New World Record

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
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Dhammanando
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New World Record

Post by Dhammanando »

Yesterday, in the lobby of the Ramada Hotel, New Phetchburi Road, Bangkok, there took place what I believe is the largest ever gathering of Dhamma Wheel members. Assembled in the lobby were Dmytro, RobK, Nathan and myself — four persons in all, thus doubling the former world record, set when Ben met Retro and Chris met Ben.

Photographic proof to follow shortly. As soon as Nathan can figure out the workings of his new camera....

Best wishes,
Dhammanando Bhikkhu
Rūpehi bhikkhave arūpā santatarā.
Arūpehi nirodho santataro ti.


“Bhikkhus, the formless is more peaceful than the form realms.
Cessation is more peaceful than the formless realms.”
(Santatarasutta, Iti 73)
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retrofuturist
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Re: New World Record

Post by retrofuturist »

:jumping:

Cool... I look forward to it, and encourage others to break your new world record!

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ben
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Re: New World Record

Post by Ben »

Congratulations Ajahn and all!
It sounds like a challenge!
Retro, Chris and Zavk - pack your bags and book a flight to Launceston!
Who else wants to visit Tasmania??
Its beautiful in the autumn and there's space in my meditation/shrine room!
Metta

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]..
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tiltbillings
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Re: New World Record

Post by tiltbillings »

Love to come to Tasmania, but only I could get see a Quoll and a Devil in the wild.

Also, F.L. Woodward lived in Tasmania.
>> 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
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Ben
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Re: New World Record

Post by Ben »

Hi Tilt
tiltbillings wrote:Love to come to Tasmania, but only I could get see a Quoll and a Devil in the wild.

Also, F.L. Woodward lived in Tasmania.
It can be arranged!
Cheers

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]..
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retrofuturist
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Re: New World Record

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Hmmm... would it be easier to join your family members onto Dhamma Wheel.

:jumping:

... or would that be cheating?

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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Ben
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Re: New World Record

Post by Ben »

Quite possibly, though I was looking forward to the company of my far-flung Dhamma friends!

Certainly with Quinn, he would be a shoe-in! He is, to manipulate that magnificent Bushism, a 'Buddho-fascist'.
My wife and I were called in to school a few weeks ago regarding his behaviour. Before Easter he went around destroying his classmate's belief in the Easter Bunny, and attending a church school, told all who listened to him that the story of the resurection of Christ was 'a made up story'. He wasn't content with that and announced he was a Buddhist and that anyone who had an alternative point of view was deluded.
He even sidled up to the school's chaplain and said 'So Mr Bartley, How's your invisible friend?'
The cheeky boy!
The night following the school visit, I had to read him the riot act aka Ashokan Rock Edict No 14 (I think) which demands that subjects should not only respect the religion of others, but to encourage practitioners of other religions to maintain their observances.
My next oldest son, at 14, has done a one day kids course in anapana meditation and now thinks it is as boring as the proberbial ... He's too busy being a hormone-driven young man spending vast amounts of his sparetime on facebook and MSN talking to friends.
My 20-year-old daughter, Freya, is in second-year at Monash Faculty of Medicine. After a lecture by the ex-chair of VicHealth, she became very interested in attending a ten-day course. As much from an interest in the therapeutic benefits of meditation as well as being in more control of her life. But with fulltime study and part-time work at a blood bank, she's put it on hold for the time being (so she tells me!)
My wife is not a Buddhist but you wouldn't know it. She'll wear a Buddhist amulet and mala, she's included Buddhist concepts in presentations on Wellbeing and she certainly supports my practice and Quinn's interest in the Dhamma. Kylie's even pmed a few people here via my account regarding aspects of psychological or developmental issues of children. I've even toyed with setting up an account for her but I think she's more interested in participating in a horse-related discussion board than discussing the Dhamma!

So yes, at a shove I could get my family to join and pip the post, but the hollow victory wouldn't be the same as the pleasure of your company!
Metta

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]..
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DNS
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Re: New World Record

Post by DNS »

:woohoo:

Congratulations to Bhante Dhammanando, Dmytro, RobK, and Nathan. That is great news! That will be hard to beat.
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zavk
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Re: New World Record

Post by zavk »

Dhammanando wrote:Photographic proof to follow shortly. As soon as Nathan can figure out the workings of his new camera....
Cool.. looking forward to it Bhante.
Ben wrote:It sounds like a challenge! Retro, Chris and Zavk - pack your bags and book a flight to Launceston!
For sure, I'm up for the challenge! :)

I am, in fact, making plans to visit Ben in Launceston, and also the other DhammaWheelers in Australia/NZ: Retro, Chris, Mike, Dan, and Nadi. If all goes well, I should be catching up with them around August or so. When this happens can I then lay claim to a new record for having met the most Dhamma Wheel members face-to-face? :)

Ben: Quinn sounds like a real rascal, and I mean this as a compliment. In my view, such rascal behaviour suggests to me that he has a very sharp mind! I was.. ahem... quite a rascal myself when I was little.... :tongue:

Metta,
zavk
With metta,
zavk
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Cittasanto
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Re: New World Record

Post by Cittasanto »

I met myself five times this morning does that count? LOL look forward to the pic
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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cooran
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Re: New World Record

Post by cooran »

Hey! :jumping:

Chris has also met fijinut (many times). Or fijinut has also met Chris (many times) Does that count as multiples?

Is this a "skilfull means" attempt by Ajahn to get us all to bring more people we know onto Dhamma Wheel? - or to visit each other and post the proof?

metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
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Fede
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Re: New World Record

Post by Fede »

well, as summer is approaching the UK, why don't you all come here instead?

This is most unfair to us non-antipodean flim-flam!! :tantrum: :tantrum: :tantrum: :jedi: :computerproblem:

ok, I feel better now.
Consider me there in spirit.
"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


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Cittasanto
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Re: New World Record

Post by Cittasanto »

Fede wrote:well, as summer is approaching the UK, why don't you all come here instead?

This is most unfair to us non-antipodean flim-flam!! :tantrum: :tantrum: :tantrum: :jedi: :computerproblem:

ok, I feel better now.
Consider me there in spirit.
I am possibly the most northerly UK member so consider me there in spirit also
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
nathan
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Re: New World Record

Post by nathan »

Hi all.
:namaste:
Yes it was a real pleasure to meet everyone and the pictures look very good. No problems with the camera whatsoever. However I have spent most of my time since I've been here, stuck in Bangkok, trying to get my email working and failing that to get a phone working. After many near sleepless nights, long days in the summer city heat, and expending nearly all of my money I am no closer to either. So, I suppose this is not a vote in favor of the telecom industry and business sectors in Bangkok in general. I dearly need a break from both the city and the technology so if I can get the photos to someone or online somehow I will but don't hold your breath. I think I am going to spend the last couple of days reading about the ordination procedures, studying the Vinaya and maybe a little Thai as well.

On May sixth I take the train to Chiang Mai where I will knock on doors until I can find somewhere to just sit and meditate for a month or so. Maybe things will work better after that. So, sorry about that but, as they say, dukkha happens.

all the best
take care
nathan
:namaste:
metta & upekkha
But whoever walking, standing, sitting, or lying down overcomes thought, delighting in the stilling of thought: he's capable, a monk like this, of touching superlative self-awakening. § 110. {Iti 4.11; Iti 115}
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Ben
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Re: New World Record

Post by Ben »

Thanks Nathan for the update.
The 30-day retreat sounds like a good idea.
Take care

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]..
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