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Re: How to learn the Dharma? According to Buddhist cannon, the learning process is as follows:
According to my lineage, anyway (a combination of Kagyu and Nyingma), it is impossible (foolhardy, even) to study the Dharma without putting one's time in on the zafu. Meditation is the first glimpse of the fact of no-self. Without this pure view, Dharma study becomes prone to ego's editorializing and judgement-calls, which is the diametric opposite of Buddhism's purpose. I realize that other lineages differ on this, but consider this in your studies. Sitting does not have to be an all-or-nothing affair. Sessions of mere minutes (to start out with, anyway) work wonders. Tsondru Zangmo |
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Re: How to learn the Dharma? Dhamma is about nature.Nature is everything and is found everywhere. We can learn Dhamma from everything,everywhere and at anytime.Through reading, discussing, practising, praying, meditating, listening, seeing, observing etc.The most important thing is to "open our heart" to them.BUT don't believe or reject them immediately.Test them like a goldsmith testing the purity of gold(please see Kalama Sutta).Only then you can accept them as true or reject them as false. hill |
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Re: How to learn the Dharma? I think,reading ,practicing and praying is more than enough for those who have a responsible like us. Don't too extremist to religion,until we forget our responsible to our own family. Think about those who are unfortunate,and think of ourself and question yourself, can I practice Buddhist in this way, Its not difficult to practice Buddhist if we have three princip :
This is what I practice now weerak qunsuwan |
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Re: How to learn the Dharma? I think everyone else has beautifully answered your questions. I just wanted to address one specific question, that on meditation. Can you learn the Dharma without meditating? I'm not sure of the answer to that, but here are my thoughts: Almost every authoritative Buddhist text that I've read, and every being that shows evidence of wisdom and enlightenment that I admire are lifelong meditators. Could you really learn to drive a car by reading a manual on how to do so? Possibly. I could probably write a very long, large, detailed book that would give you a really good idea on how to drive, what circumstances arise during driving, and how you might handle those circumstances. I'm sure you could get a good mental grasp. You might even visualize yourself driving and try to imagine what it is like. But would you REALLY know how to drive? No. True knowledge is experiential. What do you truly know if you do not do? Now that I've said that, I'll say that I think that just as you DO read about driving before you actually drive, I think the best entry point for learning about the Dharma is to read authoritative books and to reflect on them, or to learn from an accomplished and long practicing master who emobodies the teachings. In the initial stage, just investigate as much as you want and keep an open mind. If you are receptive to the teachings, things like meditation and teachers will come into your life as appropriate. James Vitale |
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Confused about issues of "faith" The more I read about Buddhism, the more I am introduced to concepts of Karma and rebirth. Correct me if I am wrong (please), but I thought that Buddhism did not require one to have "faith" or "belief" in any teaching; and that the Buddha taught "common sense" (everyday, from experience) lessons for which faith or belief was not necessary. If that is indeed the case then I am really having difficulty accepting (without the need for faith) teachings that deal with rebirth. How on earth could the Buddha *know* about past or future births? How could he *know* that our deeds/actions could lead to rebirth and what the realms were? Or even how many there were? Could Enlightenment have allowed the Buddha some "supernatural" power to *know* things that human beings cannot normally know? At this point in time -- and forgive me if I have missed the point in these teachings -- it seems to me that there is actually a *tremendous* requirement for faith or belief...different in some ways from Christianity, alike in others (I am not a practicing Christian, by the way). I have other questions/concerns as well but they will wait for another time. I mean no disrespect to the Buddha or any other practicing Buddhist. I simply have a questioning mind and a desire (selfish?) to know the Truth. Elliott |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" People always change the teachings of the Buddha to match the understanding and environment. Do not rely too much on the explanation from words and teachers. The Buddha teaches one to believe when the teaching has been proofed by each individual practice. : How on earth could the Buddha *know* about past or future births? How could he *know* that our deeds/actions could lead to rebirth and what the realms were? Or even how many there were? The Threefold Knowledge (Knowledge of past live, the decease and rebirth of beings, and the destruction of mental intoxication) can be achieved from Samatha meditation practice. The first and second knowledge helps the understanding and seeing of Karma cycle. They are using as the vehicle to