help

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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no mike
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help

Post by no mike »

Silly question, I know.

About how many people are on this planet, alive, who have reached enlightenment?

I would like to find one who is not terribly busy, I have many questions :D

mike
barcsimalsi
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Re: help

Post by barcsimalsi »

Hi Mike, i'm eager as you but Arahunting always turn out in vain.
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LonesomeYogurt
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Re: help

Post by LonesomeYogurt »

hahah Arahunting.

There are a few teachers rumored to be enlightened in the modern world today, but too much speculation on the issue is often considered unwholesome.
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,
do not exist.
- Lokavipatti Sutta

Stuff I write about things.
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manas
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Re: help

Post by manas »

no mike wrote:Silly question, I know.

About how many people are on this planet, alive, who have reached enlightenment?

I would like to find one who is not terribly busy, I have many questions :D

mike
hi.mike
my.guess.is.that.there.are.a.few.around
but.that.since.the.real.ones.dont.advertise.the.fact.publicly
they.are.going.to.be.hard.to.locate
but.if.you.hang.around.in.Buddhist.circles.long.enough
you.will.in.time.most.likely
run.in.to.one.

bear.in.mind.that.there.are.sites
where.your.original.question
would.have.possibly.already.been.met.by.someone
with.a."sure,Im.enlightened;what.did.you.want.to.ask?"
if.that.ever.happens.to.you.i.would.suggest
you.keep.your.scepticism.meter.turned.up.to"full"

i.dont.know.much.about.the.enlightened
but.im.sure.of.one.thing:they.are.humble.and.not.proud.

metta. :anjali:
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
santa100
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Re: help

Post by santa100 »

While waiting to find one, check out accesstoinsight.org and dhammawheel.com. You might be able to find answer to some of your questions... :smile:
Rasko
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Re: help

Post by Rasko »

no mike wrote: About how many people are on this planet, alive, who have reached enlightenment?
42
I would like to find one who is not terribly busy, I have many questions :D
I have invented an arahant detector, a portable brainwave scanner which makes arahunting so much easier. Price is $84,000, but just for you, I don't want that arahants are hunted to extinction.
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no mike
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Re: help

Post by no mike »

barcsimalsi
LonesomeYogurt
manas
santa100
Rasko

thank you :)

mike

8-)
Last edited by no mike on Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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no mike
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Re: help

Post by no mike »

santa100 wrote:While waiting to find one, check out accesstoinsight.org and dhammawheel.com. You might be able to find answer to some of your questions... :smile:
Ohhhh :D

~ thank you ~

:namaste:
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torqz
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Re: help

Post by torqz »

Deleted post.
Last edited by torqz on Mon Dec 08, 2014 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
May the triple gem bless bless you, may you quickly realize the 4 noble truths in this Gautama Buddhas dispensation... Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!
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no mike
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Re: help

Post by no mike »

PeDr0 wrote: to sort the wheat from the chaff
Yes, good point.

:namaste:
SarathW
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Re: help

Post by SarathW »

The best way to find Arhant is to become one of them.
I know it is bit too hard (at least for me at this stage).
So see whether you can become a Sotapanna at least.
:)
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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no mike
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Re: help

Post by no mike »

SarathW wrote:The best way to find Arhant is to become one of them.
I know it is bit too hard (at least for me at this stage).
So see whether you can become a Sotapanna at least.
:)
Oh, Great. When I was in the Boyscouts, I had a very difficult time becoming a Tenderfoot. I was thrilled when my mom helped me achieve my only two merit badges, one was in bookbinding, and the other was for pets (I wasn't allowed to have a dog, so I interviewed a pet store owner and wrote an essay about my goldfish).

Anyways, I have been meaning to look up these classifications (Sotapanna, etc.), as well as the stages of enlightenment. Perhaps the language of Theravada will help me see a map, "you are here."

Many things are exciting that have been happening, but a little overwhelming. I feel like I've come out of a deep sleep and now I am trying to gain orientation to my surroundings.

:candle:
mal4mac
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Re: help

Post by mal4mac »

The following seems to make sense, but I'd have to be enlightened to be sure!

"Because of the nondual nature of Enlightenment, the only person whose Enlightenment you can be absolutely certain about is your own. And even in that case, it is not even “your” Enlightenment that “you” are certain about. There is no “you”. There is no “thing” to be certain about. There is just Enlightenment."

http://integralscience.wordpress.com/20 ... lightened/

Unfortunately it doesn't get us very far in recognising who "might be" enlightened. This, perhaps, might help:

http://www.budakoda.ee/en/a-selection-o ... lightened/

"In the Canki Sutta the Buddha advises that the proper test of the truth of someone’s claim to be enlightened is an examination of their conduct for any evidence of greed, hatred or delusion... A person’s actions of body and of speech are a decisive indicator of the extent of their spiritual attainment. In the Vimamsaka and Thana Suttas the Buddha gives some detailed advice on how to go about testing the ethical conduct of a teacher. Is the appearance of ethical purity a recent phenomenon or has it been consistently evident for a long time? Here the Buddha ... even suggests that one of the ways to examine a person’s behaviour is to get close to them and to live next to them. A person’s behaviour should then be carefully examined in a variety of circumstances, watching not just for initial responses but paying attention to what might happen later. How does the person respond when faced with adversity? If suffering the loss of a relative or of wealth, or becoming ill, does the person respond with equanimity? Do they reflect that suffering happens when one clings to the self, or do they become afflicted with sorrow and grief? If they become a popular and even famous teacher, how do they respond to such popularity and fame? In their dealings with other members of the sangha, do they say one thing to one person and something else to another? Are their later dealings in harmony with their earlier dealings? Do they publicly rubbish some members of the sangha whilst praising others? Do they make false claims in their conversations and teachings, saying that they know or see things when they don’t? Do they avoid indulging in sensual pleasures out of fear of the consequences, or because they are truly without lust? When teaching or in discussion how does a person respond to an issue? How do they apply reasoning? Are they dull? Can they make the meaning plain and clear?... And, of course, it would also be expected of an enlightened person that they were unfailingly compassionate and kind."
- Mal
santa100
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Re: help

Post by santa100 »

no mike wrote:Anyways, I have been meaning to look up these classifications (Sotapanna, etc.), as well as the stages of enlightenment. Perhaps the language of Theravada will help me see a map, "you are here."
You might want to check out "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It's basically a guide map to the Nikayas. He spent the entire last chapter, The Planes of Realization, to talk about the stages of enlightenment. An excellent excellent book..
mal4mac
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Re: help

Post by mal4mac »

santa100 wrote: You might want to check out "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It's basically a guide map to the Nikayas. He spent the entire last chapter, The Planes of Realization, to talk about the stages of enlightenment. An excellent excellent book..
I just read this excellent article by him on "What does it mean to be enlightened?":

http://buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/ebdha341.htm
- Mal
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