user6932: I was part of a religious group that claimed to be everything that the Buddha teaches. But, when you listen to their teachings, you can tell discrepancies between their teachings and Buddhist teachings.
I just saw many people being misguided, but I do not know what to do. (Just to clarify, the religious group I'm referring to is neither Mahayana nor Theravada. But, the question can be generalized further if necessary.)
On one end, I do not wish to create any conflict among anyone. 
On the other end, I feel sad that many people are misguided into the teaching. 
So, the question is: What should I do? 
Any answers based on experience would be AWESOME, and experience + Scripture references (said by famous teachers or based on Pali Canon) would be an Awesome+++infinity. :) Once again, I hope to find a method that does not create animosity. 
Thanks Buddhist Community! Praises to the Dharma.
******As for an explanation on how this question is different from the forum titled "How to address wrong view", it's pretty much the same, except this is more scenario-based. I just wanted a different perspective/insight to this specific scenario. My ultimate goal is to avoid conflict!!! 

user151: Ideally, after metta, ask your spiritual friends if they want to share perspectives on dhamma.

user295: You should see if the interpretations given are in fact:

In line with the Dhamma as per the Suttas.
Even if they seem to be from the Suttas, see if the interpretation can be put in practice and not philosophical and abstract. Dhamma is meant to be practised to experience the result here and now. Hence if it is philosophical or abstract then this is not pure Dhamma.

So the best course of action would be:

Try to bring up Sutta discussions with a view toward reconciliation.
If it seems to be in line with the Suttas, see if some interpretations are abstract and philosophical rather than simple practice, in which case you can bring up an alternate interpretation to see how this resonates among the practitioners.

Refer to Ani Sutta which describes how Dhamma gets polluted.

user11518: Coming from the middle of the United States (OKC, OK) I have encountered the following Buddhist groups: Vietnamese (Mahayana), Korean (Mahayana), Thai (Theravada), Chinese (Mahayana), and Californian (Zen). After spending time at the Kopan monastery in Kathmandu I have also experienced Tibetan and, of course, the Theravadan people here.  Every one of these groups have differences. Some rather vast and many rather surprising. 
So my first response would be - by whose standard are you evaluating their interpretations to be wrong?
To call themselves Buddhists one asks ...
Do they seek refuge in the jewel?
Do they follow the 5 precepts?
After that it's a matter of school and lineage. I have noticed much more of a dao influence in the Chinese Mahayana group compared to the Vietnamese (who seem much more pedantic). And the Korean group has prescriptions of an origin I still dont know. The Zen group seemed much more Hindu in nature (even mixing in Yoga ideas of shedding karma) and the Tibetan group from Kathmandu was much more mystical than purely secular.
I mention all this because there is a wide variance in views and all maintain some form of justification based on canon. I wouldnt rule any group out as errant until I had done my own homework beforehand. I studied the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, and the Bhagavad Gita before deciding which path I would follow and my determining factors were:

my path must swallow all others in its' embrace, and
my path would align with both the physical world as well as the spiritual.

That first factor requires a little explanation. After such an exhaustive search (50 years) for spiritual guidance I finally figured out that if a set of beliefs excludes any group of people then it is incomplete. Usually incomplete means it suffers from inaccuracies and bias. So any ultimate explanation should encompass everyone. It should be a universal truth to all ... swallowing up all other beliefs.
The second factor comes from my practical education and background. We ARE talking about the very nature of the Universe and I dont believe in magic. I do believe in science and physics and quantum mechanics and biology. I will certainly allow for discoveries we have yet to make (black box principle), but my path will be supported by known science and be furthered by it.
These are, of course, MY factors. You will have your own. Based on your background. Seek refuge first through learning about the Buddha. After you learn then find the path that suits you and a group of people who help you in it. Be up front about your search and the earnest questions you ask will be greeted with a smile by the right-minded. Not conflict.
I hope any single word of this was helpful. I understand this journey and wish you the best of results! Namaste my friend.

user43: From Dogen's Shobogenzo:

Some hear of Anuttara-Samyak-Sam-Bodhi from "good friend", and some hear of it from the sutras. What one hears first is, "Not doing wrong action." If one does not hear “not doing wrong action,” one is not hearing the Buddhas' true Dharma but demonic talk. Know that hearing “not doing wrong action” is hearing the Buddhas' true Dharma.  

...

The essence of the Dharma proclaimed by all Buddhas of the three worlds is the same, yet the actual words used depend on the time and circumstances.

