Why did R. Zera want to forget the Talmud Bavli?

Question

I read that R. Zera fasted one hundred days to forget the Babylonian Talmud before he left Babylon to live in the Land of Israel. Why would he do this when I've understood that the Babylonian Talmud is generally considered "better" than the Jerusalem Talmud? Indeed, the Talmud Yerushalmi seems to be pretty much ignored by the vast majority of people. When people say Talmud it's assumed they are talking about the Bavli, as if the Yerushalmi didn't even exist. This is simply the impression I get from frum Jewish society.

ר' זירא כי סליק לארעא דישראל יתיב מאה תעניתא דלשתכח גמרא בבלאה מיניה כי היכי דלא נטרדיה

and before starting he spent a hundred days in fasting, in order to forget the dialectic method of instruction of the Babylonian schools, that this might not handicap him in the Land of Israel (Bava Metzia 85a).

Just so it's clear, the main question is why would he want to forget what he learned in Babylon?

Answer 1

ספר שי לתורה quotes an interesting פשט from R’ Simcha Ziskind Broide from Chevron:

R' Zera recognised that he wouldn't be able to learn properly with the new approach and svaros of Eretz Yisrael if he was preoccupied with that of Bavel. He uses that as a lesson that we need to leave the past behind us at times in order to move on to the next level.

(Sorry I don't have the source, and am quoting from memory..)

Answer 2

ר' זירא כי סליק לארעא דישראל יתיב מאה תעניתא דלשתכח גמרא בבלאה מיניה כי היכי דלא נטרדיה

and before starting he spent a hundred days in fasting, in order to forget the dialectic method of instruction of the Babylonian schools, that this might not handicap him in the Land of Israel (Bava Metzia 85a).

It would seem to me that the basic understanding is that R' Zera wanted to forget the method of learning from Babylon. In a simple sense, this is because it would be hard to learn an entirely new way of learning (the Yerushalmi) with the Babylonian style ingrained in you.

ps: I think there is a Gemara which explains the difference between the Yerushalmi and the Bavli, and according to one opinion, the Yerushalmi is better. My rebbeim have taught me that the reason we study Yerushalmi is because it is 1) Easier to understand and 2) More relavant to living in golus