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Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:05 am
by steve19800
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: Are there? Or is it the case that superstitious people believe that the help came from a deity when it was due to their own kamma? There is a wise saying, “God helps those who help themselves.”
What I meant was for example when doctor can't help. They are cured due to their own kamma but it needs certain conditions to make the kamma ripen in my opinion.
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: Buddhists recite protection discourses such as the Ratana Sutta or the Khandha Sutta for protection from dangers, but these Suttas are just Buddhānussati, Dhammānussati, and Sanghānussati or Mettābhāvanā. The disciple who has faith in the virtues of the Triple Gem, who observes the five precepts, and who practices loving-kindness need have no fear.
When you say I take refuge in the Buddha. What does taking refuge in someone who have attained parinibbana mean? Dhamma is teaching of Buddha and Sangha is the community of monks and nuns. And then we say recite Ratana and Khandha Sutta for protection from dangers but why not other Sutta? Could this be a much more complex process than we thought? Why we chant in Pali but not in Italian or other language for example and the answer from most people is because many great enlightened practitioner were using Pali language i.e. to chant and to recite the Sutta and it has been passed for many generations therefore it has its own vibration. I don't think if we chant Buddhanussati in Arabic for example will have the same benefit as we chant in Pali, let alone the virtues of the Triple Gem. I am not talking about metaphysics but since our historical Buddha is a Samma sambuddha, his attainment was known not only in the human realm but up to the highest heaven as well. This what makes his teachings and Suttas are so special IMO.

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: The most famous Paritta Sutta — the Mangala Sutta — explains how one can be assured of good fortune in the future. There is no mention there of praying to deities (though it dos say that one should show reverence to those worthy of respect), but only the cultivation of 38 wholesome practices beginning with the avoidance of fools (immoral people), and culminating in the attainment of Arahantship.
While I believe that our own good kamma is helping us but at the same time I also believe that during our wandering in the Samsara we have created many affinities and connections with many beings whether they are good or bad. Some of them maybe still with us as a family member but was our wife/husband or maybe they are not with us in this lifetime in the human realm. These connections can be strong or weak depending on how deep our relationship with them. Buddhists are not praying asking for help from God but Gods become God because of the result of their virtues and wholesome conducts. Lower beings for example because of their strong hatred or jealousy might do harm to other people although maybe we might not be able to see them. The same thing with God. I think it is more to the level and understanding of the practice. But in my opinion, Devas do exist, our affinity to other sentient beings do exist as well. If unseen beings can do harm to us then why unseen beings can't do good to us?

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 8:57 am
by Kusala
steve19800 wrote:Hello all,

Buddha has attained parinibbana, it is said that he has gone beyond, just like a bird in the sky untraceable. The enlightened mind as mentioned by Ajahn Chah is unmoving thus cannot be recognized, there are also some Suttas about Mara who are unable to recognized or to locate the Buddha enlightened disciple's mind. Not to sure which Sutta is that, does anyone know?

Anyway, back to the topic. However, we, as a human being sometimes have a difficult/very/extremely difficult period. During this period or in any circumstances, as Buddha stated very clearly I cannot help you, you need to make your own self an island of refuge. But when you are going through a very difficult period and are in pain. You will think I need help. And then you know there are higher beings within the realm of samsara might still be able to hear your prayer so to speak? For example certain Gods or Deities or Bodhisattas? Hindu has many such as Krishna, Lakshmi, etc. I never practice that but they are powerful. They have their own mantra and purpose. Of course our kamma also important, however, there are too many cases to prove. If you are very sincere, you will get help from them.

Buddha himself was a Hindu. He perfected his parami through incalculable cycle of birth and death, became Buddha and then there is Buddhism. From my point of view, Buddha has attained the highest evolution a human being could possibly attained. While we are as lay people is not an exception. I just want to know what is your thought on this, Gods or Brahmas can hear you, they are sharing the same realm with us. Do you normally do this or you just doing nothing at all when you need help? Thanks.
"The Buddha was not a Hindu. Sri Shankara (788 CE-820 CE) systematized and founded what the British later dubbed "Hinduism" (the disparate and incomprehensibly diverse practices and views from the Indus River Valley). Shankara organized the commonalities and developed sets of beliefs we would now recognize as "Hindu." But he was very antagonistic towards Buddhism. He reduced the Buddha to a avatar -- an incarnation of the God Vishnu.

And brahmins, to reassert their top status (called into question by the noble-warrior caste Buddha and shramans), invented the story of Vishnu coming down to mislead purposely mislead people away from "Eternal Dharma" (an epithet Hinduism uses for itself). The average Hindu has no idea about any of this. They simply regard the co-opted Buddha as yet another holy man, sage, or avatar, of which there are so many in Hinduism as to stagger the imagination.

Hindu founder Shankara did all he could to destroy Buddhism in India, and Muslim/Islamic marauder completed the task. But by then Buddhism had already become a universal missionary religion, that went on to inspire and lend much to the Earth's two other "world religions," Christianity and Islam."


http://wisdomquarterly.blogspot.com/201 ... wrong.html

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:46 pm
by santa100
Steve19800:
But in my opinion, Devas do exist, our affinity to other sentient beings do exist as well. If unseen beings can do harm to us then why unseen beings can't do good to us?
I think if the Devas or Bodhisattvas could help us, they'd only be able to help out in accordance with the individual's kamma. Since you mentioned Avalokiteshvara, let's imagine a scenario as follow. Say two persons traveling on a boat, one breaks all the Five Precepts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and taking intoxicant while the other fully observes all the Five Precepts. Then the storm came and the boat broke in half, both men prayed to Avalokiteshvara. Being a Bodhisattva of boundless compassion as he is, Avalo would obviously try to save both of them. But whether His rescue effort is successful for both guys, it's really up to the individual kamma of those two folks. So ultimately it's really up to the individual's own effort, not up to Avalo. Like Ven. Pesala has said, be a good person, observe the Five Precepts and one will have no worry..

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:52 am
by ground
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:We just need to be inspired by the example set by wise and good beings, and try to emulate them.
That is actually the main practice in other traditions but it seems to be a general human mode of dealing with certain cicumstances. :sage:

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:08 am
by ground
steve19800 wrote:But do you think there are many level of practice? Obviously the self-reliance one is the most advanced and hardest one IMO.
Self reliance in the context of knowing the merely dependent arising of the sense of self is the most efficient way. Self reliance in the context of taking the merely dependently arisen sense of self as self the most futile one. :sage:

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 3:24 am
by ground
And then you may also have compassion with yourself and consider yourself to be like a little child. If this little child wants to pray, hey why not let it pray? If it helps and the child feels better then let it have its way. This may foster your capacity for metta and compassion towards others and thus in a very wondrous way overcome the inclination to expect help from the outside :sage:

Re: Buddha can't help

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:16 am
by binocular
ground wrote:Self reliance in the context of knowing the merely dependent arising of the sense of self is the most efficient way. Self reliance in the context of taking the merely dependently arisen sense of self as self the most futile one.
Thank you for this distinction!

Self reliance in the context of taking the merely dependently arisen sense of self as self - this is what we are taught in Western culture. We are expected to somehow stand tall in the face of considering ourselves transient, epiphenomenal. And yet some people seem to be ale to do it. I have no idea how they manage to do it. Although I do envy them.