Where is Hell located?
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erm let me said something ..Originally posted by dranoel maxwell:I agree with your explanation about humans having to practise and cultivate the inner buddhood in order to attain enlightenment. It is also true that everyone process the buddha nature, it is under constant practise of buddhism that we can awaken the buddha nature in us. When a person is feeding an animal or helping a person he/she is displaying a state of buddhahood in them because they are showing compassion which is one of the characteristic of buddhahood. A person that gained enlightenment(eg. Shakyamuni) is one whose always at the state of buddhahood, meaning to be able to treat everything calmly and not falling into the lower state of life. A buddha is a person of courage, tenacity and continuous action; and one who struggles ceaselessly against devilish functions. Buddhahood is not about being a god or being a superior it's a state of mind that a person manifest. Therefore one who has attained a state of buddhahood is not free from problems, pain and sufferings; he is still subject to temptation by devilish forces. It is thus that ceaseless effort to advance and improve our faith has to be made lest it be destroyed in just a moment.
Buddha will have physical suffering ,like boils on the feet after long distance of travelling to preach from Magadha kingdom to Vulture Peak
but He is not afflicted by it Mentally
He is composed and very much unaffected by those physical suffering every human beings does
i dun think devillish will be able to hurt him, remember he was a deity in the heaven and help so many deities .THose deities stop the evil ppl from even coming near to him ....
that is the fruition of Perfect Karma and Vows .. -
Yes, thats my pointOriginally posted by bohiruci:Buddha will have physical suffering ,like boils on the feet after long distance of travelling to preach from Magadha kingdom to Vulture Peak
but He is not afflicted by it Mentally
Being enlightened means you have been liberated from all afflictions..
Another point is, after enlightenment, the maras have no power to overcome him (the enlightened one). That is why they fear so much that anyone would attain arhatship or buddhahood. They fear it most. You can see how the maras try their best to tempt the Buddha back to his worldly life but failed... becos of fear that he would attain enlightenment.
But after his Enlightenment, the maras divert their attention to destroy the Sangha (monastic community) through various ways. They also tempt many people who were about to attain Arhatship. They also wish that Buddha quickly enter into Parinirvana so that less people will benefit from Him. -
From Vimalakirti Nirdesa SUtra
The Buddha then said to the venerable �nanda, "�nanda, go to the Licchavi Vimalakirti to inquire about his illness."
�nanda replied, "Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness. Why? Lord, I remember one day when the body of the Lord manifested some indisposition and he required some milk; I took the bowl and went to the door of the mansion of a great Brahman family. The Licchavi Vimalakirti came there, and, having saluted me, said, 'Reverend �nanda, what are you doing on the threshold of this house with your bowl in your hand so early in the morning?'
"I replied: 'the body of the Lord manifests some indisposition, and he needs some milk. Therefore, I have come to fetch some.'
"Vimalakirti then said to me, 'Reverend �nanda, do not say such a thing! Reverend �nanda, the body of the Tathágata is tough as a diamond, having eliminated all the instinctual traces of evil and being endowed with all goodness. How could disease or discomfort affect such a body?
"'Reverend �nanda, go in silence, and do not belittle the Lord. Do not say such things to others. It would not be good for the powerful gods or for the bodhisattvas coming from the various Buddha-fields to hear such words.
"'Reverend �nanda, a universal monarch, who is endowed only with a small root of virtue, is free of diseases.
How then could the Lord, who has an infinite root of virtue, have any disease? It is impossible.
"'Reverend �nanda, do not bring shame upon us, but go in silence, lest the heterodox sectarians should hear your words. They would say, "For shame! The teacher of these people cannot even cure his own sicknesses. How then can he cure the sicknesses of others?" Reverend �nanda, go then discreetly so that no one observes you.
"'Reverend �nanda, the Tathágatas have the body of the Dharma - not a body that is sustained by material food.
The Tathágatas have a transcendental body that has transcended all mundane qualities.
There is no injury to the body of a Tathágata, as it is rid of all defilements. The body of a Tathágata is uncompounded and free of all formative activity. Reverend �nanda, to believe there can be illness in such a body is irrational and unseemly!'
