Teachings
Theravada promotes the concept of Vibhajjavada (Pali), literally "Teaching of Analysis." This doctrine says that insight must come from the aspirant's experience, critical investigation, and reasoning instead of by blind faith. However, the scriptures of the Theravadin tradition also emphasize heeding the advice of the wise, considering such advice and evaluation of one's own experiences to be the two tests by which practices should be judged.
Theravada orthodoxy takes the seven stages of purification as its basic outline of the path to be followed.
The Theravada Path starts with learning, to be followed by practice, culminating in the realization of Nirvana.
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Famous quotes containing the word teachings:
“We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“... there are no chains so galling as the chains of ignorance—no fetters so binding as those that bind the soul, and exclude it from the vast field of useful and scientific knowledge. O, had I received the advantages of early education, my ideas would, ere now, have expanded far and wide; but, alas! I possess nothing but moral capability—no teachings but the teachings of the Holy Spirit.”
—Maria Stewart (1803–1879)