Search found 727 matches

by alan...
Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:26 am
Forum: Pāli
Topic: a web site that breaks down each word?
Replies: 4
Views: 2804

a web site that breaks down each word?

there are a ton of dictionaries which are useful but once a word has been conjugated and contracted it can no longer be looked up in a dictionary unless one knows what it's roots are. is there a web site that breaks them down bit by bit? specifically by sutta quote? a pretend example, since i don't ...
by alan...
Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:45 am
Forum: Samatha Bhāvana
Topic: Anapanasati actually inducing sleep...!
Replies: 17
Views: 6766

Re: Anapanasati actually inducing sleep...!

Hello everyone... I am finding that if I use anapanasati I find it excruciatingly difficult to stay focused. I mean more than any other method I have ever used. It gets to the point currently where its almost a sleep induction exercise!! :shrug: I have used this method in the past to calm the mind ...
by alan...
Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:01 am
Forum: Wellness, Diet & Fitness
Topic: Yoga (asanas)
Replies: 10
Views: 4294

Re: Yoga (asanas)

i've done it. i really liked it but i did it at home which was confusing trying to mimic a tape with no instructor. i always felt sore the next day. also the ideas of a snake goddess shooting up my spine too mate with a male god in my head is kind of freaky... however i love the more liberal ideas a...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:47 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

Nyorai wrote:pretend there's two mandarin experts, one only speaks english, the other only pali, but both know spanish inside and out. could they communicate clearly by speaking spanish? Unlike languages, :heart: has no barrier. :buddha1:
Yes, They could communicate in both spanish and mandarin.
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:25 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

tiltbillings wrote:
alan... wrote:
out of curiosity, if all i want too know is sutta pali, why would i learn sanskrit?
It would help one better understand Pali. it is not, however, necessary.
oh okay, since sanskrit came first and could be considered a root of pali it would be a good precursor? that makes sense.
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 5:49 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

The nice thing is, Pali is a relatively easy language to learn. Such books as the The New Pali Course , by Prof. A. P. Buddhadatta, Maha Nayaka Thera and Dr. De Silva's Pali Primer would be good resources, but if you are interested in reading sutta Pali, I'd skip the first and go with A.K. Warder I...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 5:29 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Skeptical doubt
Replies: 59
Views: 13121

Re: Skeptical doubt

so the middle ground method would be (in my opinion) too practice sincerely and accept all teachings provisionally. if, after a good LONG time of sincere effort and practice, one sees absolutely NO validity too the practices or other ideas then, and only then, should one consider allowing serious s...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:53 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Skeptical doubt
Replies: 59
Views: 13121

Re: Skeptical doubt

the buddha kind of taught both too avoid skeptical doubt and too investigate and test his teachings. i think the key in this sutta is that ones doubt should not be so strong that it causes wavering in practice as there will be no progress if one is in constant doubt to the point that it is impeding ...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:29 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

You would be able to talk with monks who know Pali at that level, which I would guess is not a common thing. nonetheless, if you learn pali, in many theravada temples in countries around the world there will be at least a few monks you can communicate with. however if you don't know it then you hav...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:00 am
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Greetings & questions
Replies: 7
Views: 4400

Re: Greetings & questions

Hi everyone, I recently started to explore Buddhism and other spirituality practices and am so glad I found this forum. You all seem like nice people, and I'd love to get some help from you as I'm very new to Buddhism. Some of my questions are: Do you know of any good resources for a beginner to le...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 3:35 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

I met a Canadian monk who was good at Pali but no other language, and when he went to some big international Buddhist conference he was able to speak in Pali to some of the other monks there who had good Pali. very cool. so in theory, if one was an expert in pali, one could forgo learning the langu...
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 3:31 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

Re: can people who are pali experts converse in it?

tiltbillings wrote:WhenI was Thailand I heard monks speak at length with each other in Pali.
awesome! i assumed this was logically possible considering it is a language and all...

i just thought that there could be some odd feature of it that would make it too difficult or something.
by alan...
Mon Apr 22, 2013 3:15 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: can people who are pali experts converse in it?
Replies: 24
Views: 6415

can people who are pali experts converse in it?

pretend there's two pali experts, one only speaks english, the other only spanish, but both know pali inside and out. could they communicate clearly by speaking pali? naturally they would have to fill in modern words that didn't exist back in the pali days. but other than that how would it go?
by alan...
Fri Apr 19, 2013 2:17 am
Forum: Shrine Room
Topic: Photos of Malas
Replies: 12
Views: 4588

Re: Photos of Malas

http://img3.etsystatic.com/000/0/6045831/il_570xN.230102467.jpg this is pretty much the one i have, slight difference in the knot and mine is 8mm beads. i got it just because i thought it was hip although i never use it since its not mentioned in the canon. i tried making time for chanting "me...