New to this, please help?

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New to this, please help?

Postby jback2 » Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:43 pm

Hi, I'm very new to the Theravada Buddhists' beliefs. I had a question since I have been studying the Bhagavad Gita.
The ethical views of the gita emphasize non-attachment and action out of duty, and regard different social groups as having different moral obligations.
Meanwhile certain Theravada Buddhist texts present a form of ethics which focuses on consequences of actions for the welfare of all beings, assigns the same moral obligations to everyone.
How would someone from each view criticize eachother? I mean, in your opinion which account of ethics do you find more plausible?
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Re: New to this, please help?

Postby daverupa » Tue Mar 29, 2011 12:19 am

jback2 wrote:How would someone from each view criticize eachother?


I suppose the only way to find out would be to have a modern Hindu and a modern Buddhist discuss ethics together. It wouldn't do to simply put words in the mouth of an alleged contender on either side just for the sake of having a discussion hypothetical points of view.
    "There is, headman, dhammasamādhi. If you were to obtain cittasamādhi in that, you might abandon this state of perplexity. And what, headman, is dhammasamādhi?

    [kammapatha & brahmavihara, & a method of arousing gladness]"
- SN 42.13 - Pāṭaliya


    "Others will misapprehend according to their individual views, hold on to them tenaciously and not easily discard them; we shall not misapprehend according to individual views nor hold on to them tenaciously, but shall discard them with ease — thus effacement can be done."
- MN 8 - Sallekha Sutta
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Re: New to this, please help?

Postby Fede » Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:46 am

:goodpost:
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


http://www.armchairadvice.co.uk/relationships/forum/
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