Search found 23 matches

by namaste
Sun Feb 19, 2012 6:15 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
Replies: 14
Views: 4803

Re: How Do Theravadins View Hell?

Here is why I'm asking; because Bhikku Bodhi's opinion isn't shared by his colleagues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFJVYL-me_c" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Here is a third opinion: K. Sri Dhammananda MahaThera says it's both-and, not either-or: http://www.budsas.org/eb...
by namaste
Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:37 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
Replies: 14
Views: 4803

How Do Theravadins View Hell?

Wholesome action is it's own reward. if somebody has to have the threat of hell before cleaning up his/her act then his/her heart is not in it. We can say this now, but back in the day, way back, it was believed that the threat of hell would keep people on the straight and narrow. Look at Christian...
by namaste
Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:07 pm
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Can a monk who disrobe reordain?
Replies: 55
Views: 15812

Re: Can a monk who disrobe reordain?

Tibetans and Zen both have married "monks", but only in certain sects. An ex-monk in the Tibetan tradition told me that Tibetan monks have the right to disrobe 3 times in their "career", assuming no vows have been broken. If they're chafing under the celibacy discipline, they can...
by namaste
Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:51 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: How Do Theravadins View Hell?
Replies: 14
Views: 4803

Re: How Do Theravadins View Hell?

It is pointless to debate whether these realms are real or simply fanciful metaphors that describe the various mind-states we might experience in this lifetime. A point well made, but there might be those for whom the chances of changing their behaviour is dependent upon the reality of its perceive...
by namaste
Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:55 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The Buddha and Occupy Wall Street
Replies: 197
Views: 36322

Re: The Buddha and Occupy Wall Street

Joan Halifax wrote a good essay about this, that can be seen on ZFI's Occupy WallStreet thread. "This is what compassion looks like", she titled it. She writes that the Buddha taught how a king should govern properly, so as to look after his subjects compassionately. He would definitely ha...
by namaste
Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:39 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven.Dhammika and other scandals
Replies: 380
Views: 136764

Re: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven. S. Dhammika

The other example of selectivity in doctrine based on the Pali canon is the doctrine of dependent origination. Dhammika says: "There are two versions of this doctrine--one showing the arising of suffering, and the other showing the arising of liberation and freedom. The first of these ... featu...
by namaste
Sat Oct 08, 2011 7:20 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
Replies: 37
Views: 7995

Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?

Here's one more quote for you, moth. Sorry, I don't mean to hog the board. In DN16, the Buddha says, "I shall not come to my final passing away ... until my bhikkus and bhikkunis, laymen and laywomen, have come to be true disciples." Clearly, he was viewing both male and female followers w...
by namaste
Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:45 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The train morality problem
Replies: 128
Views: 31500

Re: The train morality problem

Joining this discussion a little late. Back to the killer issue, presented near the beginning. This is a question that would likely bring a different response, depending on who the respondent is: Theravadan or Mahayana. In Mahayana, one can break a precept if doing so would result in a higher good. ...
by namaste
Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:02 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven.Dhammika and other scandals
Replies: 380
Views: 136764

Re: "The Broken Buddha" by Ven. S. Dhammika

What do members think of the part of the book in which he discusses the Pali canon, and says that there are parts of it that were developed by Theravada, and parts that were ignored, the latter of which became the basis for some of the Mahayana teachings? (Under "What Is Theravada?") He gi...
by namaste
Sat Oct 08, 2011 12:47 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
Replies: 37
Views: 7995

Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?

Moth, see: SN 37.4 Vaddha Sutta: Growth "A female disciple of one of the noble ones grows in terms of these five types of growth. Which five? She grows in terms of conviction. She grows in terms of virtue. She grows in terms of learning. She grows in terms of generosity. She grows in terms of d...
by namaste
Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Sutta about the ordination of women?
Replies: 37
Views: 7995

Re: Sutta about the ordination of women?

I'd like to add that the Buddha included women in the sangha at great risk to the future viability of the sangha. Firstly, in AN 8.51 he does say that women are capable of becoming arhats. But in the Buddha's time, it was an extremely radical act to include women in a sangha with male monastics. He ...
by namaste
Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:17 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Did Buddha Teach Mantra Meditation?
Replies: 44
Views: 14370

Re: Did Buddha Teach Mantra Meditation?

Thanks for joining us, acinteyyo! :)
by namaste
Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:06 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: Meditation and Morals
Replies: 7
Views: 2316

Re: Meditation and Morals

In order to be able to train the mind properly, there needs to be at least some kind of moral behaviour Yes, and to clarify my previous posts, compassion is also learned via behavior, not only through meditation. One learns by doing, as well as by training the mind through meditation. Compassion is...
by namaste
Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:03 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: Meditation and Morals
Replies: 7
Views: 2316

Re: Meditation and Morals

The purpose of meditation is to gain insight (and therefore, wisdom), and to aid in cultivating compassion. It's just one aspect of the whole methodology the Buddha taught, just one component. It's not a magic bullet.
by namaste
Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:44 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: Meditation and Morals
Replies: 7
Views: 2316

Re: Meditation and Morals

I think metta meditation and the cultivation of compassion for many is a lifelong discipline. Someone posted on another thread that bliss is not to be equated with Enlightenment. Bliss is just bliss, a potential pitfall for attachment, like the siddhis that can come with steady meditation practice. ...