Assalamu Alaykum!

Introduce yourself to others at Dhamma Wheel.
Post Reply
MusicIzGod
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:17 am
Location: New York State, USA

Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by MusicIzGod »

I joined this forum to learn as much about the Dhamma as possible. I have always been attracted to Theravada more so then Mahayana. Though most of what I have already learned, and what I firmly believe in, comes from the Wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh, I can't but help love the Pali Canon, and the original Buddhism.

Personally I can't accept the normal concept of Rebirth, and I hope everyone will be okay with that here. I love Abhidhamma, Buddhist Psychology, but Rebirth doesn't make sense to me, and it never will. I see no true effect of it in my life, because I have come to the conclusion that everything that makes me, me, is the result of my environment (Society, Culture, Family, Friends, Etc), Genetics/Biology (Inborn diseases such as Down Syndrome, or even Psociopathy, etc), Thoughts (Everything you think affects your mind, and the person you are), Speech (Same as thoughts, but words affect your environment as well), and Actions (Same as Speech). Even the only evidence of Rebirth, past lives, is explainable, because from looking at most of those accounts, the individual will typically remember past lives from their own cultural background most of the time, most likely due to its being easier to process in the sensitive mind of the individual, then say for a european to remember the life of an ancient day Samurai. I personally believe that all minds are connected, One, as with everything else, sort of like a World Conciousness. So, when the Buddha had spoken about his own past lives, I believe he had either connected to that World Conciousness, or simply felt that because everything is One, that really, he was those people, he was everyone, past, present, and future. Did you know that I was a Great Prince, with many, many beautiful wives, and had unconditional love of my people because of my absolute epicness? :woohoo:

Why do I say all of that? Because like I had said earlier, Theravada is much more appealing to me on a psychological, traditional, and practical level, then Mahayana, but there are just some things I won't accept, and I hope that I can still be welcome here to learn as much as possible of the Dhamma, of the Pali Canon, the oldest accounts and teachings of the Buddha. And not to attack anyones belief in Rebirth, to each their own.

With Metta
Ommmmmmmmm.
User avatar
cooran
Posts: 8503
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:32 pm
Location: Queensland, Australia

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by cooran »

Hello MusicIzGod

Welcome to DhammaWheel. I hope you are able to learn a lot about reality and what the Buddha actually taught here.

Just don't start out with a closed mind or a fixed belief system. :group:

with 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 ---
Truth_Seeker1989
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:08 am
Location: New York State, USA

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by Truth_Seeker1989 »

I'm the same guy. Was told to change the name because it implied I was a Monk. I guess they did it for me! Too late now. I like this username much better.

And my mind is not closed or fixed, show me another way of seeing something using logic, science, psychology (Abhidhamma or Modern), and I will be more then happy to believe in what you believe. Otherwise I won't even consider it. :namaste:
Everything that makes you, you, is the result of your Environment (Society, Culture, Family, Friends, Etc), Genetics/Biology (Your brain which makes the mind possible, Inborn diseases such as Down Syndrome, or even Psociopathy, etc), Thoughts (Everything you think affects your mind, and the person you are), Speech (Same as thoughts, but words affect your environment as well), Actions (Same as Speech), and the Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space, and Time).
suttametta
Posts: 289
Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 2:55 pm

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by suttametta »

MusicIzGod wrote:Even the only evidence of Rebirth, past lives, is explainable, because from looking at most of those accounts, the individual will typically remember past lives from their own cultural background most of the time, most likely due to its being easier to process in the sensitive mind of the individual, then say for a european to remember the life of an ancient day Samurai.
The Buddha's teaching on rebirth is not well digested by the various traditions. If you understand that all things are born due to conditions, when those conditions are reborn there is a rebirth.
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27848
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,
Bodhisvasti wrote:Too late now. I like this username much better.
Cool... I'll disable the other account.

:ugeek:

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."
Truth_Seeker1989
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:08 am
Location: New York State, USA

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by Truth_Seeker1989 »

suttametta wrote:
MusicIzGod wrote:Even the only evidence of Rebirth, past lives, is explainable, because from looking at most of those accounts, the individual will typically remember past lives from their own cultural background most of the time, most likely due to its being easier to process in the sensitive mind of the individual, then say for a european to remember the life of an ancient day Samurai.
The Buddha's teaching on rebirth is not well digested by the various traditions. If you understand that all things are born due to conditions, when those conditions are reborn there is a rebirth.
Is the goal of Buddhism to end all life? Because supposedly your no longer reborn when you reach the end of your practice . People, animals, are born because of evolution, biology. I was born because my mother had sexual relations with my father, and his sperm made it into one of her eggs, which then eventualy shaped into a fetus, me, no reason other then that.

The most logical conclusion I can come up with on this odd belief, when everything else in Buddhism is rational, psychological, and scientific, is Thich Nhat Hanhs' Continuation. There can be no transference of conciousness, of the mind, to me, because I know for a fact that the mind is caused by the brain. I know by looking at any major head injury reports, seeing anything from slight personality changes, to total loss of 'self', that the brain is the cause of my mind. You can be Albert Einstein, have your skull cut open, brain poked and prodded at, and come out with 50% loss of thinking/comprehension capabilities, possibly even total mental retardation. Where does Karma/Mind transference possibly exist here? IMO, it just can't. There is no way. I think that kind of thinking is an attachment, a clinging, and will only hinder ones, at least my own, practice.
Everything that makes you, you, is the result of your Environment (Society, Culture, Family, Friends, Etc), Genetics/Biology (Your brain which makes the mind possible, Inborn diseases such as Down Syndrome, or even Psociopathy, etc), Thoughts (Everything you think affects your mind, and the person you are), Speech (Same as thoughts, but words affect your environment as well), Actions (Same as Speech), and the Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space, and Time).
Truth_Seeker1989
Posts: 52
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:08 am
Location: New York State, USA

Re: Assalamu Alaykum!

Post by Truth_Seeker1989 »

retrofuturist wrote:Greetings,
Bodhisvasti wrote:Too late now. I like this username much better.
Cool... I'll disable the other account.

:ugeek:

Metta,
Retro. :)
Thanks, Retro!
Everything that makes you, you, is the result of your Environment (Society, Culture, Family, Friends, Etc), Genetics/Biology (Your brain which makes the mind possible, Inborn diseases such as Down Syndrome, or even Psociopathy, etc), Thoughts (Everything you think affects your mind, and the person you are), Speech (Same as thoughts, but words affect your environment as well), Actions (Same as Speech), and the Elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Space, and Time).
Post Reply