Search found 29 matches

by Ajatashatru
Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:15 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: the great vegetarian debate
Replies: 5693
Views: 970346

Re: the great vegetarian debate

Lobsters, crabs, and other crustaceans experience pain, according to Robert Elwood, an animal behavior researcher at Queens University Belfast. They feel it, when they are boiled alive. I heard from my old Vaishnava grandmother that the worst kind of violence (himsa) one can do is when you boil ano...
by Ajatashatru
Fri Aug 23, 2013 12:11 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7539
Views: 1327122

Re: the great rebirth debate

Well speaking for myself, my belief in rebirth is ESSENTIAL to my buddhist practice, maybe I'm the only one, but without a belief in rebirth I doubt I'd be a buddhist and or sober today. The idea that you don't need rebirth to practice some parts of Buddhism is true, but the idea that no one benefi...
by Ajatashatru
Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:38 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7539
Views: 1327122

Re: the great rebirth debate

I will get around to reading all 220+ pages of this thread, but let me just say that I think its highly dishonest for someone to claim to be a Buddhist and at the same time reject rebirth. This is the height of hypocrisy because if you believe this, you are by definition a materialist which is anath...
by Ajatashatru
Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:34 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: My review of "Theravada Buddhism: A Social History" part one
Replies: 0
Views: 991

My review of "Theravada Buddhism: A Social History" part one

I am a recent student of the Theravada tradition and the Pali Canon. This excellent book by Dr. Gombrich is essential reading for anybody interested in the Theravada tradition. In this book Gombrich demolishes several misconceptions about Buddhism that have been persistent in the public's view of Bu...
by Ajatashatru
Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:52 pm
Forum: Pāli
Topic: Pali/Buddhist non-translatables
Replies: 2
Views: 1584

Re: Pali/Buddhist non-translatables

Words are just concepts. Translating a Sanskrit or Pāḷi term is just swapping one concept for another. Knowing the Pāḷi word for not-self (anatta), doesn't mean that we understand what not-self or anatta really is. At least we need to attain the stage of knowledge by comprehension (sammasana-ñāṇa),...
by Ajatashatru
Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:15 pm
Forum: Pāli
Topic: A New Critical Edition of the Pali Canon?
Replies: 9
Views: 5711

Re: A New Critical Edition of the Pali Canon?

What is all of yours opinion on the Palicanon.org website? How do you rate the translations?

Thanks
by Ajatashatru
Tue Jul 23, 2013 6:09 pm
Forum: Pāli
Topic: Pali/Buddhist non-translatables
Replies: 2
Views: 1584

Pali/Buddhist non-translatables

As some of you have seen in my earlier posts, I have been reading a book called "Being Different" by Rajiv Malhotra which is an analysis of Western civilization. In it he coins the term "digestion" where a powerful civilization data mines a weaker civilization before destroying i...
by Ajatashatru
Mon Jul 15, 2013 4:06 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

daverupa wrote:
I am influenced by the Hindu thinker Rajiv Malhotra...
...who has written a book.

Reading these entries might clarify the foundational point of view being expressed by the OP.

Thanks for the link, I would like some of our senior members to read the article and see what they think.
by Ajatashatru
Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:18 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

The problem is the Westerners who support the traditional chronology don't find much support, they don't get grants, etc. Yet another assertion made without evidence. Sir is it not evidence enough that almost every scholar jumped aboard the later dates and then the scholar who is supporting the lat...
by Ajatashatru
Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:23 am
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Excellent old book:George Grimm, The doctrine of the Buddha
Replies: 47
Views: 20204

Re: Excellent old book:George Grimm, The doctrine of the Bud

I put in an order for this book via Amazon. How does it compare to Rahula Walpola's book?
by Ajatashatru
Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:19 am
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

There are Western historians who agree with the traditional Theravada long chronology. Here is a critique of this post dating of Buddha by Giovanni Verardi (who has written an excellent book on the downfall of Buddhism in India). The problem is the Westerners who support the traditional chronology d...
by Ajatashatru
Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:45 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

Thank you but you have only given us your unsubstantiated opinion. I see no evidence of 'cultural appropriation' in your posts as a result of modern scholars dating the Buddha. By dating the Buddha so artificially late so as to allow Greek influence is cultural appropriation. Its like saying that j...
by Ajatashatru
Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:43 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

This I see as a way of the west to culturally appropriate Buddha from his Indic, dharmic roots. I would appreciate it if you could expand on this and please include evidence of your claims. kind regards, Ben What I am going to expand on is not my original thought, I am influenced by the Hindu think...
by Ajatashatru
Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:31 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Re: Dating the Buddha

Have any of you even read Batchelor's "Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist"? After reading this dishonest, disgusting book don't you see how Buddhism is being made to conform to a gross materialistic impression in the West? This is totally against Buddha's teachings. Batchelor dismisses all ...
by Ajatashatru
Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:19 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Dating the Buddha
Replies: 23
Views: 7225

Dating the Buddha

Recently I have seen a trend of postdating Buddha among Western historians. The current accepted view is Buddha was born in 480 BCE and Parinibbana at 400 BCE. The view held by tradition is 563 to 483 BCE. Lately a few scholars have suggested that Buddha was born around 300 BCE, this was done to acc...