What would the Buddha teach today?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
binocular
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Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:13 pm

Re: What would the Buddha teach today?

Post by binocular »

David N. Snyder wrote:He might present the teachings differently. For example, to reach more people, he would most likely use the internet.
I don't think so.
Some drawbacks of online communication:
Online communication lacks the element of respect otherwise inherent in face-to-face interactions between a teacher and students or other listeners.
Online, there is also the issue of diminishing respect that comes from being able to listen to a teacher at one's own convenience, as opposed to at the will of the teacher.
Online, avenues of doubt open that are otherwise impossible or rare in face-to-face communication. Online, things can easily seem clean and sterile, quite different than they are IRL.
To say nothing of the role of simple human warmth.
Hic Rhodus, hic salta!
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Mkoll
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Re: What would the Buddha teach today?

Post by Mkoll »

manas wrote:A modern day man can see more naked or scantily clad women in one day, via the Internet, than a man in the Buddha's day would have seen in his entire lifetime. Very hyper-stimulating, and opposed to the cultivation of true metta for our fellow human beings.
AKA a supernormal stimulus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernormal_stimulus

For example:

Pornography as already mentioned
Junk food - processed sugar and salt combined with fat (like chocolate and butter) gives the tastebuds a stimulus that is never found in nature
Synthetic drugs culled from plants giving much stronger effects than the plants could give alone
Television, movies, music, video games - special effects; you get to watch people without worrying about being watched back
Internet - stimulate your brain's desire for information in whatever way your craving takes it

:anjali:
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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