Search found 25 matches

by Saijun
Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:46 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Buddha's View on Negroes
Replies: 42
Views: 10016

Re: Buddha's View on Negroes

Hello Justsit, I've actually got a little Cherokee blood myself. "____ American" is just something that really truly irritates me because of how arbitrary and divisive it is. As such, I intentionally to point out the silliness of it in as polite a way as possible. Usually, I do this by poi...
by Saijun
Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:13 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Buddha's View on Negroes
Replies: 42
Views: 10016

Re: Buddha's view on Native Americans

Hello friends, na·tive/ˈnātiv/ Noun: A person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth, whether subsequently resident there or not. a·mer·i·can/əˈmerikən/ Noun: A native or citizen of the United States. Adjective: Of, relating to, or characteristic of the United States or its in...
by Saijun
Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:02 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Discovering One's Place
Replies: 12
Views: 3336

Re: Discovering One's Place

Hello friends, For what it's worth, I spent a year and change practicing Soto Zen; took Jukai, sewed the Rakusu/Okesa, etc., and despite giving throwing myself into it to give it a fair shake, it never completely set right. So now I've given up my Zen vows, and come back home in Theravada. The time ...
by Saijun
Mon Aug 29, 2011 8:45 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Buddhism hard for the righteous woman among unjust men
Replies: 62
Views: 15443

Re: Buddhism hard for the righteous woman among unjust men

Hello friends, This is a very interesting discussion, and one worth having. However, I would put forward that upon reaching the Unconditioned, conditional things like "man" and "woman" and really every other conditioned thing fall away. Of course there will be differences in body...
by Saijun
Mon Aug 29, 2011 3:05 pm
Forum: Dhammaduta (Dhamma propagation)
Topic: Which Dhamma book would you choose as a gift?
Replies: 20
Views: 8819

Re: Which Dhamma book would you choose as a gift?

Hello friends, I would (and have) given many, many copies of Ajahn Lee's Keeping the Breath in Mind and Lessons in Samadhi to those with interest in meditation, but not necessarily Buddhist doctrine. For someone more oriented to the Suttas, or farther down the road, I would go with Wings to Awakenin...
by Saijun
Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:33 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Understanding 'Unbinding'
Replies: 3
Views: 3084

Re: Understanding 'Unbinding'

Hello Pondera, Hopefully Ven. Thanissaro's thoughts on this can help: Back in the days of the Buddha, nirvana (nibbana) had a verb of its own: nibbuti. It meant to "go out," like a flame. Because fire was thought to be in a state of entrapment as it burned — both clinging to and trapped by...
by Saijun
Fri Aug 19, 2011 5:01 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Is Goodwill Really Possible for Long?
Replies: 10
Views: 2156

Re: Is Goodwill Really Possible for Long?

Is the practice of universal goodwill really possible for long? The Dhamma says to love enemies, neutral persons, dear persons, and yourself equally such that if one were to be caught by criminals who make you choose to sacrifice one of the 4, one would not hand anyone not even yourself. Life is ch...
by Saijun
Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:26 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Those who follow Ajahn Brahm's method - help
Replies: 18
Views: 4394

Re: Those who follow Ajahn Brahm's method - help

Hello Stefan,

Another thought would be that, by trying to get to the next "stage," you're still craving for the future, still dissatisfied with the present.

Just a thought though.

Metta and Anjali,

Saijun
by Saijun
Fri Aug 12, 2011 2:45 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Self Identity Reacting with Fear to Realisation of Not Self'
Replies: 11
Views: 2849

Re: Self Identity Reacting with Fear to Realisation of Not Self'

There's still an individual conventional self I accept that some people have this view but do remember that the Buddha advised having no doctrine of self whatever...I think that this precludes any sort of "individual conventional self".....best to not cultivate that view I guess......stil...
by Saijun
Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:34 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Who used to meditate for a result and then realized...
Replies: 19
Views: 4019

Re: Who used to meditate for a result and then realized...

That meditating for a result ends up making it more difficult to obtain a result I used to have that mind-set so now when I meditate I don't look for anything in particular anymore I just feel content watching the breath. Hello Metta28, Good job! It's a sign of progress when one stops looking for p...
by Saijun
Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:20 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: We don't want to renounce. We want to have fun.
Replies: 83
Views: 19811

Re: We don't want to renounce. We want to have fun.

Hello Dan, Sure, but some conditions are more conducive to liberation than others. Others tend to push our buttons and keep us (or rather help us keep ourselves) ensnared in samsara. Not many I suspect can practice equally well on a retreat or in a monastery as in the midst of a life fraught with st...
by Saijun
Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:09 pm
Forum: Shrine Room
Topic: Your favourite contemporary teachers
Replies: 89
Views: 44116

Re: Your favourite contemporary teachers

Vepacitta wrote:A couple of posters (including moi), mentioned the Ven. Thanissaro.

V.
Hello Vepacitta,

My sincerest apologies to you and the others for missing those postings the first time through. Thank you for pointing them out to me.

Metta and Anjali,

Saijun
by Saijun
Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:55 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: We don't want to renounce. We want to have fun.
Replies: 83
Views: 19811

Re: We don't want to renounce. We want to have fun.

Hello friends, I suppose my question would be, "why focus on renunciation at all?" Let me explain: SUPPOSITION: The practitioner in question is sincere, and honest with him/herself. I would posit that each of us try to be happy in the most (to our own minds) skillful way available to us. A...
by Saijun
Tue Aug 09, 2011 8:04 pm
Forum: Shrine Room
Topic: Your favourite contemporary teachers
Replies: 89
Views: 44116

Re: Your favourite contemporary teachers

Hello friends,

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Ajahn Thanissaro. So, I'll cast my vote for him as my favorite Theravadin teacher, followed closely by Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Brahm.

Metta and Anjali,

Saijun
by Saijun
Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:47 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Ajahn Chah Zen Theravada?
Replies: 52
Views: 16807

Re: Ajahn Chah Zen Theravada?

It is really a problem of talking something that was meant as a here-and-now discourse to a specific group of people and writing it down and now here we are talking about it as if it's some sort of doctrine, which it isn't. My sense is that he would be very much disturbed to see this kind of debate...