analyze causes and effects. To stop the reincarnating, the one has to stop the original cause of karma. Understand and see the cycle of rebirth helps the one SEE the truth of the Four Noble Truths and the Three Characteristics. With the knowledge of past life that the one did bad thing before, when a person have very bad suffering in this life, he will not be suffered and will find the way to remove the suffering. There will not be any enemy because everyone may be a friend before. Life is very unstable, suffering, and will be deceased. Everyone should try to escape from this cycle of sufferings. Understanding from SEEING the real causes and effects has more meaning than from learning. This is the practice I learned to gain the knowledge of past life. Suddenly after you finish the Samatha practice, try to recall what you did yesterday then the day before then the first day you went to school then the birth time then the day before and before. The meditation power will help you see the past. However do not believe the picture you had seen is real or fake. It is very easy to fool oneself. : Could Enlightenment have allowed the Buddha some "supernatural" power to *know* things that human beings cannot normally know? Yes but the Buddha gained many kinds of supernatural power BEFORE the Enlightenment. I am Buddhism all of my 39 years and always find new teaching of the Buddha. Some teachings pass by mouth to mouth and the one must pass the spiritual test before. The Buddha did not make the Truth but he discovered the Truth. The Buddha showed us the way to discover the Truth by oneself. Some easy truth is very difficult to truly understand without meditation practice. All of my explanation is in accordance with my level of practice. |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" > People always change the teachings of the Buddha to match the understanding and environment. Do not rely too much on the explanation from words and teachers. The Buddha teaches one to believe when the teaching has been proofed by each individual practice. This I find makes a great deal of sense to me! > The Threefold Knowledge (Knowledge of past live, the decease and rebirth of beings, and the destruction of mental intoxication) can be achieved from Samatha meditation practice. The first and second knowledge helps the understanding and seeing of Karma cycle. They are using as the vehicle to analyze causes and effects. To stop the reincarnating, the one has to stop the original cause of karma. Understand and see the cycle of rebirth helps the one SEE the truth of the Four Noble Truths and the Three Characteristics. You are using the word SEE to imply an awareness that does not involve vision, of course. It must be an internal, meditative kind of insight. So you are saying that through correct meditation over time, one becomes aware of earlier lives? I suppose I can accept that ... > With the knowledge of past life that the one did bad thing before, when a person have very bad suffering in this life, he will not be suffered and will find the way to remove the suffering. There will not be any enemy because everyone may be a friend before. Life is very unstable, suffering, and will be deceased. Everyone should try to escape from this cycle of sufferings. > Understanding from SEEING the real causes and effects has more meaning than from learning. > This is the practice I learned to gain the knowledge of past life. > Suddenly after you finish the Samatha practice, try to recall what you did yesterday then the day before then the first day you went to school then the birth time then the day before and before. The meditation power will help you see the past. However do not believe the picture you had seen is real or fake. It is very easy to fool oneself. Okay, so here is a method that one can use to attempt to learn the TRUTH about rebirth. Samatha practice leads to recollection of past lives. Okay, I'll think (meditate) on that! It does help and please take no offense to my foolish questions. I appreciate your responses, Somkiat. .....Elliott...... |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" I just know from another post that you are a science teacher. May I ask you some science questions? We learn that inside atom has electron, neutron, and proton while the electron always orbits around nucleus. Is it true that this information apply mathematical method to model the atom picture. No human instrument can see and enlarge the 3-D picture of the atom. We can see only at the molecular level!!! I would like to add more Buddhism view on the dying. Human cells may die within a period of time but our mind always decease and rebuild again very fast and normally without control. The key here is uncontrollable while the owner’s mind tries to control the mind. We never know when will the last day or even the last second of our life. Everything is uncontrollable so we should be very careful in living and try our best in each second. |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" > I just know from another post that you are a science teacher. May I ask you some science questions? We learn that inside atom has electron, neutron, and proton while the electron always orbits around nucleus. Is it true that this information apply mathematical method to model the atom picture. No human instrument can see and enlarge the 3-D picture of the atom. We can see only at the molecular level!!! Somkiat, I am only a high school teacher and not