mikenz66 wrote:These talks by Santikaro (formerly Ven Santikaro, and translator for Ven Buddhadasa) may be of interest:rowboat wrote:I'm sorry Kirk5a, I've scoured the web and I haven't found the original source. I remember the information being from an interview with someone from Suan Mokkh or from an article looking at the period between Ven. Buddhadasa's stroke and his death. I'll have a look again later.
http://www.audiodharma.org/teacher/129/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It's been a while since I listened to them, but he gives an interesting account of Ven Buddhadasa's hospitalization and eventual death.
I think there are some questions towards the end about the issue of Ven Buddhadasa's opinions on rebirth.
Mike
Towards the middle of the 4th in this series (37:~) Santikaro discusses Ajahn Buddhadasa’s critique of Buddhaghosa’s interpretation of DO, and toward 40:~ that his own pragmatism on rebirth was to change traditional (Thai) viewpoints of a Buddhist transmigratory class system – that contemplative life is only suitable for monks, whereas the laity can only make merit for hope of a better future life – and encourage them to ‘do something about suffering here and now’.
This is a rather common interpretation of his intentions and may be helpful with the debate going on in recent pages of this thread wrt rebirth agnosticism. In this regard Ajahn Buddhadasa was indifferent about rebirth as an essential right view, or that it had any significance to the contemplative work of Dhamma. Although Ajahn Buddhadasa made strong emphases on one life only, its central motivation was the utility of encouraging people to practice Dhamma; some hindered by traditional views on rebirth and others by the apparent incongruity of rebirth with scientific empiricism. In this sense his agnostic position was less a determined view on rebirth, than to help those who would practice Dhamma if not for being stuck on tradition or untenable metaphysical claims.