Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

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padma norbu
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Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by padma norbu »

I stumbled across a book a while back written by the owner of this forum called "Right Understanding In Plain English: The Science of The Buddha's Middle Path." It was pretty cool in that it was open-minded from what I recall. I just found it going through my bags and plan to read it again. Anyone else read this? I will post a more thorough review after I've re-read it. I remember it addressed some things specifically of interest to me right away, such as aliens and other religions.

He's a good guy:
http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?tit ... _N._Snyder

:)
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :hi:

Today is Uposatha Day...Beautiful water-color Buddha painting by Thammasak(Thai artist)

Image

I posted Buddha's List, David's Book by Dr. David N.Snyder..@ Dhamma Wheel...Please let me rerun it here @ Dharma Wheel.

Buddha's list : http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=14603

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :namaste:

Texas is very cold this morning..56 degrees Farenheit , but never too cold to read Buddha's List.

******************
David's Book : Buddha's List #121 - #124
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 121
Three abilities:

1. The ability to come to know, what one did not yet know
2. The ability to gradually attain the highest and final wisdom
3. The ability of one to dwell in the highest and final wisdom

(from Samyutta Nikaya 48)

List no. 122
Three types of unskillful thinking:

1. Thinking of sense pleasures
2. Thinking of ill will
3. Thinking of harm

(from Iti. 87)

List no. 123
Three types of skillful thinking:

(Same as above, reversed)

List no. 124
Three trainings:

1. The training in heightened virtue (morality)
2. The training in heightened mind (tranquility, jhana)
3. The training in heightened discernment (understanding, wisdom)

(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.88, 3.89)

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :anjali:

I love to read and post Buddha's Lists again for the second time...The first time I posted @ Sariputtadhamma/Journey To Nibbana(my websites)....oh yes all 600 lists !! And my members there asked for David's book link too.

Image
David N. Snyder (right) with Ven. Madawela Punnaji (Los Angeles, 2008)

David's Book : Buddha's List #125 - #128
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 125 : Three qualities of a monk worthy of gifts and offerings:

1. A monk who is virtuous

2. A monk who keeps his persistence aroused for abandoning unskillful mental qualities and
taking on skillful mental qualities, is steadfast, solid in his effort, not shirking his duties with
regard to skillful mental qualities

3. A monk with wisdom who understands the Four Noble Truths
(from Iti. 59)

List no. 126 : Three things a wise person does (in regard to forgiveness):

1. He sees a fault as it is.
2. On seeing it, he tries to correct it.
3. When another acknowledges a fault he forgives it as he should.
(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.2)

List no. 127 :Three essential qualities in one who teaches Dhamma:

1. The teacher is able to penetrate the letter and spirit of the teachings
2. The one hears is able to do so too
3. Both teacher and listener are able to do both of these
(from Majjhima Nikaya 137, Digha Nikaya 12)

List no. 128 : Three ways a Dhamma talk is wholesome:

(Same as above)

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :hi:

This lovely Wednesday morning, I have a beautiful painting of Bodhisatta by Thai artist, Chakrabhand Posayakrit...to go with Buddha's List....

Image

David's Book : Buddha's List #129 - #132
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 129 :Three types of enlightened ones:

1. Samma-sam-buddha = One who rediscovers the teachings and teaches the masses as the
historical Buddha did (Siddhattha Gotama).

2. Paccekabuddha = A silent buddha. One who attains full enlightenment, but does not teach
others.

3. Arahant = Fully enlightened person, who might teach others, but not as the one who
rediscovered the teachings, just as one who learned it from a current dispensation.

List no. 130 : Three searches:

1. The search for pleasure
2. The search for becoming
3. The search for the noble life
(from Samyutta Nikaya 45)

List no. 131 : Three types of persons similar to sick people:

1. One will cure and free himself, even without meeting the Buddha-Dhamma.
2. One will never be cured, even if taught this Dhamma by the Buddha himself.
3. One will be cured and freed, if and only if, taught and learn the Buddha-Dhamma.
(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.22)

List no. 132 : Mara‘s three offspring:

(When the Buddha-to-be was meditating under the Bodhi Tree just before enlightenment, he
received three temptations from the daughters of Mara.)

