Spiny O'Norman wrote: I'd be interested to know what kind of meditation are you doing for these long periods?

Good question

Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:If they were Theravāda nuns from the English Sangha Trust monasteries, then they observe ten precepts, and cannot handle money.

Do the 10 precepts state not to use money? I don't recall

I have seen theravadhin monks in my country handling money, using cell phones and even talking to women alone. Some of them have their own private cells with modern TV sets and comfortable high seats. They have late night meals, sleep in the daytime etc etc. All these are contradictory to the Vinaya...

gabrielbranbury wrote:

Sunrise wrote:Btw, the Buddha was a guy you know

The Buddha is Awake.

Sidartha was a guy.


With Metta

Gabe

You take your time

Btw, the Buddha was a guy you know

These three are the beings: `tayo 'me àvuso bhavà'. Being is the mind's behaviour in sensual thoughts, thinking about material and maintaining the mind in immaterial states.

Nibbana is the cessation of all these mental manifestations (bhava). It has nothing to do with ending physical existence.

therefore there cannot be a 'stream' of vinnana I think abhidhammakas got this wrong Possibly. I have never seen vinnana talked of as a stream in the suttas. I have never seen vinnana talked of as existing independent of the sense bases in the suttas "Were someone to say, 'I will describe a coming,...

One objection to this is that consciousness is simply bare awareness of sense data and ideas, and it's absurd to think about consciousness without an object. Indeed. Were someone to say, 'I will describe a coming, a going, a passing away, an arising, a growth, an increase, or a proliferation of con...

If Nibbana is merely the extinguishing of all aggregates Nibbana is extinguishing of all mental defilement (greed, hatred and illusion) Monks, among things conditioned and unconditioned, dispassion is reckoned to be the best of them all; the crushing of infatuation, the removal of thirst, the uproo...

Specifically, it was proposed that if there is only one life, "instant nibbana" can be attained through suicide. But you believe there are other lives right? So you can safely assume that if you kill yourself you will be born again somewhere. what kind of state is Nibbana? Nibbana is the complete a...

he taught cessation based on the knowledge of the ultimate nature of persons (including the heaps). this includes knowledge of mind, which when understood is synonymous with understanding rebirth. Ultimate nature of phenomena is : impermanence, suffering and not-self Let me ask you a question. Can ...

it would be unfortunate if we decided to abandon the kamma part, just because we're only familiar with the popularized version of "karma." (A misconception which exists even in the Buddhist countries.) Noone abandoned anything. :smile: Kamma can be experienced in this life and even in this very mom...

beeblebrox wrote:
I actually think that the rebirths (or so-called) and kamma are both integral parts of Buddhism

Literal rebirth is not an integral part of the four noble truths IMO. The Buddha taught suffering and the cessation. It can very well be applied to the moment

This sounds like it goes along with what Individual and David are saying about sudden realizations along the gradual path. I'm guessing we're supposed to assume Bahiya had been practicing in many former lives before being released upon hearing the Buddha's teaching. Well, we can only speculate. It ...

Please show me where in this thread i have argued that "you cannot follow Buddhism without believing in [rebirth]". You have spent the last few days in the forum stressing on the fact that the literal rebirth is absolutely important and central to Buddhism. Is it impossible for someone to think tha...