Question: This could all be very confusing. If I want to practice Buddhism how can I know which type to choose?
ANSWER: Perhaps we could compare it to a river. If you went to the source of a river and then to its mouth they would probably look very different. But if you followed the river from its source, as it wound its way through hills and dales, over waterfalls, past the numerous small streams that flowed into it, you would eventually arrive at its mouth and understand why it seemed to be so different from the source. If you wish to study Buddhism start with the earliest basic teachings — the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the life of the historical Buddha and so on. Then study how and why these teachings and ideas evolved and then focus on that approach to Buddhism that appeals to you most. Then it will be impossible for you to say that the source of the river is inferior to the mouth or that the mouth it a distortion of the source.
ANSWER: Perhaps we could compare it to a river. If you went to the source of a river and then to its mouth they would probably look very different. But if you followed the river from its source, as it wound its way through hills and dales, over waterfalls, past the numerous small streams that flowed into it, you would eventually arrive at its mouth and understand why it seemed to be so different from the source. If you wish to study Buddhism start with the earliest basic teachings — the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the life of the historical Buddha and so on. Then study how and why these teachings and ideas evolved and then focus on that approach to Buddhism that appeals to you most. Then it will be impossible for you to say that the source of the river is inferior to the mouth or that the mouth it a distortion of the source.
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