Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

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rowyourboat
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Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by rowyourboat »

We have some people like the Dalai Lama who could be considered world leaders in Buddhism.

What are the qualities a truly international, broadly appealing, Theravadin teacher posses? Would he/she have to be ordained? .involved in politics? ..not involved in controversies.. etc etc.

Please share your thoughts.

:anjali:

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kirk5a
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by kirk5a »

I'd say it's a sliding scale and the more like the Buddha, the better. Nobody is going to quite get there, of course. But working towards the depth and breadth of his qualities would be something any teacher should strive for, I think.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
rowyourboat
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by rowyourboat »

Wow, good point Kirk. How can anyone match his qualities? I wonder how ..whats the word.. 'human' (for lack of a better term) he was in real life- I think its difficult to grasp his human qualities when we hear all of his extra-special qualities/abilities. Hmm.. I wonder in this day and age,the more human qualities are valued more than displaying miracles etc. What do you think?

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kirk5a
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by kirk5a »

rowyourboat wrote:Wow, good point Kirk. How can anyone match his qualities? I wonder how ..whats the word.. 'human' (for lack of a better term) he was in real life- I think its difficult to grasp his human qualities when we hear all of his extra-special qualities/abilities. Hmm.. I wonder in this day and age,the more human qualities are valued more than displaying miracles etc. What do you think?
I tend to think a public display of "miraculous" power these days would have millions of people falling over themselves to worship that person. Probably not a good idea, if what you're trying to communicate doesn't have anything fundamentally to do with special powers. We probably get an "inside view" of those things due to all that was recorded in the suttas, which probably doesn't represent very well how he would have appeared to someone approaching him in person at the time.

One thing I notice is the skill in knowing how to best teach each person or group that he was speaking with. It was not a one-teaching-fits-all approach.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
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Viscid
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by Viscid »

Those who make Buddhism accessible must be approachable, warm and sociable: someone who would make an excellent wise, compassionate grandfather or a true friend. They must speak with conviction; those that listen to a good leader should become inspired with faith. They must have impeccable morality as to not stir up controversy, and they must not be afraid to admit they could be wrong, lest they be proven so.
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by ground »

Viscid wrote:Those who make Buddhism accessible must be approachable, warm and sociable: someone who would make an excellent wise, compassionate grandfather or a true friend. They must speak with conviction; those that listen to a good leader should become inspired with faith. They must have impeccable morality as to not stir up controversy, and they must not be afraid to admit they could be wrong, lest they be proven so.
In the context of faith you may be right. But I think good teachers also have to be bright intellectuals to access those who are inclined to reasoning and who's destined "entrance into dhamma" is wisdom.

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IanAnd
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by IanAnd »

rowyourboat wrote:Wow, good point Kirk.

How can anyone match his qualities? I wonder how ..whats the word.. 'human' (for lack of a better term) he was in real life - I think its difficult to grasp his human qualities when we hear all of his extra-special qualities/abilities. Hmm.. I wonder in this day and age,the more human qualities are valued more than displaying miracles etc. What do you think?
I would be interested to learn just what "extra-special qualities/abilities" that you have in mind? (Meaning, since no one today was alive when Gotama was extant and is therefore unable to testify with any reliable first-hand certainty just what qualities he had or didn't have, it would be intriguing to hear what you have in mind and just what speculative thought you have accepted as being true.)
"The gift of truth exceeds all other gifts" — Dhammapada, v. 354 Craving XXIV
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by Goofaholix »

I think somebody who has created an opportunity for practise, and a following, that wasn't there before.

Ajahn Sumedho is a good example of this.

As is Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield.

As is Goenka.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
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rowyourboat
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by rowyourboat »

Would you want him/her to be involved in inter-religious discussions/not?

Do you ...wait for it.... have gender preferences?

Does (s)he have to be ordained/not?

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ground
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by ground »

rowyourboat wrote:Would you want him/her to be involved in inter-religious discussions/not?
I don't care.
rowyourboat wrote:Do you ...wait for it.... have gender preferences?
If the teacher is ordained then this is no issue.
rowyourboat wrote:Does (s)he have to be ordained/not?
No "must" but from my perpective an ordained teacher is to be preferred and appears more reliable. A lack of ordained teachers in some regions may be reason to "walk alone" and rely on worldly teachers only occasionally.

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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by Sanghamitta »

rowyourboat wrote:We have some people like the Dalai Lama who could be considered world leaders in Buddhism.

What are the qualities a truly international, broadly appealing, Theravadin teacher posses? Would he/she have to be ordained? .involved in politics? ..not involved in controversies.. etc etc.

Please share your thoughts.

:anjali:

with metta

Matheesha
Perhaps the Buddha Dhamma if the real thing will never have broad appeal.
It might influence interior decor for a while.
The going for refuge is the door of entrance to the teachings of the Buddha.

Bhikku Bodhi.
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by chownah »

TMingyur wrote: No "must" but from my perpective an ordained teacher is to be preferred and appears more reliable. A lack of ordained teachers in some regions may be reason to "walk alone" and rely on worldly teachers only occasionally.

Kind regards
TMingyur,
Maybe this is just a problem of definition of "worldly"....but in my view many ordained people are very worldly....in fact in Thailand some people think that generally speaking most monks are too worldly. Maybe for "wordly" you are meaning "lay" as in "layperson" or "lay teacher"....just wanting to understand your meaning.
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ground
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by ground »

chownah wrote: Maybe for "wordly" you are meaning "lay" as in "layperson" or "lay teacher"....
Yes. That's the intended meaning.

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rowyourboat
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by rowyourboat »

Sanghamitta wrote: Perhaps the Buddha Dhamma if the real thing will never have broad appeal.
It might influence interior decor for a while.
Hi Sanghamitta

hmm never considered that - thank you. But there is a current thread here on DW saying how the dhamma is a gradual process. Could we not consider the more 'lighter' versions of the dhamma to be the first steps of a deeper perhaps more intense dhamma? :smile:

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rowyourboat
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Re: Dalai lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ajahn Brahm

Post by rowyourboat »

TMingyur

I reacted differently to 'worldly' - I thought you were talking of internationally renowned teachers. I wonder if people would prefer a local more accessible teacher, to an internationally renowned one? Maybe if there was a 'dhamma continuum' (as is the case with Goenka and his assistant teachers) it would be much more acceptable (rather than just relying on books/talks/Cds).

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