Search found 352 matches

by Sentient Light
Sun Mar 24, 2024 7:19 pm
Forum: Soto
Topic: A specific historical claim about the Soto tradition
Replies: 21
Views: 902

Re: A specific historical claim about the Soto tradition

Not part of this tradition, just popping in, but I'd like to point out that I've heard this specific claim before, but specifically about the White Plum lineage that developed through Bernie Glassman, and which was inherited from Taizan Maezumi , whom was originally of the Soto lineage, but also tra...
by Sentient Light
Mon Feb 05, 2024 7:19 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Pure Land Study Group Thread (continued)
Replies: 7
Views: 760

Re: Pure Land Study Group Thread (continued)

Oh hello! I sent you an email some years ago after reading Chinese Pure Land Buddhism: A Tradition of Practice , remarking how much I appreciated your focusing away from the Japanese Pure Land traditions and bringing attention to the mainland traditions' modality. I've been a big fan of your work. T...
by Sentient Light
Thu Jan 11, 2024 10:15 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Vietnamese Mahayana and esoteric Buddhism
Replies: 10
Views: 2190

Re: Vietnamese Mahayana and esoteric Buddhism

Sorry to revive this yet again, but wow, this is super fascinating to me. We have a big Vietnamese Buddhist community down here in South FL, so its also something which is close to home for me, especially since I have recently become very interested in Huayan and their brand of esotericism. I am ju...
by Sentient Light
Wed Sep 27, 2023 7:22 pm
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: The Practice of Huayan Buddhism
Replies: 16
Views: 2280

Re: The Practice of Huayan Buddhism

Thanks fellas :smile: I've been editing and updating the wikipedia article for Huayan recently, and I think I managed to find some good sources for the practice section. Just sharing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huayan#Practice This is excellent! I would also expand on the Esoteric section more a...
by Sentient Light
Thu Aug 03, 2023 5:50 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Yogachara buddhism: refutation of external objects; Pathshala
Replies: 43
Views: 5278

Re: Yogachara buddhism: refutation of external objects; Pathshala

>From what I understand, Yogacara is not idealism because it does not assert that consciousness is ultimate. In fact, the eight consciousnesses are considered unenlightened modes of perception. Enlightened beings would have a pure vision called "jnana." According to Gampopa the eigth cons...
by Sentient Light
Thu Aug 03, 2023 5:20 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Self-Ordained Monks (split)
Replies: 29
Views: 3357

Re: Self-Ordained Monks (split)

At the time of Vasubandhu in India the laymen and laywomen had a pratimoksha. In Abhidharmakosha-Bhasyam Vasubandhu describes three and eight kinds of Pratimoksha. In this text the word discipline is a translation of samvara . AKB, p. 580.. 581: "There are three types of discipline: 1.) the di...
by Sentient Light
Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:16 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Acccording to Bahudhatukasutta in the Pali Canon, there can't be a female Buddha, how Tara can be a buddha then?
Replies: 13
Views: 1264

Re: Acccording to Bahudhatukasutta in the Pali Canon, there can't be a female Buddha, how Tara can be a buddha then?

I don't think it's impossible. The parallel to this text in the Agamas, which Bhikkhu Analayo believes is the earlier recension, does not have this passage at all. There is a good chance this is a later insert into the Pali. Note: This passage does appear in the Agamas... just not in the same texts ...
by Sentient Light
Wed Aug 02, 2023 9:07 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Self-Ordained Monks (split)
Replies: 29
Views: 3357

Re: Self-Ordained Monks (split)

I want to point something out about bodhisattva and upasaka "ordination" precepts: at least in Vietnamese, we use different terms to refer to the ordination of the monastic vinaya precepts and any other kind of "ordination". You cannot self-ordain into a vinaya lineage, since the...
by Sentient Light
Fri May 12, 2023 6:55 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: How many sutras
Replies: 15
Views: 1506

Re: How many sutras

we should note that there are likely to be unknown Mahayana sutras in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand.. basically everywhere. We know a few sutras that survived in Korea and Japan that were lost to China, and have for some time. We now know this to be the case in Vietnam and s...
by Sentient Light
Fri May 12, 2023 6:29 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Who is Amida Buddha
Replies: 17
Views: 2664

