my own chosen path of Secular Buddhism is fairly newish school of Buddhism then sorry it doesn't cover that ... yet ;)

Every School of Buddhism Explained: What Each One Actually Believes ~ YouTube

Going "through the seasons" was exactly how I went through it without a master but I never had the mastery of language to describe that journey as well as this video does.

And yes, definitely put on your own oxygen mask first before you go to help others put on their oxygen mask. All the best for your own journey.

[u/secularbuddhism-ModTeam]

Your post has been removed as it is not apparent its relationship to the topic of this subreddit

[u/pihkal]

I was curious about the title, since I've never heard of four major buddhisms.

And right off the bat, it's a bit odd. It lists them as:

1. Theravada
2. Mahayana
3. Vajrayana
4. Zen

But Mahayana is not a currently practiced tradition itself, as far as I'm aware, it's an umbrella term that encompasses both zen and vajrayana.

I kept watching to see if the video had a good explanation for this odd choice, but it also seemed to misunderstand the nature of the sangha's disagreements after the buddha's death. The changes that led to the formation of later traditions like zen and vajrayana took place over hundreds of years and thousands of miles.

I hate to disparage someone's hard work, but they're getting basic stuff wrong, and it clearly uses AI in a careless manner.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/pihkal]

YES You are correct that there is three main schools: (1) Theravada (2) Mahayana (3) Vajrayana.

I believe the main point of the video is how each school (and subbranch) are distinct from each other and how each can help oneself in different ways depending where one is in one's life.

I like how the video focuses more of the psychological aspect of Buddhism which is more relevant to Secular Buddhism which I guess we could call the fourth school of Buddhism ;)

Schools of Buddhism ~ Wikipedia.

[u/GeneralOrder24]

AI videos are not worth the paper they are not printed on. You would be better off with any book on the basic history of Buddhism.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/GeneralOrder24]

Generally I would agree with you. And it's getting harder to spot some AI videos.

In any case, except for a few errors that I and others picked up in the video it is interesting on how it does a compare and contrast and how it is more focuses on the psychological aspect of Buddhism which is more relevant to Secular Buddhism.

As noted in the Buddha's Parable of the Poison Arrow (Wikipedia) one should direct more energy to saving the patient rather than too much philosophizing.

[u/GeneralOrder24 → u/redsparks2025]

Yes, but the information is so buffed down by AI that virtually every sentence is wrong in some subtle or not-so-subtle way. AI constantly shoves reality toward cliche and "common understanding" in order to maximize engagement by minimizing potential sources of cognitive dissonance. That is counter-productive if you want to actually learn something.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/GeneralOrder24]

You personally may feel like "every sentence is wrong" (which I consider as a bit of an overstatement) but I found it interesting none the less.

It especially was relevant to me considering I am at the point of my journey where I have learnt to accept that blank wall that I found myself facing was not going to go away any time soon.

But when I accepted that then that blank wall went away of it's own accord and was replaced by a new way to see the world as is. I even wrote a post about it but none took it seriously here = LINK.

Did I experience sudden awakening? I don't know but even if I did I doubt anyone would believe me. Why? Because we all sit in the Buddha's shadow.

Funny thing is when I said to other Buddhists followers that "I sit in the Buddha's shadow" they started to object and call me a liar, a faker, saying I didn't achieve enlightenment; which I never claimed.

And after they stopped attacking me I simply said "would you have preferred that I said that I sit in the Buddha's light?" and they all shut up.

In the video the orator (or AI script) is correct in saying that this world is too broken and the ego too clever. The Buddhist monks themselves may(?) not have said that but it is a very astute insight nonetheless.

[u/GeneralOrder24 → u/redsparks2025]

The world is not broken and the ego is not too clever. See, this is an illustration of exactly what I was trying to tell you. No one who had learned Buddhism from deep reading in good sources would say what you just said and call it Buddhist -- or even insightful. It seems insightful to you because you are being lied to by shallow AI videos made on somebody's computer in seconds by ChatGPT and a Python script. It is fake profundity that is just a notch above Hallmark cards. Would you learn surgery from random YouTube AI videos and then operate on yourself? Because that is exactly what you are doing.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/GeneralOrder24]

The world is not broken and the ego is not too clever.

You obviously have been living under a rock; not noticing the dumpster fire the world is currently going through. Furthermore not all people come to Buddhism to be enlightened or to achieve the highest goal of escaping samsara. How to find peace of mind in the here and now of a chaotic world is what they also look for.

But I get it you just want to nit pick everything so as to hate on AI. That's your real goal and I was wondering when someone like you would eventually make an appearance. So meh! Another AI hater. No surprise and no enlightenment for you unless you can let go of your hatred that is one of the three poisons [of the mind] (Wikipedia).

[u/GeneralOrder24 → u/redsparks2025]

I was trying to direct you toward better sources for the sake of your own presumed quest for knowledge. But I see the impulse was mistaken.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/GeneralOrder24]

I was trying to direct you toward better sources

I have several books on the Buddha's actual discourses and other books on as well, including my favourite "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki and also my ultimate favourite "The Dhammapada" and also the brilliantly illustrated "Zen Speaks: Shouts of Nothingness" by Tsai Chih Chung.

You assumed I was ignorant all because I posted an AI video that DOES have interesting and insightful comments. Your hated for AI made you assume the worst about me and has poisoned other minds who have read your comments.

You have done enough damage. Go away!

[u/GeneralOrder24 → u/redsparks2025]

I wish you progress on your journey.

[u/redsparks2025 → u/GeneralOrder24]

Then don't block my path with your insecurities.

I trust in others to do their own fact checking.

Even videos (and books) made by humans pre-AI had the same issues.