Search found 3899 matches

by Alex123
Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:38 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?
Replies: 384
Views: 13867

Re: When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?

On the trillions of mind moments per second, according to Ledi Sayadaw you aren't meant to gain insight into that as its not possible. The idea here seems to be that only Buddhas are capable of it. Then isn't this sort of teaching that belongs to the leaves in the forest as opposed to handful of le...
by Alex123
Thu Nov 02, 2023 11:36 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?
Replies: 384
Views: 13867

Re: When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?

B) How the suttas set out sense perception. For example, only being able to feel one feeling at a time. That dependent on eye and sights, eye consciousness arises etc. Do the suttas actually say this? Why can't one, for example, see and hear at the same time? When you watch TV, do you go blind mome...
by Alex123
Thu Nov 02, 2023 12:47 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?
Replies: 384
Views: 13867

When & why did the teaching on momentariness emerge?

Hello all, In the later texts, they talk a lot about momentariness. In the early suttas, however, the teaching on momentariness ( khaṇika ) seems to be conspicuously absent. One would have to search very deep for vague statements that with some stretch might be construed as implying momentariness. Q...
by Alex123
Mon Oct 30, 2023 5:14 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: Does this breaks the 3rd precept?
Replies: 58
Views: 5801

Re: Does this breaks the 3rd precept?

... My understanding is that a Buddha, or an Arahant, through any lack of desire and even perception of "Atta", isn't really a "being" when you can't pin down the Tathagata as a truth or reality even in the present life — is it proper for you to declare, 'Friends, the Tathagata ...
by Alex123
Thu Oct 26, 2023 2:06 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Coping with Pericopes
Replies: 24
Views: 1363

Re: Coping with Pericopes

Hi Alex, you could be right of course that the Buddha learned those eight facets before the night of enlightenment, a long gap of time. However conversing with devas belongs to the world of the two first Knowledges. As he gives no indications of past-life recall before that night of awakening, and ...
by Alex123
Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:51 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: litmus test Buddhist interpretations
Replies: 14
Views: 1070

Re: litmus test Buddhist interpretations

The quote below is another litmus test that I believe is very powerful one: “As for the qualities of which you may know, ‘ These qualities lead to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding ’: You may categorically hold, ‘ Thi...
by Alex123
Wed Oct 25, 2023 6:42 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Coping with Pericopes
Replies: 24
Views: 1363

Re: Coping with Pericopes

I have just given an example where the pericope of the Buddha's 'three watches' account of his enlightenment is highly limiting because it does not include the eight factors he learned from devas, as in AN 8.64. Given the Buddha's inexhaustible use of simile, synonym and metaphor it is inconceivabl...
by Alex123
Wed Oct 18, 2023 12:18 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept
Replies: 11
Views: 1064

Re: If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept

To my way of thinking, if something happened to me I'd prefer to avoid a situation where they are telling my wife that I died anyway and now they want her to pay a million dollars for time spent in the ICU. If I am on life support and there is no way of significant improvement (good enough to pract...
by Alex123
Tue Oct 17, 2023 2:43 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept
Replies: 11
Views: 1064

Re: If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept

Ideally the patient has a living will which gives instructions in this scenario. What if one's parent wants to go off life support and asks one to give Dr the permission. How to avoid potential heinous kamma? Refuse to take any stance on the issue? I hope never to be in such a position. But it is a...
by Alex123
Tue Oct 17, 2023 12:39 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?
Replies: 67
Views: 4349

Re: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?

Hello Pulsar,

Dukkha, as a potential, always is as long as 5 aggregates are.

Anyone below Arhatship can suffer to the level of their kilesas.
Bodily pain is experienced by all (unless in appropriate level/kind of samadhi).
by Alex123
Mon Oct 16, 2023 10:38 pm
Forum: Sīla
Topic: If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept
Replies: 11
Views: 1064

If person asks to be to be removed from it. Is it breaking the 1st precept

If a person is in a hospital on life support, asks the doctor to remove life support, does the doctor break the 1st precept ? If the doctor requires the permission of someone else to remove life support, does the person who gives permission breaks the 1st precept? I hope this is a situation no one h...
by Alex123
Fri Oct 13, 2023 1:40 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?
Replies: 67
Views: 4349

Re: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?

SarathW wrote: Thu Oct 12, 2023 10:08 pm I personally do not think that the Canon exists in its current form.
Of course, it didn't exist in the current (Nikaya & Agama) form. It may have been a much looser collection of 9 parts. But it was?
That is my question.
by Alex123
Fri Oct 13, 2023 1:37 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?
Replies: 67
Views: 4349

Re: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?

According to Ven. YinShun, “the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions”, i.e. angas 1. Sutra/Sutta, 2. Geye/Geyya, 3. Vyakarana/Veyyakarana are found in SN/SA (i.e. the synthesis of the first three angas). ... “quotations, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers”, i.e. ...
by Alex123
Thu Oct 12, 2023 1:24 pm
Forum: Early Buddhism
Topic: Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?
Replies: 67
Views: 4349

Was there a Canon while Buddha was still alive?

In various suttas there is a mention of: " the discourses, mixed prose and verse, expositions, verses, inspired utterances, quotations, birth stories, marvelous accounts, and questions-and-answers . " "“And how is a bhikkhu one who knows the Dhamma? Here, a bhikkhu knows the Dhamma: t...
by Alex123
Thu Oct 05, 2023 4:35 pm
Forum: General Theravāda Meditation
Topic: Meditating outside & insects
Replies: 15
Views: 1703

Re: Meditating outside & insects

thepea wrote: Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:52 am I use light blankets to wrap myself in. I put them over my head and wrap around do only mouth is exposed. I do this for bugs as well as cold weather.
Interesting idea! In cold weather that could work well. Maybe the Buddha did this in cold weather.