Buddhism

[JW]

 

thanks for posting Trev!!

[Trev]

Oh yeah, thanks for starting the topic, JW!

[Gaia]

JW: Was the Novia Scotia center you visited where Pema Chödrön is a resident teacher? Was it Gampo Abbey?

[suz]

I refer to myself as a buddhist even though I'm fairly new to it. Interestingly, it was buddhism that originally led me to veganism (although my reasons for being vegan expanded rapidly). I have the word 'impermanence' tattooed in sanskrit on my inner arm as a daily reminder.

[JW]

Here is some general info on Karma & Rebirth

 

 

Karma and Rebirth

The wheel of life, or "samsara", is an ancient symbol that has the same meaning in Buddhism and Hinduism. It is symbolises the cycle of birth, life, and death. When one revolution of the wheel is completed, life begins again with rebirth.

 

 

What is karma?

 

Karma is a Sanskrit word that literally means "action". The word is used to refer to volitional acts as well as the forces that arise from these acts. The idea of karma had existed in ancient Indian philosophy before the time of Siddhartha Gautama, and it became an important element of Buddhist philosophy.

 

The Hindu and Buddhist concepts of karma are quite similar, although Hinduism makes a further distinction between different types of karma, such as present karma, latent karma, and future karma. In the understanding of both thought systems, the law of karma describes the connection between actions and the resulting forces, as follows: wholesome actions lead to wholesome states while unwholesome actions lead to unwholesome states, individually as well as collectively.

 

The ethical dimension.

 

To make this more intelligible, one has to account for (un)wholesome actions and (un)wholesome states and their respective meaning in Buddhism. The former is outlined in the Noble Eightfold Path. Action springs from volition, which springs from intention, which springs from thought, and so forth. The quality of actions can be described in ethical terms, simply as either good or bad, or both good and bad, or indifferent.

 

There are various grades of ethical qualities; and most people have an intuitive understanding that enables them to discern between good and bad, although the discerning ability depends on the person's state of mental development. A wise person at a high level of mental development can clearly discern mental activities and actions in an ethical dimension, while a deluded person has difficulties or is even unable to do so.

 

Good and bad vs. skilful and unskilful.

 

Wherever the three defilements - delusion, greed, and aversion - are present, they blur the view and increase the level of confusion in the individual or group. Consequently, if the defilements are present, there is a low level of skill in distinguishing between good and bad actions. Thus it makes sense to say that we have skilful (good) and unskilful (bad) thoughts, we speak skilful (good) and unskilful (bad) words, and we act either in a skilful (good) or in an unskilful (bad) way.

 

The Buddhist Precepts and the Ten Perfections give concrete meaning to good and bad and explain skilful and unskilful volitional acts in detail. Since everything in Buddhism is interrelated, the Eightfold Path must be seen in connection with the Four Noble Truths, the concept of karma, and the tenet of rebirth.

 

Moral quality of volitional acts determines karma.

 

The law of karma states that there is a connection between the moral quality, the level of skill in volitional actions, and the resulting states. What we are is determined largely by what we thought, said and did in the past, while what we are thinking, saying, and doing now will form our future. The karma of past, present, and future events are connected by the law of cause and effect.

 

For instance, if one generates bad karma by hurting or killing sentient beings, one will have to endure the negative consequences of these deeds in this or another lifetime. Similarly, if one generates good karma by observing the precepts, positive consequences will follow inevitably.

 

Buddhists understand karma as a natural law. There is no higher instance, no judgement, no divine intervention, and no gods that steer man's destiny, but only the law of karma itself, which works on a global time frame. Deeds yield consequences either in the next second, in the next hour, day, month, year, decade, or even in the next lifetime, or in another distant lifetime. To illustrate this, consider the following example describing a sequence of volitional acts, which yield instant karmic results:

 

Example: The arising of volition and karma.

 

An unpleasant sensation occurs. A thought arises that the source of the unpleasantness was a person. This thought is a delusion; any decisions based upon it will therefore be unskilful. A thought arises that some past sensations of unpleasantness issued from this same person. This thought is a further delusion. This is followed by a wilful decision to speak words that will produce an unpleasant sensation in that which is perceived as a person. This decision is an act of hostility.

 

Of all the events described so far, only this is called karma. Words are carefully chosen in the hopes that when heard they will cause pain. The words are pronounced aloud. This is the execution of the decision to be hostile. It may also be classed as a kind of karma, although technically it is after-karma.

