Mahayana Buddhism - can you correct me if I'm wrong?

Here's my understanding of Buddhism. I would like all of your input and explanations if I am not on the mark about something that I understand. To be more specific, this is my understanding of Mahayana Buddhism.

There was a man in India who became enlightened after meditating under a tree. He then went around Asia and taught people how then can be free from suffering. He explained these things in the 4 Noble Truths and the 8-Fold Path. The books pertaining to Mahayana Buddhism are known as the Pali Canon. Buddhism is not absolute truth. There is no God in Buddhism. The goal of Mahayana Buddhism is to become enlightened for the benefit of all people. If you take the Bodhisattva vows, you will not enter Nirvana until all others have reached it. Nirvana is something unexplainable - but for sake of this it is like floating in space while sleeping. You can only enter Nirvana after all others have been enlightened and you have died and reached Parinirvana. If there is a girl dying of cancer it is because she was very evil in her past life. It is important to question the teachings of the Buddha to discover for yourself that they are worthwhile. There isn't anyone else that you can rely on for your own salvation. You do not bow and worship statues of a Buddha/Bodhisattva, you simply are honoring the idea of enlightenment. (Can someone please explain the whole prayer thing in Buddhism, and also what exactly is it that prevents you from entering Nirvana just because you took the Bodhisattva vows?). Anyone is a Bodhisattva that is living and has taken the Bodhisattva vows. There are 6 realms of existence. You are born into one of them based on your actions in the previous life. There was no creation of the universe, it has always existed. The Dalai Lama isn't the leader of Buddhism, simply an enlightened person (Bodhisattva?) that is teaching others how to live. Buddhism honors other religions and views them as all possible ways to enlightenment. There has never been a war fought in the name of Buddhism. All beings are one, like waves in an ocean.

Oh - also! Can someone please explain what the whole "Preta Feeding" ceremony is? What do you do and what's the purpose? Thanks!

Okay that's all I can think of! Please correct me on any of these facts if you can - it would be greatly appreciated!

Noah, your paragraph doesn't quite capture the Mahayana tradition. I'll point out some distinctions here - and let me know if you need more info.

- The Buddha only taught in northern and north-central India - not throughout Asia
- The Pali Canon is the primary set of text that support the Theravada tradition. The Mahayana tradition accepts these, but also includes hundreds of additional texts known as the Mahayana Canon.
- Buddhism does not claim "absolute truth." Nor is there a single, unitary "god" in Buddhism. However, all forms of Buddhism, and especially the Mahayana tradition, talk about all kinds of non-human, non-animal beings - deities, if you will. Whether or not these are symbolic depends on who you talk to.
- The Bodhisattva Vows commit the practitioner to attain full enlightenment *only if* all other beings first attain full enlightenment.
- Nirvana is not like floating or sleeping. It's the complete, full absorption into all beings - no separation at all. This is available to all beings, at any time. Death, while it comes to all who have been born, has nothing to do with Nirvana.
- The concept of "evil" has no place in Buddhism - it's a Christian idea. Karma means cause and effect - our current situation is the result of previous situations. It's very simple - it's just how the world works.
- Most Buddhists do in fact bow to statues of the Buddha, out of respect for the attainment of that human being. This is not worship ping - in Asia, bowing is a way of showing respect and is common among all people.
- Buddhist "philosophers" say that the universe cycles in and out of existence. The Buddha himself wasn't interested in such questions.
- The Dalai Lama leads one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

A "pr eta" is usually known as a 'hungry ghost.' These are said to be ravenous creatures that live in the drains. They have a huge appetite but their throat is said to be smaller than a human hair. For this reason, we must only pour pure water down the drains, for any food particles will get caught in their throats and choke them. That's the story - make of it what you will. In my view, hungry ghosts symbolize the non-stop craving produced by mind.

He explained these things in the 4 Noble Truths and the 8-Fold Path.
The books pertaining to Mahayana Buddhism are known as the Pali Canon.
>> The above is Theravada Buddhism (also accepted in Mahayana). For Mahayana, the main teachings for Bodhisattvas are the six perfections (giving, precept, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom). Mahayana canon are mainly recorded in Sanskrit language.

Buddhism is not absolute truth.
>> Not sure of your definition. But in Buddhism, there are two truths: that of conventional (shared with non-enlightened beings) and that of absolute (Nirvana, only realized by the enlightened).

There is no God in Buddhism.
>> Again, definition matters here. There is no creator God, but there are deities and gods who live in the heaven -- they neither create nor control the world.

