Search found 54 matches

by MMK23
Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:46 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Why did Buddhism (and not Jainism etc) die out in India?
Replies: 25
Views: 8725

Re: Why did Buddhism (and not Jainism etc) die out in India?

Greetings MMK23, This is not true. OK, well I'll rephrase... the Jain I know considers herself Hindu, and another friend who is Hindu (Brahman / Rig Veda) considers Jains to be Hindus too. Neither he, she, nor I, can speak for all Jains. If there's a more mainstream position, would you care to shar...
by MMK23
Mon Jun 22, 2009 4:33 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Why did Buddhism (and not Jainism etc) die out in India?
Replies: 25
Views: 8725

Re: Why did Buddhism (and not Jainism etc) die out in India?

Jains now consider themselves a subset of Hinduism.
This is not true.
by MMK23
Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:36 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Buddhism and politics
Replies: 31
Views: 10169

Re: Buddhism and politics

i had a talk similar to this once with a friend and i sugested to him that maybe all the people we on the left "hate" really arent evil, maybe they really think theyre doing the right thing... i have a hard time seeing bush as evil, a buffoon yes, but evil probably not. chainey and rush o...
by MMK23
Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:06 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Buddhism and politics
Replies: 31
Views: 10169

Re: Buddhism and politics

Hi, Is strict Buddhism and strong political opinions compatible? I mean, is Buddhism essentially exclusive to a certain political beliefs or ideal, or is it generally quite open? I think the important distinction to make is between the institution and the individuals. Laypeople can do whatever they ...
by MMK23
Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:55 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Will G.W. Bush go to hell
Replies: 16
Views: 5070

Re: Will G.W. Bush go to hell

Okay, I'll bite... I think all those elected to the American presidency (except perhaps Calvin Coolidge) would thereby have greatly boosted their chances of an unfortunate rebirth. But this has nothing to do with how many people loved them or hated them. Rather, it's the result of all the evil compr...
by MMK23
Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:54 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse
Replies: 45
Views: 14698

Re: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse

MMK23 wrote:I was conditioned to be ...
I should have said I was conditioned in this life to be... God only knows about the past lives.

;)
by MMK23
Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:46 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: the great rebirth debate
Replies: 7539
Views: 1327094

Re: Accepting Rebirth

A tiny tip of a massive iceberg that was first written somewhere between 400-800 years after Siddhārtha Gautama died - after much political jockeying over centuries, and that was repeatedly revised and added to over following centuries resulting in obvious inconsistencies. Some scholars doubt that ...
by MMK23
Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:36 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse
Replies: 45
Views: 14698

Re: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse

In accordance with that I would say that my understanding of the religious impulse is that which compels one to explore the numenous and perhaps motivates the recurrent question "why?". Or perhaps the religious impulse and the recurrent question "why?" are respectively, ego-defe...
by MMK23
Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:01 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse
Replies: 45
Views: 14698

Re: What is your definition of religion/religious impulse

Hmmmm... This thread is really strange. I don't mean that to be rude. I've kept out of it but I'm shaking my head a bit because a lot of this seems to be re-runs of a few recent discussions, just with different words. I'm reading lots of feelings and passion, but most of the words seem to be running...
by MMK23
Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:24 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism and religion
Replies: 189
Views: 32310

Re: Buddhism and religion

HI everyone, Before I reply to the op I wanted to suggest that some people could think about if they need to continually have the last word. It might be helpful to let the discussion flow a bit and some of the replies seem like sport more than discussion. - What does the _concept_ of religion mean t...
by MMK23
Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:58 am
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Quick question about the size of the Pali Canon
Replies: 29
Views: 7924

Re: Quick question about the size of the Pali Canon

zavk wrote:I can imagine some Christians--perhaps when travelling in an unfamiliar place--sleeping with a bible under the pillow. Not quite possible for a Buddhist, is it? :)
Yes but some of the commentaries are very portable :-)
by MMK23
Fri Jun 05, 2009 4:28 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Bhikkhunis - Restoration
Replies: 30
Views: 13143

Re: Bhikkhunis - Restoration

Thanks for the updates, Chris. It really grinds my gears that we can be flexible with the vinaya enough to allow monks to receive money in envelopes and go flying all over the world and have websites and whatnot, but when it comes to gender equality we have to be as strict as possible. Bunkum and sh...
by MMK23
Wed Jun 03, 2009 10:49 am
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: How to handle doubts (vicikicchā)?
Replies: 18
Views: 7642

Re: How to handle doubts (vicikicchā)?

Hi, I meditate (ānāpānasati) almost daily for about 1 year now, since I visited the Muttodaya Forest Monastery in Germany. I think I'm quite sure how do deal with sakkāyaditthi (personality?) and sílabbataparāmāsa (clinging to rules and rites) but there are moments from time to time where I'm in do...
by MMK23
Wed May 27, 2009 2:26 pm
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: did the buddha teach vipasanna meditation?
Replies: 86
Views: 41288

Re: did the buddha teach vipasanna meditation?

The topic is "did the buddha teach vipasanna meditation". I have been wondering about the fundamental difference between shamata and vipassana. I used to think that the first was about developing concentration and the second about developing insight, now I am not so sure. The Sattipattana...
by MMK23
Wed May 27, 2009 1:58 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Commentaries, jhana, vipassana
Replies: 20
Views: 7004

Re: Commentaries, jhana, vipassana

Hello all, If anyone wants to present a passage or something specific then I'm happy to discuss. However, my reticence for speaking in specifics to date is out of respect towards the greater Pali tradition, an acknowledgement of my own limitations, and a disinclination against academic argument for ...