Just Buddhism

General discussion, particularly exploring the Dharma in the modern world.
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tomschwarz
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Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 12:31 am

Just Buddhism

Post by tomschwarz »

Hello dear friends,

What is the scope of buddhism? Is it just humans? Humans and animals? Everything that ever was and will be? Or do different parts of the Buddhist Dharma have different scopes?

For example, do the four noble truths (truth of suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to cessation of suffering) apply to Bacteria? Buddhism teaches that plants do not have feelings. So the four noble truths do not apply to plants or plant-like beings?

What about the two truths? ...the absolute tuth is the truth of emptiness (all things are empty of inherant existance, no increase, no decrease), that applies to all things and beings (infinite scope)? And all conditioned things are impermenant, infinite scope?

My opinion, is that the scope of buddhism is everything. ...his holiness the dalai lama says that when science contradicts buddhism, generally, we need to look closely at the science and if true, change the dharma. That has direct implications on the scope of Buddhism, no?
i dedicate this post to your happiness, the causes of your happiness, the absence of your suffering the causes of the absence of your suffering that we may not have too much attachment nor aversion. SAMAYAMANUPALAYA
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Karma Dondrup Tashi
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Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:13 pm

Re: Just Buddhism

Post by Karma Dondrup Tashi »

tomschwarz wrote: Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:33 pm What is the scope of buddhism? Is it just humans? Humans and animals?
[T]he Uttaratantra [...] says: Because the Buddha’s body pervades all, because suchness is without differentiation, and because they possess the potential, every living being at all times has buddha nature.

Sgam-po-pa, Holmes, K. & Jinpa, T., 2017. Ornament of precious liberation, Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications.

The Unsurpassed Tantra says: Because the perfect form of the Buddha radiates, Because there are no distinctions within suchness, and Because all are in a “family,” All sentient beings are always of the Essence of Enlightenment.

Gampopa, J. & Rinpoche, K.K.G., 1998. Jewel ornament of liberation, Snow Lion Publications. Amnyitrulchung.org. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.amnyitrulchung.org/teaching ... mplete.pdf [Accessed 1 Oct. 2018].

:popcorn:
It has been the misfortune (not, as these gentlemen think it, the glory) of this age that everything is to be discussed. Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France.
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