How do you differentiate between orthodox and unorthodox Buddhism?

The Kalamas (inhabitants of Kesaputta, an ancient town in Ancient India) : "There are some monks and Brahmins who expound and explain their own doctrines; the doctrines of others they despise, revile and pull to pieces. There is doubt, there is uncertainty in us concerning them. Which of these reverend monks and Brahmins spoke the truth and which falsehood?"

The Buddha said: " It is proper for you, Kalamas, to doubt, to be uncertain.

Come, Kalamas. Do not go upon what has been acquired by:
- repeated hearing
- nor upon tradition
- nor upon rumor
- nor upon what is in a scripture
- nor upon surmise
- nor upon an axiom
- nor upon specious reasoning
- nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over
- nor upon another's seeming ability
- nor upon the consideration, 'The monk is our teacher.'

Kalamas, when you yourselves know:
These things are bad;
these things are blamable;
these things are censured by the wise:
undertaken and observed, these things lead to harm and ill,
abandon them."

- Kalama sutta (AN 3.65 The instruction to the Kalamas)

Commentary by Jerome:

There are many teachers, monks and lay people teacher the Dhamma and expounding the doctrines. It is natural for one to doubt whether these people are teaching the true Dhamma. The Buddha has given his opinion on how to differentiate between orthodox and unorthodox Buddhism.

Firstly, do not follow a teacher just because he has many followers and whose doctrine is repeated by many. An orthodox Buddhist teacher may or may not have many followers. Having fame and many followers is not a criteria for orthodox Buddhism.

Secondly, do not follow a teacher just because he teaches from scriptures or quotes from ancient artifacts or because he can reason very well and sounds logical. The Buddha explained clearly in the Diamond sutra that the gist of his teaching is to be understood and practiced and not in the sutras. (non-attachment to scriptures or words) One who teaches solely from sutras and behave differently from that which is taught is not an orthodox teacher.

Thirdly, do not follow a teacher just because he has psychic powers or because he is a monk. While monks are respectable people, not every person who shaved their heads and don robes are respectable! Similarly, not everyone who is able to perform miraculous deeds are necessarily perfect in conduct.

How then do we choose an orthodox teacher?
The Buddha said that those things that are bad, blamable, censured by the wise and that which will lead to harm is to be abandoned. These things are greed, hatred (aversion) and delusion. A greedy person is certainly not an orthodox teacher. He who craves and chases after material wealth, power, money and fame cannot be a teacher of Buddhism. Secondly, he who slanders and frequently have aversion to other sects or people cannot be orthodox as well. Lastly, he who has delusions and confused about the universal characteristics of the world (impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, suffering) cannot be an orthodox Buddhist teacher. A teacher who believes that material things (wealth, money, fame, power, house, etc) in this material world is permanent and leads to lasting happiness and health is not orthodox. On the other hand, any Dhamma teacher that teaches one to abandon greed, hatred and delusion by means of the 8 fold Noble path and who has the proper method and ability to teach them is to be considered orthodox.

Graphics and formatting: Ada

Author:

Jerome is a Buddhist practitioner that has learnt from Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan traditions and is still learning! He first learnt meditation and Dharma from Theravadan monks and practitioners in the lineage of the Arahant Venerable Amatha Gavesi Maha Thero from Sri Lankaramaya Buddhist temple in Singapore. Then, he completed a Diploma in Buddhism from the Buddhist and Pali College in 2016. He also learnt from Zen Master Wu Jue Miao Tian (85th Zen Patriach) from the LingJi lineage in Taiwan in 2014 - 2015.  Subsequently, he learnt from Garchen Rinpoche from the Drigar Thubten Dargye Ling tradition (Tibetan) and attended annual Om Mani Padme Hum and Om Ami Dewa Hrih retreats from 2015 till date. Currently, he is a disciple of Master Jin Bodhi (Mahayana) from Bodhi Meditation in Singapore and is an active volunteer there. Master Jin Bodhi is his main Dharma teacher. Jerome feels that Buddhism is not a religion but is a practical way to reduce our life's problems. The essence of Buddhism is not in the books or sutras but in the way we apply it into our lives. Having understood some aspects of Buddha's teaching, he wants to give back to the society and hopes to share his insights with everyone who has the affinity with him.