1. Lobha (Greed)
2. Dosa (Hatred)
3. Moha (Delusion)

(from Samyutta Nikaya 1 Mara-samyutta)
(Note that the names are mental states, suggesting that some of the realms in ths in the 31 planes of
existence may just be mental states, rather than physical places.)

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :anjali:

I must say that I love all the lists here!!


Image

David's Book : Buddha's List #133 - #136
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 133 : Three purities:

1. Purity of mental action
2. Purity of verbal action
3. Purity of bodily action
(from Dhammapada 281)

List no. 134 : Three ways to increase energy:

1. The element of initial initiative
2. The element of launching into action
3. The element of persistent endurance
(from Samyutta Nikaya 51)

List no. 135 : The Triple Refuge:

1. Buddha = I go to the Buddha for Refuge.‘
2. Dhamma = I go to the Dhamma for Refuge.‘
3. Sangha = I go to the Sangha for Refuge.‘

List no. 136 : Threefold rule in regard to monks or nuns and meat eating:

1. Meat may be permissable if it is not seen that a slaughter that was for the monastic.
2. Meat may be permissible if it is not heard that the slaughter was for the monastic.
3. Meat may be permissible if it is not suspected that the slaughter was for the monastic.

(From Majjhima Nikaya 55.5; note that this applies to monastics only, not lay people who must
choose what to eat and order and also that during the time of Buddha, not all who gave to the
monks and nuns were Buddhist, thus, the monks and nuns were expected to graciously accept
what is offered to them.)

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka..Padma norbu,

You wrote: I stumbled across a book a while back written by the owner of this forum called "Right Understanding In Plain English: The Science of The Buddha's Middle Path."
--------------
I'm still waiting for you to post the book or parts of the book....I wish David put the book link for us to read.

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by padma norbu »

I didn't mean to imply I was going to post the contents of the book, only that I would say more about it after I reread it...

http://www.amazon.com/Right-Understandi ... 0967928508

...I started to re-read it and then got distracted by so many other books I have lying around. It is an interesting book, though. I like that it's concise.
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :anjali:

I love Buddha's Lists..because I can find all the answers that I want to know..and the things that I've already known, sink into my brain deeper..hopefully forever.

Image

List no. 137: Three reasons and benefits of eating just one meal a day:

1. It is good for health, to consume all the food at once and walk (exercise it off later).

2. It places less of a burden on lay people who will only need to provide food for one meal,
instead of many meals.

3. It allows for more time to be spent on the practice and teaching of Dhamma.

List no. 138: Three most important meals offered to a Buddha:

1. The meal just before enlightenment
(milk rice offered by Sujata, from Khuddaka Nikaya, Buddhavamsa 2.63, 20.16, 25.18)


2. The meal just after enlightenment (barley meal and honey balls, from Vinaya I.4)

3. The meal just before passing into parinibbana
(most likely mushrooms, from Digha Nikaya 16)

List no. 139: Three qualities that can lead to purgatory:

1. One takes life.

2. One encourages another to take life.

3. One approves of the taking of life.

(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.16)

List no. 140: Three qualities that can lead to heavenly realms:

1. One abstains from taking life.

2. One encourages another to abstain.

3. One approves of such abstention.
(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.16)

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka

Reading about "brahma-viharas"...I remember Thai people imagine(or may be in Thai Tipitaka) that Brahma has 4 faces/4 hands, the most famous/sacred is the Brahma who has the elephant named 'Erawan'. There is a beautiful shrine of the Brahma and Erawan very near to my house in Bangkok.
Thai people call Brahma Shrine.....Phra Prom[ศาลพระพรหม].

