The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga Ebook
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Mahasi Sayadaw's Revolution
Deep Dive into Vipassana Copyright © 2020 Lion’s Roar Foundation, except where noted. All rights reserved. Lion’s Roar is an independent non-profit whose mission is to communicate Buddhist wisdom and practices in order to benefit people’s lives, and to support the development of Buddhism in the modern world. Projects of Lion’s Roar include Lion’s Roar magazine, Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly, lionsroar.com, and Lion’s Roar Special Editions and Online Learning. Theravada, which means “Way of the Elders,” is the earliest form of institutionalized Buddhism. It’s a style based primarily on talks the Buddha gave during his forty-six years of teaching. These talks were memorized and recited (before the internet, people could still do that) until they were finally written down a few hundred years later in Sri Lanka, where Theravada still dominates – and where there is also superb surf. In the US, Theravada mostly man- ifests through the teaching of Vipassana, particularly its popular meditation technique, mindfulness, the awareness of what is hap- pening now—thoughts, feelings, sensations—without judgment or attachment. Just as surfing is larger than, say, Kelly Slater, Theravada is larger than mindfulness. It’s a vast system of ethics and philoso- phies. That said, the essence of Theravada is using mindfulness to explore the Buddha’s first teaching, the Four Noble Truths, which go something like this: 1. Life is stressful. 2. Our constant desires make it stressful. 3. Freedom is possible. 4. Living compassionately and mindfully is the way to attain this freedom. 3 DEEP DIVE INTO VIPASSANA LIONSROAR.COM INTRODUCTION About those “constant desires”: Theravada practitioners don’t try to stop desire cold turkey. -
Stages of the Path: Stream Entry and Beyond by Bodhiketu
Stages of the Path: Stream Entry and Beyond by Bodhiketu For many years I have thought that the traditional Nikāya scheme of Stream Entrant, Once- Returner, Non-Returner and Arahant was unclear. The category of Once-Returner seems particularly strange, even bizarre. What does it mean to have a 'stage' in which the fourth and fifth fetters (that is, craving and hatred) are merely weakened? How ‘weak’ is enough to qualify? How could that be measured or attained? This appeared to be nothing other than an example of scholastic foolishness, but the scheme was not easy to dismiss because it is asserted as a very real category in the Pali Canon and commentaries. Moreover, there is an apparent contradiction within the Pali Canon itself about the ethical criteria that are indicative of Stream Entry. I have for some time thought that these ethical criteria were often set too high, both within the Western Buddhist Order and within the contemporary Theravāda, within parts of which it seems that Stream Entry has even come to be regarded as beyond the reach of practitioners in this current age. Why does any of this matter? Ultimately, I believe, it makes a great difference to the confidence that we have in our traditions – our institutions, practices and practitioners. In addition, it seems to me that being clear about the doctrine is of critical practical importance. Sangharakshita, the founder of the Western Buddhist Order, is often quoted as saying that Stream Entry is well within the reach of members of the Western Buddhist Order who have practised wholeheartedly for 20-30 years. -
Compassion & Social Justice
COMPASSION & SOCIAL JUSTICE Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo PUBLISHED BY Sakyadhita Yogyakarta, Indonesia © Copyright 2015 Karma Lekshe Tsomo No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the editor. CONTENTS PREFACE ix BUDDHIST WOMEN OF INDONESIA The New Space for Peranakan Chinese Woman in Late Colonial Indonesia: Tjoa Hin Hoaij in the Historiography of Buddhism 1 Yulianti Bhikkhuni Jinakumari and the Early Indonesian Buddhist Nuns 7 Medya Silvita Ibu Parvati: An Indonesian Buddhist Pioneer 13 Heru Suherman Lim Indonesian Women’s Roles in Buddhist Education 17 Bhiksuni Zong Kai Indonesian Women and Buddhist Social Service 22 Dian Pratiwi COMPASSION & INNER TRANSFORMATION The Rearranged Roles of Buddhist Nuns in the Modern Korean Sangha: A Case Study 2 of Practicing Compassion 25 Hyo Seok Sunim Vipassana and Pain: A Case Study of Taiwanese Female Buddhists Who Practice Vipassana 29 Shiou-Ding Shi Buddhist and Living with HIV: Two Life Stories from Taiwan 34 Wei-yi Cheng Teaching Dharma in Prison 43 Robina Courtin iii INDONESIAN BUDDHIST WOMEN IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Light of the Kilis: Our Javanese Bhikkhuni Foremothers 47 Bhikkhuni Tathaaloka Buddhist Women of Indonesia: Diversity and Social Justice 57 Karma Lekshe Tsomo Establishing the Bhikkhuni Sangha in Indonesia: Obstacles and -