 

There is a visual sensation of a furrowed brow and turned down mouth. The thought arises that the other person's face is frowning. The thought arises that the other person's feelings were hurt. There is a fleeting joyful feeling of success in knowing that one has scored a damaging verbal blow.

 

Eventually, perhaps much later, there is an unpleasant sensation of regret, perhaps taking the form of a sensation of fear that the perceived enemy may retaliate, or perhaps taking the form of remorse on having acted impetuously, like an immature child, and hoping that no one will remember this childish action. This regret or fear is the unpleasant ripening of the karma, the unskilful decision to inflict pain through words.

 

Rebirth.

 

Buddhists hold that the retributive process of karma can span more than one lifetime. Rebirth, or reincarnation, has always been an important tenet in Buddhism; and it is often referred to as walking the wheel of life (samsara). It is the process of being born over and over again in different times and different situations, possibly for many thousand times.

 

As long as there is delusion, greed, and aversion, and as long as passions are not extinguished, we generate karma. Because we eventually accumulate unmaterialised karma in this or in a past lifetime, there is a next lifetime in which the accumulated karma will take form. Only when all accumulated karma is realised and the generation of new karma is calmed, one can enter the stream that leads to Nirvana. This process continues until Nirvana is reached, which signifies the cessation of rebirth and, hence, suffering.

 

It is notable that this also entails the avoidance of "good karma". Once the stream that leads to Nirvana is entered, creating wholesome karma is not an object anymore. Although wholesome karma leads to entering the stream, it does not necessarily lead to Nirvana, only the extinguishment of all karmic forces will lead to Nirvana.

 

The Non-Self.

 

The concept of rebirth is unfamiliar to most Western people. Its philosophical and traditional foundation is found in India, where the theory of transmigration of souls had presumably existed long before it was written down in the Upanishads around 300 BC.

 

The Buddhist concept is subtly different from the classical Indian understanding, because it denies the existence of a self. In Buddhism, the idea of self is merely an illusion. Man wrongly identifies perception, consciousness, mind and body with what he calls self. In reality there is no abiding entity that could be identified with a self, because the states of perception, consciousness, and mind constantly change.

 

The body is mortal and when it dies, consciousness and all mental activities cease. That is why there is no soul. The idea of soul is simply an extension of the self. Soul is the immortal version of the self that supposedly survives physical death. Since we know that consciousness is a function of our nervous system, it seems difficult to believe that the conscious self survives death. Hence, Buddhists deny the reality of both self and soul.

 

The idea of an abiding self is deceptive, because it is derived from unenlightened reasoning. The word self simply provides a reference frame for the mind-body phenomena of sentient beings. We usually identify it with our body and the stream of consciousness induced by sense perceptions and thoughts. In reality, what we call self is neither abiding nor detached from the rest of the world and other beings. Buddhists call this the "neither self nor non-self".

 

What is reborn if not the "self"?

 

If the idea of non-self sounds odd, then it must sound even more curious that non-self can be reborn. There is a seeming contradiction between the canon of rebirth and that of the non-self, which even many dedicated Buddhists find difficult to understand. The contradiction is, however, only on the surface and can be solved if one pictures the self as the result of karmic formation. This can be put into less abstract words:

 

If we imagine the world as an ocean, we are like the ripples on the ocean. Formations like ripples and waves occur, because of wind, tides, and other kinetic forces. In the Buddhist analogy, the universe is in motion due to karmic forces. A ripple, a wave, or a billow may seem as an individual entity for a moment, creating the illusion that it has a self, but it is gone in the next moment. The truth is that all individuals are one. A ripple is a temporary phenomenon; it is just water in motion. We know that kinetic energy causes wave forms on a body of water and it would be ridiculous to say that a single ripple or wave has a self.

 

Similarly, in case of beings, the process of coming into life and being conditioned in a particular way is caused by karmic forces. The up and down of the ocean's waves corresponds with the rotation of the wheel of life. The sea that surges, falls, and resurges, is the life that is born, dies, and is reborn again. It is therefore obvious that we should not focus on the temporary phenomenon of the wave, but on the force that causes, forms, and drives it. Nothing else is said, although in more practical terms, in the Eightfold Path.

[JW]

JW: Was the Novia Scotia center you visited where Pema Chödrön is a resident teacher? Was it Gampo Abbey?

 

No, I visited the one in Tatamagouche.

I'd love to go back some day.

