Search found 13 matches

by mfesmith
Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:30 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Protestant Buddhism in Asia and the West
Replies: 35
Views: 11607

Re: Protestant Buddhism in Asia and the West

plwk wrote:So malcolm, as gendun suggested earlier: that you accepted the authenticity of Aro and apologised?
I apologized for hurting people's feelings without need, that was as far as it went.
by mfesmith
Tue Jan 08, 2013 2:19 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Protestant Buddhism in Asia and the West
Replies: 35
Views: 11607

Re: Protestant Buddhism in Asia and the West

Vajracakra was set up by Malcolm and a group of students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu including Dechen Norbu who broke away from Dharma Wheel over the issue of whether it was neccessary to be a Buddhist in order to practice Dzogchen. Malcolm and others thought not, and so Vajracakra.com was born. No, V...
by mfesmith
Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:19 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Re: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

I have patiently pointed out the faults in the reasoning belonging to both you and Malcolm. No, actually, all you did was proffer a non-standard interpretation of a couple of passages in the Nikayas trying to prove that Buddha's experience of Nirvana was in line with Vedantic speculations about bra...
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:22 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Re: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

Ñāṇa wrote: (i) No one knows what the Buddha said. All we have are different collections of records that are claimed to represent what the Buddha said.
Yes, heavily edited records.
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:20 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Re: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

suttametta wrote:It's purely an objective matter.
You are not objective, unless of course you are claiming to be an awakened person.
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 4:27 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Re: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

But I do think that people who make the kinds of remarks you, suttametta and others make about other traditions they choose not to follow need to take a good hard look at themselves, and understand that everything we have today that constitutes "Buddha Dharma" has been heavily edited and ...
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:55 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Reunify the Buddhism, is there any way?
Replies: 24
Views: 4841

Re: Reunify the Buddhism, is there any way?

Hi everyone, I think most of us Buddhists want to see the unification of Buddhism, and if such a thing can be done it will bring massive merit for ones who did it. Is there any way to make the job done? What should everyone do? Regards Buddha Dharma is already unified. Buddhists simply need to drop...
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:29 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Re: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

If I make you so angry, I am sorry Regards You don't make me angry at all. Though I appreciate your attempt at apology. But I do think that people who make the kinds of remarks you, suttametta and others make about other traditions they choose not to follow need to take a good hard look at themselv...
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:59 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes
Replies: 40
Views: 8458

Theravāda Sectarian Attitudes

Considering all the hand-wringing and angst that goes on over the term "hīnayāna" on Dharmawheel, I was suprised to see a great deal of unfettered sectarian remarks concerning Mahāyāna Buddhism and so on over here. Well, I guess I shouldn't be suprised, because that seems to be the great c...
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 1:48 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Similarities of Mahayana and theravada
Replies: 41
Views: 7974

Re: Similarities of Mahayana and theravada

whynotme wrote: It works like that in science and technology, you don't need to know much about history, you just look at the logic of the current problem.
And thus, very important knowledge it lost to the ages, like for example, how to treat ill people when there is no electricity and antibiotics.
by mfesmith
Tue Aug 21, 2012 12:56 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Similarities of Mahayana and theravada
Replies: 41
Views: 7974

Re: Similarities of Mahayana and theravada

I understand where you are coming from. It's my opinion. The Pali framework is scientific in my view. I feel the Mahayana invokes psychobabble and pseudoscience to covert its syncretization with Vedism. This says loads about you as a Western-educated consumer of Asian religions, and very little abo...
by mfesmith
Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:16 pm
Forum: Announcements
Topic: E-sangha news
Replies: 103
Views: 34685

Re: E-sangha news

Fun to see you here. Can we expect to see you elsewhere online if an inter-sectarian forum were to pop up that suited your tastes or are you forum celibate these days? I am extremely busy these days, not "forum" celibate. Lots of folks still track me down, ask questions and so on-- but ge...
by mfesmith
Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:28 pm
Forum: Announcements
Topic: E-sangha news
Replies: 103
Views: 34685

Re: E-sangha news

E-sangha outlived its usefulness sometime ago. It is natural for things to split apart, and E-Sangha could not be everything to everyone. Even if E-Sangha were to return, it is most unlikely that I would be participating much, if at all, and certainly not as a mod or an admin. If you want to see wha...