How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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Aloka
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Aloka »

mikenz66 wrote:How about here?
http://www.liberationpark.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta
Mike

Thanks very much , Mike.

Is there anything anywhere else?

:anjali:
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Aloka
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Aloka »

gavesako wrote:
PeterB wrote:Perhaps i am schizoid, but have never found any problem with sitting comfortably ( metaphorically ) with Ajahn Buddhadhasa AND Ajahn Chah.
Ajahn Chah was a big fan of Ajahn Buddhadasa, used to play his talks from tapes and recommended monks to read his books if they wanted to learn Dhamma. Also the current abbot of Ajahn Chah's monastery likes to read and quote from Ajahn Buddhadasa's texts a lot. (On the other hand, in the Dhammayut forest tradition Buddhadasa is not liked, though that may also be for political reasons.)

It's good to hear that about Ajahn Chah, thank you very much, Gavesako.

:anjali:
Dhammavamsa
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Dhammavamsa »

Anyone if interested, can look into this forum too. Thai community here too debating about Buddhadasa Bhikkhu quite some time.

Just found it recently and thought want to share for knowledge.

https://m.pantip.com/topic/30903218?

I read Thai so I know what they saying.

In those posts:
Pro-buddhadasa said it is nothing wrong with Buddhadasa as he rediscover the truths and present in a way that acceptable for all. He taught how to be good and everything is based on Buddhism.

Anti-Buddhadasa said that the Thai monk buddhadasa brought many controversial teachings (potential heresy) into Buddhism. For example: No Opapatika birth in traditional sense, no next life, don't accept Suttas that contain Deva presence, said Jatakas were invented, Buddha never had many lives to fulfill His Paramitas, Ven Buddhaghosa burned the Buddhist scriptures, compared Pali Tipitaka canon as rubbish heaps, Wholesome deeds and unwholesome deeds have no meaning in the ultimate sense, etc.

They commented with pictures: Buddhadasa said Buddhaghosa invented the ideas of Hell, Heaven, Deva, Asura etc. which he claimed are clearly Brahmin ideas. (see his comment on net and hand written notes).

To Thai Buddhists here or those who can read Thai, perhaps you can comment on this too. If all these were really Buddhadasa's claims, I'm curious what makes Buddhadasa said so. :thinking:
Attachments
Buddhadasa said Acariya Buddhaghosa reinvented Buddhist scriptures and burn the original books
Buddhadasa said Acariya Buddhaghosa reinvented Buddhist scriptures and burn the original books
Buddha did not go through many lives
Buddha did not go through many lives
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Spiny Norman
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Spiny Norman »

tiltbillings wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:27 am
For myself, there are far better interpreters of the Dhamma, both Asian and Western. I would never take him as the last word on things Dhamma.
:goodpost:

I miss Tilt.

I'm tired of Buddhadasa clones. It's the arrogance.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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cappuccino
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by cappuccino »

Buddha


rather than Buddhadasa


not difficult
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Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta »

tiltbillings wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:27 am
... but as many Westerners get a deeper understanding of the suttas and the Theravadin tradition as a whole, Buddhadasa's position is seen as highly idiosyncratic.
...
Interesting.

:heart:
𝓑𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓱𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓭 𝓤𝓷𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓿𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽
  • Iᴅᴇᴀ ᴏꜰ Sᴏᴜʟ ɪs Oᴜᴛᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴ Uᴛᴛᴇʀʟʏ Fᴏᴏʟɪsʜ Vɪᴇᴡ
    V. Nanananda

𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓽ā 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓼
  • Nᴏ sᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀs ᴀ Sᴇʟғ, Sᴏᴜʟ, Eɢᴏ, Sᴘɪʀɪᴛ, ᴏʀ Āᴛᴍᴀɴ
    V. Buddhādasa
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Aloka
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Aloka »

Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 9:58 am
tiltbillings wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:27 am
... but as many Westerners get a deeper understanding of the suttas and the Theravadin tradition as a whole, Buddhadasa's position is seen as highly idiosyncratic.
...
Interesting.

