# Dr Yi Fa the 'Hinayana'

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-yi-fa-hinayana-banter
- Themes: humour, sects, friendship, monastic life
- Life situations: inter-tradition rivalry

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In Bangkok Ajahn Brahm banters with Mahayana nun Dr Yi Fa (Fo Guang Shan, San Diego): when will she train disciples? He has monks at the monastery — so she is the selfish Hinayana and he is the Mahayana.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

when I was in Bangkok I saw Dr Yi Fa who was at our Global Conference last year and we always argue, well, not argue, but we have this banter between us, She's from the Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan group and she's based in San Diego she's a Mahayana nun, and I'm a Theravada monk. And I said, "When are you going to have some disciples?" Because she goes around from place to place but she never trains any other nuns. I said, look at me, I train all these disciples I've got all these monks with me at the monastery I say, you are a Hinayana, your're selfish Dr Yi Fa. I'm the Mahayana

## Teaching point

Sect labels are comic when lived friendship cuts across them.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm teases his friend, a Mahayana nun, that she's the selfish one for not training disciples, while he, the Theravada monk, plays bodhisattva. A friendly role-swap that pokes fun at sectarian labels. On the ground, monks and nuns of every tradition give themselves to others. Look at what people do, not the label.

## Source

- [Buddhism and Sects | Ajahn Brahm | 01-06-2007](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 8:44 to 9:27: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owq_ougaikU&t=524s