Ajahn Brahm for sale?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Cittasanto
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Cittasanto »

Instead of focusing on what you think people are doing try correcting the points if they are in error! :focus:
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He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
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LonesomeYogurt
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

As I said before, I don't know enough about the actual Vinaya to be certain about this. However, I do think that monks should perhaps avoid doing things that are certain to appear as Vinaya violations. It seems that Brahmali had this explanation cocked and ready, and something about that really bothers me. I agree with Tilt that there is a bit too much finger-wagging here, but I also feel as though monks should err on the side of caution instead of doing things that really do seem to be rule-breakers, justification at the ready.

I like Brahm, and Brahmali, and I don't really care about this either way. Something does seem off though. Perhaps this could have been handled better.
Gain and loss, status and disgrace,
censure and praise, pleasure and pain:
these conditions among human beings are inconstant,
impermanent, subject to change.

Knowing this, the wise person, mindful,
ponders these changing conditions.
Desirable things don’t charm the mind,
undesirable ones bring no resistance.

His welcoming and rebelling are scattered,
gone to their end,
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Modus.Ponens
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Modus.Ponens »

I was extremely reluctant to comment on this thread and I haven't even read it all, but I'll give my 2 cents.

The worst case scenario is the scenario where Ajahn Brahm broke a vinaya rule. Although I think this is very unlikely, is it such a terrible thing? It wasn't a parajika. Ajahn Brahm is human so he is bound to break the vinaya. Even the Buddha, when he promised a heaven full of consorts to a disciple if he practiced the path thaught by the him, the Buddha (in my interpretation; I may be wrong) lied. The Buddha, the supreme example to all of us, wasn't exempt of breaking the vinaya. Ajahn Chah also read the palm of the hand of a disciple, breaking a vinaya rule. So this, I think, is such a subtle issue that it should be left to bhikkhus to decide the best course of action, if any at all. We, as lay people who haven't experienced what it is living acording to the vinaya should only express indignation if the situation is severe, like a parajika, or a schism, or a big event like the bhikkhuni ordination, for example. I would even understand comments if there were bad intentions in Ajahn Brahm's heart that were discernible to us. This is clearly not the case. When we're not even sure if it was a breaking of the vinaya, why be judgemental?

As a member already said, Ajahn Brahm deserves better.
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Lombardi4 »

Does anybody lose anything from this? Does this lead to harm and suffering for anyone? Does it lead to anyone's benefit? Is there any unwholesome intention involved here?

Something is unwholesome if (1.) it springs from greed, hatred, or delusion and (2.) it leads to harm and suffering for oneself or another or both.

I don't see any unwholesome intentions here and I don't see any harm for anyone involved.
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manas
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by manas »

Modus.Ponens wrote:Even the Buddha, when he promised a heaven full of consorts to a disciple if he practiced the path thaught by the him, the Buddha (in my interpretation; I may be wrong) lied.
Hi Modus,

I know your intentions are good here, but that wasn't a lie; crafty or even a little bit tricky, maybe ;) but I am quite sure that, had the said disciple practiced assiduously as instructed but not attained any state beyond stream-entry, that he would indeed have ended up in such a heaven. with such consorts. So, the promise would have held true. But something happened on the way to heaven...and I think the Buddha knew about that, as well. But either way, He still would not have been lying. But maybe, being just a little bit crafty, to save yet another being from the perils of samsara...

(I also am hoping that if I'm mistaken here, that someone corrects me!)

:anjali:
Last edited by manas on Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cittasanto
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Cittasanto »

manas wrote:
Modus.Ponens wrote:Even the Buddha, when he promised a heaven full of consorts to a disciple if he practiced the path thaught by the him, the Buddha (in my interpretation; I may be wrong) lied.
Hi Modus,

I know your intentions are good here, but that wasn't a lie; crafty or even a little tricky, yes, :) but I am quite sure that, had the said disciple practiced assiduously as instructed but not attained any state beyond stream-entry, that he would indeed have ended up in such a heaven. with such consorts. So, the promise would have held true. But something happened on the way to heaven...and I think the Buddha knew about that, as well. But either way, He still would not have been lying. But maybe, being just a little bit crafty, to save yet another being from the perils of samsara...

So, when the Buddha said, "I am your ticket to 500 dove-footed nymphs" he was speaking truthfully. He just didn't mention that the desire for the 500 nymphs would fade and utterly cease along the way :lol:

(I also am hoping that if I'm mistaken here, that someone corrects me!)

