Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
santa100
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Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Post by santa100 »

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
What I think is of no consequence for you — it depends on what you think, say, and do that will decide whether or not you wind up in hell.

My duty is just to teach what the Buddha taught, as far as I understand it, according to reliable sources
+1
And I think bhante's point clearly addressed danielLion's inquiry:
danielLion wrote:If other Buddhists believed this we'd have no Abhidhamma, commentarial tradition, Visuddhimagga, etc.... We certainly wouldn't have Dhammawheel. We'd have doctrinal solidarity.
The Buddha and the Dhamma are not the problem. We are the problem. And so the purpose of the Abhidhamma, Vm,..and Dhammawheel forum are not there to expose the problem of the Dhamma. They are there as medium for practitioners to share their knowledge and experience to other practitioners. Sure, there're arguments and debates but I hope they're not there just for the sake of argument but to address any error or mistake we still need to improve upon..
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SDC
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Re: Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Post by SDC »

danieLion wrote:Hi SDC,
SDC wrote:...you can't talk about it experientially but it [nibbana] can be discussed intellectually.
Which goes to Right View. I submit: intellectualizing vs. experiencing is a false dichotomy; theory and practice is a dialectic; Right View is an intellect/theory and experience/practice dialectic.
Kindly,
dL
Without a doubt. I was just stressing that at the present time I can offer no experiential information regarding nibbana. So any discussion would be intellectual in nature.
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
hermitwin
Posts: 231
Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:35 pm

Re: Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Post by hermitwin »

As Buddha said he only taught a handful of leaves.
The things he knew was like the leaves in the forest.
He taught what was necessary for nibbana.

Imperfect human beings continue to argue
about how to improve Buddha's teachings.
These arguments will never end.

Keep in mind that Buddha said his teachings will not last forever.
The deterioration of the dhamma will continue until
some day when it is completely lost.


danieLion wrote:Hi hermitwin,
hermitwin wrote:I dont think Buddhism can be improved upon.
If other Buddhists believed this we'd have no Abhidhamma, commentarial tradition, Visuddhimagga, etc.... We certainly wouldn't have Dhammawheel. We'd have doctrinal solidarity.
hermitwin wrote:as a manual for nibbana
What do you think is a manual?
Kindly,
dL
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Ceisiwr
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Location: Wales

Re: Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Post by Ceisiwr »

Keep in mind that Buddha said his teachings will not last forever.
The deterioration of the dhamma will continue until
some day when it is completely lost.
Which people have being saying for centuries :zzz:
“The teacher willed that this world appear to me
as impermanent, unstable, insubstantial.
Mind, let me leap into the victor’s teaching,
carry me over the great flood, so hard to pass.”
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equilibrium
Posts: 522
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:07 am

Re: Improving Buddhism/The Imperfect Buddha

Post by equilibrium »

clw_uk wrote:
Keep in mind that Buddha said his teachings will not last forever.
The deterioration of the dhamma will continue until
some day when it is completely lost.
Which people have being saying for centuries :zzz:
Try thousands of years!
"Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to cease": (Nibbana 33 Sermons.)
"For anything that has a beginning must have an end": (The oracle, The Matrix.)
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