The goal of Mahayana Buddhism is to become enlightened for the benefit of all people. If you take the Bodhisattva vows, you will not enter Nirvana until all others have reached it.
>> Correct.

Nirvana is something unexplainable - but for sake of this it is like floating in space while sleeping.
>> This example is not good because sleeping is typically used to describe ignorant (non-enlightened) state.
>> Relative to non-enlightened state, Nirvana is the liberation from greed, anger and ignorance, end of all sufferings and rebirth in the three realms. When you realize Nirvana, you will realize that state is beyond the description of words and languages because words and languages can only be used to describe conventional truth (duality), whereas the absolute truth is free from duality. That is why Nirvana is unexplainable.

You can only enter Nirvana after all others have been enlightened and you have died and reached Parinirvana.
>> A Bodhisattva vow to liberate all sentient beings. Does he really become a Buddha only when all others have been enlightened? Not exactly -- otherwise there won't be any Buddha at all (because obviously we are still not enlightened yet). Nonetheless, a Bodhisattva would have liberated uncountable number of sentient beings and perfected all virtues before he becomes a Buddha.

If there is a girl dying of cancer it is because she was very evil in her past life.
>> Not necessary. If she did not take care of her health then it would simply be due to her present karmic (action) effect. But in general, health problems (especially so-called genetic or unexplained problems) might be due to killing and/or harming other sentient beings in previous lives. The girl may have other good virtues in other aspects in previous lives (and thus evil is non-justifiable). Note that karmic actions and effects don't happen as a nett result -- one action may lead to one effect.

It is important to question the teachings of the Buddha to discover for yourself that they are worthwhile. There isn't anyone else that you can rely on for your own salvation.
>> Correct.

You do not bow and worship statues of a Buddha/Bodhisattva, you simply are honoring the idea of enlightenment. (Can someone please explain the whole prayer thing in Buddhism, and also what exactly is it that prevents you from entering Nirvana just because you took the Bodhisattva vows?).
>> One do bow to statues as an expression of respect.
>> Great compassion -- the vow to liberate all sentient beings -- prevents Bodhisattva from entering Nirvana. In addition, Bodhisattva cultivates the wisdom of emptiness that the world and Nirvana are non-dual (they cannot be separated). And thus a Bodhisattva does not stay in Nirvana, and he does not distance himself from the world.

Anyone is a Bodhisattva that is living and has taken the Bodhisattva vows. There are 6 realms of existence. You are born into one of them based on your actions in the previous life.
>> Take note that of all three karmic actions (physical, verbal and mental), mental karmic actions is the key decisive one.

There was no creation of the universe, it has always existed.
>> Not correct. All conditionally existent things go through creation and destruction -- but without a creator or destroyer. It happens due to conditions (causes and effects). Same apply to the universe.
>> Most Theravada Buddhists are not interested in this topic.

The Dalai Lama isn't the leader of Buddhism, simply an enlightened person (Bodhisattva?) that is teaching others how to live.
>> Dalai Lama is a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism. It takes an enlightened person to tell if another person is enlightened or not.

Buddhism honors other religions and views them as all possible ways to enlightenment.
>> We do honor other religions. But Buddhism is the only possible way to enlightenment. Oher (good) religions teaches only the path towards better rebirth (but not enlightenment).

There has never been a war fought in the name of Buddhism. All beings are one, like waves in an ocean.
>> Correct. Nonetheless, we are still distinct people even though we are interconnected, and thus we have different karmic effect.

Oh - also! Can someone please explain what the whole "Preta Feeding" ceremony is? What do you do and what's the purpose? Thanks!
>> It is a ceremony to help to liberate hungry ghosts.

Note that most Buddhism courses taught in schools and colleges are based on Theravada Buddhism.

1. Buddha was a prince.
2. Pali canon is used by both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism but mainly Theravada Buddhism.
3.Buddha taught to people who like to understand the truth, not to everyone.
4. Buddhism does not put creator god in a significant position. We can ignore it.
5. Nivarna is something experiential with mind only, not with five bodily senses.
6.If a girl is of dying cancer, it might be that she had made a bad deed ( liver can cancer because of her drinking habit, lung cancer because of her smoking habit) or it could be just a chance. Life is not a certainty. This is known as Anetta in Pail.
7.Buddhism does not blame any other concept or religion (right or worn) because 'to err is human).
8.Vows are promises which are questionable because Buddhist practice Si meditation not vowing.
9.Dali Lam is a leader of Tibetan people.
10. All beings have minds. MInds are not countable as they are not physical objects.

This is how I understand Buddhism. Mahayana or Theravada.