 

Dorje Denma Ling

2280 Balmoral Rd.

Tatamagouche NS B0K 1V0

 

(902)659-9085 Fax: (902)657-9085

 

E-mail: denmashambhala.org

Director and Dharmadhatu coordinator: Bob Rader

Ashe Society coordinator: Cynthia Elizabeth Young

 

Tradition: Tibetan buddhism, Kagyu & Nyingma

Associated with: Shambhala International

 

Activities and schedule: A rural contemplative centre, situated on nearly 300 acres near Tatamagouche.

Go to web site for more information: http://www.dorjedenmaling.com

[JW]

I refer to myself as a buddhist even though I'm fairly new to it. Interestingly, it was buddhism that originally led me to veganism (although my reasons for being vegan expanded rapidly). I have the word 'impermanence' tattooed in sanskrit on my inner arm as a daily reminder.

 

Thanks for posting Suz

I can definitely see how Buddhism led you to veganism.

Could you post a picture of the tattoo?

I'm not sure I personally would get one, but that constant reminder would be a good thing.

 

Your post actually brings up an interesting point.

When exactly are you a Buddhist?

Some feel that you must follow the 5 precepts to be Buddhist.

Others, (including myself) believe that if you are making a concerted effort to live your life by the 5 precepts you are Buddhist.

 

 

Difficult to determine

telling white lies

having the odd beer

killing ants which have invaded your home

cursing at someone in anger

 

These are all at odds with the precepts, yet I know I have done all of the above, they are very rare occurrences and since I am aware of these actions and since I am trying not to do so on a regular basis...... I still consider myself to be a Buddhist.

[Gaia]

I've often heard the label "that I am a 'practicing Buddhist' " to mean persons who practice Buddhism, but are not wholeheartedly committed to the discipline. Personally I am able to live with most of the precepts of Buddhism, but the additional dogma of the discipline I have a hard time conforming to.

Has anyone read the Tibetan Book of the Dead? specifically (Shambhala Classics) by Chogyam Trungpa?

[JW]

I've often heard the label "that I am a 'practicing Buddhist' " to mean persons who practice Buddhism, but are not wholeheartedly committed to the discipline. Personally I am able to live with most of the precepts of Buddhism, but the additional dogma of the discipline I have a hard time conforming to.

Has anyone read the Tibetan Book of the Dead? specifically (Shambhala Classics) by Chogyam Trungpa?

 

That's not a bad term actually.

I suppose that all Buddhists regardless of how closely they follow the precepts would be considered to be practicing since it is an ongoing path day in, day out.

Funny, you wouldn't expect a simple definition to be so complicated

[suz]

Could you post a picture of the tattoo?

 

I'll try to get a decent pic of it. Definitely not for everyone, I know. Buddhism is hard in the modern world and I find the reminder does me well.

 

I'm not too sure about the term 'practicing Buddhist'. I suppose it's like saying 'I'm a practicing vegan'. At what point would you stop practicing and how would you know when you have reached that point? Why hold yourself back from the journey, just begin it.

 

Gaia -- I have not yet read the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' although it sits in my 'to read' stack on my bedside table. I am currently reading 'The Tibetan Book of the Living and dying'. My favourite book and most read is 'The Dhammapada' -- a collection of very simple versus. I highly recommend it.

[Odidnetne]

Could you post a picture of the tattoo?

 

I'll try to get a decent pic of it. Definitely not for everyone, I know. Buddhism is hard in the modern world and I find the reminder does me well.

 

I kind of interpret Buddhism (at least the aspects that I use/are in common with my personal thoughts) as a reaction to the modern world, and that not partaking in a lot of things free you and make you feel better, althought I understand completely what you are saying.

 

I was thinking about it today. I was talking to a girl (who's in high school), who said that she has no time to work out or anything because of school and all that, and I said "You can't find 2 - 3 free hours in a 168 hour week to exercise"? "No, not that I can think of."

 

That was 2 - 3 weeks ago, today she said she talks on her cellphone for at least one hour everynight before bed....I'm just going to end this post there.

[loveliberate]

This Buddism thang seems to be really popular down in Eugene...

 

Everywhere ya go down there, people offer ya "Kind Budd" that apparently "blows your mind" & takes ya to anouther dimension of consciousness & stuff...

[suz]

Those people don't sound like Buddhists.

[loveliberate]

Really, why not?

 

I dont know a whole lot about Buddism but those folks sure do talk about Budd a lot... I hear there's a lot of Buddists up in BC too. As a matter of fact, people down here are always talking about how great Budd is in BC. I think I saw quite a few Buddists up there on Commercial Drive & also on West Hastings.

