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James
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1 year ago
in The Pure Land is Around Us on In Pursuit of Mysteries
Thought you might like these...
22. Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing babies are like those who enter the kingdom."
They said to him, "Then shall we enter the kingdom as babies?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]."
51. His disciples said to [Jesus], "When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?"
He said to them, "What you are looking forward to has come, but you don't know it."
113. "His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
"It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it.""
Gospel of Thomas
22. Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing babies are like those who enter the kingdom."
They said to him, "Then shall we enter the kingdom as babies?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]."
51. His disciples said to [Jesus], "When will the rest for the dead take place, and when will the new world come?"
He said to them, "What you are looking forward to has come, but you don't know it."
113. "His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?"
"It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it.""
Gospel of Thomas
1 year ago
in E-sangha Drama Continues on In Pursuit of Mysteries
Mike...
I am not sure if we log in to the same e-sangha, for I know not of a single member who holds on to a literal belief in hell, never mind froth at the mouth about it, which isn't to say there isn't any who don't... It's quite possible indeed. After all, ignorance abounds everywhere - both inside and outside e-sangha - but I am fortunate enough to know from personal experience that there is one place on the internet where we have a true opportunity to do away with ours, thanks to the ever present discussion of Buddhist teachings (ridding of ignorance is part of the goal after all).
On the contrary, I've watched many discussions suggesting quite the opposite, that many (if not most) members do not hold on to any literal belief in hell (as a place existing somewhere, where we go after dying), devils and the like and that many members do not hold any beliefs that appear unscientific. So much so that a lot of e-sangha members still have trouble with issues such as "reincarnation". Unfortunately, liberation of the mind (a.k.a enlightenment) is hardly possible (if possible at all) without attaining understanding of what is literal and what is metaphor.
Equally, there are many non e-sangha members who don't believe in hell at all, while forgetting the one we create in our minds and in the world, before, when we think and speak and/or act with deceit, anger, greed, envy and/or hate (to name but a few), causing suffering to ourselves before causing suffering to others. What goes around, comes around... We harvest what we seed. It may take time sometimes but - ultimately - it doesn't fail. That's Karma for fools, since Karma really is a bit more complicated than that.
As to e-sangha being hell, one thing I have learned there is that whenever I feel in hell or see faults, whether in a place or in this or that person, I should really look inside my mind to find the fault. You may feel different. It's only natural... Wherever we go, we take our luggage with us.
When I first came across Buddhist teachings, I asked myself why the many Buddhas thought necessary to "liberate the mind"... "Foolish superstitions!", I thought, "my mind is free!". But then I remembered some of Albert Einstein's most famous words. I've heard that he stated once that we only use a small percentage of our brains...
1+1=3 (or is it 1?)
Fortunately, many are awakening and learning to connect the missing dots, until there is only one big picture left. Unfortunately, spiritual teachers are the only ones teaching it. Maybe because free minds are not very good for those willing to exploit people's ignorance about themselves and about the way their minds work...
All the best to you,
I am not sure if we log in to the same e-sangha, for I know not of a single member who holds on to a literal belief in hell, never mind froth at the mouth about it, which isn't to say there isn't any who don't... It's quite possible indeed. After all, ignorance abounds everywhere - both inside and outside e-sangha - but I am fortunate enough to know from personal experience that there is one place on the internet where we have a true opportunity to do away with ours, thanks to the ever present discussion of Buddhist teachings (ridding of ignorance is part of the goal after all).
On the contrary, I've watched many discussions suggesting quite the opposite, that many (if not most) members do not hold on to any literal belief in hell (as a place existing somewhere, where we go after dying), devils and the like and that many members do not hold any beliefs that appear unscientific. So much so that a lot of e-sangha members still have trouble with issues such as "reincarnation". Unfortunately, liberation of the mind (a.k.a enlightenment) is hardly possible (if possible at all) without attaining understanding of what is literal and what is metaphor.
Equally, there are many non e-sangha members who don't believe in hell at all, while forgetting the one we create in our minds and in the world, before, when we think and speak and/or act with deceit, anger, greed, envy and/or hate (to name but a few), causing suffering to ourselves before causing suffering to others. What goes around, comes around... We harvest what we seed. It may take time sometimes but - ultimately - it doesn't fail. That's Karma for fools, since Karma really is a bit more complicated than that.
As to e-sangha being hell, one thing I have learned there is that whenever I feel in hell or see faults, whether in a place or in this or that person, I should really look inside my mind to find the fault. You may feel different. It's only natural... Wherever we go, we take our luggage with us.
When I first came across Buddhist teachings, I asked myself why the many Buddhas thought necessary to "liberate the mind"... "Foolish superstitions!", I thought, "my mind is free!". But then I remembered some of Albert Einstein's most famous words. I've heard that he stated once that we only use a small percentage of our brains...
1+1=3 (or is it 1?)
Fortunately, many are awakening and learning to connect the missing dots, until there is only one big picture left. Unfortunately, spiritual teachers are the only ones teaching it. Maybe because free minds are not very good for those willing to exploit people's ignorance about themselves and about the way their minds work...
