Where does omniscience come from?

General forum on the teachings of all schools of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Topics specific to one school are best posted in the appropriate sub-forum.
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Thomas Amundsen
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Re: Where does omniscience come from?

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

Rael wrote:From what i get from what Venerable Huifeng has stated....(i believe he is an ordained monk, yes /no)
In case Ven. Huifeng doesn't respond to this, yes, he is. If I remember correctly, he is involved with Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan.

Rael wrote: there is a danger that one would think you get some Boon that allows one to know everything that ever happened ....

where did i put my social security card some 30 years ago....lol...
HAHAHA

But in all seriousness, from what I recall reading, that is precisely how omniscience is defined. All phenomena in the universe are objects of the Buddha's consciousness. Additionally, time is irrelevant to "ultimate pristine cognition". Please forgive my haziness with terms, as I have only studied this recently, but I believe that is how it is worded here - http://www.amazon.com/Nyingma-School-Ti ... 0861711998
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AdmiralJim
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Re: Whose Buddhism is Truest?

Post by AdmiralJim »

If this was some sort of modern invention. The why does the Mahayana hold that Arahats are not fully enlightened. I don't even understand this basis of this thing anyway, partly because I don't want to open that whole can of worms
I don't know where we are going but it will be nice when we get there
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Mr. G
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Re: Whose Buddhism is Truest?

Post by Mr. G »

AdmiralJim wrote:The why does the Mahayana hold that Arahats are not fully enlightened.
Shakyamuni Buddha was omniscient. Arhats were not. Theravadans agree on that point as well.
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deff
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Re: Whose Buddhism is Truest?

Post by deff »

don't theravadans hold a significantly different idea of buddha's omniscience than mahayanists?
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AdmiralJim
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Re: Whose Buddhism is Truest?

Post by AdmiralJim »

what do you mean by omnisient?
I don't know where we are going but it will be nice when we get there
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Thomas Amundsen
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Re: Whose Buddhism is Truest?

Post by Thomas Amundsen »

deff wrote:don't theravadans hold a significantly different idea of buddha's omniscience than mahayanists?
Yes. If I remember correctly, the main gist is that the Nikaya perspective holds that the Buddha was omniscient insofar as he was able to direct his consciousness to any object he pleased. He wasn't always aware of all phenomena in the universe.
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DarwidHalim
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Re: Where does omniscience come from?

Post by DarwidHalim »

Inside Theravada, they have different views.

Regarding omniscience, some Theravada think arhat is omniscience because according to them Buddha is equivalent to
Arhat.

This view is definitely not true. If you follows the life history of Buddha students such as Sariputra an others. They clearly show they are not omniscience. They are liberated from samsara. But not omniscience.

They cannot know the working of karma in the finest detail for example. For some group of Theravada, thy talk more on emptiness of person (aggregates and so on), but they don't really bother the emptiness of phenomena.

The one that can clear the omniscience is the realization of phenomena.

However another group of Theravada, they indeed acknowledge that arhat is not Buddha. And they mentioned clearly that arhat really need so many thousand thousand years to perfect this omniscience through perfecting their Paramita.
They acknowledge arhat needs to follow bodhisattva path at the end.

Please look at the link below. You will be surprise that this view is very similar with Mahayana.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pesala/Nibbana/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I am not here nor there.
I am not right nor wrong.
I do not exist neither non-exist.
I am not I nor non-I.
I am not in samsara nor nirvana.
To All Buddhas, I bow down for the teaching of emptiness. Thank You!
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ground
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Re: Where does omniscience come from?

Post by ground »

"Not knowing is unimpeded knowing. Not seeing is unimpeded seeing."

excerpt from The Bodhidharma Anthology, J. L Broughton
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White Lotus
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Re: Where does omniscience come from?

Post by White Lotus »

a buddha is omniscient since he sees the dhamma/dharma. seeing the dhamma he sees the nature of all things, within and without he sees the dhamma. from a zen perspective seeing the dhamma is seeing the dharmakaya, the emptiness of all things... non duality. Mind.

best wishes, Tom.
in any matters of importance. dont rely on me. i may not know what i am talking about. take what i say as mere speculation. i am not ordained. nor do i have a formal training. i do believe though that if i am wrong on any point. there are those on this site who i hope will quickly point out my mistakes.
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