Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
Post Reply
User avatar
Alīno
Posts: 701
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 7:24 pm

Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by Alīno »

Hello friends :anjali:

Just some mental proliferation. :roll:

Watching video about Tao, I reflected that maybe Lord Buddha or Devas shared Dhamma with these masters, who, insteed of realising it, was unable to establish an education systems of training (Dhamma-Vinaya) and it becomes just philosophy not a training system?

Because all of great masters whose lineage impacted a whole world was born at this period of 500b.c. so for me it's not just a matter of "chance" , but some causes and conditions, some relation must be here ...

What do you think there is some relationship between these Masters and Buddha ? :alien:
Ajahn Nanadassano (before ordaining) : Venerable Ajahn, what is the bigest error that buddhist do in their practice?
Ajahn Jayasaro : They stop practicing ...
chownah
Posts: 9336
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by chownah »

I think that the story goes that the tao de ching was given by lao tsu because it was a requirement made by some guards at a mountain pass to allow him to continue down the other side of the mountain......there has been some rumors (unsubstantitated I guess) spread that this was the buddha journeying to or in china.
chownah
User avatar
Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta
Posts: 2175
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:06 pm

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta »

Nwad wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:22 pm Hello friends :anjali:

Just some mental proliferation. :roll:

Watching video about Tao, I reflected that maybe Lord Buddha or Devas shared Dhamma with these masters, who, insteed of realising it, was unable to establish an education systems of training (Dhamma-Vinaya) and it becomes just philosophy not a training system?

Because all of great masters whose lineage impacted a whole world was born at this period of 500b.c. so for me it's not just a matter of "chance" , but some causes and conditions, some relation must be here ...

What do you think there is some relationship between these Masters and Buddha ? :alien:
Hello,

There may or may not be some relationship between these Masters and Buddha, that I don't know.

One thing I can be sure of is that these masters didn't know "the Dhamma" that Buddha and his true disciples have realized.

:heart:
𝓑𝓾𝓭𝓭𝓱𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓭 𝓤𝓷𝓮𝓺𝓾𝓲𝓿𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓓𝓮𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽
  • Iᴅᴇᴀ ᴏꜰ Sᴏᴜʟ ɪs Oᴜᴛᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴ Uᴛᴛᴇʀʟʏ Fᴏᴏʟɪsʜ Vɪᴇᴡ
    V. Nanananda

𝓐𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓽ā 𝓜𝓮𝓪𝓷𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓣𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓼
  • Nᴏ sᴜᴄʜ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀs ᴀ Sᴇʟғ, Sᴏᴜʟ, Eɢᴏ, Sᴘɪʀɪᴛ, ᴏʀ Āᴛᴍᴀɴ
    V. Buddhādasa
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17187
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by DNS »

There certainly were quite a few interesting philosophers / spiritual figures from around 7th century BCE to 4th century BCE. Here's some I can think of:

1. Hebrew prophets (Jeremiah, etc) many of whom were ascetics living in the wilderness
2. Buddha
3. Confucius
4. Lao Tzu
5. Mahavira
6. Pythagoras
7. Zoroaster
8. Plato
9. Aristotle
10. Socrates
11. Mencius
12. Diogenes
13. Pyrrho

(and I'm sure I'm missing many others...)
santa100
Posts: 6811
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by santa100 »

Nwad wrote:What do you think there is some relationship between these Masters and Buddha ?
Possible, but doesn't have to be. Like in math, there're varying degree of penetration into the world of mathematics depending the individual's level: middle school, high school, college, university, graduate, doctorate, post-doctorate, etc. Similarly, there're humans beings quite advanced on their spiritual realization but not quite as close to the level of a SammasamBuddha, hence they could understand the basic mechanism/operation of the Dhamma but not quite to the same level as a SammasamBuddha does, hence their teachings, while no doubt are insightful and impressive, but not quite as thorough, systematic and comprehensive.
Srilankaputra
Posts: 1210
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:56 am
Location: Sri Lanka

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by Srilankaputra »

Bodhisattas? Future Buddhas or Pacceka Buddha's perhaps.

Wish you all success in all your endeavours. Goodbye!
Bundokji
Posts: 6494
Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:57 pm

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by Bundokji »

Some Buddhists argue that the arising of wisdom in the world is periodic. The age of the Buddha was obviously one of the best.

If i am not deviating from the OP, what is the mark of our age?
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
User avatar
Sam Vara
Site Admin
Posts: 13482
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:42 pm
Location: Portsmouth, U.K.

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by Sam Vara »

The philosopher Karl Jaspers coined the term "Axial Age" to refer to the explosion of knowledge and spirituality which occurred at around this time. It may, of course, merely be due to the origin of methods of recording knowledge. I think it is likely that a new understanding of human subjectivity was supported by changes in material life; the growth of cities, money, and specialised labour.
User avatar
confusedlayman
Posts: 6231
Joined: Fri Jun 21, 2019 12:16 am
Location: Human Realm (as of now)

Re: Lao Tzeu, Socrate,... and The Buddha

Post by confusedlayman »

Nwad wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:22 pm Hello friends :anjali:

Just some mental proliferation. :roll:

Watching video about Tao, I reflected that maybe Lord Buddha or Devas shared Dhamma with these masters, who, insteed of realising it, was unable to establish an education systems of training (Dhamma-Vinaya) and it becomes just philosophy not a training system?

Because all of great masters whose lineage impacted a whole world was born at this period of 500b.c. so for me it's not just a matter of "chance" , but some causes and conditions, some relation must be here ...

What do you think there is some relationship between these Masters and Buddha ? :alien:
I read long time ago that tao is energy field like something present in everything which we can mess up with? energy u have and energy ur enemy have is just energy so u identify with energy and barrier between enemies is broken because energy is you and him. I don't know much of it I read someone wrote like this in library book but im interested to read real teaching by his school.
I may be slow learner but im at least learning...
Post Reply