Search found 149 matches

by Sacha G
Fri Jan 06, 2012 8:41 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Number of Theravadins attaining 1st jhana or Stream-En
Replies: 19
Views: 4617

Re: Number of Theravadins attaining 1st jhana or Stream-En

Who is the one who declares himself a stream-enterer? I'm curious. :popcorn:

:anjali:
by Sacha G
Fri Jan 06, 2012 7:00 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Number of Theravadins attaining 1st jhana or Stream-En
Replies: 19
Views: 4617

Number of Theravadins attaining 1st jhana or Stream-En

Hi everyone! I suppose there are approximately 200 millions of Theravadins. Of these 200 millions, I suppose only 5% is practicing seriously (i.e doing some form of meditation at least once a week). This makes 10 millions. Now on those who do some meditation, I suppose that 1 out of 10 mediates ever...
by Sacha G
Wed Dec 28, 2011 7:06 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: 8 worldly "winds"
Replies: 1
Views: 1311

8 worldly "winds"

Hello
The 8 worldly "winds" is a phrase sometimes used to translate the 8 loka-dhammas.
Do U know why the word "wind" is used. "Considerations" or "Ideas" seems more appropriate.
I suspect it might come from a Chinese translation :sage: .
Any idea??
:broke:
by Sacha G
Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:15 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Unease with some burmese tradition students
Replies: 3
Views: 1877

Unease with some burmese tradition students

Hello all I wanted to share my thoughts on a growing feeling of unease I have with some reports of the western students of burmese vipassana tradition, for example Pa Auk Sayadaw. I just listened to a so - called Caitlin reporting a (first?) 4 monts retreat, where she remembered her past lives... he...
by Sacha G
Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:16 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Sri lankan Chanting and B.Bodhi
Replies: 7
Views: 3740

Sri lankan Chanting and B.Bodhi

Hello, B. Bodhi chants this text after his talks. I suppose it's sri lankan. Do you know if it's chanted in other traditions? And with the same tone? Ettâvatâ ca amhehi - sambhatam puñña-sampadam Whatever merits which we have thus acquired, Sabba Devâ anumodantu - sabba-sampati siddhiyâ may the Deit...
by Sacha G
Sun Dec 18, 2011 6:11 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Number of Western practioners in the World?
Replies: 21
Views: 4073

Re: Number of Western practioners in the World?

Hi David Thanks for the answer. Concerning the number of buddhists in the world, I would be OK, apart from China, where I think that it's exaggerated to call buddhists that proportion of Chinese. As for the number of westerners practicing buddhism, I didn't know the number was that high. I suspect t...
by Sacha G
Sun Dec 18, 2011 3:22 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Number of Western practioners in the World?
Replies: 21
Views: 4073

Number of Western practioners in the World?

Hello
Does anybody know of the number of Western Theravadin practitioners in the World?
My guess is something like 20 000.
Do you have maybe also an idea of the number of western monks/nuns in this tradition?
I suppose something like 200.
Thank you
Sacha
:juggling:
by Sacha G
Mon Oct 31, 2011 9:02 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Mindfulness buddhism: real buddhism?
Replies: 14
Views: 2992

Re: Mindfulness buddhism: real buddhism?

Hi As far as I know the Buddha stessed the jhânas. But nowadays, among the schools and masters I've cited, these aspects are ignored (at least to certain extent). What's more, the wisdom aspect is also underdevelopped, as far as I can understand these schools: there is little mention of the 5 aggreg...
by Sacha G
Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:36 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Mindfulness buddhism: real buddhism?
Replies: 14
Views: 2992

Mindfulness buddhism: real buddhism?

Hello I wanted to know what you think of "mindfulness buddhism"? I think of a trend which includes Tich Naht Hahn, Ajahn Sumedho, the Vipassana movement, Zen buddhism... Sometimes I think it overemphasizes one aspect of the path: samma-sati. But on the other side, I believe that some maste...
by Sacha G
Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:12 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

Hi Acinteyyo In fact since Humans exist they know that objects fall and that the moon turn around the earth. But it's only recenltly in history that the exact fomula has been given, that attraction is proportional to mass and the inverse of the square of the distance. And it's only since one century...
by Sacha G
Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:01 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

OK
So what I understand is that for the majority of you no explanatory theory of kamma is possible.
(Then I wonder why the cittamatras came up with one. :juggling: )
My theory is that kamma is stored in some invisible universal database. :smile:
by Sacha G
Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:56 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

Hello There might be some confusion in vocabulary here. By the ' mechanism of kamma', I don't mean the detailed processes in particular cases, but the general functionning. For example, an apple falls because of gravity. This is the general functionning of falling. But where precisely an apple will ...
by Sacha G
Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:26 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

Hi Zom
you direct your mind toward "negativeness". And since you did it, you will receive it.
Why?
:thinking:
by Sacha G
Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:54 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

Sorry Retro I'm not quite sure to understand. Do u mean one could understand the mechanism of kamma with the study of the sutta? Especially by studying the details of D.O? If that's what you think, then I don't agree. There are "holes" in the theory, and these holes can maybe be filled in,...
by Sacha G
Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:30 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: The underlying mechanism of Kamma
Replies: 32
Views: 7111

Re: The underlying mechanism of Kamma

Hi Retro I wanted to know if some have theories about kamma. For example, the suttas speak of the universe, but science speaks of it more precisely. In the sameway the buddha speaks of kamma (with the minimum to enable liberation), but it could be, maybe, described in a more precise way. For example...