:anjali:
that is correct to my knowledge.
it was the story of Nanda, who basically said when he went to the Buddha after that he wouldn't know what to do with them and declined the "prize".
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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manas
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by manas »

Cittasanto wrote:...
that is correct to my knowledge.
it was the story of Nanda, who basically said when he went to the Buddha after that he wouldn't know what to do with them and declined the "prize".
I can recall another occassion. where (as I recall) the Buddha promised to (heal or bring back to life?) the child of a grief-sticken mother, if she could bring him a mustard seed from a house (ie, in those days, family) in which no-one had ever died. Note the presence of the word 'IF'...which meant that the Buddha was never going to have to fulfil that one, because there is no such house / family.

So once more, that was a clever, yet truthful, use of words, was it not? :anjali:
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Cittasanto
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Cittasanto »

Modus.Ponens wrote: Ajahn Chah also read the palm of the hand of a disciple, breaking a vinaya rule.
Ajahn Chah had his palms read once, but I have never heard of him reading palms, he had this strange scoff apparently when asked to see his palms so it is strange!
can you provide a reference?
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
SamKR
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by SamKR »

No doubt about Ajahn Brahm's good intentions and no doubt that he has contributed a lot and that he is just trying to work for the benefit of many. Also, this may not be against Vinaya.

But would the Buddha (Gotama) approve this? Probably not.
Just an opinion based on a handful of suttas I've read so far.

:namaste:
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James the Giant
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by James the Giant »

This debate reminds me of the Devadatta schism...
A group of people holding monks to a higher standard than what the vinaya actually requires.
Then,
saturated with joy,
you will put an end to suffering and stress.
SN 9.11
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Gena1480 »

where does a Bhikkhu go
when breaking a rule
does he go to the support of the Sangha
that ordain him.
i know its not of any of my Business,
but remembering the sutta where even Arahant didn't have inclination to teach ordain Bhikkhunis
only from direct instruction from the Buddha they change their mind.
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Dan74
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Dan74 »

I am wondering what the purpose of this thread is?

Have you written to Ajahn Brahm, Cittasanto? That would be useful.

Other than that, it just sounds like a whole lot of conceit to believe one's take on Vinaya and the Dhamma to be superior to an outstanding monk ordained for nearly 40 years, especially for one who's been on this earth for barely half this long?

I mean questioning is great but it's got to be open-minded and respectful and this seems to be increasingly rare these days.
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SDC
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by SDC »

Dan74 wrote:I am wondering what the purpose of this thread is?

Have you written to Ajahn Brahm, Cittasanto? That would be useful.

Other than that, it just sounds like a whole lot of conceit to believe one's take on Vinaya and the Dhamma to be superior to an outstanding monk ordained for nearly 40 years, especially for one who's been on this earth for barely half this long?

I mean questioning is great but it's got to be open-minded and respectful and this seems to be increasingly rare these days.
Good post, Dan
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Gena1480 »

where do i go to write
i'm interested
maybe i
will learn something.
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Re: Ajahn Brahm for sale?

Post by Modus.Ponens »

Cittasanto wrote:
Modus.Ponens wrote: Ajahn Chah also read the palm of the hand of a disciple, breaking a vinaya rule.
Ajahn Chah had his palms read once, but I have never heard of him reading palms, he had this strange scoff apparently when asked to see his palms so it is strange!
can you provide a reference?
I remember this story beeing told by one of his disciples. I've googled it, but didn't find a reference, because it was on an audio file. It was basicaly like this. It was when a generous benefactor of Ajahn Chah's monastery received a dhamma talk on the importance of gratitude. The next day the benefactor went to Ajahn Chah and asked him to read his palm. Ajahn Chah declined. The benefactor reminded Ajahn Chah of his previous dhamma talk on the importance of gratitude. So Ajahn Chah was kind of forced to read the benefactor's palm.

I'm not judging Ajahn Chah here. I wish I had 1 hundreth of his discipline. I believe he was an arahat. What I'm saying is that even an arahat can break the vinaya. I'm not defending a lax behaviour either. Obviously good monks do the best they can to mantain the vinaya. But the best they can is not perfect. There is a reason for there being punishments in the vinaya: monks break it. Different monks break different vinaya rules and there is a procedure for overcoming those faults. This is basicaly a monks' issue, so I think we should abstain from making public judgement, such as saying that Ajahn Brahm is prostituting his time. What a horrible way to put it!

James nailed it when he reminded the Devadatta's schism. Monks holding other monks with higher standards than those the Buddha himself laid down for his Sangha. What to say then of lay people, who don't have experience with living everyday with the vinaya, judging the monks who don't live with a higher standard than that in the vinaya?
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
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