"When I had heard these words, I wondered if I had previously misheard and misunderstood the Buddha, and I was very much ashamed. Then I heard a voice from the sky: '�nanda! The householder speaks to you truly.
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A Buddha is any being who has become awakened to the ultimate truth of life, one who perceives the true entity of all phenomena, and who leads others to attain the same truth of life. In Hinayana the word means one who has entered the state of nenlightenment. In India the word buddha was originally a common noun meaning "awakened one," but in Buddhism it is used to mean one who has become awakened to the ultimate irvana, in which both body and mind are extinguished. Provisional Mahayana generally teaches that one becomes a Buddha after eradicating illusions through aeons of austere and meritorious practices, gradually acquiring the thirty-two features of a Buddha. Although a Buddha is ridded off the 3 poisons of buddhism(Greed, Hatred, Ignorance) and is always at the higher states of life. He/she still can experience the 4 lower states of life but will not be influenced or trapped in the lower states of life. Thus due to a Buddha's wisdom and high life condtion he/she can easily return to the higher states of life and not trap or get influenced in the lower states of life. When Shakyamuni was savouring the joy of enlightenment under the pipal tree, he was simultaneously troubled by the dilemma of whether he should preach the law to others. The devilish functions continued to plague Shakyamuni even after he had become a Buddha. They vied to attack him through even the smallest breach in his heart.originally posted by An Eternal NowI do not agree with the part that Buddha still has to struggle with 'devilish functions' or 'sufferings'. A Buddha is completely pure and therefore liberated from Greed, Hatred, Ignorance. There is absolutely no need to struggle against 'devillish functions' (do you mean the Maras?) or any form of temptations and desire. Not even one such temptation will arise in his pure mind. After his enlightenment, the Maras have no power over him any more. Also, you should know that after enlightenment, a person is completely freed and liberated from sufferings. He still feels pain at times, pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. And when he is enlightened he no longer suffers.
If you go back to the basics you would know about the 4 Noble Truths, and the very first teaching is already dealing with the total liberation of sufferings.
When a person beomes a Buddha he/she still has to under go sufferings. Sufferings and pain are not optional, it is a process of life. However due to a Buddha's states of life, he/she can view sufferings as a part of life and a joy in life. When Shakyamuni became a buddha he is not ridded of sufferings, because he still has to experience; bith, age, sick, death. These 4 points are considered sufferings, but due to a buddha's high life condition and wisdom he is able to view sufferings as a joy. Buddhism recogisnes the suffering in this world thus buddhism teaches us how to discover the ultimate truth within themselves, tapping an inner source of happiness and the strength and wisdom to overcome suffering. The eightfold path are right views, thinking, speech, action, right way of life, right endeavor, right mindfulness, and right meditation. These paths are the eradication of suffering, all these eight paths are set to change our views about sufferings they do not rid sufferings from the face of the earth. Sufferings are part of life and not optional, it is whether one views it in a different way that one can release from sufferings.
Four Noble Truths:
The four noble truths are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path to the cessation of suffering. Shakyamuni is said to have expounded the four noble truths at Deer Park in Varanasi, India, during his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. They are: (1) all existence is suffering; (2) suffering is caused by selfish craving; (3) the eradication of selfish craving brings about the cessation of suffering and enables one to attain nirvana; and (4) there is a path by which this eradication can be achieved, namely, the discipline of the eightfold path. The eightfold path consists of right views, right thinking, right speech, right action, right way of life, right endeavor, right mindfulness, and right meditation. -
Buddhism does not believe in the concept of heaven or an afterlife, but rather speaks of the eternity of life. Our physical body must at some point decline and need to be replaced, but the essence of out life will continue to be reborn again in a new body at some time in the future.originally posted by bohirucierm let me said something ..
Buddha will have physical suffering ,like boils on the feet after long distance of travelling to preach from Magadha kingdom to Vulture Peak
but He is not afflicted by it Mentally
He is composed and very much unaffected by those physical suffering every human beings does
i dun think devillish will be able to hurt him, remember he was a deity in the heaven and help so many deities .THose deities stop the evil ppl from even coming near to him ....
that is the fruition of Perfect Karma and Vows ..
