The Nine Paths of the Ancient School

According to the Ancient School of Tibetan Buddhism,
there are nine paths or Yanas, and this text begins
with praise for the Basic Vehicle of Hinayana,
the Greater Vehicle of Mahayana, and
the Diamond Vehicle of Vajrayana.
Next comes the description of Hinayana,
followed by the description of its two paths
of Disciples and Hermit Buddhas.

Goodness at the start is to be
found in the teachings that are
the stepping stones for the path.
Goodness in the middle is to be
found in the basis for the path itself.
Finally, goodness of the end is to be
found in the main part of the path.
Connected to these three kinds
of goodness are teachings —
the stepping stones — which describe
how to attain the skillful grace of gods
using the basic goodness of humans to pursue
the state of liberation and enlightenment.

It is said the motivation for those monks who travel
the Path of the Basic Vehicle — the Fundamental Vehicle
and the Individual Vehicle — is to aim for
the personal liberation of nirvana, for they lack the courage
to pursue the enlightenment of all sentient beings.

Faith and renunciation are the stepping stones
for shravakas — who are Auditors, Disciples,
Hearers, Listeners and Pious Attendants,
and pratyekabuddhas — who are solitary realizers,
intermediate buddhas, hermit buddhas and self-realized ones.
For devotees of lesser and medium capacity,
it is called the gradual path.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the Path of the Basic Vehicle,
the Greater Vehicle of Mahayana, and the Diamond Vehicle,
together form the nine Yanas consisting of
the two paths of Hīnayāna, Śrāvakayāna and Pratyekayāna,
and the path of Mahāyāna consisting of Bodhisattvayāna —
the three previous paths being Sutrayāna —
and Vajrayāna, which consists of the Outer Tantras of Kriyatantra,
Upatantra / Ubhayatantra, and Yogatantra; and
the Inner Tantras of Mahāyoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga / Dzogchen.

References:

• Nyingma: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingma
  
• Basic Vehicle: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Basic_vehicle
  
• Shravaka: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Shravaka
  
• Pratyekabuddha: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Pratyekabuddha
  
• Nine Yanas:
  
  • Nine Yanas: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Nine_Yanas
    
  • Yana - Nine Yanas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yana_%28Buddhism%29#Nine_y.C4.81nas
    

Buddhism Isn't About A King in Heaven

Buddhism is documented to have a founder who went to a Buddhist Heaven through a process called parinirvana, and vehemently denied he will reincarnate. In fact, there is no affirmed reincarnation of the Buddha because that would be sacrilege.

Instead you can pick and choose of several Buddhas to acquire wisdom, conquer illness, live a long life of boundless compassion and/or acquire boundless wisdom, etc. knowing full well that they actually represent various aspects or qualities of the mind.

All the devas, daemons and other mythological creatures have had the Buddhadharma preached to them, thus making them protectors of the Dharma.

And even they too represent qualities of the mind.

Are you following me now?

Buddhism is all about the mind, and protecting it from suffering through meditation, firs to calm your mind until it can clearly realize peace of mind as path to happiness.

Even the different worlds in Buddhist cosmology from hell to hungry ghost to human to devas to Tusita Heaven are merely qualities of the human mind!

Indeed, the old Zen saying, "If you see the Buddha, kill hiom!", actually means "If you have a vision of the Buddha, awaken from your dream since it is not the Buddha but your desire to become a buddha."

Thus, Buddhism is actually an Asian psychology which will drive the mad even crazier and render the truly devoted, devoted, gentle, and peaceful.

However, the Lesser Vehicle of the Way of the Monks is known to turn said monks into mighty warriors both in Sri Lanka and in Southeast Asia.

Sadly though, they happen to be sexist and old-fashioned.

Such is the way of South East Asia.

As for Buddhism, there isn't a king in heaven. There are five Wisdom Buddhas which are reflections of the wisdom of the primordial Buddha, the Adi-Buddha, who actually isn't a living being.

One can say Adi-Buddha was present before everything else in the universe existed but not in the sense of an actual living being.

Imagine though that the Adi-Buddha is in the centre of 108 peaceful and wrathful deities who are reflections of it. Imagine further that all famous sages and Bodhiattvas are too reflections of the Adi-Buddha. Imagine even further than you and I are also reflection of Adi-Buddha, for we are all potential buddhas.

Yet Adi-Buddha is first and foremost the Original Beginning, the Unending One, and the ultimate reality all in one, and then some!

Adi-Buddha does not create; for he is the originator of what became this universe.

It is he who pours out the stuff of which this reality is made of.

All phenomena is symbolically represented by the primordial nature of Adi-Buddha; for all phenomena have in Adi-Buddha their collective source,

Being in a continuous, eternal co-relation with the deity, Adi-Buddha also represents the non-duality of the individual's mind and the cosmos, which are interrelated.

For your mind creates the cosmos, just as the cosmos creates the atoms of which your body consists and the air that your breath.

Who needs a king in heaven when you have Adi-Buddha being the source of reality itself?

Who needs a creator god when Adi-Buddha is the origin of the universe itself?

Five Wisdom Buddhas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Wisdom_Buddhas
Adi-Buddha: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi-Buddha
Dharmakaya: click on the label "Dharmakaya"

Compassion without Dogmatism

A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities. — His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This quote displays the humanistic atheism in Tibetan Buddhism, and in monastic Buddhism proper.

Yet the Absolute that I have refered to elsewhere on my blog is the closest to describing Heaven.

Though the Pure Land is not a Buddhist heaven, but is its own world apart from reality as it is, and very remote from the reality as it is supposed to according most-non-Buddhists, especially atheists, theists, Deists, and even pagans and devil-worshipers.

I'm excluding satanists, as I only believe LaVey satanists exists.

Furthermore, the so-called satanists who practice any kind of ritual sacrifice involving animals and sometimes humans, are not satanists but devil worshipers who practice diabolism, which includes the violent sacrifice of innocent sentient beings, be it a goat or a pretty naked woman.

The atheists and their complements tend to have problems distinguishing reality that they suppose exists from reality as it is.