[robert]

I think you are missing the "h" in Buddhism.

[JW]

To follow a Buddhist path, alcohol and drugs should not be taken.

It is one of the precepts of Buddhism.

[JW]

A little info about the Buddha (Siddhartha Guatama)

 

 

The Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama

ca. 563 - ca. 483 BC

 

Siddhartha Gautama lived in the present-day border area between India and Nepal in the 6th century before Christ; his exact birth date is unknown. Because the life of the historical Buddha is inseparable from legend, the following text is not meant to be a historically exact biography, but a short life story based on what has been passed down by generations.

 

563 BC - Birth

 

Siddhartha Gautama is born in Lumbini, near the Nepalese-Indian border to his father, King Suddhodana, ruler of the Sakya tribe, and his mother, Queen Mayadevi. The father gives his son the name of Siddhartha (=the one who obtains success and prosperity), his second name is Gautama (=name of the clan).

 

Seers predict that Siddhartha will either become a Universal Monarch or a Buddha. Asita, the wisest of the seers, is sure that he will become a Buddha (=one who has supreme knowledge). His mother dies seven days after the birth.

 

563-547 BC

 

Siddhartha spends his childhood in the palace of his father at Kapilavastu, Southern Nepal, where he is raised by his aunt Mahaprajapati until the age of seven. In his early childhood, during a ploughing ceremony, Siddhartha makes his first unprecedented spiritual experience, where in the course of meditation he develops the first jhana (=meditative absorption) through concentration.

 

As a young boy he learns the skills of a warrior, including the technical and athletic skills of man-to-man fight. Siddhartha is trained in spiritual disciplines and becomes proficient in the art of archery.

 

547 BC

 

At the early age of sixteen, he marries his beautiful cousin Princess Yasodhara, who is of equal age.

 

547-533 BC

 

The young prince spends thirteen more years together with his wife in the royal court of his father. Three palaces are built for him, one for the cold season, one for the hot season, and one for the rainy season. Siddhartha enjoys the lavish court life while his father is trying to screen him from all troubles and worries. A son is born while Siddhartha is in his late twenties.

 

533 BC - The Four Sights

 

Despite of the amenities of life, Siddhartha is not satisfied with the mere enjoyment of fleeting pleasures due to his inquiring and contemplative nature. One day, he leaves the palace for an excursion and there he encounters what so far has been purposely veiled from him:

 

He sees a decrepit old man, a diseased person, a corpse being cremated, and a sadhu (=holy man, hermit). Siddhartha realises that there is old age, sickness, and death, and that people ultimately have little control over their lives. The fourth sight provides the inspiration that leads to a dramatic change in his life.

 

533 BC - The Renunciation

 

In the night of his 29th birthday, Siddhartha gives up his life as a prince and secretly leaves the court while everyone is asleep. He travels far and crosses the river Anoma, where he shaves his hair and hands over his princely garments to his groom Channa, with instructions to return them to the palace.

 

533-528 BC

 

The Bodhisattva (=future Buddha), who once lived in luxury, becomes a penniless and homeless wanderer. He leads a life of self-mortification and spiritual study, becomes first a disciple of several then famous Brahman teachers, and later attracts his own disciples.

 

After a long and exhausting period of searching and self-mortification, he finally becomes disillusioned with the Indian caste system, Hindu asceticism, and the religious doctrines of his time. He gives up the ascetic life and loses all of his disciples as a result. Nevertheless, he continues his search for truth through the practice of meditation.

 

April/May 528 BC - Enlightenment

 

While meditating under a Bodhi tree in Bodh-Gaya, south of Gaya in the state of Bihar, India, the Bodhisattva experiences the Great Enlightenment, which reveals to him the way of salvation from suffering. He spends seven weeks meditating in the vicinity of the site of the Bodhi tree and attains the status of a fully realised Buddha at the age of 35.

 

June/July 528 BC - First Sermon

 

Buddha finds his former five disciples in Benares. In his first sermon he teaches them what will become the gist of Buddhism. Upon hearing it, one of the disciples instantly attains the status of an arhat (=one with enlightened wisdom). This event marks the beginning of the Buddhist teaching and his disciples become the first five members of the sangha (=Buddhist order).

 

528-527 BC

 

During a short period of time, Buddha establishes a great reputation in western Hindustan by converting thousands of people to the dhamma (=the Buddhist teaching). People hear the dhamma delivered either by himself, or by the monks of his order. During this time he delivers the fire sermon.