a scientist but I will try to answer your question. Certainly there are mathematical models for the atom with complicated mathematical equations that can tell much about the location and movement of the subatomic particles (electrons, protons, and neutrons). Single atoms can be seen now using the scanning tunneling microscope. There may be other technological improvements that have been recently made that will allow visualization of atoms. So we have moved slightly beyond the "molecular" level. > I would like to add more Buddhism view on the dying. Human cells may die within a period of time but our mind always decease and rebuild again very fast and normally without control. The key here is uncontrollable while the owner’s mind tries to control the mind. We never know when will the last day or even the last second of our life. Everything is uncontrollable so we should be very careful in living and try our best in each second. Yes, I would agree that the body and mind both die and are re-born within our natural lifetimes. I have absolutely no doubt of that. Still, the idea that cells die and are rebuilt seems to be used as an analogy for the way re-birth (according to Buddhism) might occur. I have no problem with analogies, but they do not provide evidence that the process actually occurs -- they simply sound nice. For example, when somebody says "oh, he/she was so lovely, my spirit soared upwards..." -- this does not necessarily mean that one's spirit actually flew or soared ... it is simply a poetic way of putting things. So, just because our bodies may be broken down and rebuilt, and the fact that "we" are not necessarily just our bodies or just our minds, does *not* (at least to me) imply that we are re-born again and again. I understand that there are incidences of people "remembering" their past lives under hypnosis or whatever. This kind of evidence bothers me for two reasons: 1) It implies that "memory" can be transferred from one living being to another during the re-birthing process. If all beings are re-born, why would SO VERY FEW people ever remember their earlier life? 2) My understanding is that most people remember lives as "human beings", not as animals, or gods, or demigods. Would it not be reasonable that some people should remember lives in realms other than the human realm? Please note that I mean no disrespect to the Sangha or to the Buddha. I believe that Buddha, in his great wisdom, would not oppose honest questioning. It comes with the territory... Elliott |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" I never think about your disrespect to the Sangha or to the Buddha. We always have questions to find the answer. I am still stupid and very stupid in Buddhism when compare with other practitioners. For years that I practice meditation, I always find more correct answer to the same question. I always ask the question and open for all possibilities. I will not reject strange idea without proof. Thank you for the answer about atom. It means that the science is improving. When we look back, E = MCC can be a mad idea in the past but now we accept it scientifically. One day in the future when we have more advance technology, many Buddha teachings will be proofed scientifically. I like to say that while the atomic bomb can kill million people but the teaching of the Buddha is more powerful. The Teachings of the Buddha can bring the dead person to the Nibbana and will not come to reborn as human again. Why we need the TV and radio to see and listen to the broadcasting picture and sound? Because our sensing is not refined enough to accept and translate signal at the right frequency. The radio wave exists but we can not see and hear. Many things beyond the scientific knowledge also exist. Why we can not recall previous life? This question may be too difficult so let me give more easy question. Can we remember what we did yesterday? Some may say yes. Can we remember what we did on the last month, last year, or 10 years before? Actually we memorized every ticks of time but we can not recall the past memory. Recalling of the previous life goes with this reason. With the power of meditating, the mind will be in focus of recalling the past. No noising and editing by the receiver. Human body is like the hardware, which is easy to be out of date. Human mind is like the software with collected data that can be run on the new or any next machine. Brain is the CPU. After we die, the mind will leave this body. You may have other names for the mind such as ghost, soul or spirit. Buddhism separates us with two parts: the physical body and the mind. The mind also has its body called the spiritual body with more refine particle than the ability of the human eye to see clearly and translate correctly. To see the spiritual body, we need meditating power. In deep meditating, the mind will be run faster with its language as the compiled machine language. With sharp, clear, and stable meditating, the meditator can recall back many previous lives that he may be born as humans, animals, gods, or demigods. If the one was born as human, then died, and then reborn as human immediately, this person can recall his previous life easier than another one who was born with other forms before human. There is a turtle that can walk from a small pond to a bigger pond nearby. The Turtle tells the fishes in the small pond that there is a bigger pond close to your place and you just jump across the border to the bigger