Dear Lisa,
I beleive I have found what could be called pure teaching of Mahayana.While reading a text on emptiness ,I came across the
following:
which contains the philosophical essence of about six hundred scrolls making up the Maha Prajna Paramita.Could this be compared to the Pali canon?
loong
Yes, although as far as I know there is no single set of texts that all Mahayana schools acknowledge, or at least no single version, because as the texts traveled around the world, different translatations and versions of them evolved. This happened with the Pali Canon too, but to a lesser extent.
I think the other thing to keep in mind with Mahayana is that it is not simply about what the Buddha spoke, it is about other enlightened beings that came after. Others who attained liberation and then began to teach are the patriarchs (and in some cases matriarchs) of the various Mahayana lineages. They are speaking from their own liberation experiences, about the methods and teachings that worked for them. In Mahayana, this is what the Buddha's teachings represent also - a pointing to the way, but as others attain liberation, they may have other ways of pointing to the way also.
So thinking of 'pure' as being whatever teachings are 'closest' to the Buddha's in time or lineage is not a very Mahayana way to think, it is more Theravada. 'Pure' in Mahayana would be any teaching that is truly emanating from liberation, from enlightenment, and which aids others along that same path.
Of course, this causes all sorts of problems, and this is why you are hesitant, and I understand that hesitancy. It makes it very easy for frauds (whether consciously frauds or just deluded) to convey their teachings as true teachings. And indeed, as I'm sure you have discovered, throughout Mahayana there are many opinions on which are true expressions of enlightenment and which are fraudulent.
The compass really has to lie within you, and I have come to realize that sometimes we are drawn to a certain teaching for a time because it has something to offer us, but it may not be our final destination. So I guess I am saying that judging teachings based on their history is not always the best way to do so. If you open to your deep inner connection to the dharma, you can feel what feels pure for you. And the Buddha gave us much guidance on this too, in terms of the traits that are expressed in Buddhism - compassion, insight, honest, strength, etc.
Also, in Mahayana there is much more emphasis on the teacher-student relationship, and how that functions to aid someone along their path. That is a unique kind of alchemy - different teachers, authors, or writers will resonate with different seekers.
