What's Buddhism's view abt Aggression towards other faiths?
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to add, no one can guarantee anyone's enlightenment, not even the buddha nor arhat.
to achieve enlightenment, it takes many lifetimes to practise, not just in one lifetime. so if one did not practise at every lifetimes, how does he suddenly attained enlightenment?
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me not in SGI, but my mom is..................i don't know much about it, in fact i don't understand why they are chanting in front of a piece of calligraphy.
i've always been sort of a ''half-pail'' buddhist................i know it's the only real ''one'' out there but i don't really bother finding out that much about it..............
i only got interested after i came across this website www.diamond-sutra.com...............i read the English translation and i just know it all makes sense..............previously, i didn't even knew the Buddha taught about the non-self.
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it is a unique and extraordinary mind and will training program
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it is a unique and extraordinary mind and will training program
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Originally posted by As romanista2001:
me not in SGI, but my mom is..................i don't know much about it, in fact i don't understand why they are chanting in front of a piece of calligraphy.
i've always been sort of a ''half-pail'' buddhist................i know it's the only real ''one'' out there but i don't really bother finding out that much about it..............
i only got interested after i came across this website www.diamond-sutra.com...............i read the English translation and i just know it all makes sense..............previously, i didn't even knew the Buddha taught about the non-self.
I see. Diamond Sutra is a very good sutra on Emptiness. The 6th Zen Patriarch Hui-Neng became enlightened just listening to one verse from it.
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Originally posted by As romanista2001:
me not in SGI, but my mom is..................i don't know much about it, in fact i don't understand why they are chanting in front of a piece of calligraphy.
i've always been sort of a ''half-pail'' buddhist................i know it's the only real ''one'' out there but i don't really bother finding out that much about it..............
i only got interested after i came across this website www.diamond-sutra.com...............i read the English translation and i just know it all makes sense..............previously, i didn't even knew the Buddha taught about the non-self.
Emptiness is a profound truth. But the truth in Diamond Sutra can be realised in direct experience.
As our moderator Thusness wrote in
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
I see. Diamond Sutra is a very good sutra on Emptiness. The 6th Zen Patriarch Hui-Neng became enlightened just listening to one verse from it.
Hello, AEN, my friend told me Diamond Sutra is for driving the spirit away. Your version is different, so which is which? -
Originally posted by Rooney9:
to add, no one can guarantee anyone's enlightenment, not even the buddha nor arhat.
to achieve enlightenment, it takes many lifetimes to practise, not just in one lifetime. so if one did not practise at every lifetimes, how does he suddenly attained enlightenment?
i thought about this a long time ago and i believe it all adds up over the lifetimes...........meaning you won't ''backtrack'' in the next lifetime, you can only go forward and accumulate more buddhist wisdom...............so when enough ''spiritualism'' has built up................PRESTO !
all this is my own theory but if people can ''go backwards'' then really really jialat liao...............
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
Hello, AEN, my friend told me Diamond Sutra is for driving the spirit away. Your version is different, so which is which?The entire Diamond Sutra is about teaching Emptiness. Try reading it - it's not very long. http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/clubs/buddhism/sutras/diamond1.html
However the sutra is very powerful that is why it is being placed in almost every Mahayana altars.
12. "Again, Subhuti, wherever this sutra or even four lines of it are preached, this place will be respected by all beings including Devas, Asuras, etc., as if it were the Buddha's own shrine or chaitya; how much more a person who can hold and recite this sutra! Subhuti, you should know that such a person achieves the highest, foremost, and most wonderful deed. Wherever this sutra is kept, the place is to be regarded as if the Buddha or a venerable disciple of his were present."
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
The entire Diamond Sutra is about teaching Emptiness. Try reading it - it's not very long. http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/clubs/buddhism/sutras/diamond1.html
However the sutra is very powerful that is why it is being placed in almost every Mahayana altars.
12. "Again, Subhuti, wherever this sutra or even four lines of it are preached, this place will be respected by all beings including Devas, Asuras, etc., as if it were the Buddha's own shrine or chaitya; how much more a person who can hold and recite this sutra! Subhuti, you should know that such a person achieves the highest, foremost, and most wonderful deed. Wherever this sutra is kept, the place is to be regarded as if the Buddha or a venerable disciple of his were present."
