But what of Theravada Buddhism and what of the Buddha's teachings themselves? Is our religion guilty of the same hectoring and proselytization, or did the Buddha successfully tread a "middle way" between offering what he considered valuable, and forcing it upon others against their will? ...

pegembara wrote: ↑Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:44 am Time is a mental construct.

In other words, time is sankhara. So, DO does not necessarily happen in time (past, present, future) or is not bound by time, but time arises as a part of DO. So, DO is timeless.

Just wanted to post my understanding (which is subject to change :smile:): Nibbana is the annihilation (cessation) of whatever originated. With the cessation of whatever originated, there's clarity of only 'what never originated'. So, nibbana is not the annihilation of 'what never originated'. Origi...

SarathW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 4:10 am Are all subject to suffering (Dukkha) except Arahants?

Yes. In my understanding, Arahants don't suffer but everyone else is subject to suffering.

Hi :smile: I don't mean 'enlightenment' in the usual new-age spirituality context. I mean parinirvana, escaping the cycle of births and deaths. Now read on ... Let's say a person has no craving, lives an ethical life. He is not a Buddhist, nor does he know much about Buddhism. He doesn't meditate, ...

Is Dependent Origination deterministic? Where do you find the free will in Dependent Origination? This question is a result of the following discussion. https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=33291 "Free Will" implies a "free will-er", an agent. There is no free will i...

Either way, I don't think there is such a thing as "Hinduism." Its an umbrella term for the protean Brahman view of animal sacrifice, combined with some South Indian Dravidian paganism that includes human sacrifice and cow worship. There is basically a different "Hinduism" per e...

Correct, in my understanding, Rupa is not about physicality as understood in modern era. Sure. This is your understanding, as was posted twice. But how is your understanding related to Buddhism? I think it is related. rupa is the appearance itself or form or shape. So when people have major surgery...

For final liberation from chain of rebirth: at upadana --> bhava. No upadana, no bhava.

Which will happen only if there is no tanha, which is possible only when there is no avijja. So, the answer is avijja.

Selling the dhamma is getting crazy... ... What do you think? Is selling guided meditations ethical? Is it even Buddha-dhamma, or is it just meditation. Some of their employees are ex-bhikkhus. I always disliked the idea of selling dhamma (for profit or not). It is undoubtedly not good but it may n...

(Shapes and color do not exist independent of experiences. Actually, shapes/colors are the experiences.) I think you could say that shape, colour and movement are the "raw data" of the visual field, and that these are derived from visible form. There is then the process of recognition ( s...

cappuccino wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 3:40 pm

dylanj wrote:When consciousness is unestablished

And so consciousness remains

No. I think that this is a wrong conclusion based on half a sentence of the translated sutta which itself could possibly be an inaccurate translation.

Understanding Vinnana and Namarupa is the key to Nibbana? After much contemplation, I came up with the above idea. It is important to understand what exactly the meaning of Vinnana and Namarup in Dependent Origination. Vinnana has many meanings. The way I understand the Vinnana in DO means the rebi...

It was said that the Hindu God Shiva is Mara ? Shiva is known as the "destroyer" in some Hindu sects, so that would make some sense, I suppose. No, Shiva is not Mara. What is the source of this view? Shiva has the (or, one of the) highest status in Hinduism -- he is considered the Deva of...

Hello , In the paticasamuppada , the Jati link ie birth , referring to what exactly ? Is it birth of a physical body ? A thought take birth ? If it is a thought , it should be at or after sanna link . Suttas and many related texts are very clear that birth includes birth of a new body (at re-birth)...