Search found 2516 matches

by Zom
Mon Apr 01, 2024 12:45 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 445
Views: 75049

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

Look I'm in Myanmar now. There is a civil war going on in a Buddhist country with maybe the most monks. Why? It's very complicated Not complicated at all. Being formally "a buddhist" doesn't make you wise or even moral person. Majority of buddhists in "traditional" countries don...
by Zom
Sun Mar 31, 2024 12:29 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 445
Views: 75049

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

Fine line, Zom, and killing definitely crosses it. If you're killing someone you become an aggressor and a taker of life. Also recall that the Buddha makes no such distinction when he's talking to the soldier who believes soldiers go to heaven when they die in combat. Plus, when we aren't Buddhas, ...
by Zom
Sat Mar 30, 2024 3:04 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 445
Views: 75049

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

Remember, if you do take the Buddha seriously, Bodhi is encouraging those poor, brave men and women to do what will likely lead them to hell. For defenders, unlikely. Likely here - this will lead to their shorter life span (in this life, next, or still some further lives). But for agressors lower w...
by Zom
Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:47 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts
Replies: 8
Views: 280

Re: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts

how come Brahma Viharas are critical to awakening They are not. Then again, even this term "brahmavihara" is a late one, it occurs only once or twice in Nikayas. in the earliest teachings Brahma was actually a deeper concept than just a deity. No, because it is (Maha Brahma) just a being ...
by Zom
Sun Mar 24, 2024 2:12 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts
Replies: 8
Views: 280

Re: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts

There are opinions by serious scholars that even the Nikayas already contain mixed materials from different sects rather than a single unified sangha. Nikayas contain some later suttas, yes, but 95% is a solid non-contradictory material. I know Nikayas very well so I know what I'm talking about. I ...
by Zom
Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:44 pm
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Are Homosexuals allowed to ordain?
Replies: 14
Views: 374

Re: Are Homosexuals allowed to ordain?

In that case they all likely share the same sexuality
by "they" you mean whom?
by Zom
Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:42 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts
Replies: 8
Views: 280

Re: The issues of Brahma concept in early texts

Not Buddha, but the doctrine in the early texts taken as a whole.
If we speak about early texts, we don't speak about early schools then, but about unified ancient sangha with one doctrine. And no, these texts have no inner contradictions on the matter.
by Zom
Sun Mar 24, 2024 1:24 pm
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Are Homosexuals allowed to ordain?
Replies: 14
Views: 374

Re: Are Homosexuals allowed to ordain?

I see no reason why a gay man or woman couldn't be ordained.
I see an obvious reason. It's as if heterosexual monk would ordain to live in a harem :lol:
by Zom
Sun Mar 17, 2024 1:03 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

Okay, read AN 9.35 closer.
by Zom
Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:47 am
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

Actually... you don't. And the sutta I referenced seems to disprove your point. That's not to say that they can't be accessed via the fourth jhana but it doesn't appear to be a necessity. I told you already, one can't simply jump into arupa-attainments ignoring previous 4 jhanas. Pali Canon has eno...
by Zom
Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:16 am
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

Note that the Infinitude of space, consciousness, nothingness and neither perception nor non-perception are all perceptions accessed via perception of earth with no mention of the four jhanas. I already commented on this above. Not mentioning jhanas does not mean you don't need them. Actually you do.
by Zom
Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:10 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

What you claimed is spectacular. That the kasinas are application of jhana practice alone, which implies that kasina cannot be practice pre-jhana which then with step by step training going into jhana. And that somehow a few century after Buddha, monks and nuns misunderstood the Buddha, going bat c...
by Zom
Fri Mar 15, 2024 5:30 am
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

I'm not denying that are a few references to colour kasinas in the suttas but the validity of those references is a bit iffy Again, one should have jhanic experience to express such doubts. Interesting thing about those 4 colors mentioned is that prism breaks white light into spectrum that has othe...
by Zom
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:43 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

Where is that? I wouldn’t say they are rather clear. Rather they are quite obscure in the suttas. In the very description of kasinas themselves. If the kasinas are developed in Jhana, how can one be aware of the gross physical body? One does not exclude the other. Depends on focus of perception, as...
by Zom
Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:23 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Origins of Kasina Meditation?
Replies: 43
Views: 1099

Re: Origins of Kasina Meditation?

Kasina was mentioned in the Sutta but the actual practice was kind of not clear to me. The most comprehensive sources I know were from Visuddhi/Vimutti-magga. So, please elaborate your take in detail and share the references from the Pali canon, if possible the actual practice itself and not just w...