Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
dhamma_newb
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Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by dhamma_newb »

http://thebahiyablog.blogspot.com/

Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's blog where he writes about his experiences of being a Theravadin monk in America.
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
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Viscid
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by Viscid »

Pannobhasa is pretty awesome. If his initial posts are any indication, it's going to be a very entertaining blog. His appreciation of Christian writing from a Theravada perspective is refreshing.
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
danieLion
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by danieLion »

Thanks dhamma_newb, Viscid,

Where exactly does he currently reside?

Kind regards.
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by dhamma_newb »

Viscid wrote:Pannobhasa is pretty awesome. If his initial posts are any indication, it's going to be a very entertaining blog. His appreciation of Christian writing from a Theravada perspective is refreshing.
I appreciate his open-mindedness as well. He reminds me of the wisdom of the Don't-Know Mind in the Zen traditions.
danieLion wrote:Thanks dhamma_newb, Viscid,

Where exactly does he currently reside?

Kind regards.
I think he lives in Bellingham, Washington.
The watched mind brings happiness.
Dhp 36

I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
Walt Whitman
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mikenz66
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by mikenz66 »

Thanks, dhamma_newb,

There are some interesting articles at: http://nippapanca.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I thought that this one was particularly useful (though tough going reading scanned handwriting...):
Dhamma and Irrationality: An explanation of the fundamentally irrational nature of spirituality in general, and the Buddhist path in particular, and thus of how "reason" is of very limited value on the path to Awakening. (This article was inspired by the author's dealings with two Buddhist intellectuals who insisted that Buddhism has to "make perfect sense.")
I thought his analysis was interesting. However, I found it strange that he keeps talking about the errors of "traditionalists", when it seems to me that some of the modern interpreters seeking to reason out the "true interpretation of the Buddha-Dhamma" are amongst those who should really take his comments to heart:
It may seem from the foregoing that I am betraying my own position by attempting to use discursive reasoning to bash the validity of discursive reasoning; but as this essay is directed particularly towards silly Buddhist intellectuals and dogmatic types who fondly cherish the belief that true Dhamma can be conceived rationalistically, it is expedient for me to speak their own language.
:anjali:
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by nyanasuci »

[this message has been deleted]
Last edited by nyanasuci on Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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I call them sages who wander without association, without affliction, without desire.

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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by Hickersonia »

dhamma_newb wrote:http://thebahiyablog.blogspot.com/

Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's blog where he writes about his experiences of being a Theravadin monk in America.
Thank you for the link! Added to my list of sites I'm following.
Hickersonia
http://hickersonia.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


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throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by dhamma_newb »

Bump. :smile:
The watched mind brings happiness.
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I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by Viscid »

If others haven't been reading his blog, he's written some pretty good posts. I recommend:

The Value of Discomfort
http://thebahiyablog.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... mfort.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Strange Experience on the Street
http://thebahiyablog.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... treet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Sample of Modern Burmese Buddhist Poetry
http://thebahiyablog.blogspot.ca/2012/0 ... dhist.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
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Viscid
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by Viscid »

Paññobhāsa's still at it, even while living in Burma, and I continue to recommend his blog. Some good posts from the past year:

The Elder Sister of All Alms Rounds
Recounting a recent alms round in a Burmese village.

Abhidhamma Studies I & Abhidhamma Studies II
On his contempt for Abhidhamma

Trial By Ordeal: Buddhism Meets Ayahuasca
On him trying Ayahuasca

Notes on Nirvana
On Nirvana

Let This be a Lesson and The End of an Experiment
Recounting/explaining his Drama in America

and his most recent post is: Children of Mammon
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
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cooran
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by cooran »

Hello all,

If an ordained monk expresses contempt for one third of the Tipitaka, shouldn't he disrobe or be disrobed?

With metta,
Chris
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---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by culaavuso »

cooran wrote: If an ordained monk expresses contempt for one third of the Tipitaka, shouldn't he disrobe or be disrobed?
This does not appear to be an offense of defeat. See List of the 227 rules or Bhikkhu's Monastic Code for detailed information about the Vinaya. Critical discussions of the Dhamma are a useful means to gain better understanding.
Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu wrote: If anyone can explain to me how Abhidhamma makes sense of all this I would be grateful, and will publish the clarification of the apparent paradoxes.
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by pilgrim »

The Ven certainly is a skilled writer. But going from the piece he wrote in "Let This be a Lesson", I am disappointed that a practising bhikkhu of several vassas would exercise such poor judgement and make a series of such unwise choices. While he could be complimented for his honesty, I think the article is written largely for self satisfaction, giving little importance and consideration to the integrity and reputation of the sangha.
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robertk
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by robertk »

Seems very open about his adventures and doubts, good for him.
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Re: Paññobhāsa Bhikkhu's Blog

Post by Shaswata_Panja »

I am really really thankful to this Bhikkhu...He really shows how difficult unbroken celibacy really is..He seems to have had several orgasms in his monastic life---I thought I was a pervert for having orgasms--------But anyways my goal is to increase the durating of unbroken celibacy as much as possible---Anybody here has been able to to be orgasm-less in the waking state for several months on end?
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