pond. The fishes do not try because their world is only in that small pond. Buddhism needs real hard practice so few people can gain the real outcomes. Please try to proof the truths and you will belief the Buddha. What we should be afraid of is not dying but should be afraid of rebirth. Dying is normal for everyone but how to make sure that the one will be reborn as human or better than human in the next life. Nothing to lose to practice. In advance practice you may surprise that the more you understand science, the more you can proof the Teaching of the Buddha. In the period of the Buddha, there was the measuring unit smaller than the unit we have. Perhaps in that time the human knowledge was too advance for us to proof or even understand. Or it may be too easy beyond our imagination. |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" I am very glad you feel this way ... I also feel this way and must always remember to be humble and quiet. Still I will ask questions and always in search of Truth or Understanding, never to hurt another person with different ideas or beliefs. > Thank you for the answer about atom. It means that the science is improving. When we look back, E = MCC can be a mad idea in the past but now we accept it scientifically. One day in the future when we have more advance technology, many Buddha teachings will be proofed scientifically. Perhaps they shall... > Why we need the TV and radio to see and listen to the broadcasting picture and sound? Because our sensing is not refined enough to accept and translate signal at the right frequency. The radio wave exists but we can not see and hear. Many things beyond the scientific knowledge also exist. Absolutely! For the longest time I believed that the world or life was just as I "sensed" it to be. But certainly there are many, many possibilities out there. Think of all we cannot see or hear or feel. It is common for us to thus decide that those things do not exist simply because we cannot "sense" or "perceive" them. This is how I view Buddha's teaching about past/future life and various somewhat mythical concepts (realms of gods, demigods, hell, etc.). I think it is very possible that they do exist ... however, just because I can imagine that they might exist does not mean that I am prepared to believe that they do. > Why we can not recall previous life? This question may be too difficult so let me give more easy question. Can we remember what we did yesterday? Some may say yes. Can we remember what we did on the last month, last year, or 10 years before? Actually we memorized every ticks of time but we can not recall the past memory. Recalling of the previous life goes with this reason. With the power of meditating, the mind will be in focus of recalling the past. No noising and editing by the receiver. This is a very good point -- I didn't consider that humans have plenty of trouble remembering yesterday ... let alone remembering a past life. Perhaps that could explain why so few remember a past existence. > Human body is like the hardware, which is easy to be out of date. Human mind is like the software with collected data that can be run on the new or any next machine. Brain is the CPU. After we die, the mind will leave this body. You may have other names for the mind such as ghost, soul or spirit. Buddhism separates us with two parts: the physical body and the mind. The mind also has its body called the spiritual body with more refine particle than the ability of the human eye to see clearly and translate correctly. To see the spiritual body, we need meditating power. In deep meditating, the mind will be run faster with its language as the compiled machine language. With sharp, clear, and stable meditating, the meditator can recall back many previous lives that he may be born as humans, animals, gods, or demigods. If the one was born as human, then died, and then reborn as human immediately, this person can recall his previous life easier than another one who was born with other forms before human. Okay, another good point. I wonder, have you ever read about somebody remembering a life as something other than human? > There is a turtle that can walk from a small pond to a bigger pond nearby. The Turtle tells the fishes in the small pond that there is a bigger pond close to your place and you just jump across the border to the bigger pond. The fishes do not try because their world is only in that small pond. Cute story and very appropriate! Thanks again for your inspiring and in-depth responses to my questions. You are always very helpful for such a *skeptic* as I. Elliott |
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Re: Confused about issues of "faith" The Buddha was born as a bird in one of his previous life. When he was a little bird, there was a fire burning in the forest and approaching his nest. He prayed to the former Buddha and hoped that the fire would stop burning 15 greeses away from his nest. (grees is the measuring unit of distance) The fire was stopped and there will not be any fire burning in that area forever until the last day of the earth. |