Image

David's Book : List#141/#142/143
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 141 : The Four Noble Truths:

1. Life is suffering
2. The cause of suffering is unreasonable expectations
3. Suffering ceases with the ceasing of unreasonable expectations
4. The way to reasonable expectations is the Noble Eightfold Middle Path

(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.61)

List no. 142 : The Four Supreme Efforts:

1. Not to let an unwholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.
2. Not to let an unwholesome thought continue which has already arisen.
3. To make a wholesome thought arise which has not yet arisen.
4. To make a wholesome thought continue which has already arisen.

(from Anguttara Nikaya 4.14)

List no. 143 : The Four Emotions (brahma-viharas) to be strived for:

1. Loving-kindness (Metta)
2. Compassion (Karuna)
3. Altruistic joy (sympathetic joy with others‘ success) (Mudita)
4. Equanimity (Upekkha)

(from Anguttara Nikaya 3.65)

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Re: David's Book : Buddha's list

Post by DNS »

tidathep wrote: Reading about "brahma-viharas"...I remember Thai people imagine(or may be in Thai Tipitaka) that Brahma has 4 faces/4 hands, the most famous/sacred is the Brahma who has the elephant named 'Erawan'. There is a beautiful shrine of the Brahma and Erawan very near to my house in Bangkok. ]Thai people call Brahma Shrine.....Phra Prom[ศาลพระพรหม].
Beautiful. There is a another beautiful Brahma shrine right in front of Caesars Palace here in Las Vegas.

Image

http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=Brahma
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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka..David,

Must be a new shrine...last year I went to Vegas, I didn't see it. The Brahma looks exactly the same as the one in Bangkok. And the small royal barge in front(candles holder) looks just like mine..it made of brass...mine is 3 feet long.

Thank you very much for the Brahma story/why he has 4 faces....but what about 4 hands? any story?

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :hi:

I wish I could attain Sotapatti Fruition in this lifetime...but I know my wish will never come true because I can't kill the first 3
hindrances:

1.The belief in a permanent personality, ego
2.Doubt, extreme skepticism
3.Attachment to rites, rituals, and ceremonies


Image

David's Book : List#144/#145/146
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 144 : The Four Foundations of Mindfulness:

1. Contemplation of the body
2. Contemplation of the feelings
3. Contemplation of the mind
4. Contemplation of the mind-objects (Dhamma)

(from Digha Nikaya 22, Majjhima Nikaya 10)

----------
List no. 145 : The Four qualities of matter:

1. Hardness
2. Cohesion
3. Heat
4. Resistance to motion

(from Digha Nikaya 9)

-----------
List no. 146 : The Four types of People with Realization:

1. Stream Entrant (destroyed first three hindrances)
2. Once-Returner (fourth and fifth hindrances greatly weakened)
3. Non-Returner (fourth and fifth hindrances destroyed)
4. Arahant (the Saint, all ten hindrances eradicated)

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :namaste:

This Sunday morning at 5 AM was too cold for walking meditation outside..so I just did it inside the house..followed by listening to the chantings..oh, my mind was so calm.


Image

David's Book : List#147/#148/149
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 147 : The Four subjects not fit for speculative thought:

1. The specific qualities of a Buddha
2. A person‘s jhana attainment
3. The results of kamma
4. The nature of the world

(Speculating on these could lead one to mental distress and insanity.)

----------
List no. 148 : The Four kinds of happiness:

1. The happiness of sense contacts
2. Deva (heavenly) happiness
3. The happiness of concentration
4. The happiness of Insight

(The four kinds are progressively better, leading to the highest and permanent, that of Insight.)

-----------
List no. 149 : The Four means to accomplishment:

1. Desire
2. Energy
3. Consciousness
4. Investigation

(Note that desire is not all bad, the desire to accomplish something good, known as chandha in
Pali, is good.)

