Gombrich (2009) puts forward the view that textutal examination shows that the buddha modified his teaching on a number of occasions. Whilst the fundamental experiences upon which he builds his teaching reamains the same, there are differences in interepretation. This discovery is useful in a number of ways.
1) It helps explain the division in the early sangha as to what the Buddha's teachings actually were.
2) This corresponds to the accounts given in the Mahayana about the the 'turnings of the teachings' ie three fold turn of the 12 spoked wheel.
3) It demonstrates parallels found in the daoxing itself where at the outset of the text the key topic is the acquisition of sarvajna which then becomes tranformed into the quest for prajnaparamita.
1) It helps explain the division in the early sangha as to what the Buddha's teachings actually were.
2) This corresponds to the accounts given in the Mahayana about the the 'turnings of the teachings' ie three fold turn of the 12 spoked wheel.
3) It demonstrates parallels found in the daoxing itself where at the outset of the text the key topic is the acquisition of sarvajna which then becomes tranformed into the quest for prajnaparamita.
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