Good morning everybody.

Introduce yourself to others at Dhamma Wheel.
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dharmatheway84
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:10 am
Location: Maitland, Florida

Re: Good morning everybody.

Post by dharmatheway84 »

Hello SarathW and StrivingforMonkhood! Thank you for saying hello.

-Michael
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dharmatheway84
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:10 am
Location: Maitland, Florida

Re: Good morning everybody.

Post by dharmatheway84 »

Any thoughts on this book? It is one of the first two I bought a few weeks ago.
IMG_20210217_165314_2_50.jpg
-Michael
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Dan74
Posts: 4529
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: Good morning everybody.

Post by Dan74 »

You are better off asking at the sister site, Dharma Wheel. Vasubandhu (with Asanga) was the founder of the Yogacara school, that gave primacy to the mind. Dan Lusthaus wrote a good article about it, you can find here: https://www.academia.edu/647512/What_Is ... t_Yogacara Tough reading at times, but worth it.
_/|\_
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Coëmgenu
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Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2016 10:55 pm
Location: Whitby, Canada

Re: Good morning everybody.

Post by Coëmgenu »

There’s nothing wrong with studying Abhidharmakośa, but one needs to know what one is getting into. That is a technical treatise on the path from an extinct but very influential school of Buddhism. The translation is actually a secondhand translation into English from a French translation by de la Vallée-Poussin. It is only an important work to be studying if you want to get into Tibetan Buddhism, as the Vaibhasika position outlined in Abhidharmakośa is frequently taken as “default Śrāvaka Buddhism” by the Tibetan tradition as a whole, often leading to dissonance when those polemics are directed towards Theravāda as an example of a “Śrāvaka school.” Tibetan Vajrayāna is hugely influenced by the Sautrāntikas, a loosely-defined sub-sect from within the Sarvāstivādins, and the two, Vaibhasika and Sautrantika, are taken as inferior and superior tenet systems of the Śrāvaka. The author of Abhidharmakośa, Venerable Vasubandhu, wrote an autocommentary on the compendium from what is identified as the “Sautrāntika” perspective. So with that in mind, if you’ve an interest mostly in Theravāda or non-Tibetan Mahāyāna, Abhidharmakośa is not directly relevant to your study related to Buddhadharma, but is instead related to “studies contextualizing the general history of Buddhist philosophy.”
What is the Uncreated?
Sublime & free, what is that obscured Eternity?
It is the Undying, the Bright, the Isle.
It is an Ocean, a Secret: Reality.
Both life and oblivion, it is Nirvāṇa.
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dharmatheway84
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:10 am
Location: Maitland, Florida

Re: Good morning everybody.

Post by dharmatheway84 »

Thank you for the explanation Cöemgenu. I am interested in learning as much as possible about the history, philosophy and different schools of Buddhism, so I guess reading the Abhidharmakośa will give the subject some historical context, even if (as you say) it is not directly related to the particular discipline I wish to ultimately pursue.

I had been having a difficult time reaching a Buddhist temple near me (and being in the Orlando area, there are plenty) to find out when the various meditations, services and events are. I finally reached the Long Van Temple today and they have services everyday from 10:00am-12:00pm, so this will be helpful. I still plan to visit Wat Florida Dhammaram on occasion, but this Monastery is located a good distance from me. I can't wait until COVID is under control so more options for in-person get togethers can resume.

-Michael
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