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka

I must say that I have so much DEVOTION...good DISCIPLINE...nice TRANGUILITY...some UNDERSTANDING(wisdom)..well, not bad for a PUTHUJJANA like moi !!..Yes I took french in college..but like this song "Don't know much about the French I took". Dites-moi Pourquoi La vie est belle, Dies-moi Pourquoi La vie est gai, Dites-moi Pourquoi, Chere Mad'moiselle, Est-ce que Parce que Vous m'aimez? :tongue:

Don't know much about history : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3WK1s0k8Oc
Dites-moi : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp62QnnEfmw

**********
David's Book : List#150/#151/152
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 150 : The Four evolutionary stages of religion:

1. Devotion
2. Discipline
3. Tranquility
4. Understanding (Wisdom)

List no. 151 : Four taints, cankers, or defilements:

1. Attachment to sensuality
2. Attachment to existence
3. Ignorance of the Dhamma
4. Attachment to opinions

List no. 152 : The four factors for stream entry:

1. Association with superior, knowledgeable people
2. Hearing the Dhamma
3. Careful attention
4. Practice in accordance with the Dhamma

(from Samyutta Nikaya 55.30)

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :anjali:

List #153 makes me sad...knowing that I am so far far from a superior person.....#154, I'm sure 100% that I have 3 unshakable confidence, but my moral conduct level still very very weak.

Image

David's Book : List#153/#154/155
[By Dr.David N. Snyder]


List no. 153 : Four qualities of a superior person:

1. Even when asked, a superior person does not reveal the faults of others, and still less so when not asked.

2. Further: even unasked, a superior person reveals what is praiseworthy in others, how much more so when he is asked.

3. Further: even unasked, a superior person reveals his own faults, how much more so when he is asked.

4. Further: even when asked, a superior person does not reveal his own praiseworthy qualities, still less so when not asked. When asked, however, and obliged to respond to questions, he speaks of his own praiseworthy qualities with omissions and hesitatingly,
incompletely and not in detail.

List no. 154 : The Four characteristics of a stream-entrant:

1. Unshakable confidence in the enlightenment of the Buddha

2. Unshakable confidence in the excellence of the Buddha‘s teachings

3. Unshakable confidence in the worthiness of noble ones in the Sangha

4. A high level of moral conduct that is ―dear to Noble Ones, unbroken, untainted

(from Anguttara Nikaya 10.92)

List no. 155 : The four signs the future Buddha (Siddhatha Gotama) saw that led him to decide to enter the ascetic life:

1. An old person

2. A diseased person

3. A corpse

4. An ascetic person in robes, smiling

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :hi:

I would like to present "The 31 Planes of Existence"..from David's book. I always think of planes of heavenly beings as my magic map....I love to tour heaven.

Image

The 31 Planes of Existence
[David's Book written by Dr.David Snyder]


The 31 Planes of Existence

The Planes of Existence and Re-birth

1. Purgatory (hells, impermanent, not eternal)
2. Asuras (jealous beings)
3. Ghosts
4. Animals
5. Humans
6. Higher Beings (the six planes within sense world, consisting of angels or impermanent gods)

The above lists a summary of the Buddha‘s cosmology. All are closely interdependent as beings
progress through the various realms of existence.

In addition to the six major levels of the planes of existence listed above, there are 16 planes of
heavenly beings outside the sense world (the world of Form) and another 4 planes of heavenly
beings in the Formless world (without body)
for a total of 31 planes of existence (you can see
the complete list of all 31 in chapter 20). In the planes of existence we can see our close
connection to animals. This is from the re-birth process and the fact that animals, like humans
suffer from emotions, selfish cravings, and other pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Darwin‘s
theory of evolution is completely compatible with Buddhism.

For some people the cosmology seems too traditional or foreign to accept. Again, as the Buddha
stated, one need not accept anything as true until one sees the truth for oneself. Another
way of seeing the planes of existence is in the sense of a state of consciousness, rather than a
―physical place. For example, if we are full of anger and hatred, then we are in hell. If you are
full of peace and contentment and happy, then you are in a heavenly plane of existence.


*******to be continued

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :namaste:

I might be a dreamer..I do believe that Mara is real, he is in Paranimanarati Heaven..and yes, he has 3 beautiful daughters; Raga, Tanha and Issa (Thai Tipitaka).


