Search found 53 matches

by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:32 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

I think that at some point it's quite helpful, and eventually necessary, to step out of the shadow of our past Judeo-Christian conditioning, etc. Something you have achieved but I, poor benighted sinner that I am, have yet to accomplish, eh. Lovely. The Buddhadhamma has been related to and practice...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:33 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

Yes and no. I should probably have been clearer but I'm talking about 'religious faith' (as I said here: "As a product of the cultural history of the English-speaking nations, (religious) faith is conceived in this way - it's all about believing unknowable propositions") and you can't subs...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:39 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

Right. As I said, I'm using faith in it's normal sense and you're using it in a special sense (though perhaps on this forum yours is the normal use and I'm the odd one out); we're having two different conversations and whilst I can't comment on the appropriacy of your usage, I don't see anything wro...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:30 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

What is the everyday sense? When it comes to religion, having faith stands (as I said in an earlier post) in opposition to knowledge so having faith would be to assent to a proposition for which you didn't have good grounds of belief; you have faith in a proposition precisely because you don't and/o...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:07 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

Faith is more complex and dynamic than this. Again, faith relates to believing in the awakening of the Buddha. You seem to be using the word in a very particular way. You're obviously free to do that, but you run the risk of talking at cross-purposes with people (like me) who only use it in its bor...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:47 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

first of all, one has be motivated to actually engage in the ethical and contemplative training and then choose to go for refuge in the three jewels instead of one's own delusional thoughts and emotions. Then one has to at the very least tacitly accept the premise that craving sensual pleasure, cra...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 3:40 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

I can't speak for Ñāṇa, but the idea that "devotional practices are justified in terms of their efficacy" is not not the implication I drew from this. What implications did you draw? the dichotomy between faith and knowledge is false Why? As far as I can see, reference to faith which invo...
by Lampang
Thu Jun 14, 2012 1:06 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism
Replies: 137
Views: 30445

Re: Uncertain Minds: How the West Misunderstands Buddhism

Sure. But there seems to be a fairly extreme skepticism and deep distrust regarding the soteriological efficacy of faith-based dhamma practices underlying these speaker's opinions. IMO this is unwarranted. Faith-based practices have been pervasive in every Buddhist tradition throughout history, and...
by Lampang
Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:42 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: The world is at war. What do you do?
Replies: 52
Views: 9446

Re: The world is at war. What do you do?

Lampang; I'm afraid you are missing the point. I chose WW2 specifically to avoid situations where there was obvious doubt about the utility of the struggle. Open-ended questions about the 'morality of war" will always result in stock answers and platitudes. I want to force the audience to actu...
by Lampang
Wed Jun 13, 2012 3:50 am
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Entheogens and Buddhism
Replies: 74
Views: 19013

Re: Entheogens and Buddhism

It's a fundamental question: "Do I like to follow the teachings of the Buddha or should I try to find a way around it." Is that the right question to ask? I would have thought one followed the Buddha's teaching for instrumental reasons - you follow them because you think they will take yo...
by Lampang
Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:43 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: are there any justifiable wars to a practicing buddhist?
Replies: 83
Views: 14755

Re: are there any justifiable wars to a practicing buddhist?

But in many cases it seems that the whole point of these invented problems is to leverage psychological pressure against non-utilitarian forms of ethics. In other words, these problems can serve merely as devices to dissuade people from holding certain ethical principles. This is, I am sure, less a...
by Lampang
Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:23 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: The world is at war. What do you do?
Replies: 52
Views: 9446

Re: The world is at war. What do you do?

So here is a thread where you can answer some basic questions, or think about it. You're in England, during the Blitz. Your way of life is threatened by a hateful enemy. Or, maybe you are living in America, in early '42. the Pacific war is going badly. Hitler's U-boats own the seas. The Wehrmacht c...
by Lampang
Tue Jun 12, 2012 7:23 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: are there any justifiable wars to a practicing buddhist?
Replies: 83
Views: 14755

Re: are there any justifiable wars to a practicing buddhist?

Well, the US and allies did. They stopped Hitler from exterminating the Jews. Let's not forget 6 millions of them perished in Hitler's gas chambers. How many more would have to die if we did nothing? Please be honest in answering this question: Are you willing to sit perfectly still and mind your o...
by Lampang
Tue Jun 12, 2012 5:44 am
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Buddhism in Phuket
Replies: 31
Views: 7328

Re: Buddhism in Phuket

99.9% of every Thai's agenda is to separate you from your dough I've lived here since 2000 and I'm afraid to say that that's seriously off the mark. Even in the tourist zones it's not true and it's certainly not true of the country as a whole. And in the case of the former, since the sole purpose o...