Search found 60 matches

by Cloud
Sat May 21, 2011 9:51 am
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: The end goal of Buddhism
Replies: 4
Views: 1882

Re: The end goal of Buddhism

That one's easy. How do you know when you get to Disney Land? Or to the Moon? The goal of Buddhism is not an attainment, not something that you gain and so have to ask yourself if you actually have it or not, it's the elimination of all suffering through clear discernment of reality. Since this is a...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:29 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

So all this talking wouldn't help unless it gave rise to stream-entry? Well, since tilt wants it back on subject anyway, no more dukkha-talk. :)
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:55 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

Enlightenment is not about not experiencing; in that sense dukkha may have been used to indicate something unpleasant, but it goes on to say he was unperturbed (and that's the part that keeps being left out; it's one full explanation, don't stop at "dukkha"). This is what enlightenment is;...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:45 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

So cling to those, does that help? Does not understanding them as stories, possibly translated poorly into English or misunderstood make more sense? Dukkha is what the purpose of the teachings is about; that it's our condition, but we may become free of it. We can't get stuck on the words as if they...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:38 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

It's a story to convey the point that the Buddha was unsure whether or not the Dharma would be understood; if it was skillful to teach it. There's much more to go on; the Tipitaka is vast but if you read a deal of it the pieces fit together. Taken out of context, or not understood as a traditional a...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:34 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

Incomplete. One can't understand with a simple definition; that is what we cling to, get stuck on. There's more to study that explains the Four Noble Truths and dukkha in more detail, and then practice is what truly gives the mind's eye a view of this truth. If you read more than you can bear on Acc...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:27 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Acquiring the meditational skills to attain Nibbana
Replies: 15
Views: 3413

Re: Acquiring the meditational skills to attain Nibbana

Be mindful of your in and out breathing at all times, even before falling asleep, not forcing but knowing each breath fully. This is called Samatha. Samatha develops a tranquility of mind, a calmness, and from this calm insight arises. This is called Vipassana. They are not two different things, but...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:16 pm
Forum: Wellness, Diet & Fitness
Topic: pain
Replies: 5
Views: 1763

Re: pain

good! :)
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:13 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: How important is The Buddha to Buddhism?
Replies: 115
Views: 18884

Re: How important is The Buddha to Buddhism?

You know, training and teaching people with varying levels of understanding is really difficult. Some people have certain ideas, you tell them something and they don’t believe you. You tell them the truth and they say it’s not true. “I’m right, you’re wrong...” There’s no end to this. If you don’t ...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:06 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

This understanding of dukkha seems to be important, and until it came up in this forum I hadn't heard it mistaken. Dukkha is not any thing of itself... dukkha is what arises when there is wrong view in combination with sight, sound, touch, smell, taste or thought. Dukkha is what arises to the unenli...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:28 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7540
Views: 1330419

Re: the great rebirth debate

from the teachings of Ajahn Chah: Even the Buddha experienced these things, he experienced comfort and pain, but he recognized them as conditions in nature. He knew how to overcome these ordinary, natural feelings of comfort and pain through understanding their true nature. Because he understood thi...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:15 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: not the only one
Replies: 2
Views: 973

Re: not the only one

The nature of one is the nature of all. If you only think of yourself, you are not seeing the Dhamma in all things, and so will not see with discernment that all worldly phenomena are impermanent, bound with suffering and not self. Our particular mess is one of duality, of separation. We should see ...
by Cloud
Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:47 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: How important is The Buddha to Buddhism?
Replies: 115
Views: 18884

Re: How important is The Buddha to Buddhism?

This from the teachings of Ajahn Chah: Where is the Buddha? We may think the Buddha has been and gone, but the Buddha is the Dhamma, the Truth. Some people like to say, “Oh, if I was born in the time of the Buddha I would go to Nibbana.” Here, stupid people talk like this. The Buddha is still here. ...
by Cloud
Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:27 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: NDE Elements & Buddhist Experience
Replies: 7
Views: 2193

Re: NDE Elements & Buddhist Experience

I'm not surprised. Anything to cling to, right? :)
by Cloud
Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:26 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: suffering
Replies: 5
Views: 1529

Re: suffering

Contact with the object (through the senses) combined with ignorance. In each experience, for every sensation, see that all things arise and fall (are impermanent), are bound with unsatisfactoriness and are not separate (neither self nor other). Anicca-Dukkha-Anatta. The purpose of Buddhist practice...