Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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khemindas
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Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by khemindas »

It seems to me that Slavic Buddhism and Western Buddhism is quite different things, because Slavic mentality is quite different from Western Mentality, in Slavic countries we don't have this white guilt, and we don't have all this hypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas, for us these things are alien and most of us thinking they are not need. So our approach seems will be something middle between Asian and Western Buddhism.
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by User1249x »

I was told that Ajahn Chah had a lot of faith in the Dhamma getting a foothold in Russia because of the history of monasticism there, i am not so sure about that but I appreciate the Slavic posters on DW.
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by cookiemonster »

khemindas wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:57 pmhypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas
... all are attachments to (various forms of) self, IMO.
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by binocular »

khemindas wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:57 pm It seems to me that Slavic Buddhism and Western Buddhism is quite different things, because Slavic mentality is quite different from Western Mentality, in Slavic countries we don't have this white guilt, and we don't have all this hypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas, for us these things are alien and most of us thinking they are not need. So our approach seems will be something middle between Asian and Western Buddhism.
But we have melancholy.
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Mr Man
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Mr Man »

khemindas wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:57 pm It seems to me that Slavic Buddhism and Western Buddhism is quite different things, because Slavic mentality is quite different from Western Mentality, in Slavic countries we don't have this white guilt, and we don't have all this hypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas, for us these things are alien and most of us thinking they are not need. So our approach seems will be something middle between Asian and Western Buddhism.
Hi Bhante
What is "Slavic Buddhism"? What are the teachings and who are the teachers of this school?
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Pseudobabble
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Pseudobabble »

My perception is that Slavs generally don't f*ck around, which leads to an admirable bias toward action, and away from overthinking. On the other hand, this way of approaching things is sometimes a little harsh, where some finesse would yield better results.

I also appreciate the Slavic posters here - no nonsense, and hard commitment.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Pseudobabble »

Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:56 pm
khemindas wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:57 pm It seems to me that Slavic Buddhism and Western Buddhism is quite different things, because Slavic mentality is quite different from Western Mentality, in Slavic countries we don't have this white guilt, and we don't have all this hypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas, for us these things are alien and most of us thinking they are not need. So our approach seems will be something middle between Asian and Western Buddhism.
Hi Bhante
What is "Slavic Buddhism"? What are the teachings and who are the teachers of this school?
I'm not sure he means there is an actual school of Buddhism known as 'Slavic Buddhism' - but then I think you already know that.

Bhante is referring to the cultural attitudes of Slavs generally, and how they impact a practitioner coming from that cultural milieu.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19

'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
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Mr Man
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Mr Man »

Pseudobabble wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:24 pm
Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:56 pm
khemindas wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:57 pm It seems to me that Slavic Buddhism and Western Buddhism is quite different things, because Slavic mentality is quite different from Western Mentality, in Slavic countries we don't have this white guilt, and we don't have all this hypertolerance, multiculturalism, feminism and equality ideas, for us these things are alien and most of us thinking they are not need. So our approach seems will be something middle between Asian and Western Buddhism.
Hi Bhante
What is "Slavic Buddhism"? What are the teachings and who are the teachers of this school?
I'm not sure he means there is an actual school of Buddhism known as 'Slavic Buddhism' - but then I think you already know that.

Bhante is referring to the cultural attitudes of Slavs generally, and how they impact a practitioner coming from that cultural milieu.
Is that so. So there isn’t a “Slavic Buddhism“? So Bhante is just generalising about what he perceives to be the characteristics of Slavs and the characteristics of Asians and the characteristics of westerners. Where is the connection to Buddhism in Bhante’s post?
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by User1249x »

Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:03 pm
Pseudobabble wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:24 pm
Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:56 pm

Hi Bhante
What is "Slavic Buddhism"? What are the teachings and who are the teachers of this school?
I'm not sure he means there is an actual school of Buddhism known as 'Slavic Buddhism' - but then I think you already know that.