Myanmar Buddhism of the Pagan Period
MYANMAR BUDDHISM OF THE PAGAN PERIOD (AD 1000-1300) BY WIN THAN TUN (MA, Mandalay University) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAMME NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2002 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to the people who have contributed to the successful completion of this thesis. First of all, I wish to express my gratitude to the National University of Singapore which offered me a 3-year scholarship for this study. I wish to express my indebtedness to Professor Than Tun. Although I have never been his student, I was taught with his book on Old Myanmar (Khet-hoà: Mranmâ Râjawaà), and I learnt a lot from my discussions with him; and, therefore, I regard him as one of my teachers. I am also greatly indebted to my Sayas Dr. Myo Myint and Professor Han Tint, and friends U Ni Tut, U Yaw Han Tun and U Soe Kyaw Thu of Mandalay University for helping me with the sources I needed. I also owe my gratitude to U Win Maung (Tampavatî) (who let me use his collection of photos and negatives), U Zin Moe (who assisted me in making a raw map of Pagan), Bob Hudson (who provided me with some unpublished data on the monuments of Pagan), and David Kyle Latinis for his kind suggestions on writing my early chapters. I’m greatly indebted to Cho Cho (Centre for Advanced Studies in Architecture, NUS) for providing me with some of the drawings: figures 2, 22, 25, 26 and 38. -
Buddhism in Myanmar a Short History by Roger Bischoff © 1996 Contents Preface 1
Buddhism in Myanmar A Short History by Roger Bischoff © 1996 Contents Preface 1. Earliest Contacts with Buddhism 2. Buddhism in the Mon and Pyu Kingdoms 3. Theravada Buddhism Comes to Pagan 4. Pagan: Flowering and Decline 5. Shan Rule 6. The Myanmar Build an Empire 7. The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries Notes Bibliography Preface Myanmar, or Burma as the nation has been known throughout history, is one of the major countries following Theravada Buddhism. In recent years Myanmar has attained special eminence as the host for the Sixth Buddhist Council, held in Yangon (Rangoon) between 1954 and 1956, and as the source from which two of the major systems of Vipassana meditation have emanated out into the greater world: the tradition springing from the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw of Thathana Yeiktha and that springing from Sayagyi U Ba Khin of the International Meditation Centre. This booklet is intended to offer a short history of Buddhism in Myanmar from its origins through the country's loss of independence to Great Britain in the late nineteenth century. I have not dealt with more recent history as this has already been well documented. To write an account of the development of a religion in any country is a delicate and demanding undertaking and one will never be quite satisfied with the result. This booklet does not pretend to be an academic work shedding new light on the subject. It is designed, rather, to provide the interested non-academic reader with a brief overview of the subject. The booklet has been written for the Buddhist Publication Society to complete its series of Wheel titles on the history of the Sasana in the main Theravada Buddhist countries. -
Towards a Christian Pastoral Approach to Cambodian Culture
