Is Early Buddhism the "Real" Buddhism? (A Buddhist View)

Is "Early Buddhism" a claim that earlier texts are "truer" or more "authentic" than later Buddhist traditions? In this companion to my earlier video on authentic Buddhism, I take up what "early Buddhism" means as a scholarly category, and why historical priority isn't the same as normative priority. 🧡 If you find this material useful, check out my Patreon page and get fun benefits like exclusive videos, audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: https://www.patreon.com/dougsseculardharma 🧡 You can also make donations through: https://paypal.me/dougsdharma 📙 Check out my book, A Handbook of Early Buddhist Wisdom, with a Foreword by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi: https://books2read.com/buddhisthandbook 📖 Index of all my videos: https://dougs-dharma.github.io/dougs-dharma-index/ ✅ Videos mentioned: What is Authentic Buddhism? -- https://youtu.be/kS-Xtsq4_xE What is Protestant Buddhism? -- https://youtu.be/-sWv88hQ7Tk ✅ Books mentioned: The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts -- https://ocbs.org/the-authenticity-of-the-early-buddhist-texts/ Bhikkhu Anālayo, Superiority Conceit in Buddhist Traditions: A Historical Perspective -- https://amzn.to/4tHY1kU Richard Gombrich and Gananath Obeyesekere, Buddhism Transformed -- https://amzn.to/3RMoEYw ✅ Suttas mentioned: - https://suttacentral.net/mn22/en/bodhi — Ariṭṭha rebuked for misrepresenting the teaching - https://suttacentral.net/mn38/en/bodhi — Sāti rebuked - https://suttacentral.net/an8.53/en/sujato — functional criteria for the Dhamma Webpage: https://www.dougsdharma.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onlinedharmainstitute/ Mastodon: https://mindly.social/@dougsdharma Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougsdharma/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@dougsdharma Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/dougsdharma.bsky.social Research and outlining assistance from Claude and Gemini models. ❤️ Thanks to all Patreon Patrons! Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon links are aff