Re: Who is Amida Buddha

In the Dharmārtha­vibhaṅga Sutra (https://read.84000.co/translation/toh247.html), we're shown that the Buddha Amitabha was in the distant past a Buddha called Arisen-from-Flowers, and the world system was called Flower Origins (back when it had all six realms, it seems). This sutra tells the story o...
by Sentient Light
Fri Apr 28, 2023 5:41 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Dharani accomplishment question
Replies: 10
Views: 1997

Re: Dharani accomplishment question

The technique, melody, and cadence of the chant is completely different when you're chanting for numbers of recitations or as part of a liturgy. Here is what the Surangama Mantra sounds like in the morning liturgy in Vietnamese, it's quite sing-song-y and a fairly relaxed pace. Here is a group of Vi...
by Sentient Light
Mon Dec 05, 2022 7:46 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Vietnamese Mahayana and esoteric Buddhism
Replies: 10
Views: 2190

Re: Vietnamese Mahayana and esoteric Buddhism

Sorry to revive a two year old thread, just noticed this coming up in a search I'm doing for something else, and thought to provide some answers as I know them, since this didn't get many replies. 1) Vietnam has been a Communist nation for some time. As communists, they have generally taken a dim vi...
by Sentient Light
Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:32 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: How do I know if I have already offered my offerings to the triple gem or the buddhas?
Replies: 4
Views: 454

Re: How do I know if I have already offered my offerings to the triple gem or the buddhas?

Certain things are changed daily, namely the water. Fruit is supposed to be changed daily, but I don't know anyone that actually does this. Some people keep it up for a few days. I've heard some teachers say you can keep fruit there for as long as it takes before pests or mold get to it. I normally ...
by Sentient Light
Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:23 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Why aren’t there discussions about Zen vs. Pure Land?
Replies: 45
Views: 2826

Re: Why aren’t there discussions about Zen vs. Pure Land?

The two paths are remarkably similar in that the practitioner must abandon the comfort of rational thinking. A scholar I know once referred to pure land Buddhism as “brilliantly stupid” and by the way, this was meant as a compliment. By “stupid” he meant that one has to drop all intellectualization...
by Sentient Light
Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:19 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Why aren’t there discussions about Zen vs. Pure Land?
Replies: 45
Views: 2826

Re: Why aren’t there discussions about Zen vs. Pure Land?

In the meanwhile, do Pure Land lineages in other countries appeal for such a fundamental dogma like the one path as Japanese Shin as well? In other words, aren't there any kinds of a tradition like "single practice" or "one path" in other countries? Not really. In other countrie...
by Sentient Light
Mon May 10, 2021 9:29 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Origin of the Four Seals?
Replies: 8
Views: 1041

Re: Origin of the Four Seals?

The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra was translated to Chinese in the early 7th century by Prabhākaramitra, and it uses the term four Dharma seals (四法印; T31n1604_p0646a15). The same term is also found in the Vimalakirti sutra commentary (T38n1776_p0442a25) by Huiyuan 慧遠 (523~592, a disciple of Kumarajiva), and...
by Sentient Light
Tue May 04, 2021 6:17 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Kakushi Nenbutsu: Forbidden underground heterodox Pure Land
Replies: 12
Views: 6408

Re: Kakushi Nenbutsu: Forbidden underground heterodox Pure Land

I have to admit, whenever I hear someone mention something like the "left-hand path" I have a hard time listening. It seems to mainly be used in the west by new agers and people obsessed with "tantic sex," and I'm not sure how relevant it is in a Buddhist context. Kakushi Nembut...
by Sentient Light
Sun Feb 07, 2021 8:34 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Thần chú Thủ Lăng Nghiêm của Sư Tây Tạng tụng rất hay
Replies: 6
Views: 760

Re: Thần chú Thủ Lăng Nghiêm của Sư Tây Tạng tụng rất hay

Is it Sanskrit written in Vietnamese? No, I don't think Vietnamese people are involved. I think it's just a Vietnamese youtube channel that uploaded the video. Another user says they're reciting in Chinese, with some kind of thick accent. I'll note, the accent is not Vietnamese. I don't know who is...
by Sentient Light
Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:50 pm
Forum: Academic Discussion
Topic: Where are the "pratyekabuddha-yanist"?
Replies: 36
Views: 3806

Re: Where are the "pratyekabuddha-yanist"?

According to the Mahavastu of the Mahasamghika, pretyakabuddhas all collectively leave the world / enter nirvana prior to a Bodhisattva's final birth. According to these texts, they are aware. Pratyekabuddhas have past life recall, so I dont' see why they wouldn't be aware. My personal thought is th...

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