Thanks, the translation is very long
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
I see. Diamond Sutra is a very good sutra on Emptiness. The 6th Zen Patriarch Hui-Neng became enlightened just listening to one verse from it.
so this Hui Neng is now an entity almost like Buddha ???? maybe i don't fully understand the phrase ''enlightened''...............
i'm probably wrong but after reading the Diamond Sutra, i find that it's more about Science than anything else...............just like scientists now are saying the universe is just a hologram (illusion)............it's describing the Ultimate Reality at least on our human level.............that's why to me, it makes sense..........
as for this no-self, we humans think far too much and highly of ourselves becoz of ego.............maybe we're just like the characters in a computer game..............we really are no-thing..............
in short, maybe a buddha is one that finally figured out exactly that but the people back in those days wouldn't have been able to understand him so he used the words he used to explain..................i'm quite sure there are a lot more that the Buddha didn't teach becoz there's no practical point in doing so............
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Originally posted by As romanista2001:
so this Hui Neng is now an entity almost like Buddha ???? maybe i don't fully understand the phrase ''enlightened''...............
i'm probably wrong but after reading the Diamond Sutra, i find that it's more about Science than anything else...............just like scientists now are saying the universe is just a hologram (illusion)............it's describing the Ultimate Reality at least on our human level.............that's why to me, it makes sense..........
as for this no-self, we humans think far too much and highly of ourselves becoz of ego.............maybe we're just like the characters in a computer game..............we really are no-thing..............
in short, maybe a buddha is one that finally figured out exactly that but the people back in those days wouldn't have been able to understand him so he used the words he used to explain..................i'm quite sure there are a lot more that the Buddha didn't teach becoz there's no practical point in doing so............
Buddhism is a science. Science is something which the results are reproducible upon investigation. In Buddhism, through meditation we can directly realise the truth about Emptiness, No-Self, etc, upon investigation. We can realise directly, through our experience, not theoretically but seeing for oneself that this is the case. And not only one, but countless practitioners have seen long past till today done the experiment and have consistently realised the ultimate nature of reality as luminous and empty for themselves. They are enlightened.
The experiential understanding of No-Self and Emptiness is very different from a theoretical understanding.
I suggest you read carefully what our our moderator Thusness wrote based on his own experience of enlightenment/awakening.
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As for whether Hui-Neng is Buddha, I don't know. I would say it is likely he is a Bodhisattva. There are many stages of enlightenment before Buddhahood. Realising Emptiness does not mean immediately you become Buddha. You have to be perfect in virtues, merits, wisdom, skillful means, etc etc... before you are ready to be Buddha.
Buddhas are very rare and I am not so sure if there has been any appearance of a Buddha since Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha is the only Nirmanakaya manifestation of a Buddha in this age. However there are countless people who become liberated from all sufferings, the cycle of rebirth in samsara and so on.. within that one life. Even within Buddha's lifetime, thousands of his disciples attain awakening and liberation. They are known as Arhats.
Arhats are liberated but they are not going to continue their path to Buddhahood, they simply cease after death. Bodhisattvas who realised emptiness and attained liberation however continue to work for the welfare of sentient beings, guiding them to enlightenment and cultivating their way to Buddhahood for the sake of all beings. Mahayana Buddhism (including Zen) focuses on Bodhisattva path, while Theravada generally focus on attaining Arhatship.
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how can hui neng be a buddha, period.after shakyamuni is maitreya buddha, period.
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
how can hui neng be a buddha, period.after shakyamuni is maitreya buddha, period.
In Vajrayana it is said you can attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, though you will not manifest in a Nirmanakaya form complete with all the virtues powers etc - there is only one Nirmanakaya manifestation of Buddhahood at any age.
However this is a controversial statement and would depend very much on how one defines Buddhahood.
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Seems buddhism rather confusing, different sayings. Haiz
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
In Vajrayana it is said you can attain Buddhahood in this lifetime, though you will not manifest in a Nirmanakaya form complete with all the virtues powers etc - there is only one Nirmanakaya manifestation of Buddhahood at any age.
However this is a controversial statement and would depend very much on how one defines Buddhahood.
that is in contradictions to what the buddha has taught.
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
Seems buddhism rather confusing, different sayings. Haiz
Many basic things remain consistent.
There is suffering in life, a cause of suffering (ignorance, grasping, desires), there is however a way to end suffering, and a path to end suffering. - basic summary of 4 noble truths.