Image

The 31 Planes of Existence
[David's Book written by Dr.David Snyder]


This is illustrated in the famous zen story that goes something like this:

A samurai went to a zen master and asked, ―show me heaven and show me hell! The zen
master remained silent. The samurai asked again, this time shouting, ―SHOW ME HEAVEN
AND SHOW ME HELL!! Again, the zen master remained silent. The samurai became very
angry at the master‘s silence. This time the samurai pulled out his sword and shouted again,
―SHOW ME HEAVEN AND SHOW ME HELL!!! The zen master responded, ―this is hell.
The samurai immediately understood that hell was this anger that was inside him. The samurai
put his hands together and bowed to the master. The master responded, ―this is heaven (the
peaceful state).

This idea of seeing the planes of existence as a mental state, such as between anger and peace
has some support from the following quote from the Buddha:

―When the average ignorant person makes an assertion that there is a Hell under the ocean (or
other freezing or burning, fire ridden place), he is making a statement that is false and without
basis. The word hell is a term for painful bodily sensations
. Samyutta Nikaya 36.4

There is more evidence for this in the definition of Mara. The exact definition/translation of
Mara is death. In the suttas, it is used to describe a being that is like Satan or a devil in the
Buddhist cosmology. He actually resides in a heavenly, deva world, but due to ego and thirst for
more followers, he attempts to prevent people from attaining enlightenment
. Many Buddhists
believe that Mara is an actual being while others contend that it is really just a personification
of negative states of mind. Mara's three offspring are named Lobha, Dosa and Moha, meaning
Greed, Hatred and Delusion. The definitions/translations of Mara‘s children suggest that it is
negative states of mind, rather than physical beings. According to Ven. Dhammika, this
interpretation is further supported by the fact that Buddhism sees evil as thoughts, speech and
action motivated by ignorance. (Dhammika, 2007)

*******to be continued

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by tidathep »

Sawaddee Ka :hi:

I love this painting of Thai angels....most of Thai angels in murals at Thai temples look just like this painting..


Image

The 31 Planes of Existence (continue)
[David's Book written by Dr.David Snyder]


In one discourse, a monk asks the Buddha, ―Mara, Mara; in what way, venerable sir, might
Mara be? The Buddha responds, When there is form, there might be Mara, or the killer, or the
one who is killed. Therefore, see form as Mara, see it as the killer, see it as the one who is killed.
See it as a disease, as a tumour, as a dart, as misery, as real misery. Those who see it thus see
rightly. Samyutta Nikaya 23.1

Other verses in the Buddhist scriptures make the 31 planes sound like very real places. As we
will see in the next chapter, the Buddha talked about life on other planets.

Perhaps the ―physical place for the 31 planes of existence is on other planets. In the movie
versions of Star Trek and the Star Wars trilogies, there were planets that were burning with fire,
others that were freezing, and others where there was great peace and bliss. These movies are
fiction, but we know from science that it is quite possible that there could be innumerable
planets, thus, some with very harsh environments and others that may be more pleasant. We can
see the 31 planes of existence as physical places as we get re-born to different planets based on
our kamma, deeds, or spiritual attainments.


We can see the planes of existence as actual places in a cosmology of different dimensions,
actual places as in other solar systems, or simply as states of mind. Whichever interpretation you
choose, there is no wrong view as a Buddhist. In the end, when enlightenment is attained, you
will see for yourself. The Buddha‘s way is about finding wisdom through your own efforts. No
one else can save you, there are just some teachers and life lessons along the way that will send
you in the right direction, but in the end it is your own effort and energy.


*******to be continued

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Re: Cool book by DharmaWheel owner, David N. Snyder

Post by padma norbu »

Haha, I just misread my own thread and was all excited to see Mr. Snyder had written a "cook book."
"Use what seems like poison as medicine. We can use our personal suffering as the path to compassion for all beings." Pema Chodron
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