Search found 43 matches

by nilakantha
Fri Oct 30, 2015 5:29 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: altar blessing
Replies: 12
Views: 2553

Re: altar blessing

The FPMT sells a book on filling statues: http://shop.fpmt.org/Statues-and-Stupas ... _1805.html. I haven't needed to use it, but it looks practical.

On a related subject, does anyone know a source in America for statue clothing?
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 11:19 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

Well, if we don't like Dolpopa, how about Ch'an Master Xuyun? 1. The Objective of Ch'an Practice: The objective of Ch'an practice is to illuminate the mind by eradicating its impurities and seeing into one's true self-nature. The mind's impurities are wrong thoughts and attachments. Self-nature is ...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:26 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

My point was only that if one expects a reference to Dolpopa's Mountain Doctrine to end the conversation, one is in for a surprise. I didn't reference Dolpopa as an unquestioned authority; I referenced the argument he presented. I simply think that it would do us all a lot of good to look at the re...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 6:05 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

Nor is there any consensus among Tibetan Buddhists that Dolpopa was on the right track. Far from it. Consensus? No, of course not. However several variations on a minority report are accepted by some. Yes, that's certainly true. My point was only that if one expects a reference to Dolpopa's Mountai...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:19 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

You may be surprised to read that Dolpopa's position is not the consensus one in those threads. Far from it, actually. Nor is there any consensus among Tibetan Buddhists that Dolpopa was on the right track. Far from it. Nor is there any consensus among Mahayana Buddhists of East Asia that Dolpopa's...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:53 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

If Nirvana Sutra is taken as establishing an Atman, most Buddhists would have an issue with that. It is certainly idiosyncratic in its use of language... Most definitely so. Here are some examples. http://dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=20258 http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=77&a...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 7:17 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

I have no interest in negating them; I was just offering scriptural clarification and support from Mahayana Scripture.
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 27, 2015 5:52 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: impermanence
Replies: 25
Views: 4689

Re: impermanence

Non-Self is Samsara, the Self is the Tathagata; impermanence is the sravakas and pratyekabuddhas, the Eternal is the Tathagata’s Dharmakaya; suffering is all tirthikas, Bliss is Nirvana; the impure is all compounded [samskrta] dharmas , the Pure is the true Dharma that the Buddha and Bodhisattvas ha...
by nilakantha
Fri Oct 23, 2015 11:13 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What is superstition?
Replies: 55
Views: 9593

Re: What is superstition?

'True presumption' is to all intents an 'heuristic': any approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery that employs a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect, but sufficient for the immediate goals. Where finding an optimal solution is impossible or impractical, heuristic met...
by nilakantha
Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:47 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What is superstition?
Replies: 55
Views: 9593

Re: What is superstition?

What is and what isn’t superstition is determined by our epistemology. Indian schools of thought privilege epistemology (pramāṇavāda) in much the same way that Western schools have privileged metaphysics. Don Lusthaus makes this quite clear: While it is not uncommon for Western philosophical systems...
by nilakantha
Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:01 am
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Emptiness
Replies: 312
Views: 52070

Re: Emptiness

I will disagree with Lusthaus. Emptiness is a signifier of an ontological reality, namely Ultimate Reality: In brief, the synonyms of emptiness are: (i) actuality; (ii) the summit of existence; (iii) the imageless; (iv) the ground of the real; (v) the ultimate. The term 'synonyms' here indicates tha...
by nilakantha
Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:50 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Rebirth algorithm in Buddhism?
Replies: 16
Views: 4518

Re: Rebirth algorithm in Buddhism?

As the Lord teaches in the Kalama Sutra: "You yourselves do not have pure wisdom with which to know whethet there is an afterlife or not. You yourselves do not have pure wisdom to know which deeds are transgressions and which are not transgressions." This being so, the algorithm of rebirth...
by nilakantha
Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:39 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: The Pure Land and The Heart Sutra
Replies: 88
Views: 19023

Re: The Pure Land and The Heart Sutra

We'll never agree There's nothing wrong with that. read this article from the perspective of Orthodox Chinese Pure Land: It's often said that mind-only or metaphorical interpretations of Amida and the Pure Land as a reality that can be experienced here and now are invented by halfhearted believers ...
by nilakantha
Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:48 am
Forum: Ethical Conduct
Topic: Tolerance for other religions
Replies: 411
Views: 71251

Re: Tolerance for other religions

I think the Emperor Ashoka struck a good balance: Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart. Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, has caused this Dhamma edict to be written. Here in my domain no liv...
by nilakantha
Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:24 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: The Great Compassion Mantra
Replies: 29
Views: 61495

Re: The Great Compassion Mantra

I believe the best version is the version of Vajrabodhi, reconstituted by Dr. Chandra: CONSTITUTED TEXT OF VAJRABODHI 1. namo ratnatrāya / nama āryĀvalokiteśvarāya bodhisattvāya mahasattvāya mahākāruṇikāya sarvabandhanacchedanakarāya sarvabhavasamudraśoṣaṇakarāya sarvavyādhipraśamanakarāya sarvetyup...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:42 pm
Forum: Ethical Conduct
Topic: Right livelihood
Replies: 47
Views: 13805

Re: Right livelihood

As bodhisattvas, we also point out moral faults in others: If the bodhisattva, in regard to sentient beings who deserve to be rebuked, who deserve punishment, and who deserve banishment, with a defiled thought fails to rebuke them, or rebukes them but fails to correct them with an act of punishment,...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 20, 2015 9:51 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Care to critique this notion for me?
Replies: 22
Views: 4562

Re: Care to critique this notion for me?

In particular, the word "defined" show up a lot in that paragraph above. A more appropriate way to interpret that word is "cognized" or "imputed on the basis of being merely labelled." In other words, there is only mind and the nature of mind is awareness. And all possi...
by nilakantha
Tue Oct 20, 2015 2:35 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: A question on sutra about precepts
Replies: 5
Views: 1571

Re: A question on sutra about precepts

Intentionally killing any being in the six realms brings the probability of great suffering. Plants aren't included as one of the realms of rebirth, so eating them is not a sin. In the Nirvana Sutra, the Lord explains why His followers don't eat meat: Then Maha-Kasyapaika-gotra asked, “If it is very...
by nilakantha
Sat Oct 17, 2015 6:29 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: May be its time to ban discussion about Homosexuallity...
Replies: 224
Views: 36496

Re: May be its time to ban discussion about Homosexuallity..

Asking for clarification is not an argument or even part of an argument. As Buddhists we should be able to give a coherent account of our worldview and reasons why we believe it. Cultivation includes the deveopment of reason as well as of piety and virtue.
by nilakantha
Sat Oct 17, 2015 12:55 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: May be its time to ban discussion about Homosexuallity...
Replies: 224
Views: 36496

Re: May be its time to ban discussion about Homosexuallity..

Well, you clearly didn't understand a word I said, or else you are being willfully ignorant, another common feature of fundamentalists regardless of which Scripture they follow. Even if you are convinced you know the "Truth", show me exactly where in buddhavacana it says that we have to c...

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