Search found 711 matches

by James the Giant
Thu Apr 10, 2014 1:40 am
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Buddha not a Prince?
Replies: 21
Views: 6978

Re: Buddha not a Prince?

How can anyone confidently tell which parts of the texts are original and which aren't? I hear what you're saying. it's called Textual Analysis, or Content Analysis. The Christians have been doing it for decades, and the techniques they developed are now starting to be adapted to analyse Buddhist s...
by James the Giant
Thu Apr 10, 2014 12:07 am
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Buddha not a Prince?
Replies: 21
Views: 6978

Re: Buddha not a Prince?

I always heard and read the Samma Sambuddha Gotama was born a prince of the Sakyans. Buddha Gotama possessed the 32 Marks of a Great Person. Hi Ananda26. You know he was not a prince, and he did not have the 32 marks? If he'd had the 32 marks he would have looked like a freakish alien monster, but ...
by James the Giant
Wed Apr 09, 2014 2:15 pm
Forum: Classical Theravāda
Topic: Buddha not a Prince?
Replies: 21
Views: 6978

Re: Buddha not a Prince?

I always heard and read the Samma Sambuddha Gotama was born a prince of the Sakyans. Buddha Gotama possessed the 32 Marks of a Great Person. Hi Ananda26. You know he was not a prince, and he did not have the 32 marks? If he'd had the 32 marks he would have looked like a freakish alien monster, but ...
by James the Giant
Wed Apr 09, 2014 1:51 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand
Replies: 10
Views: 2467

Re: Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand

It wasn't a very good attack. Mara could have done a lot better if he had appeared as a cute brunette, with freckles, outdoorsy, educated, *sigh!* Not too many befreckled outdoorsy types in Thailand. Fortunately, very true! When I told the Thai laypeople (mostly middle aged women) in Australia that...
by James the Giant
Tue Apr 08, 2014 2:14 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Monk and transportations
Replies: 9
Views: 1998

Re: Monk and transportations

SarathW wrote:I thought you become a monk to leave your family behind. (leave them alone without making a burden for them)
:thinking:
Maybe, but it's a specific exception in the monk's rules. There must be a story behind it, but I don't know.
by James the Giant
Tue Apr 08, 2014 2:12 am
Forum: Samatha Bhāvana
Topic: piti-sukkha for jhana
Replies: 13
Views: 3517

Re: piti-sukkha for jhana

Sati1 wrote: and that aiming to "see the light" can actually be a distraction
You don't AIM to see the light. It just happens, or not.
Aiming is completely missing the point.
by James the Giant
Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:17 am
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Monk and transportations
Replies: 9
Views: 1998

Re: Monk and transportations

Monks can ask their old family... Or was it just parents... Anyway, they can ask them for anything, including transport.
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 11:30 pm
Forum: General Theravāda discussion
Topic: Sharing merit with the sun and the moon. Why?
Replies: 9
Views: 2080

Re: Sharing merit with the sun and the moon. Why?

Thanks for the replies. Hmm, looks like it's animism then. Disappointing.
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:06 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand
Replies: 10
Views: 2467

Re: Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand

Ah, um, I notice now that I made three references to attractive women in one post... Hmm, maybe Mara is working on that angle after all...
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:02 pm
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Lifetime Medicines
Replies: 4
Views: 1488

Re: Lifetime Medicines

I'll write you a reply when I get to a proper computer in a week or so, but I'm limited with typing right now. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, I'm sure the others will contribute sooner or later.
Best wishes with your health.
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:57 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Share great dhamma-related photos you have taken
Replies: 0
Views: 808

Share great dhamma-related photos you have taken

Show us your nicest/most interesting dhamma photos. Not other peoples photos, ones you have taken yourself. I'm not a photographer, and only have my crappy little cellphone camera, but I wanted to share these two photos I took in the past few months at monasteries. The first photo is an amazing site...
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 3:07 pm
Forum: Ordination and Monastic Life
Topic: Differences Sri Lanka - Thailand
Replies: 5
Views: 2220

Re: Differences Sri Lanka - Thailand

Wow Nicro, you typed that all on your PHONE? You are dedicated. Sati1, I highly recommend shopping around widely, but then making a firm decision. I stayed at... Hmm, I think it was seven, no, eight monasteries, before I finally chose the right one for me. It was really great to see the differences ...
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:58 pm
Forum: Connections to Other Paths
Topic: Extremely good or extremely evil ? (Narcisism)
Replies: 23
Views: 3119

Re: Extremely good or extremely evil ? (Narcisism)

Wow, freaky stuff. Interesting, and it makes me glad to be me, with my much smaller problems! Keep in mind your next life, if you consider such a thing possible. You probably won't be a narcissist in your next life, and what you do in this life will help determine your next. So take kamma into accou...
by James the Giant
Mon Apr 07, 2014 2:10 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand
Replies: 10
Views: 2467

Mara tempts me with a job in Thailand

Mara tempts me, with a job in Thailand Ohh, Mara tempted me the other day, with dreams of easy Thai living, comparative wealth, and close proximity to a good monastery. I was staying at Wat Pah Nanachat a few weeks ago, and I became friends with one of the local men who visits often. He's a teacher ...
by James the Giant
Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:23 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Skydiver almost hit by meteorite
Replies: 3
Views: 1011

Re: Skydiver almost hit by meteorite

So stupendously improbable, i call HOAX.
Released April 1st and only hitting headlines now I'd wager.