Announcement

Convening of the 7th Council

A call for Teachings

“Come friends: let us recite the Teaching and the Discipline before what is not the Teaching shines forth and the Teaching is put aside, before what is not the Discipline shines forth and the Discipline is put aside, before those who speak what is not the Teaching become strong and those who speak what is the Teaching become weak, before those who speak what is not the Discipline become strong and those who speak what is the Discipline become weak.”

-Venerable Maha Kassapa, the elected head of the First Council

The 7th Council organizers propose that Maha Kassapa’s concerns were valid and have come to pass. That is, those who speak what is not the Teaching have become strong and those who speak what is the Teaching have become weak. With the expansion of Buddhism in the West, false teachings abound and are creating confusion among the lay community and disharmony within some Sanghas. This confusion is multiplied for those just entering the path. As the West is now the center of Buddhist expansion and thought, it is critical we STOP NOW and agree on the true Core Teachings.

The 7th Council is a Western concept by Western Buddhist designed for clarity of the Buddha’s Teachings. Predictably, in the infancy of our development, Western Buddhism has not formed a coherent inter connective base leaving us fragmented and ineffectual in meeting the needs of our Society. We propose to reverse this process of disharmony by providing a concise, authentic framework of the Blessed ones teachings and practices.

Criteria for inclusion in 7th Council proceedings.

1. The criteria of acceptance or rejection of a submitted teaching(s) is NOT based upon group consensus or any decision by the 7th Council, but strictly based upon the Buddha’s instructions in the Maha-parinibbana Sutta;

“In such a case, bhikkhus, the declaration of such a bhikkhu is neither to be received with approval nor with scorn. Without approval and without scorn, but carefully studying the sentences word by word, one should trace them in the Discourses and verify them by the Discipline. If they are neither traceable in the Discourses nor verifiable by the Discipline, one must conclude thus: ‘Certainly, this is not the Blessed One’s utterance; this has been misunderstood by that bhikkhu — or by that community, or by those elders, or by that elder.’ In that way, bhikkhus, you should reject it. But if the sentences concerned are traceable in the Discourses and verifiable by the Discipline, then one must conclude thus: ‘Certainly, this is the Blessed One’s utterance; this has been well understood by that bhikkhu — or by that community, or by those elders, or by that elder.’ And in that way, bhikkhus, you may accept it on the first, second, third, or fourth reference. These, bhikkhus, are the four great references for you to preserve.”

2. Who may submit:
Buddhists of any and all traditions and interested non-Buddhist.

3. Final Purpose
Council members have a good notion of what the Core Teachings are, but are not presuming they hold ultimate truth in this important matter. The second purpose is to determine what people “think the authentic teachings are” as to gain a better understanding of the causes and conditions perpetuating the present confusion. Given this data, the 7th Council will then provide Western Society with a basic blueprint of the Buddha’s teachings. These will be backed-up by relevant Suttas that can be accessed to evaluate any teaching as to it being authentic and thus conducive to ones well-being and happiness

4. The council’s job is to verify if such teachings met the Buddha’s criteria, then organize and publish the results.

5. The results will be presented to our “Elders” before publication.

6. Final Submission Date is the 31st of August, 2013. Please send submissions to Brian Ruhe at brian@theravada.ca . Phone 778-232-2282.

Considerations.
1. When submitting a teaching(s);

a. State the teaching(s)

b. It would be helpful if you would trace the teaching in the discourses and provide the reference. If not, the council will locate it in the discourses if existent. There will be multiple references, in the discourses, to a particular teaching. In that case, the most informative and/or comprehensive would be optimal. A difference in opinion on which sutta(s) is selected is secondary to proof of tractability. Such differences can really be settled without much difficulty.

Comment:

Note the name “ 7th council” is not “The Seventh Buddhist Council”. There have been six “Buddhist Councils” since the Buddha’s parinibbana. This “linage of title” should and will be respected. However, the name “7th council” so precisely articulates the present purpose, its use proved irresistible.

With great respect,
7th Council Members