What are "lower yanas"

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How is it that 3 separate schools of Buddhism that developed they're own separate characteristics and sometimes even developed different fundamental teachings are taught as lower, middle and greater yanas by some teachers in Tibetan Buddhism?

There is just one Buddha Dhamma, one path to liberation. How such is caused? Disrespect, selfoverestimation, non-devotion torward ones father: in short foolishness.

Isn't it a fundamental teaching of the Buddha to not be partial or judgemental?

No either. If so it would have no grave effects to abrove foolishness. It's importand and even the highest quality to be right judgemental and only partial to what is real and leads to secure: e.g. liberation.

How is this not an example of partiality?

A dog is always after his tail. Watch them and learn how ease foolish ideas could be solved and how difficult it is for a fool to get the exit. Some love and prefer the live as Don Quixote and are seeking for their Sanchos to help carry their burdens...

[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma and not meant for commercial purpose or other low wordily gains by means of trade and exchange.]

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I do not understand if it's Tibetan Buddhism saying lower, middle, or greater yanas, or only Tibetan Buddhism only.

Reference to the Chinese Sutras I studied, it would be Śrāvaka, Bodhisattva and Buddha yanas. Or sometimes five yanas: Śrāvaka, Arhat, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva and Buddha. These yanas are depending on the nature/inclination of the students that they naturally choosing their vehicles. In general, Sravaka, Arhat and Pratyekabuddha responding to life as an abode to be escaped from, their main concern is a jailbreak, or liberation. But the Bodhisattva and Buddha are liberation and enjoyment, or total mastery. All yanas have happy ending, just that they have different taste buds, like some people like beer, some wine, some whisky... :)

So this is not the Buddha be partial or judgemental, just providing all different drinks for all different drinkers that pleased the most their taste buds. It wouldn't be a good bar if only offering one type of drink, huh?

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A yana is a particular teaching methodology and a conceptual framework in support of that. "Higher" refers to more depth and fewer concepts; in the extreme case (not real, just to make a point) teacher just looks the student in the eye and says: "here, got it?" and the student says "yup", and then as you go "lower" there are more concepts and more words, and all kinds of practices.

The usual pattern is that what seems real on lower yanas, looks like a lot of obvious and unnecessary BS from the perspective of higher yanas.

That's because higher yanas by definition get closer and closer to the essence or the real meaning of Dharma, what the concepts are pointing to, in real life.

Again, I emphasize, all these yanas are just a way to explain the different degrees of insight, regardless of school. There are enlightened people in Theravada, there are parrots repeating words in Mahayana.

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