Search found 17 matches

by Sovietnik
Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:43 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Praying for Fred Phelps
Replies: 20
Views: 3755

Re: Praying for Fred Phelps

It is not sure whether his organization was actually a church or simply a tax evasion scheme - the entire Westbro Baptist Church has 100 members, all of whom are Fred Phelps' family members. Incidentally(?) Phelps was a lawyer and 11 of his 13 children have law degrees.
by Sovietnik
Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:42 pm
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: Vipassana in other traditions
Replies: 2
Views: 1399

Vipassana in other traditions

Is Vipassana meditation practiced in other Buddhist traditions as well, besides theravada?
by Sovietnik
Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:58 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?
Replies: 11
Views: 1919

Re: Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?

I meant that weird explanation of "having" something being equal to either "receiving" or "grabbing" it. In my understanding "having X" means simplt... having X. There is no need for any meta language to describe this. What do you mean by "right"? Th...
by Sovietnik
Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:58 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?
Replies: 11
Views: 1919

Re: Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?

" Having the right" depends on either receiving it or grabbing it from something that has the power to give it or to let go of it. Living beings already have the right to act (defend in this case) whether they accept it or reject it. They don't have to get it or grab it from something els...
by Sovietnik
Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:12 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?
Replies: 11
Views: 1919

Do Buddhists have the right to defend themselves?

Do Buddhists as individuals or as societies have the right to defend themselves from an armed aggression? The rule of ahinsa is one of the most important rules of dharmic religions but we must take into consideration the conditions in which Buddhism was born. Ancient India was a very tolerant land e...
by Sovietnik
Thu Feb 13, 2014 10:25 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Effects of meditation
Replies: 7
Views: 2035

Effects of meditation

How much can meditation (I'm talking mostly about vipassana) change one's personality? Can it turn a hateful, easily irritable and lazy/impatient person into someone much more psychologically healthy?
by Sovietnik
Fri Feb 07, 2014 9:11 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: What if Thailand turns into a Christian majority nation?
Replies: 96
Views: 22002

Re: What if Thailand turns into a Christian majority nation?

Christianity is simpler to follow than Buddhism and it's also backed by so called soft power . Christian countries are the most developed region in the world, we have highly developed economies, culture etc. People have always been fascinated by higher cultures. All ancient barbarians wanted to dres...
by Sovietnik
Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:08 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Concept of evil in Buddhism.
Replies: 12
Views: 1829

Re: Concept of evil in Buddhism.

Thanks for answers.
Regards.
:goodpost:
by Sovietnik
Mon Feb 03, 2014 5:12 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Concept of evil in Buddhism.
Replies: 12
Views: 1829

Concept of evil in Buddhism.

What is the concept of evil in Buddhism like? Is there independent evil like the one that exists in abrahamic religions or maybe it's treated as just a quality of actions?
by Sovietnik
Mon Feb 03, 2014 4:45 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and developments of science.
Replies: 34
Views: 7001

Re: Buddhism and developments of science.

Take a look at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_scientist-clerics There have probably been more Catholic cleric-scientists over the past 1000 years than all Indian and Chinese scientists combined. And that's only if we don't count laymen scientists who since about 17th ...
by Sovietnik
Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:23 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Could we each have a billion atoms from the Buddha?
Replies: 11
Views: 1882

Re: Could we each have a billion atoms from the Buddha?

Atoms are indistinguishable from one another so it does not really matter.
by Sovietnik
Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:56 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and developments of science.
Replies: 34
Views: 7001

Re: Buddhism and developments of science.

Nowdays, no one. But in the past Christians and Muslims used to mix their own religions with Greek philosophy. The effect were Averroism and Thomism which still remains an official philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church.
by Sovietnik
Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:30 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and developments of science.
Replies: 34
Views: 7001

Re: Buddhism and developments of science.

I wonder how would a synthesis of Buddhism with Aristotle's empiricism look like?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle
by Sovietnik
Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:09 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and developments of science.
Replies: 34
Views: 7001

Re: Buddhism and developments of science.

Tell me more. What exactly was Japanese math like?
by Sovietnik
Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:11 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and developments of science.
Replies: 34
Views: 7001

Re: Buddhism and developments of science.

Can someone write more about Nalanda University? How does it compare to medieval European institutions? Who taught there and what was taught? Was the institution independent from the state, with the ability to rule itself (appointing it's own teachers, designing it's own curriculum)? Cause i was tau...