:heart:
However, alternatively, it might only be "interesting" if one is curious about "positions"!

:smile:
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zerotime
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by zerotime »

Dhammavamsa wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:16 pm Pro-buddhadasa said it is nothing wrong with Buddhadasa as he rediscover the truths and present in a way that acceptable for all. He taught how to be good and everything is based on Buddhism.

Anti-Buddhadasa said that the Thai monk buddhadasa brought many controversial teachings (potential heresy) into Buddhism.
it is known he rejected the authority from Buddhaghosa. Although at the other side, he also received many critiques with a good degree of manipulation from both traditional Thai and Western progressive sectors. For opposite reasons.

Then the figure become complicated, and it's better reading him directly instead by third authours. I think he was strongly confident in the natural capacities of anyone to discover the truth. In a classical Thai rigid environment, he developed an strong disdain for the intellectualism in practical terms. Buddhaghosa was the main center for that.
Ontheway
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Ontheway »

I rather read King Buddhadasa's life story.
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
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Johncat
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Johncat »

Wat Suan Mokkh was the place i first encountered the Dhamma - Tan Ajahn Buddhadasa was alive and teaching back then in 1985 with Bhikkhu Santikaro on translation.

I still get inspiration from the no nonsense way Ajahn Buddhadasa explained paticca samupadda as a present continous process by which we could make sense of the arising and passing away of mind states and dukkha.

I have no issue at all with Buddhadasa challenging any of the teachings of the Buddha and the commentaries - as the Buddha himself in the Kalama sutta exhorted his bhikkhus to do just that. Without that examination of the recieved and historical teachings - and just blind acceptance of everything - all sorts of incorrect practices that don't lead to liberation can sneak in.

I read recently a piece from Ajahn Sumedho where he said that the way Buddhadasa explained dependent origination is the only way that makes any sense.

I have found nowadays that many teachers eschew the '3 lifetime' explanation of dependent origination and are using what i feel is the intended moment to moment explanation - which seems to better embody the spirit of opaniyiko and ehipassiko.
Ontheway
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Ontheway »

Don't use Kalama Sutta as an excuse for rebellious behaviour.

Kalama Sutta was not only talks about rejection but also acceptance. And never this sutta encourage bizarre new interpretation.
“Our teachings are rooted in the Buddha. He is our guide and our refuge. Sir, may the Buddha himself please clarify the meaning of this. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”
Hiriottappasampannā,
sukkadhammasamāhitā;
Santo sappurisā loke,
devadhammāti vuccare.

https://suttacentral.net/ja6/en/chalmer ... ight=false
sunnat
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?

Post by sunnat »

It can be a hindrance to wander about in the thicket of views sprung up around controversies.

I think the fortunate thing for an ordinary person undergoing the training as Buddha taught as taught today, by teachers who don't use the Commentaries and by teachers who use the Commentaries (whether comments are by the ancients or contemporary), is that it doesn't matter.
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Aloka
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Aloka »

Here's an article by Ajahn Sumedho about Ajahn Buddhadasa, which can be found on the Amaravati Monastery website:

Remembering Tan Ajahn Buddhadāsa

https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/up ... dasa_2.pdf



:anjali:
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mjaviem
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by mjaviem »

I think some people can relate better to Ajahn Buddhadasa's and Ajahn Chah's ways of teaching which are direct and simple. Others can relate better with traditional ways of teaching like the Visudimagga, commentaries, etc. If it leads to dispassion and is based on the Buddha's teachings we see in the discourses it's fine and good.
Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa
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Coëmgenu
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Re: How are the views of Buddhadasa Bhikkhu regarded?

Post by Coëmgenu »

Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 9:58 am
tiltbillings wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:27 am
... but as many Westerners get a deeper understanding of the suttas and the Theravadin tradition as a whole, Buddhadasa's position is seen as highly idiosyncratic.
...
Interesting.

:heart:
Highly idiosyncratic, and not particularly based on anything actually in the Buddha's suttas.
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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