Search found 23 matches
- Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:15 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4840
Re: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
Here is why I'm asking; because Bhikku Bodhi's opinion isn't shared by his colleagues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFJVYL-me_c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Here is a third opinion: K. Sri Dhammananda MahaThera says it's both-and, not either-or: http://www.budsas.org/eb...
- Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:37 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4840
How Do Theravadins View Hell?
Wholesome action is it's own reward. if somebody has to have the threat of hell before cleaning up his/her act then his/her heart is not in it. We can say this now, but back in the day, way back, it was believed that the threat of hell would keep people on the straight and narrow. Look at Christian...
- Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:07 pm
- Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
- Topic: Can a monk who disrobe reordain?
- Replies: 55
- Views: 15979
Re: Can a monk who disrobe reordain?
Tibetans and Zen both have married "monks", but only in certain sects. An ex-monk in the Tibetan tradition told me that Tibetan monks have the right to disrobe 3 times in their "career", assuming no vows have been broken. If they're chafing under the celibacy discipline, they can...
- Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:51 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 4840
Re: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
It is pointless to debate whether these realms are real or simply fanciful metaphors that describe the various mind-states we might experience in this lifetime. A point well made, but there might be those for whom the chances of changing their behaviour is dependent upon the reality of its perceive...
- Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:55 pm
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: The Buddha and Occupy Wall Street
- Replies: 197
- Views: 36811
Re: The Buddha and Occupy Wall Street
Joan Halifax wrote a good essay about this, that can be seen on ZFI's Occupy WallStreet thread. "This is what compassion looks like", she titled it. She writes that the Buddha taught how a king should govern properly, so as to look after his subjects compassionately. He would definitely ha...
- Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:39 pm
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven.Dhammika and other scandals
- Replies: 380
- Views: 138114
Re: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven. S. Dhammika
The other example of selectivity in doctrine based on the Pali canon is the doctrine of dependent origination. Dhammika says: "There are two versions of this doctrine--one showing the arising of suffering, and the other showing the arising of liberation and freedom. The first of these ... featu...
- Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:20 pm
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 8049
Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?
Here's one more quote for you, moth. Sorry, I don't mean to hog the board. In DN16, the Buddha says, "I shall not come to my final passing away ... until my bhikkus and bhikkunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true disciples." Clearly, he was viewing both male and female followers w...
- Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:45 am
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: The train morality problem
- Replies: 128
- Views: 31697
Re: The train morality problem
Joining this discussion a little late. Back to the killer issue, presented near the beginning. This is a question that would likely bring a different response, depending on who the respondent is: Theravadan or Mahayana. In Mahayana, one can break a precept if doing so would result in a higher good. ...
- Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:02 am
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven.Dhammika and other scandals
- Replies: 380
- Views: 138114
Re: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven. S. Dhammika
What do members think of the part of the book in which he discusses the Pali canon, and says that there are parts of it that were developed by Theravada, and parts that were ignored, the latter of which became the basis for some of the Mahayana teachings? (Under "What Is Theravada?") He gi...
- Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:47 am
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 8049
Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?
Moth, see: SN 37.4 Vaddha Sutta: Growth "A female disciple of one of the noble ones grows in terms of these five types of growth. Which five? She grows in terms of conviction. She grows in terms of virtue. She grows in terms of learning. She grows in terms of generosity. She grows in terms of d...
- Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:15 pm
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
- Replies: 37
- Views: 8049
Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?
I'd like to add that the Buddha included women in the sangha at great risk to the future viability of the sangha. Firstly, in AN 8.51 he does say that women are capable of becoming arhats. But in the Buddha's time, it was an extremely radical act to include women in a sangha with male monastics. He ...
- Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:17 pm
- Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
- Topic: Did Buddha Teach Mantra Meditation?
- Replies: 44
- Views: 14423
Re: Did Buddha Teach Mantra Meditation?
Thanks for joining us, acinteyyo!
- Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:06 pm
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: Meditation and Morals
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2336
Re: Meditation and Morals
In order to be able to train the mind properly, there needs to be at least some kind of moral behaviour Yes, and to clarify my previous posts, compassion is also learned via behavior, not only through meditation. One learns by doing, as well as by training the mind through meditation. Compassion is...
- Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:03 pm
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: Meditation and Morals
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2336
Re: Meditation and Morals
The purpose of meditation is to gain insight (and therefore, wisdom), and to aid in cultivating compassion. It's just one aspect of the whole methodology the Buddha taught, just one component. It's not a magic bullet.
- Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:44 pm
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: Meditation and Morals
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2336
Re: Meditation and Morals
I think metta meditation and the cultivation of compassion for many is a lifelong discipline. Someone posted on another thread that bliss is not to be equated with Enlightenment. Bliss is just bliss, a potential pitfall for attachment, like the siddhis that can come with steady meditation practice. ...