ABSTRACT
Buddhism — above all, the Theravada — can be considered the most mystical of religions. If mysticism involves inner meditation, then the way of life preached by the Buddha Gotama's teaching was centrally focused on the mystical path. In Western religions, God reveals; hence there must be a connection between mysticism and scripture. The Theravada has been affected by the Mahayana, which, in turn, was increasingly affected by brahmin practices and ideas, as witnessed by the fact that the new Buddhist scriptures were written in Sanskrit. Within the wider society, Buddhism lives with other religions. It does not necessarily merge with society in the larger sense. It might use brahmins for coronations and the like, but it need not pay attention to their theology and values. One of the main jobs of the Therigatha and the Theragatha: to reveal the values of the faith through the lives of its saints.