Ending suffering means realising the nature of reality, the union of luminosity and emptiness, in direct experience. This ends all ignorance and sufferings and uncontrolled cycle of rebirth.
Arhats, Bodhisattvas (especially after 6th or 8th bhumi), Pratyekabuddha, Buddhas, ended suffering.
All traditions accept the existence of arhats, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas (though these solitary buddhas do not exist not in our age but in the gap between two buddhas' appearance where there is no dharma teachings or rather it has been forgotten. solitary buddhas do not have the ability to teach dharma, or rather it is very limited as compared to a complete buddha), and buddhas, and the possibility to attain liberation in our life.
However there are some controversies about the definition of full Buddhahood (as contrasted to simply arhatship or bodhisattvahood), how fast it can be attained, etc. Especially since Buddhas are known to be omniscient, have special qualities, powers, virtues, skillful means, and so on. No one as far as I know have all these qualities of a Buddha today (but maybe they do have some of these qualities, just not all). But I know of many who are today, liberated and awakened to the nature of reality. I am aware that arhats and bodhisattvas continue to exist till today.
Some traditions just focus on attaining Arhatship, or personal liberation, without a wish to attain Buddhahood or practice the Bodhisattva way. This is the Theravada tradition.
Other traditions aim for Buddhahood, though the means are different.
Basically there are more similarities - especially on the fundamental level, with all traditions. The emphasis however is different - for example one tradition may emphasize liberation for themselves, others may emphasize on maximising their capacity to not only liberate themselves but all others.
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
Seems buddhism rather confusing, different sayings. Haiz
over the past 2000 plus years, a lot of traditions and sects were formed, claiming to be a lineage of the buddha or expounded by the buddha. u need to read the history like the first council to the 4th council.
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Many basic things remain consistent.
There is suffering in life, a cause of suffering (ignorance, grasping, desires), there is however a way to end suffering, and a path to end suffering. - basic summary of 4 noble truths.
Ending suffering means realising the nature of reality, the union of luminosity and emptiness, in direct experience. This ends all ignorance and sufferings and uncontrolled cycle of rebirth.
Arhats, Bodhisattvas (especially after 6th or 8th bhumi), Pratyekabuddha, Buddhas, ended suffering.
All traditions accept the existence of arhats, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas (though not in our age), and buddhas, and the possibility to attain liberation in our life.
However there are some controversies about the definition of full Buddhahood (as contrasted to simply arhatship or bodhisattvahood), how fast it can be attained, etc. Espeically since Buddhas are known to be omniscient, have special qualities, virtues, skillful means, and so on. No one as far as I know have all these qualities of a Buddha today (but maybe some of them). But I know of many who are today, liberated and awakened to the nature of reality.
Some traditions just focus on attaining Arhatship, or personal liberation, without a wish to attain Buddhahood or practice the Bodhisattva way. This is the Theravada tradition.
Other traditions aim for Buddhahood, though the means are different.
Basically there are more similarities - especially on the fundamental level, with all traditions. The emphasis however is different - for example one tradition may emphasize liberation for themselves, others may emphasize on maximising their capacity to not only liberate themselves but all others.
What about the Theravad buddhism whom they claim they are the closest to the teaching of Buddha?
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Originally posted by Rooney9:
over the past 2000 plus years, a lot of traditions and sects were formed, claiming to be a lineage of the buddha or expounded by the buddha. u need to read the history like the first council to the 4th council.
Thanks. -
I think Dr K Sri Dhammanda said it best. he said during the buddha's time, there were no names such as theravada, mahayana and vajrayana. Buddha did not differentiated this. he said to each his/her own, whether the person has aspirations to be a buddha, or arhat. I concurred with his views. all these theravada or mahayana, are like terms or labels. just like what nagasena had said, axles, pole of a chariot are like names, and no chariot can be found. similarly eyes, ears, noses all consituted to person like nagasena, which in actual fact doesnt exists.
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
What about the Theravad buddhism whom they claim they are the closest to the teaching of Buddha?
yes. but its wrong to say its theravada buddhism, because buddha did not taught theravada buddhism or even mahayana buddhism.
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Originally posted by Dondontan:
What about the Theravad buddhism whom they claim they are the closest to the teaching of Buddha?
Theravada Buddhism accepts the existence of arhats, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, buddhas, but choose to focus on attaining arhatship.
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Oh btw, the holographic universe (book) is very consistent with Buddhist observations of reality.