Search found 234 matches

by martinfrank
Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:18 pm
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana
Replies: 103
Views: 56979

Re: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana

What ax should I have to grind? You're just not eager to answer my questions. 1. Who are at present the teachers of the Goenkaji System? Is there anywhere on the Internet available a list of teachers with their qualifications and some bio information? Are there any Buddhist monks or nuns among them?...
by martinfrank
Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:52 pm
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana
Replies: 103
Views: 56979

Re: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana

An open discussion of issues regarding Goenka meditation is not allowed on Dhamma Wheel. Critical post will be deleted and authors will be disciplined. And, of course, this is not true. Do you mean only my critical posts will be deleted? I am 64 years old and not used to have my posts deleted and b...
by martinfrank
Tue Dec 09, 2014 8:37 am
Forum: Vipassanā / Satipaṭṭhāna Bhāvana
Topic: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana
Replies: 103
Views: 56979

Re: mahasi vipassana vs goenka vipassana

An open discussion of issues regarding Goenka meditation is not allowed on Dhamma Wheel. Critical post will be deleted and authors will be disciplined.
by martinfrank
Sun Oct 26, 2014 3:52 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 383
Views: 72576

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

Your last paragraph leaves me puzzled. It's not clear what the lower realms have to do with the right and wrong here. I also think that Bhikkhu Bodhi is not putting his understanding above the Buddha's, but rather this is how he understands the Buddha's teachings. This is how he sticks with it. The...
by martinfrank
Sun Oct 26, 2014 1:06 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 383
Views: 72576

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

Dear Dan, James and Acinteyyo Thank you for your intelligent replies which made me rethink my postings. It is wonderful how we learn and advance through discussion with Dhamma friends. With the precepts I thought mainly of the Five Precepts. I agree that we should not cling to the precepts. I also a...
by martinfrank
Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:50 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 383
Views: 72576

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

And I think the "idealists" in this discussion overestimate the absolutism of the precepts. No, James... How could one overestimate the precepts which have the power to liberate us from suffering? PS: The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi writes something funny in one of his answers to the Venerabl...
by martinfrank
Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:25 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: facial tension too unbearable
Replies: 23
Views: 7369

Re: facial tension too unbearable

I do have issues with controlling my breath. I know that I'm not supposed to, but I can't help it. So I watch myself controlling my breath and trying to stop controlling my breath, but watching it doesn't always make me let go of control. It gets better when I lie down for some reason. A thin cloth...
by martinfrank
Sat Oct 25, 2014 4:33 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal
Replies: 383
Views: 72576

Re: Bhikkhu Bodhi on War and Thanissaro's rebuttal

I believe that the "realists" in this discussion overestimate how much they or we know about "reality". First, their "reality" is only half of Lord Buddha's "this world and another world" but even about "this world" how much do we, how much can we kn...
by martinfrank
Sat Oct 25, 2014 12:12 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: facial tension too unbearable
Replies: 23
Views: 7369

Re: facial tension too unbearable

This is about my 3rd week meditating with breath meditation. I started out 20 min twice a day, then after two weeks I bumped it up slowly until I'm at 1hour twice a day, with random sessions thrown in too. The past 3 days, I can't get a session past 20 minutes. I started noticing lots of discomfort...
by martinfrank
Sat Oct 25, 2014 11:08 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Taking on lay life
Replies: 31
Views: 7391

Re: Taking on lay life

In theory, monks today can have fewer distractions than lay people. It would be awesome to be in a monastery where one could meditate all day long and where the #1 problem is boredom. But this utopian ideal. Did you read Ajahn Lee's Autobiography? http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/lee/leeauto...
by martinfrank
Fri Oct 24, 2014 7:48 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Taking on lay life
Replies: 31
Views: 7391

Re: Taking on lay life

I agree. Also, I'd say reading "The Broken Buddha" definitely turned me off monasticism... Maybe you should visit Thailand and stay some months in an ordinary monastery. "The Broken Buddha" is true but its impact is mainly on those whose goal is "to be a monk". For tho...
by martinfrank
Wed Oct 22, 2014 2:21 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Giving up....
Replies: 81
Views: 14269

Re: Giving up....

This practice or that practice? This method or that method? There are so many gurus and books and websites... They all seem to agree that Lord Buddha attained the highest goal and was the perfect teacher. Why not listen to him? Do you know a better teacher? We still have Lord Buddha's instruction. W...
by martinfrank
Tue Oct 21, 2014 10:37 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Suffering From a Serious Depression :/
Replies: 28
Views: 6950

Re: Suffering From a Serious Depression :/

Hey guys, sorry I haven't responded in a while, it's been a rough week to say the least :/ As for my story, I realized it's too much to write, so I'll ask this sole question: "How does one go about letting go of their life long dream, in order to find true contentment?" My whole life it's...
by martinfrank
Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:58 pm
Forum: Pāli
Topic: Impermanence in Pali
Replies: 4
Views: 3685

Re: Impermanence in Pali

Hi all, I am currently thinking of getting a tattoo of Impermanence, or anicca in pali and i am unsure which script is correct as i found a few online. Hope some of you can help me out! Thanks :) 1. अनिच्चा 2. Number one is correct but since Pali is written in many different scripts you could as we...
by martinfrank
Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:10 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: How come all the Theravada Countries so under-develop?
Replies: 60
Views: 14278

Re: How come all the Theravada Countries so under-develop?

Then there is the belief that if I sit on a special cushion called a zuton or a zablonski or somesuch and wait long enough in an upright posture while breathing in and out, I will discover that I have in fact had a "Buddha nature" all along..so thats all right. Phew. Thank you! :goodpost: