Theravada Buddhism is the closest to the original teaching of the Buddha.
I am more of a Daoist but I learned a lot of good and useful philosophical ideas from Theravada Buddhism. It’s much more systematic in teaching followers to attain awakening of the truth. Of course, attainment of direct and personal knowledge of the truth depends on the striving efforts of individuals.
From Theravada Buddhism, one can cross the floods of suffering more easily, because that’s the emphasis. One learns to abandon clinging to self identification, sensual desire, rules and rituals, and worldly views. It really helps one to find inner peace and equanimity. Cultivation of loving kindness, compassion and joy are parts of the process of walking the spiritual path.
Some Buddhism sects teach followers to focus on loving kindness and compassion. Many end up with more suffering because they care too much about other people and the world. In other words, they neglect loving kindness and compassion for themselves. They share the feeling of pain or suffering of others instead of cultivating equanimity and teaching others the right path to cease all suffering of themselves, by themselves, and for themselves. It’s like a person in a cesspool trying to save another out of the cesspool; the efforts out of their loving kindness and compassion will just be futile. It may even be counterproductive; leading the followers to the wrong path instead of the right path. I was one of the victims.
If you really want to learn the teaching of Buddha, there is no better way than listening to the original words of the Buddha as recorded in the early Buddhist texts. If you really want to learn the original teaching of the Buddha, why would you seek the words from a deviated sect (i.e. not the original teaching)? Non-original Buddhism sects are just “Buddhism” in name but not in essence; like counterfeit products or unauthorized replicas of the real products.
“And as for a person who is impure in his bodily behavior & verbal behavior, and who does not periodically experience mental clarity & calm, how should one subdue hatred for him? Just as when there is a sick man — in pain, seriously ill — traveling along a road, far from the next village & far from the last, unable to get the food he needs, unable to get the medicine he needs, unable to get a suitable assistant, unable to get anyone to take him to human habitation. Now suppose another person were to see him coming along the road. He would do what he could out of compassion, pity, & sympathy for the man, thinking, ‘O that this man should get the food he needs, the medicine he needs, a suitable assistant, someone to take him to human habitation. Why is that? So that he won’t fall into ruin right here.’ In the same way, when a person is impure in his bodily behavior & verbal behavior, and who does not periodically experience mental clarity & calm, one should do what one can out of compassion, pity, & sympathy for him, thinking, ‘O that this man should abandon wrong bodily conduct and develop right bodily conduct, abandon wrong verbal conduct and develop right verbal conduct, abandon wrong mental conduct and develop right mental conduct. Why is that? So that, on the break-up of the body, after death, he won’t fall into the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, purgatory.’ Thus the hatred for him should be subdued.” — Anguttara Nikaya, 5.162. I have no hatred toward any Buddhism sects or other religions. Out of compassion, pity, and sympathy for the man, I only wish he abandons wrong conducts and develops right conducts, for the joy and equanimity of himself, in this life and also next life (if any).
“There will be, in the course of the future, monks undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment.
They — being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment — will give full ordination to others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment.
These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment.
They — being undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment — will give full ordination to still others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment.
These too will then be undeveloped in body… virtue… mind… discernment.
Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
This, monks, is the first future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future.
Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.” — Anguttara Nikaya, 5.79.
RESILIENT KID 