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i dunno wat u are driving at .....Originally posted by dranoel maxwell:Buddhism does not believe in the concept of heaven or an afterlife, but rather speaks of the eternity of life. Our physical body must at some point decline and need to be replaced, but the essence of out life will continue to be reborn again in a new body at some time in the future.
your understanding of Buddhism is not there .... -
what i'm trying to put across to you is buddha does not equal to deity(read the sentence that i underlined)... deity is a common folk belief. A buddha is a human which has attained enlightenment and not a deity. A deity is a superior being which is a god like person. If you don't believe me ask NUS buddhist society if a buddha is a deity.originally posted by bohirucidunno wat u are driving at .....
your understanding of Buddhism is not there .... -
can u read and understand my posting , i am talking abt those harm that will come to Buddha will never appearOriginally posted by dranoel maxwell:what i'm trying to put across to you is buddha does not equal to deity(read the sentence that i underlined)... deity is a common folk belief. A buddha is a human which has attained enlightenment and not a deity. A deity is a superior being which is a god like person. If you don't believe me ask NUS buddhist society if a buddha is a deity.
becos in the last rebirth before as BUddha , he was a deity in heaven in Tunita Heaven .
And many deities protect him when He is the Teacher of Gods and Man ,
you seems to have a problem understanding what was posted , would appreciate u read and understand before u post
wat NUS Buddhist society? I think you really dont quite understand your own posting ...... -
Don't bother with bohiruci, he's an idiot.
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NUS buddhist society is National University of Singapore Buddhist Society. They also hold dharma talks, and one of them is, there are no deities or gods in Buddhism. NUS buddhist society is part of the Singapore Buddhist Federation. I am from NUS by the way.Originally posted by bohiruci:wat NUS Buddhist society? I think you really dont quite understand your own posting ......
I have been following the arguements here and am surprised that when many buddhists nowadays believe that there are no gods or deities, this type of comment can appear here. fellow buddhists whom i talked to were all attracted to this religion because there are no superstitions in Buddhism. Everything is practical and rational. All are applicable to life. Many westerners were converted to Buddhism due to the same reasons, because many people do not see the rationality of having a super being. Buddhism is talking about us being responsible for our lives. -
Shakyamuni said before, those people who think they know a lot are actually going to hinder the spread of the Law. Shariputra did not attain enlightenment faster than another of Shakyamuni's disciple who is slower, though Shariputra has the most wisdom. this is because Shariputra thought that he is too clever, and ironically, this arrogrance resulted in him not realising the Law of life. Shakyamuni commented on Shariputra's arrogrance, and upon realising, he changed his ways and attained enlightenment.Originally posted by bohiruci:i dunno wat u are driving at .....
your understanding of Buddhism is not there ....
I think this is a friendly exchange of ideas. Many people here can be from different schools of Buddhism, and all have different interpretation of Buddhism. By commenting about other people not having enough knowledge of Buddhism, it is akin to being rude. If one has no knowledge of Buddhism, who would he or her come here and exchange his or her views?
i hope this forum can be a friendly exchange of ideas between members of different schools. -
ya... it is true that Shakyamuni revealed that he had gained enlightenment since the infinite past.... but gaining enlightenment does not equal to being a deity...Originally posted by bohiruci:can u read and understand my posting , i am talking abt those harm that will come to Buddha will never appear
becos in the last rebirth before as BUddha , he was a deity in heaven in Tunita Heaven .
And many deities protect him when He is the Teacher of Gods and Man ,
you seems to have a problem understanding what was posted , would appreciate u read and understand before u post
wat NUS Buddhist society? I think you really dont quite understand your own posting ......
by the way i know what i'm typing i just don't understand your way of phrasing buddha as a deity. You should review your views on buddhism properly....
Anyway for your ignorance NUS buddhist society = National University of Singapore Buddhist Society -
can u go and read the past lives of Buddha ?jataka tales , it is stated thereOriginally posted by dranoel maxwell:ya... it is true that Shakyamuni revealed that he had gained enlightenment since the infinite past.... but gaining enlightenment does not equal to being a deity...
by the way i know what i'm typing i just don't understand your way of phrasing buddha as a deity. You should review your views on buddhism properly....
