Why is there Buddhism?

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genkaku
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Why is there Buddhism?

Post by genkaku »

A friend was kind enough to post this on my blog and I am not above shamelessly stealing it. I think it's wonderful.

Why is there Buddhism?
Because no-one listened to the Buddha.
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Ben
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by Ben »

Hi Adam

Another way to answer the question is because people did listen to the Buddha. They practiced what he taught and memorized his teachings and handed it down so others could benefit.
If people didn't listen to Buddha, then we wouldn't even know about him or his teachings!
Cheers

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 ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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genkaku
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by genkaku »

Ben-- I suppose you're right. They did listen and very good practices grew up.

Now, about hearing what the Buddha had to say .... :)

Maybe it's like the old Will Rogers line:

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
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Jechbi
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by Jechbi »

genkaku wrote:There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
Yup, that's me.

Maybe it works this way: Why is there Buddhism? Because we haven't fully heard the Buddha yet.
Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,
But never soddens what is open;
Uncover, then, what is concealed,
Lest it be soddened by the rain.
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kc2dpt
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by kc2dpt »

genkaku wrote:Why is there Buddhism?
Because no-one listened to the Buddha.
I confused. What do you think that means?
Now, about hearing what the Buddha had to say ...
People did hear what he had to say. They are the arahants.

Why is there Buddhism? Because there are still many people who could benefit from hearing what Buddha had to say.
- Peter

Be heedful and you will accomplish your goal.
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by Ceisiwr »

The statement seems to suggest that the buddhism we have today is not how the buddha intended it, perhaps refering to rituals or someother aspect.
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
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Ben
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by Ben »

Hi Adam
genkaku wrote:Will Rogers:

There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
Throughout the suttas there are numerous examples of people who came to listen to the Buddha and within the time of the discourse, the person, or the assembly had attained various levels of liberation. For example, Sariputta became a stream enterer while listening to a four-line stanza uttered by a bhikkhu before he meet the Buddha. Mahakaccana, while still a court brahmin attained complete enlightenment at the end of a discourse by the Buddha and the royal consort, Khemma, attained arahantship while still wearing royal attire. And there are other examples where entire assemblies attained various levels during the course of a discourse.

So, while these people really 'heard' the Dhamma, according to Bhikkhu Bodhi and Nyanaponika Thera, their extraordinary rapid ascent has been attributed to hagiography or super-human quality but an incalculably long prior period of prior preparation.

And for the rest of us, we're just slogging it out one step at a time.
Cheers

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 ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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bodom
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by bodom »

Peter wrote:
genkaku wrote:Why is there Buddhism?
Because no-one listened to the Buddha.
I confused. What do you think that means?
I took it to mean that people attached to the concept of "Buddhism" even though the Buddha never taught "Buddhism", but taught non-attachment to anything and everything including his teachings.

:namaste:
Liberation is the inevitable fruit of the path and is bound to blossom forth when there is steady and persistent practice. The only requirements for reaching the final goal are two: to start and to continue. If these requirements are met there is no doubt the goal will be attained. This is the Dhamma, the undeviating law.

- BB
dhammatrophic
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Re: Why is there Buddhism?

Post by dhammatrophic »

Perhaps there were a few in his crowd who thought:

Why listen when one can ism?

But I suspect the Buddha expected and welcomed them, founding Buddhism in spite of it all.
-trophic
1. turning, changing, or reacting in a particular way
2. attracted to, having an affinity for, or moving toward a particular thing
3. acting on something specified, or in a particular way
4. relating to a specified kind of nutrition.
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