My comment:
When I was a little boy back in the dark soviet years, I could not possibly come in contact with True Dharma. My glimpse of light was a song by an alcoholic folk singer who sang: "The Indians have made up a nice religion: when we kick the bucket we don't die forever. If you lived like a pig, you'll be reborn a pig. If you were dumb like a tree, you'll come back a baobab. You could become a parrot or a poisonous snake. Isn't it better to be a decent man?"
In this world there are people who are not confused, people who are mildly confused, and people who are very confused. This includes students of Dharma, teachers of Dharma, and people who have never heard of Dharma. So if your "ultimate goal is to avoid conflict" then don't judge the work of others -- even if they are somewhat confused at least they can help people who are even more confused. For someone deep in the darkness even a little glimpse of light can show the direction out.
As for your literal question, "what should you do when someone teaches false Dharma?" -- my answer is: "why, teach the true Dharma of course!"

user2282: You can share with them DN 16's Four Great Referrals:

“Here, monks, a monk might speak like this: ‘I have heard this directly from the Gracious One, friends, directly I learned it: “This is the Teaching, this is the Discipline, this is the Teacher’s Dispensation.”’ That monk’s speech, monks, is not to be rejoiced over, not to be scorned at. Without having rejoiced over it, without having scorned it, after learning those words and syllables well, they should be laid alongside the Discourses, they should be compared with the Discipline.
If, when these are laid alongside the Discourses, compared with the Discipline, they do not fit in with the Discourses, they do not compare well with the Discipline, you may here come to this conclusion: ‘Certainly this is not the Gracious One’s word, it is not well learned by that monk,’ and, monks, you should abandon it. If when these are laid alongside the Discourses, compared with the Discipline, they do fit in with the Discourses, they do compare well with the Discipline, you may come to this conclusion: ‘Certainly this is the Gracious One’s word, it is well-learned by that monk.’ This, monks, is the first Great Referral you should bear in mind.

That religious group will have no ground to criticize you for the above comes straight out of the Buddha's Discourses. Also freely share good Dhamma resources like accesstoinsight.org, suttacentral.net, tipitaka.wikia.com, etc. so that group members can go and find out the truth for themselves.

6932: <p>I was part of a religious group that claimed to be everything that the Buddha teaches. But, when you listen to their teachings, you can tell discrepancies between their teachings and Buddhist teachings.</p>

<p>I just saw many people being misguided, but I do not know what to do. (Just to clarify, the religious group I'm referring to is neither Mahayana nor Theravada. But, the question can be generalized further if necessary.)</p>

<p>On one end, I do not wish to create any conflict among anyone. 
On the other end, I feel sad that many people are misguided into the teaching. </p>

<p>So, the question is: What should I do? </p>

<p>Any answers based on experience would be AWESOME, and experience + Scripture references (said by famous teachers or based on Pali Canon) would be an Awesome+++infinity. :) Once again, I hope to find a method that does not create animosity. </p>

<p>Thanks Buddhist Community! Praises to the Dharma.
******As for an explanation on how this question is different from the forum titled "How to address wrong view", it's pretty much the same, except this is more scenario-based. I just wanted a different perspective/insight to this specific scenario. My ultimate goal is to avoid conflict!!! </p>
 151: <p>Ideally, after metta, ask your spiritual friends if they want to share perspectives on dhamma.</p>
 295: <p>You should see if the interpretations given are in fact:</p>

<ul>
<li>In line with the Dhamma as per the Suttas.</li>
<li>Even if they seem to be from the Suttas, see if the interpretation can be put in practice and not philosophical and abstract. Dhamma is meant to be practised to experience the result here and now. Hence if it is philosophical or abstract then this is not pure Dhamma.</li>
</ul>

<p>So the best course of action would be:</p>

<ul>
<li>Try to bring up Sutta discussions with a view toward reconciliation.</li>
<li>If it seems to be in line with the Suttas, see if some interpretations are abstract and philosophical rather than simple practice, in which case you can bring up an alternate interpretation to see how this resonates among the practitioners.</li>
</ul>

<p>Refer to <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/11.13-Ani-S-s20.7-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ani Sutta</a> which describes how Dhamma gets polluted.</p>
 11518: <p>Coming from the middle of the United States (OKC, OK) I have encountered the following Buddhist groups: Vietnamese (Mahayana), Korean (Mahayana), Thai (Theravada), Chinese (Mahayana), and Californian (Zen). After spending time at the Kopan monastery in Kathmandu I have also experienced Tibetan and, of course, the Theravadan people here.  Every one of these groups have differences. Some rather vast and many rather surprising. </p>

<p>So my first response would be - by whose standard are you evaluating their interpretations to be wrong?</p>

<p>To call themselves Buddhists one asks ...
Do they seek refuge in the jewel?
Do they follow the 5 precepts?</p>

