Richard Gombrich

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Shonin
Posts: 583
Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 5:11 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Shonin »

tiltbillings wrote:
Paññāsikhara wrote: Also, in standard PTS mode, he tends to think of almost all other forms of Buddhism as types of corruption or degradation of the teachings. . . . .
Some of it is pretty gawdawful.
Perhaps, but that's not the same as to say that "almost all other forms of Buddhism as types of corruption or degradation of the teachings" nor even that Pali Buddhism is 'the best'.
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by tiltbillings »

Shonin wrote:
tiltbillings wrote:
Paññāsikhara wrote: Also, in standard PTS mode, he tends to think of almost all other forms of Buddhism as types of corruption or degradation of the teachings. . . . .
Some of it is pretty gawdawful.
Perhaps, but that's not the same as to say that "almost all other forms of Buddhism as types of corruption or degradation of the teachings" nor even that Pali Buddhism is 'the best'.
Which is why I worded what I said the way I did.
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
rowyourboat
Posts: 1952
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:29 pm
Location: London, UK

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by rowyourboat »

How Buddhism do you think he has understood, the man who doesn't consider himself a Buddhist?

I'm not surprised they have shut down the post of Professor of Buddhism, after his retirement.

I met him once and found him saying that Buddhists weren't compassionate enough. He didn't quite seem to understand the compassion wasn't the point of Buddhism.

RYB
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
mudra
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:33 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by mudra »

rowyourboat wrote:
I met him once and found him saying that Buddhists weren't compassionate enough. He didn't quite seem to understand the compassion wasn't the point of Buddhism.

RYB
Depends on what particular type of Buddhism you follow...
User avatar
tiltbillings
Posts: 23046
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:25 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by tiltbillings »

rowyourboat wrote:How [much] Buddhism do you think he has understood, the man who doesn't consider himself a Buddhist?
Don't be too quick to dismiss Gombrich. There is no reason you must agree with on everything he says or anything he says, but he is an interesting writer who is looking at early Buddhism in historical terms, which is quite useful. One of the things he has brought to the fore, which is almost totally missing from the commentaries is the brahmanical context within which the Buddha taught, and understanding that opens up the Buddha's teachings even more, giving us a view of just how creative and insightful the Buddha was as he responded to the brahmanical ideas and in putting forth his own. It adds a richness to the Buddha's teachings, which did not appear in a vacuum.

As Gombrich states: "I have the greatest difficulty in accepting that the main edifice [of the Pali Texts] is not the
work of one genius."
>> Do you see a man wise [enlightened/ariya] in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.<< -- Proverbs 26:12

This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” HPatDH p.723
User avatar
Ben
Posts: 18438
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:49 am
Location: kanamaluka

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Ben »

Yes, I was so singularly impressed with How Buddhism Began that I read it again, cover to cover after finishing it the first time.
I would love to get my hands on 'What the Buddha Thought', but I think it might have to wait until aftr my trip to Myanmar as I'm going into serious money-saving mode.
I guess I could always sell the kids...
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
Reductor
Posts: 1382
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:52 am
Location: Alberta, Canada

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Reductor »

Ben wrote:Yes, I was so singularly impressed with How Buddhism Began that I read it again, cover to cover after finishing it the first time.
I would love to get my hands on 'What the Buddha Thought', but I think it might have to wait until aftr my trip to Myanmar as I'm going into serious money-saving mode.
I guess I could always sell the kids...
Actually, I was thinking of scanning my copy of What the Buddha Thought and loading it up to scribd. I am not sure, however, if that is good and proper. Does anyone know?

EDIT: no, going by the legal documents on scribd it doesn't appear ok. I'll have to read it more closely however, when daylight shines.
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19941
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Ben, What the Buddha Thought costs 15 pounds/26 AUD here: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/97 ... ha-Thought" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TheBookDepository is my first stop if I'm trying to buy a book, since they don't have the crippling shipping charges (for those of use not in the US or the UK etc) of *m*z*n and others...

Mike
suanck
Posts: 93
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 7:51 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by suanck »

mikenz66 wrote:What the Buddha Thought costs 15 pounds/26 AUD here: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/97 ... ha-Thought" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TheBookDepository is my first stop if I'm trying to buy a book, since they don't have the crippling shipping charges (for those of use not in the US or the UK etc) of *m*z*n and others...

