Search found 57 matches
- Tue May 12, 2009 4:31 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Unfair Criticism?
- Replies: 41
- Views: 10511
Re: Unfair Criticism?
I didn't agree with all of his conclusions, but it's a very powerful and challenging indictment of what entrenched Buddhism can become. To dismiss it lightly would be, I think, a huge mistake. Like Brian Victoria's "Zen at War" or Michael Parenti's works on Tibet, it's an honest look at a ...
- Mon May 11, 2009 3:24 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2988
Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape
Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern, except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good. Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this. Metta Jack Imo, what brings the Sangha into disrepute is ...
- Mon May 11, 2009 2:14 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2988
Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape
Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern Why not? It's in everybody's interest that children aren't sexually abused and conversely that innocent people don't go to jail for non-existent abuse. except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good Wel...
- Mon May 11, 2009 1:21 am
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: Uposatha -- How do you observe precepts 7 and 8?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 10061
Re: Uposatha -- How do you observe precepts 7 and 8?
To me, it's really hard drawing a line between recreation------everything else, because I enjoy most of what I do. When I cook, weight train, read news, garden, etc it's all generally engaging to me but I'm not doing any of it for fun, per se. If/when I start doing 8 precept days I'll probably just ...
- Fri May 08, 2009 6:16 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: Kamma and child prostitution -- blaming the victim?
- Replies: 35
- Views: 12054
Re: Kamma and child prostitution -- blaming the victim?
I don't get the impression that the Buddha was "omniscient" in the godlike, western sense. For several weeks after attaining Buddhahood, he was not sure what to do with the insights he'd gained and had not gone out to teach the dhamma. Omniscience would mean he could have begun, instantly....
- Fri May 08, 2009 5:32 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
- Replies: 80
- Views: 19303
Re: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
The Buddha specifically rejected what most people consider the "spiritual", essentially saying that if one finds a different "all" than the one that exists, it didn't make any sense. The world has enough "spiritual" jive talk, it means nothing to "speak as spiritua...
- Fri May 08, 2009 5:39 am
- Forum: General Theravāda discussion
- Topic: Misquote of the Buddha?
- Replies: 19
- Views: 4725
- Fri May 08, 2009 3:56 am
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
- Replies: 80
- Views: 19303
Re: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
Mention to the shrink that you've come to believe that you've been universally awakened and have magic healing powers and I think you'll get a different answer. I'm really not trying to be a jerk here but you clearly need to talk to somebody. I have seen this happen before in real life and it's neve...
- Thu May 07, 2009 8:44 pm
- Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
- Topic: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
- Replies: 80
- Views: 19303
Re: Yikes! People are noticing the change in me.
If you think you're an awakened being whose aura is healing people, I think it's very possible you may want to seek psychiatric help. This is not meant as an insult; such claims in my experience have often preceded delusions of grandeur and breakdowns.
- Thu May 07, 2009 4:53 am
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Is Mahayana perspective useful for Theravada practitioners?
- Replies: 98
- Views: 25672
Re: Is Mahayana perspective useful for Theravada practitioners?
Really? Yes. Where? Many and various places. Are you a Western Zen practitioner? Was. I'm not Your skeptical tone seems ill-advised to me, then. I lived around the corner from the San Francisco Zen Center for many years, sat there regularly, attended ceremonies, and socialized extensively with the ...
- Thu May 07, 2009 1:31 am
- Forum: General Theravāda discussion
- Topic: Is It Possible to Be a Lay Theravada Buddhist?
- Replies: 52
- Views: 17820
Re: Is It Possible to Be a Lay Theravada Buddhist?
I would think that there have always been more lay Buddhists than monks.
- Thu May 07, 2009 1:21 am
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: Uposatha -- How do you observe precepts 7 and 8?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 10061
Re: Uposatha -- How do you observe precepts 7 and 8?
I spent a couple years sleeping on floors, it really doesn't seem like that big of a thing to me. That aside, I'm curious about the answers as well. I haven't done any uposatha days yet.
- Tue May 05, 2009 5:31 pm
- Forum: Sīla
- Topic: The consequence for using intoxicants
- Replies: 24
- Views: 9406
Re: The consequence for using intoxicants
I've used a lot of what I call "desert drugs" like weed, mescaline, and mushrooms, and drank a lot. Never tried the harder stuff except opiate pills a couple times. It could be fun, but certainly was not conducive to any kind of honest look at life. People who claim that there are enlighte...
- Tue May 05, 2009 12:23 am
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Is Mahayana perspective useful for Theravada practitioners?
- Replies: 98
- Views: 25672
Re: Is Mahayana perspective useful for Theravada practitioners?
My approach is to try to be thoughtful and respectful and tone the language down for the purpose of having a productive discussion. Which seems to translate to silliness, phoney compassion, sanctimoniousness and being passive-agressive with some people. You do not know me, and making these hasty pe...
- Mon May 04, 2009 10:18 pm
- Forum: Connections to Other Paths
- Topic: Tattoos in Buddhism, Acceptable or not???
- Replies: 44
- Views: 41518
Re: Tattoos in Buddhism, Acceptable or not???
Fair enough, I withdraw my statement.