<p>After that it's a matter of school and lineage. I have noticed much more of a dao influence in the Chinese Mahayana group compared to the Vietnamese (who seem much more pedantic). And the Korean group has prescriptions of an origin I still dont know. The Zen group seemed much more Hindu in nature (even mixing in Yoga ideas of shedding karma) and the Tibetan group from Kathmandu was much more mystical than purely secular.</p>

<p>I mention all this because there is a wide variance in views and all maintain some form of justification based on canon. I wouldnt rule any group out as errant until I had done my own homework beforehand. I studied the Upanishads, the Dhammapada, and the Bhagavad Gita before deciding which path I would follow and my determining factors were:</p>

<ul>
<li>my path must swallow all others in its' embrace, and</li>
<li>my path would align with both the physical world as well as the spiritual.</li>
</ul>

<p>That first factor requires a little explanation. After such an exhaustive search (50 years) for spiritual guidance I finally figured out that if a set of beliefs excludes any group of people then it is incomplete. Usually incomplete means it suffers from inaccuracies and bias. So any ultimate explanation should encompass everyone. It should be a universal truth to all ... swallowing up all other beliefs.</p>

<p>The second factor comes from my practical education and background. We ARE talking about the very nature of the Universe and I dont believe in magic. I do believe in science and physics and quantum mechanics and biology. I will certainly allow for discoveries we have yet to make (black box principle), but my path will be supported by known science and be furthered by it.</p>

<p>These are, of course, MY factors. You will have your own. Based on your background. Seek refuge first through learning about the Buddha. After you learn then find the path that suits you and a group of people who help you in it. Be up front about your search and the earnest questions you ask will be greeted with a smile by the right-minded. Not conflict.</p>

<p>I hope any single word of this was helpful. I understand this journey and wish you the best of results! Namaste my friend.</p>
 43: <p>From Dogen's Shobogenzo:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Some hear of Anuttara-Samyak-Sam-Bodhi from "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaly%C4%81%E1%B9%87a-mittat%C4%81" rel="nofollow">good friend</a>", and some hear of it from the sutras. What one hears first is, "Not doing wrong action." If one does not hear “not doing wrong action,” one is not hearing the Buddhas' true Dharma but demonic talk. Know that hearing “not doing wrong action” is hearing the Buddhas' true Dharma.  </p>
</blockquote>

<p>...</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The essence of the Dharma proclaimed by all Buddhas of the three worlds is the same, yet the actual words used depend on the time and circumstances.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>My comment:</p>

<p>When I was a little boy back in the dark soviet years, I could not possibly come in contact with True Dharma. My glimpse of light was a song by an alcoholic folk singer who sang: "<em>The Indians have made up a nice religion: when we kick the bucket we don't die forever. If you lived like a pig, you'll be reborn a pig. If you were dumb like a tree, you'll come back a baobab. You could become a parrot or a poisonous snake. Isn't it better to be a decent man?</em>"</p>

<p>In this world there are people who are not confused, people who are mildly confused, and people who are very confused. This includes students of Dharma, teachers of Dharma, and people who have never heard of Dharma. So if your "ultimate goal is to avoid conflict" then don't judge the work of others -- even if they are somewhat confused at least they can help people who are <em>even more</em> confused. For someone deep in the darkness even a little glimpse of light can show the direction out.</p>

<p>As for your literal question, "what should you <em>do</em> when someone teaches false Dharma?" -- my answer is: "why, teach the true Dharma of course!"</p>
 2282: <p>You can share with them <a href="https://suttacentral.net/en/dn16" rel="noreferrer">DN 16</a>'s Four Great Referrals:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Here, monks, a monk might speak like this: ‘I have heard this directly from the Gracious One, friends, directly I learned it: “This is the Teaching, this is the Discipline, this is the Teacher’s Dispensation.”’ That monk’s speech, monks, is not to be rejoiced over, not to be scorned at. Without having rejoiced over it, without having scorned it, after learning those words and syllables well, they should be laid alongside the Discourses, they should be compared with the Discipline.</p>
<p>If, when these are laid alongside the Discourses, compared with the Discipline, they do not fit in with the Discourses, they do not compare well with the Discipline, you may here come to this conclusion: ‘Certainly this is not the Gracious One’s word, it is not well learned by that monk,’ and, monks, you should abandon it. If when these are laid alongside the Discourses, compared with the Discipline, they do fit in with the Discourses, they do compare well with the Discipline, you may come to this conclusion: ‘Certainly this is the Gracious One’s word, it is well-learned by that monk.’ This, monks, is the first Great Referral you should bear in mind.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>That religious group will have no ground to criticize you for the above comes straight out of the Buddha's Discourses. Also freely share good Dhamma resources like accesstoinsight.org, suttacentral.net, tipitaka.wikia.com, etc. so that group members can go and find out the truth for themselves.</p>