Mike
Thanks for the info. I've also placed an order with the above online bookshop for 2 books:

1) What the Buddha Thought, Richard Gombrich
2) Buddhist Teaching in India, Johannes Bronkhorst

Suan.
User avatar
Ben
Posts: 18438
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:49 am
Location: kanamaluka

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Ben »

Hi thereductor,
thereductor wrote:Actually, I was thinking of scanning my copy of What the Buddha Thought and loading it up to scribd. I am not sure, however, if that is good and proper. Does anyone know?

EDIT: no, going by the legal documents on scribd it doesn't appear ok. I'll have to read it more closely however, when daylight shines.
As you know, I am a great fan of scribd, but I would be surprised that it would be a breach of copyright and scribd's TOS if you scanned and uploaded the work without the author's permission unless its copyright had expired.
MikeNZ66 wrote:Hi Ben, What the Buddha Thought costs 15 pounds/26 AUD here: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/97" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... ha-Thought

TheBookDepository is my first stop if I'm trying to buy a book, since they don't have the crippling shipping charges (for those of use not in the US or the UK etc) of *m*z*n and others...
I remember you mentioning the book depository a while ago. I just purchased Andrew Olendzki's new book 'Unlimiting Mind' and a couple of Kabat-Zinn's CDs on mindfulness - all for my wife. And you guessed it, I purchased them from amazon! In future, I'll check out the book depository first.
kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
User avatar
Aloka
Posts: 7797
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:51 pm

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Aloka »

.


I was very disappointed to see that one has to be a member of Facebook in order to download the scribd copy of 'How Buddhism Began.."

Parts of it are also available to read at Google books.

http://books.google.com/books?id=aIOY5g ... &q&f=false




This lecture of Richard Gombrich's might be of interest to anyone who hasn't already read it :

"Kindness and Compassion as means to Nirvana in Early Buddhism "

http://www.ocbs.org/content/blogcategory/29/121/



metta,

Aloka
User avatar
Ben
Posts: 18438
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:49 am
Location: kanamaluka

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Ben »

Hi Aloka

I don;t think you need to be a member of facebook rather, one can log-in to scribd using their facebook id. In the sameway one can log-in to flickr using their yahoo id. I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
kind regards

Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
User avatar
Mr. G
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:27 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Mr. G »

Aloka wrote:.





This lecture of Richard Gombrich's might be of interest to anyone who hasn't already read it :

"Kindness and Compassion as means to Nirvana in Early Buddhism "

http://www.ocbs.org/content/blogcategory/29/121/





Aloka
I just read the chapter on that in his book "What the Buddha Thought" which I'm really enjoying.

Is this idea generally accpeted in orthodox Theravada? I can't imagine it would be.
Even if my body should be burnt to death
In the fires of hell,
I would endure it for myriad lifetimes
As your companion in practice
- Gandavyuha Sutra
mudra
Posts: 51
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:33 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by mudra »

I am about a quarter of the way through How Buddhism Began, and am enjoying. A couple of standpoints I don't agree with (and probably many fellow Buddhists wouldn't also) but the man is intelligent, thoroughly read and knowledgeable, and presents his arguments coherently - whether one agrees or not.
(I like his observation on the Buddha having a sense of humor).

Thanks Thereductor, Ben and all for pointing me to this book. And Ven P, after reading just a quarter of this book I think your advice makes even more sense.

Mike, I still haven't managed yet to find an electronic version on Scribd of What the Buddha Thought (obviously thereductor you are still doubtful whether that is the right thing to do, I am too new to Scribd to even understand how it works!) nor any other electronic downloadable version. Physical delivery to Indonesia can be problematic!

Again, thank you all! :anjali:
Nyana
Posts: 2233
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:56 am

Re: Richard Gombrich

Post by Nyana »

suanck wrote:Buddhist Teaching in India, Johannes Bronkhorst
Hi Suan & all,

For anyone who is interested there are a number of Bronkhorst's papers and such available on the Université de Lausanne Unisciences site.

All the best,

Geoff
Post Reply