Bhante is referring to the cultural attitudes of Slavs generally, and how they impact a practitioner coming from that cultural milieu.
Is that so. So there isn’t a “Slavic Buddhism“? So Bhante is just generalising about what he perceives to be the characteristics of Slavs and the characteristics of Asians and the characteristics of westerners. Where is the connection to Buddhism in Bhante’s post?
Is there such thing as a "Western Buddhism"? One might say that there are western teachers who teach "Buddhism" and that it is possible to outline general cultural differences between Western and Asian Buddhists. In similar manner one can say that there is Slavic Buddhism in as far as there are people who would be identified as Slavs who are practicing and teaching what is supposedly the Doctrine of Analysis.
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by DooDoot »

Which Slavs? Belarusians, Russians, Rusyns, Ukrainians, Czechs, Kashubs, Moravians, Poles, Silesians, Slovaks, Sorbs, Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrins, Serbs and/or Slovenes? :shrug:
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Bundokji »

I am wondering if Bhante can tell us how does that affect the practice?
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
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khemindas
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by khemindas »

Ok for example when I read Stephen Bachelor - Confession of Buddhist atheist, it was so confusing to me, it seems western people have so many cockroaches in mind and so many worries without real reasons.
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Pseudobabble »

Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:03 pm
Pseudobabble wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:24 pm
Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 4:56 pm

Hi Bhante
What is "Slavic Buddhism"? What are the teachings and who are the teachers of this school?
I'm not sure he means there is an actual school of Buddhism known as 'Slavic Buddhism' - but then I think you already know that.

Bhante is referring to the cultural attitudes of Slavs generally, and how they impact a practitioner coming from that cultural milieu.
Is that so. So there isn’t a “Slavic Buddhism“? So Bhante is just generalising about what he perceives to be the characteristics of Slavs and the characteristics of Asians and the characteristics of westerners. Where is the connection to Buddhism in Bhante’s post?
khemindas wrote: Slavic mentality.. Western Mentality
I'm sure you can see how a person's culturally derived attitudes and beliefs (ie, mind) affect the way they think, live, approach things, including the Dhamma. Many Westerners tend to focus on the compassion aspect, where others would focus on purification, adherence to precepts, or other things.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19

'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
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Mr Man
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by Mr Man »

Pseudobabble wrote: Fri Jul 20, 2018 6:39 am
Mr Man wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 6:03 pm
Pseudobabble wrote: Thu Jul 19, 2018 5:24 pm

I'm not sure he means there is an actual school of Buddhism known as 'Slavic Buddhism' - but then I think you already know that.

Bhante is referring to the cultural attitudes of Slavs generally, and how they impact a practitioner coming from that cultural milieu.
Is that so. So there isn’t a “Slavic Buddhism“? So Bhante is just generalising about what he perceives to be the characteristics of Slavs and the characteristics of Asians and the characteristics of westerners. Where is the connection to Buddhism in Bhante’s post?
khemindas wrote: Slavic mentality.. Western Mentality
I'm sure you can see how a person's culturally derived attitudes and beliefs (ie, mind) affect the way they think, live, approach things, including the Dhamma. Many Westerners tend to focus on the compassion aspect, where others would focus on purification, adherence to precepts, or other things.
Different people have a different make up of mind based on many factors, which would create different propensities.

The Buddha taught about conditions of mind in general terms which are universal.

Are Asians less likely to have cockroaches in mind?

Are social values like multiculturalism, feminism, and equality detrimental to one's personal practice? If so how?

Perhaps Bhante will elaborate.
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khemindas
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Re: Slavic Buddhism vs Western Buddhism

Post by khemindas »

From my experience surely Asians have less cockroaches in mind, they perceive everything in more simple way, for example approach of sanuk and sabai in Thailand. As for some western ideas, they might sometimes create more stress for people as example this video
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