Some of you already know me. I'm 24, born and raised in America, but I'm also a citizen of the UK (UK citizenship inherited from my father).
For those that don't, I can't really say how long I've been a Buddhist, because though I've talked about Buddhism for a long time, my practice has been sporadic and only until recently, have I begun to take it in a manner which could be called "seriously". But the possibility of backsliding is likely. And recognizing the validity of notself, it seems like it would mostly be purely out of vanity if I were to say "I'm a Buddhist." But I have to say that sometimes, in order for people to efficiently have at least a general sense of what I believe without me going too much into detail.
I am neither a Mahayana nor Theravada Buddhist, but would say I am what could be called a "non-sectarian Buddhist," leaning mostly towards Theravada and Zen. I don't believe in the full validity of either sects (Mahayana or Theravada), have disagreements with some of the teachings of both sects, enjoy teachings from both sects, and respect teachers from both sects. Generally speaking, I mostly seem to agree with Retrofuturist's way of seeing things, with perhaps a bit of my own unique views over top of that, that is if they aren't merely unnecessary and vain intellectual projections (papanca). I see the teachings of the Sutta Pitaka (Agamas in the Chinese canon) as the core teachings of the Buddha, but Abhidharma (both Theravada and Mahayana) may offer additional clarity, as can some of the Mahayana Sutras, including the Diamond Sutra , the Heart Sutra, and probably much of the Prajnaparamita sutras.
I'm still a bit undecided when it comes to all the various disagreements between Theravada and Mahayana, but as it seems to me, it's primarily a disagreement over concepts and not a disagreement over realities. So, for instance, though there are no disagreements over core virtues and good practices, there are disagreements over abstractions like "Buddha-nature," and "emptiness". And whereas Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Arahant used to be plain nouns in the usage of early Buddhist literature, over time they become titles and pronouns over which Buddhist sects could argue over. I acknowledge the fact that many Mahayana Buddhists seem to teach a kind of nihilism, founded on a deluded understanding of sunnatta, but at the same time, the teaching of emptiness in the Pali canon doesn't seem to contradict what plenty of other Mahayana Buddhists themselves teach, and the teaching of emptiness in the Pali canon doesn't merely apply to the "person" (i.e. emptiness merely means, "I have no self") nor is it merely a meditative practice, but the more substantial Mahayana claim that everything is devoid of intrinsic reality, based on its lack of intrinsic identity, and so the world is a bit like an illusion. I say this is a "Mahayana claim," but I seem to see Bhikkhu Nananda saying much of the same things in Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought and suspect that there is frequently overlap in the descriptions of emptiness between Theravada and Mahayana. The obsessive necessity to describe emptiness in metaphysical terms vs. non-metaphysical terms is groundless.
Anyway, also, rather than considering them, "sects," both sects (and all the various sects of Mahayana) can also be thought of as different teaching styles, none more or less more "pure," though some may focus more on teaching more ultimate expressions of Dhamma than what is merely conventionally skillful (so, some groups are "further along the path," so to speak). In this regard -- for instance, despite the fact that Pureland Buddhism is essentially theologically identical with Christianity, this is perfectly okay, even commendable, because if people sincerely devote themselves to Pureland Buddhism or Christianity, both will lead to higher rebirth. Also, there's no reason that Theravada Buddhists, for instance, might not also benefit from devotional practices, and there's no reason why Pureland Buddhists might not themselves benefit from examining the analytical, empirical approach of Theravada.
...I know the above is long-winded, but in order to give a good introduction of what it is I believe, it was necessary.
Hello, Individual here.
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- Posts: 1970
- Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:19 am
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Thank you Individual for joining us here.
That was a great intro!
Metta
Ben
That was a great intro!
Metta
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- retrofuturist
- Posts: 27858
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Greetings Individual,
Lovely to see you here... and to see the "intro" (even though I've known you for a while!) to see where you're at.
I look forward to you contributions... even those tinged with papanca.
Metta,
Retro.
Lovely to see you here... and to see the "intro" (even though I've known you for a while!) to see where you're at.
I look forward to you contributions... even those tinged with papanca.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Individual wrote:...I know the above is long-winded, but in order to give a good introduction of what it is I believe, it was necessary.
Last edited by Element on Mon Jan 12, 2009 8:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
- retrofuturist
- Posts: 27858
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
- Contact:
Re: Hello, Individual here.
That's the wind Element.
Metta,
Retro.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
- Dhammanando
- Posts: 6512
- Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:44 pm
- Location: Mae Wang Huai Rin, Li District, Lamphun
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Hello Individual,
Welcome, and thanks for the interesting introduction.
Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu
Welcome, and thanks for the interesting introduction.
Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.
In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
- Cittasanto
- Posts: 6646
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- Location: Ellan Vannin
- Contact:
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Hi
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
- appicchato
- Posts: 1602
- Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:47 am
- Location: Bridge on the River Kwae
Re: Hello, Individual here.
Look who's here... ...
Was wondering where you were friend...good to see you here...
Was wondering where you were friend...good to see you here...