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Jesus I have never given any regard to religion whatsoever until recently. Now I am a born again Christian. I know every religion feels that it is the right way and I can't understand. Please tell me why you follow Buddah. I believe Jesus was the Messiah. Do you believe in God? (the same God as Christians?) If not, what do you believe created the world. What do you think happens to unbelievers? Do you believe in Heaven and Hell. Do you believe in Satan? I have been trying to find out about other religions, because according to what I believe, Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven. In the Bible it warns of false teachers who will try to convince you that Jesus wasn't the son of God. How can you be 100% sure that your religion is right? I'm just wondering. Like I said, religion is new to me. Ever since I've become a Christian I have never felt such a peace. I have never been truly happy until now. I have witnessed miracles. I have seen people healed. I have felt the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I know God is real. I have seen Satan cast out people. Maybe you have too, but the Bible says demons can perform miracles to try to fool people. I have read books that claim that in other religions there are temples and they do things like self-mutilation. Is that true (to your knowledge)? Please tell me what you can about what you believe. Thank you. Crys |
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Re: Jesus Please try your best to follow the teachings that you have the chance to learn. Do not care too much on the name of the religion. They always show the General Order of Development in Nature. |
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Obligated to be buddhist? This is my story of when I went to Thailand to be an exchange student. I was always entering Buddhist Temples with skepticism on my mind. Back then I was an atheist with no desire to be a part of organized religion. My mother is from Thailand and hasn't seen her family in 20+ years. So, After months of searching for my real family I turned up empty handed. On the Chinese New Year my ethnically Chinese host family took me to the buddhist temple to pray at Midnight for the entrance into the New year of the golden pig. I never prayed before to any God, be it buddhist or not. I kneeled down and poured my heart out to whoever was listening about my woes of not finding my family. And I made a promise to the Buddhist religion that if buddhism could help me find my family I would become buddhist. Afterwards we went back home and went to sleep. The next morning my host sister woke me early to my surprise she was very very excited. WE went downstairs and there were 6 people, 5 men and one woman standing at the entrance looking very happy to see me. They were my mother's brothers and sister waiting to greet me. They said that they had word of a girl looking for her family in Udorn (where I was staying) and they had come to find me. Is it mere coincidence or was it the work of Buddha? I may never know. But this experience has left me puzzled and very concerned. I want to believe that Buddha helped me along. My prayer was answered and I made a promise. Should I become buddhist? That is the bottom question. IF someone could help me with this I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much. Dow. |
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Re: Obligated to be buddhist? Sawaddee Krab Dow, You wrote: : And I made a promise to the Buddhist religion that if buddhism could help me find my family I would become buddhist. : Is it mere coincidence or was it the work of Buddha? : Should I become buddhist? It seems that you have made a promise to the Buddha. However being a Buddhist has no restrictions to believe in other religions at the same time. A person may be a Buddhist while he is Christian or others. To be a perfect Buddhist, the one needs to have both of the theoretical experience and the practical experience. The theoretical experience comes from learning of Sutra, or the Dhamma, or the Teachings of the Buddha. This experience can be learned from books and teachers. To find a good Dhamma book that explains both of theoretical and practical experience is very difficult but to find a real good teacher is even more difficult. The practical experience must mainly come from your meditation practice. The more you practice meditation, the more you will understand the Dhamma. The Buddha only shows you the way but you have to make the way by yourself. Because you had the connection with the Buddhism in Thailand, I would like to recommend these sites in Thailand for your learning: http://www.baus.org/dm/index.html |
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Practical Benefit of the Mudra What is the purpose of the Mudras? What are their practical benefits of the Mudras to the meditator? What I know is that the Mudra is a hand gesture. There are many kinds of the Mudra. Some Mudra may help connect internal chi or prana inside the body so the meditator can achieve the meditative state more easily. Some Mudra connects external and internal chi. The Buddha made different Mudra for different purpose. Thanks for any information you may have. |
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Re: Practical Benefit of the Mudra I know some other mudras in the Dharani Sutra (Mahayana sutra) used with Maha-Karuna Mantra for other purposed. I think forty two of them but can't recall their name. The way to cultivate these mudras are only taught to monks and nuns. Not wish to say what it is for as i think most of our fellow western buddhists will not believed it. I think the vajrayana/secret school will have more as they used mantras to cultivate. Kuo-Keong |
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