All the best to you,
1 year ago
in E-sangha Drama Continues on In Pursuit of Mysteries
Hello again
I just wanted to add these words spoken by the Tathagata to my previous comment and add a short comment on my understanding on them:
"Nirvana comes to thee, Kassapa, when thou understandest thoroughly, and when thou livest according to thy understanding, that all things are of one essence and that there is but one law."
in One Essence, One Law, One Aim
In my mind, it is not possible to have two simultaneously conflictive and thoroughly correct opinions on Buddha's teachings. At best, two opposing 'subjective truths' (or opinions) carry a particle of the 'objective truth' each, which is how things really are and how a Buddha perceives things.
According to the Tathagata, understanding "precedes" practice, and I feel this suggests that the Tathagata sees "solid practice" as practice according to an understanding already attained and - consequently - not merely on faith or belief, which is more like a slippery stepping stone at best.
So I would say, neither look down on understanding nor on practice, for ultimately they are one and the same. And don't look down on thinking, talking, writing and/or reading, for one of them (at least) is necessary to arrive at attaining understanding and ultimately build a solid practice.
Love and Light
James
I just wanted to add these words spoken by the Tathagata to my previous comment and add a short comment on my understanding on them:
"Nirvana comes to thee, Kassapa, when thou understandest thoroughly, and when thou livest according to thy understanding, that all things are of one essence and that there is but one law."
in One Essence, One Law, One Aim
In my mind, it is not possible to have two simultaneously conflictive and thoroughly correct opinions on Buddha's teachings. At best, two opposing 'subjective truths' (or opinions) carry a particle of the 'objective truth' each, which is how things really are and how a Buddha perceives things.
According to the Tathagata, understanding "precedes" practice, and I feel this suggests that the Tathagata sees "solid practice" as practice according to an understanding already attained and - consequently - not merely on faith or belief, which is more like a slippery stepping stone at best.
So I would say, neither look down on understanding nor on practice, for ultimately they are one and the same. And don't look down on thinking, talking, writing and/or reading, for one of them (at least) is necessary to arrive at attaining understanding and ultimately build a solid practice.
Love and Light
James
1 year ago
in E-sangha Drama Continues on In Pursuit of Mysteries
Hello Al
I am adressing no one specifically and anyone who reads my words and doesn't yet understand the teachings about reincarnation. And please understand I am not suggesting belief in anything. On the contrary, the word "belief" to me implies accepting something as true without having direct experience and thorough understanding of something, which the Buddha warned against in the Kalama Sutta. At the cost of sounding arrogant, I am talking based on direct experience and not on the words of others, but please don't take my word for granted since that is precisely what the Buddha warned against. Test it yourself and experience the truth. Have faith but not blind or weak faith, which is belief.
One of our fundamental flaws resulting from and sustaining our ignorance is trying to understand the teachings of a Buddha while looking at themes separately, in a fragmented way, such as "reincarnation", "no-self", "impermanence", "emptiness", etc. To thoroughly understand Buddha's teachings, we must connect the apparently separate themes and understand them as a single theme. Consequently, and at least based on my experience, we cannot understand "reincarnation", until we understand the meaning of "no-self" through experience, which implies absence of a self-identity that reincarnates.
There is much to learn beyond understanding "no-self", which is still the first stage of enlightenment. Thorough understanding is fundamental to build a practice that is founded on solid ground of direct experience, rather than purely on intellectual shifting sands that carry delusion and ignorance. Hence why talking, as it is done in E-sangha - and as foolish as it is sometimes (not always) - is necessary as well, because the intellect is still necessary to attain understanding.
In the wonderful words of Ryokan Taigu:
"Talk is always easy
Practice always hard
It's no wonder people try to make up
For their lack of hard practice with easy talk
But the harder they try, the worse things get
The more they talk, the more wrong they go
It's like pouring oil to put out a fire
Just foolishness and nothing else."
As much as I admire and understand Ryokan Taigu's words, which guided me to Buddhism, I feel there is one misperception in this poem, perhaps resulting from his frustration. With all his wisdom, Ryokan seems to have forgotten when writing this poem that talk (and writing) is also practice. Apologies for pointing this out at the cost of showing my own ignorance, but not so different from what I have observed here... Riokan's last words of "Just foolishness and nothing else" are too extreme a statement to match the Middle Way, which is the only way out of the burning house.
Thorough understanding is an essential step to a solid practice. Hence why I see the value of E-sangha and talk, with all the flaws and risks that it may carry to have thousands of beings suffering from ignorance and delusion discussing such issues. Still, unless we talk, we can hardly understand, even at the risk of our egos disagreeing sometimes.
Lest we forget, only a Buddha is not ignorant and deluded and, as far as we know, there is none around. So - please - don't take my words personally for they are not directed to anyone specifically, anymore than they are directed to myself.
All the best on everyone's path.
