Search found 34 matches

by sublime
Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:25 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Cannot believe in magical things
Replies: 70
Views: 14294

Re: Cannot believe in magical things

Or you can keep an open mind. Even theoretical physicists say stuff like "the world is a strange and magical place." The more one knows about science the more miraculous the world seems. Mathematician and philosopher Wittgenstein marveled that anything should exist. I agree with what other...
by sublime
Wed Dec 14, 2011 4:42 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?
Replies: 337
Views: 55523

Re: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?

What? It is useless to engage in a discussion going no where. If you believe Buddha, any discussion about views is going no where. Objective truth? Ha! There's only one's personal interpretation of a text here, and how to apply it there. Will there be any measure of regularity of this following upo...
by sublime
Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:03 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?
Replies: 337
Views: 55523

Re: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?

I'm verklempt. It was not my intention to upset. I could just flog myself, mea culpa mea mulpa mea culpa. Experience. What are we talking about? Mind. It's nothing. It's no body's fault. Honestly, sheesh. We should have a pot luck.
by sublime
Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:28 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?
Replies: 337
Views: 55523

Re: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?

This has gone on long enough! Let's dispense with the language games and stop not talking about not talking about what we're not talking about.
by sublime
Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:47 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?
Replies: 337
Views: 55523

Re: Vipassanā: What Is Dissolution, Really?

Talking about experience is useless. Then you have to get into what is an experiencer. The idea is that you are going to find out there isn't one. It's not the experience of impermanence that matters, it's perception of it. Perception happens by way of six senses. Once you know everything is imperma...
by sublime
Sun Nov 20, 2011 1:44 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

daverupa wrote:anatomically standard homo sapiens.
LOL
by sublime
Sun Nov 20, 2011 1:37 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

The line you highlighted doesn't prove anything. It is a claim on equal footing with the one I made. That says it all. In other words, as you have shown with your comments and the links you have given us, there is no real substance to this claim. Why do you talk like this? Do you not realize that b...
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:46 pm
Forum: Theravāda for Beginners
Topic: Are theravada practicioners more accomplished?
Replies: 21
Views: 6356

Re: Are theravada practicioners more accomplished?

Learn from the traditions but beware of them. Keep an open mind. Nobody has "the answer."
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:35 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

Also these marks were something the Brahmins had to get up close and examine. The Buddha showed off his big tongue once. So just because someone couldn't seeing anything special from afar doesn't dispose of this issue. You're picking and choosing among the marks, which is a fairly weak argument. 9....
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 7:17 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

Conjecture. Yes. Which is all we can possibly do.. . . . Yes, well, the opening line of the Wiki link you provided: As far as I know Saka (Scythian) and Shakya (the Buddha's tribe) are totally unrelated. Your conjecture may satisfy you; however, this opening line is to the point. No, there are folk...
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 4:35 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

Here's an interesting article on the issues being discussed: The Buddha was bald... With respect to the 32 marks, I excerpt the following, edited for brevity: In DN 2 a King rides an elephant from his palace to seek out the Buddha in a mango-orchard. After the king dismounts and approaches the Budd...
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 4:23 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

Conjecture. Yes. Which is all we can possibly do. There is no possibility of proving something true or false in this case (the case of knowing anything about this far into the past). The problem with this that, according to the state of the art scholarship, the Buddha came out of a tribal republic,...
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 3:36 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

The problem with the 32 marks is that they are read to be physical. They need a physical explanation. Treating them as symbolic is just a way of disposing of the issue.
by sublime
Sat Nov 19, 2011 12:42 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

The Saka article says explicitly that the Sakas were part of the wider tribal Scythian nation. And where does it say that "Saka" is Shakya/Sakya? "The Saka (Old Iranian Sakā, Latinized Sacae; Greek Σάκαι; Sanskrit शक [śaka]; Chinese 塞; Old Chinese *sək) were a Scythian tribe or group...
by sublime
Fri Nov 18, 2011 6:45 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Usnisha
Replies: 38
Views: 7174

Re: Usnisha

The Saka article says explicitly that the Sakas were part of the wider tribal Scythian nation.