Anyway for your ignorance NUS buddhist society = National University of Singapore Buddhist Society
I think u are really not seeing your post , observe your post carefully
i am not here to pick up a quarrel , you go and ask around people what u write and ask if they understand what u write ....
i am not ignorant , i know what is NUSBS
my 2 cents worth...... -
heaven and hell are states of mind. not a physical place.
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Dranoel maxwell
i dun think devillish will be able to hurt him, remember he was a deity in the heaven and help so many deities .THose deities stop the evil ppl from even coming near to him ....
that is the fruition of Perfect Karma and Vows ..
i hope u understand it is the english capability i am talking about
I dunno how u see that statement as
but i told u , in the jataka tales , it stated the last birth of Buddha is a deity
before He was reborn as Prince Siddhartha
and i never said he becomes a deity
i use the word "was "
and I am tertiary level for your info . If u really dun understand what i meant , then i got nothing to said ..
and upon reflecting i should said my part is abit harsh... that i apologiseOriginally posted by bohiruci:i dunno wat u are driving at .....
your understanding of Buddhism is not there .... -
your tertiary level is poly electronics and you fail english
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I have a B3 for englishOriginally posted by Suicine:your tertiary level is poly electronics and you fail english
Buddhist dun lie and u repeat your module rite ? i never repeat any module -
No direct insults or flaming at other people is allowed in this forum.Originally posted by Suicine:Don't bother with bohiruci, he's an idiot. -
I agree there is room for improvements on his writing structure, but there is no need for you to insult him like that.Originally posted by Suicine:your tertiary level is poly electronics and you fail english -
There is both the physical level and the mental level. At the mental level it can be experienced even today. At the physical level a person can only see due to his cultivation powers and if he himself land in that realm.Originally posted by LinYu:heaven and hell are states of mind. not a physical place. -
Not just his writing structure but also his mentalityOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:I agree there is room for improvements on his writing structure, but there is no need for your to insult him like that. -
I think you misunderstood what Bodhiruci is trying to say.Originally posted by dranoel maxwell:ya... it is true that Shakyamuni revealed that he had gained enlightenment since the infinite past.... but gaining enlightenment does not equal to being a deity...
by the way i know what i'm typing i just don't understand your way of phrasing buddha as a deity. You should review your views on buddhism properly....
Anyway for your ignorance NUS buddhist society = National University of Singapore Buddhist Society
He is not saying that Buddha is a deity. He is point out that the scriptures (and it did say) that Buddha stayed in the Tushita Heaven prior to descending to Earth. At Tushita Heaven, he manifested as a Bodhisattva. Similarly, the 'Bodhisattva' who took over him at Tushita Heaven is the Maitreya Bodhisattva. In the future he will be the next Buddha to appear.
I think all of us understand that Buddha has transcended the 6 samsaric realms and therefore is beyond a deity. -
shit = S H I T
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If that is your opinion, then please suggest to him in a nicer way..Originally posted by Suicine:Not just his writing structure but also his mentality -
I too is not here to pick a quarrel with you. But your previous post was kinda insulting to me. Let me tell you, it is true that Jataka Tales states the previous lifes of the Buddha. But from what i know Jataka Tales are just tales used by buddhist teachers to illustrate the doctrines of their faith or to magnify the glory and sancity of the Buddha...Originally posted by bohiruci:can u go and read the past lives of Buddha ?jataka tales , it is stated there
I think u are really not seeing your post , observe your post carefully
i am not here to pick up a quarrel , you go and ask around people what u write and ask if they understand what u write ....
i am not ignorant , i know what is NUSBS
my 2 cents worth......
And also you mentioned that you are not ignorant however in your previous post you asked me what is NUS buddhist society... i'm just trying to clear the doubts in you....
here's several URL that can prove my word
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/jt/jt02.htm
http://www.buddhanet.net/bt_intro.htm
http://www.encyclopedia-glossary.com/en/Jataka.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jataka_Tales
i'm sorry if i have offended you in anyway......