I am adressing no one specifically and anyone who reads my words and doesn't yet understand the teachings about reincarnation. And please understand I am not suggesting belief in anything. On the contrary, the word "belief" to me implies accepting something as true without having direct experience and thorough understanding of something, which the Buddha warned against in the Kalama Sutta. At the cost of sounding arrogant, I am talking based on direct experience and not on the words of others, but please don't take my word for granted since that is precisely what the Buddha warned against. Test it yourself and experience the truth. Have faith but not blind or weak faith, which is belief.
One of our fundamental flaws resulting from and sustaining our ignorance is trying to understand the teachings of a Buddha while looking at themes separately, in a fragmented way, such as "reincarnation", "no-self", "impermanence", "emptiness", etc. To thoroughly understand Buddha's teachings, we must connect the apparently separate themes and understand them as a single theme. Consequently, and at least based on my experience, we cannot understand "reincarnation", until we understand the meaning of "no-self" through experience, which implies absence of a self-identity that reincarnates.
There is much to learn beyond understanding "no-self", which is still the first stage of enlightenment. Thorough understanding is fundamental to build a practice that is founded on solid ground of direct experience, rather than purely on intellectual shifting sands that carry delusion and ignorance. Hence why talking, as it is done in E-sangha - and as foolish as it is sometimes (not always) - is necessary as well, because the intellect is still necessary to attain understanding.
In the wonderful words of Ryokan Taigu:
"Talk is always easy
Practice always hard
It's no wonder people try to make up
For their lack of hard practice with easy talk
But the harder they try, the worse things get
The more they talk, the more wrong they go
It's like pouring oil to put out a fire
Just foolishness and nothing else."
As much as I admire and understand Ryokan Taigu's words, which guided me to Buddhism, I feel there is one misperception in this poem, perhaps resulting from his frustration. With all his wisdom, Ryokan seems to have forgotten when writing this poem that talk (and writing) is also practice. Apologies for pointing this out at the cost of showing my own ignorance, but not so different from what I have observed here... Riokan's last words of "Just foolishness and nothing else" are too extreme a statement to match the Middle Way, which is the only way out of the burning house.
Thorough understanding is an essential step to a solid practice. Hence why I see the value of E-sangha and talk, with all the flaws and risks that it may carry to have thousands of beings suffering from ignorance and delusion discussing such issues. Still, unless we talk, we can hardly understand, even at the risk of our egos disagreeing sometimes.
Lest we forget, only a Buddha is not ignorant and deluded and, as far as we know, there is none around. So - please - don't take my words personally for they are not directed to anyone specifically, anymore than they are directed to myself.
All the best on everyone's path.
1 year ago
in E-sangha Drama Continues on In Pursuit of Mysteries
"At least one Zen priest has been banned, for example, for saying that he did not literally believe in or teach the reality of literal reincarnation as a Buddhist."
Anyone who has a real interest in Buddhism and doesn't yet understand the validity of the teachings about reincarnation would spend their time better sitting on the pillow and contemplating on "no-self" than allowing their ego-self to moan about it, as a result of ignorance (which is absence of enlightenment and understanding)...
Reincarnation is real, though not exactly how most people imagine it. Drop the "me" who reincarnates and the understanding will be attained.
Love and Light
Anyone who has a real interest in Buddhism and doesn't yet understand the validity of the teachings about reincarnation would spend their time better sitting on the pillow and contemplating on "no-self" than allowing their ego-self to moan about it, as a result of ignorance (which is absence of enlightenment and understanding)...
Reincarnation is real, though not exactly how most people imagine it. Drop the "me" who reincarnates and the understanding will be attained.
Love and Light
1 year ago
in E-sangha and Control Freaks on In Pursuit of Mysteries
I use e-sangha and I have had differences with a moderator on a few occasions. Still, I remind myself that any differences on words, concepts and all are still samsara and a product of our ignorance and delusion, so when this happens I just remember that only a Buddha is fully enlightened and free from ignorance and delusion so I back off and consider the possibility that either I am missing something, the moderators are missing something or both. A lot of people are critical of e-sangha for things like the moderators defending "rebirth/reincarnation". Well, sorry everyone, but the Buddha taught about rebirth/reincarnation. You don't have to accept it as definitely true because of that, in fact the Buddha also said we should try things before accepting them as true, but to discard it as definitively false is equally foolishness. Reincarnation is real, though not in the way most people understand it. People tend to attach the idea of "reincarnation" to their individual being's identity, but Buddha also taught about "no-self" which implies no individual being. No one can attain understanding of reincarnation until letting go of self and any idea of individual being.
I agree the moderators are heavy-handed at times but - ultimately - they are doing their best to protect Buddhist teachings from the same distortions that practically destroyed the intended effect of teachings by men like Jesus and even Muhammad.
All the best on your path, with or without e-sangha.
I agree the moderators are heavy-handed at times but - ultimately - they are doing their best to protect Buddhist teachings from the same distortions that practically destroyed the intended effect of teachings by men like Jesus and even Muhammad.
All the best on your path, with or without e-sangha.
