Search found 41 matches

by texastheravadin
Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:16 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Beginner with little time for sitting: how to progress
Replies: 23
Views: 5211

Re: Beginner with little time for sitting: how to progress

According to Bhikkhu Bodhi's In the Buddha's Words , for a long time the most popular meditations amongst lay Buddhists were the first six of the Ten Recollections: 1.) Recollection of the Buddha 2.) Recollection of the Dhamma 3.) Recollection of the Sangha 4.) Recollection of virtue 5.) Recollectio...
by texastheravadin
Sun Jan 23, 2011 3:08 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Buddha's skin colour
Replies: 71
Views: 36216

Re: Buddha's skin colour

Yeah, I would kind of imagine Buddha being lighter skinned like these pictures, just because that's been my impression of most people I've met/seen from Northern India. Of course that's just speculation, India is a huge and diverse country nowadays, what to speak of 2,600 years ago. Also, it seems t...
by texastheravadin
Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:27 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Recollect peaceful state of mind as meditation object?
Replies: 13
Views: 4669

Re: Recollect peaceful state of mind as meditation object?

§10. One thing — when developed & pursued — leads solely to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding. Which one thing? Recollection of stilling . This is one thing that — when developed & pursued — leads solely to disench...
by texastheravadin
Fri Jan 21, 2011 4:50 pm
Forum: Shrine Room
Topic: Alter/Shrine question.
Replies: 2
Views: 1796

Re: Alter/Shrine question.

That's a great question, one of the first I asked when I got introduced to Buddhism... You will probably hear many viewpoints on this forum, but my own opinion is that a shrine is a wonderful although not totally necessarily component of practicing Dhamma...If you can afford some ornate shrine and i...
by texastheravadin
Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:46 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Agnostic
Replies: 7
Views: 2007

Re: Agnostic

I'm my limited understanding, agnosticism is the belief or opinion that the existence of God cannot be known, or cannot be proved or disproved. Thus, the agnostic would say that the only true statement one can make about God's existence is "I don't know". This agnosticism could also be app...
by texastheravadin
Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:11 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Should I buy a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya?
Replies: 68
Views: 14402

Re: Should I buy a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya?

Dharma Punx Houston is having a one-day Soto Zen-style sesshin in November, so I'm going to check the Zen Center's library while I'm there to see if there's a copy of the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha at their library...I'm pretty sure I saw one of Ven. Bodhi's Nikaya translations there. I'...
by texastheravadin
Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:41 am
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: best/favourite translation of dhammapada
Replies: 21
Views: 22806

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Me too, I've already read it once and am really enjoying getting to read through it again :)
by texastheravadin
Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:09 pm
Forum: Shrine Room
Topic: Captions needed for the Pictorial Biography of Buddha
Replies: 27
Views: 10153

Re: Captions needed for the Pictorial Biography of Buddha

I'm not sure where you came across theses images, but here is where I found them: http://sinhaladharmastore.blogspot.com/p/illustrated-life-of-venerating-lord.html There are captions under each one, although you may want to re-write some of the English...I'm not trying to insult the authors of this ...
by texastheravadin
Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:39 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Science - Earthquake, Meru, Big Fish
Replies: 25
Views: 5563

Re: Science - Earthquake, Meru, Big Fish

I have to admit, when I read this thread last night, it really disturbed me. For the past year I have been studying and putting into practice the teachings of the Buddha. What has given me the most comfort is the fact that so far, I haven't come up against any kind of metaphysical posturing or specu...
by texastheravadin
Mon Oct 18, 2010 2:34 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Should I buy a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya?
Replies: 68
Views: 14402

Re: Should I buy a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya?

I have also been considering the idea of buying The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha , The Long Discourses of the Buddha , and The Connected Discourses of the Buddha , but right now money is the limiting factor. I'm going to make it a point to try to save enough to buy them together as a set. ...
by texastheravadin
Tue Oct 12, 2010 4:44 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Bad resources
Replies: 45
Views: 11730

Re: Bad resources

Personally, I can't stand Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh - - 'Christo-Buddhism' imo. I've bitched and/or moaned about the good Venerable before here on Dhamma Wheel. I feel he tries to mind-meld Buddhist principles into Christianity to make it more 'palatable' for westerners. His concept of 'inter-is-ness' s...
by texastheravadin
Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:54 am
Forum: Sīla
Topic: Uposatha Observance Club
Replies: 395
Views: 230919

Re: Uposatha Observance Club

Hey there dhammapal I too am going to observe the Uposatha today...This is like my 9th time but only the second time that I've done away with the bed. I don't have a high or luxurious bed, but I figured might as well give the floor thing a try! As far as I know, yes, monks are allowed to drink fruit...
by texastheravadin
Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:49 am
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Science-Extreme Lifespan
Replies: 4
Views: 1397

Re: Science-Extreme Lifespan

that would work for Buddha Metteya's time, but I think he means what about the Buddhas of the past
by texastheravadin
Wed Oct 06, 2010 2:26 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Science-Extreme Lifespan
Replies: 4
Views: 1397

Re: Science-Extreme Lifespan

That's my take. Maybe it's like that chapter of the Dhammapada called "The Thousands", where we see verses like "Better than a thousand ritual sacrifices Offered every month for a hundred years Is one moment's homage offered To one who has cultivated herself." I don't think the B...
by texastheravadin
Sat Oct 02, 2010 3:52 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Batchelor's "Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist"
Replies: 67
Views: 15986

Re: Batchelor's "Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist"

I read Batchelor's Buddhism Without Beliefs a while back...at the time, it seemed to be just the kind of book I was looking for. I was struggling with one the one hand, my admiration for much of the Buddha's teachings, and on the other my skepticism about doctrines like kamma and rebirth. However, a...