 

March 527 BC

 

The Buddha briefly returns to the palace of his father to convert the royal family and ordains many of the Sakya tribe.

 

523 BC

 

Four years later Siddhartha's father, King Suddhodana, dies. Buddha returns to the palace and Mahaprajapati, where Buddha's aunt -upon meeting Buddha- becomes the first woman to ordain, despite of the protest of some contemporaries. From this moment on women were admitted to the sangha. According to Indian tradition, however, they were separated and under the authority of male monks.

 

523-483 BC

 

In the 45 years following his enlightenment, Buddha travels around Northern India to teach the tenets of Buddhism. He is extremely successful and attracts first thousands, then ten thousands, and later hundred thousands of people from all walks of life, who voluntarily decide to follow his teachings, the dhamma. During the monsoon, when travelling becomes difficult due to the weather, Buddha and his close followers interrupt their journey. During these month, monks, as well as laypeople, receive the teachings at a site selected for retreat. One such site is Sravasti in Nepal, which has become very famous since then.

 

Buddha's success does not only attract admirers, but also provokes envy and ill will. Several attempts are made on his life, but all of them fail. Although he is being criticised and defamed, this does not affect the popularity of his teaching.

 

483 BC - Buddha passes into Nirvana

 

Having achieved the goal of spreading the teaching to the greatest number of people, Buddha dies at the age of eighty years, as a result of food poisoning. He dies in a forest near Kusinagara, Nepal, in the company of his followers reclining on a bed where he speaks his last words: "All compounded things are ephemeral; work diligently on your salvation." With these words on his lips, he passes into the state of Nirvana.

[loveliberate]

Heya folks,

I just wanted to clearly say that my previous comments in this thread were intended solely as humor - I apologize if anyone finds them disrespectful towards Buddhism and/or Buddhists.

[JW]

Heya folks,

I just wanted to clearly say that my previous comments in this thread were intended solely as humor - I apologize if anyone finds them disrespectful towards Buddhism and/or Buddhists.

 

Thanks loveliberate!

No worries! I certainly know from your posts that being disrespectful isn't in your nature. Thanks for the post though!

[JW]

Could you post a picture of the tattoo?

 

I'll try to get a decent pic of it. Definitely not for everyone, I know. Buddhism is hard in the modern world and I find the reminder does me well.

 

I'm not too sure about the term 'practicing Buddhist'. I suppose it's like saying 'I'm a practicing vegan'. At what point would you stop practicing and how would you know when you have reached that point? Why hold yourself back from the journey, just begin it.

 

Gaia -- I have not yet read the 'Tibetan Book of the Dead' although it sits in my 'to read' stack on my bedside table. I am currently reading 'The Tibetan Book of the Living and dying'. My favourite book and most read is 'The Dhammapada' -- a collection of very simple versus. I highly recommend it.

 

 

I know exactly what you mean about Buddhism being hard in the modern world. We are subjected to so very many temptations on a daily basis.

I imagine that the Buddha himself would have had a more difficult time in today's society. Commercialism attacks us from every angle creating greed and ultimately suffering (duhka)

[Gaia]

JW: Why do you say-

"Commercialism attacks us from every angle"

IMO this sounds like what a victim would say.

 

I would also say that every generation thinks they have more and more temptations than the last one. It is still the same, just different packaging. Attachments to materialism is the same, time has no favorites.

[JW]

JW: Why do you say-

"Commercialism attacks us from every angle"

IMO this sounds like what a victim would say.

 

I would also say that every generation thinks they have more and more temptations than the last one. It is still the same, just different packaging. Attachments to materialism is the same, time has no favorites.

 

 

In a way, we are all victimized by commercialism and at very early ages.

My point is that even though temptations have been around forever..... they have escalated with commercialism.

Our kids are being inundated with advertising. They are being given cards at the grocery store which entitles them to a free cookie. Hmmmm.... I give them my card and I get stuff in return...... sounds a lot like credit cards?

The constant use of sexuality in the media, film and TV.

Billboards, ads on the sides of buses, door to door sales, telephone solicitation. One could go on and on.

IMHO, our society has made it much more difficult to follow the path due to the increase in temptations heaped upon us every day.

[JW]

read this last night in a book on Buddhism:

 

"If your mouth is moving, you can not learn"

 

hmmm

[Gaia]

If your cup is full, then it can hold no more.

So empty it.

How would you empty it?

[JW]

My brain hurts!