Thesis Title: Towards a Christian Pastoral Approach to Cambodian Culture In fulfilment of the requirements of Master’s in Theology (Missiology) Submitted by: Gerard G. Ravasco Supervised by: Dr. Bill Domeris, Ph D March, 2004 Towards a Christian Pastoral Approach to Cambodian Culture Table of Contents Page Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 The world we live in 1 1.2 The particular world we live in 1 1.3 Our target location: Cambodia 2 1.4 Our Particular Challenge: Cambodian Culture 2 1.5 An Invitation to Inculturation 3 1.6 My Personal Context 4 1.6.1 My Objectives 4 1.6.2 My Limitations 5 1.6.3 My Methodology 5 Chapter 2 2.0 Religious Influences in Early Cambodian History 6 2.1 The Beginnings of a People 6 2.2 Early Cambodian Kingdoms 7 2.3 Funan 8 2.4 Zhen-la 10 2.5 The Founding of Angkor 12 2.6 Angkorean Kingship 15 2.7 Theravada Buddhism and the Post Angkorean Crisis 18 2.8 An Overview of Christianity 19 2.9 Conclusion 20 Chapter 3 3.0 Religions that influenced Cambodian Culture 22 3.1 Animism 22 3.1.1 Animism as a Philosophical Theory 22 3.1.2 Animism as an Anthropological Theory 23 3.1.2.1 Tylor’s Theory 23 3.1.2.2 Counter Theories 24 3.1.2.3 An Animistic World View 24 3.1.2.4 Ancestor Veneration 25 3.1.2.5 Shamanism 26 3.1.3 Animism in Cambodian Culture 27 3.1.3.1 Spirits reside with us 27 3.1.3.2 Spirits intervene in daily life 28 3.1.3.3 Spirit’s power outside Cambodia 29 3.2 Brahmanism 30 3.2.1 Brahmanism and Hinduism 30 3.2.2 Brahmin Texts 31 3.2.3 Early Brahmanism or Vedism 32 3.2.4 Popular Brahmanism 33 3.2.5 Pantheistic Brahmanism -
Extraordinary Women by Bhikkhuni Ajahn Thanasanti
September 2, 2011 Extraordinary Women by Bhikkhuni Ajahn Thanasanti September 2 is the anniversary of being a nun for 20 years. I take this time to pay homage to some of the extraordinary women who have directly and indirectly guided me to the path where I am now. I write as a prelude to International Bhikkhuni Day on Sept 17. My first memory thinking about the way important women influenced my life was when I was about 10 and we were driving to Sea World in Long Beach California. My stepmother, Barbara, asked me and my brother to think of 3 men and 3 women that we would have wanted to meet or be like. The women that I thought of were Anne Frank, Helen Keller and Mother Theresa. Barbara was not impressed. She was hoping I would come up with people who were more glamorous or sexy and asked me if I could think of any like that. When I couldn‟t she eventually asked me why I these women came to mind and I remember saying something like, “Anne never lost faith in peoples goodness, Helen never lost courage, and Mother Theresa never lost capacity in seeing beauty and divinity in others.” I was shocked at first by how silent she was after I spoke. Then I realized I am not someone who is into glamor and movie stars. Barbara helped me see that I respond to a different drummer and what I thought and believed was very different from what the people around me valued. In this way she inadvertently taught me a great deal. -
The Practical Approach to the Enlightenment Through the Buddhist Meditation Venerable Bhikkhuni Anula Devi (Kyeong-Hee Yoo)
The Practical approach to the Enlightenment through the Buddhist Meditation Venerable Bhikkhuni Anula Devi (Kyeong-Hee Yoo) PhD Candidate, Postgraduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies Buddhism starts from the point of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. And thereby, the teaching of the Buddha becomes the way to the solution for the problems of human beings, i.e., the cessation of suffering. When it works it becomes meaningful. But, nowadays, the enlightenment has become rather treasure in the casket than in use. As the materialism goes extreme and the morality too extremely corrupted, the world urgently needs to balance it. Therefore, this is the high time to call for enlightenment. Then, what does the enlightenment mean? It simply means the total cessation of all kinds of suffering, or the solution for the existence. Then, now our concern comes on the possibility of enlightening in this very life. Before we deal with the possibility of enlightenment here and now, first of all I would like to trace the enlightenment appearing in the Suttas in four stages in two ways: One way is Theravāda Vipassana Meditation and the other way isMahāyāna Zen meditation. In Theravāda Vipassana meditation, four stages of Enlightenment are rather clearly mentioned in comparison with Mahāyāna Zen tradition. It talks about10 fetters or bonds that tie us to this samsāric world of existence and as we overcome these fetters, we progress to higher state of enlightenment. I will show this in a diagram in comparison with Zen tradition. Actually, there are no criteria to distinguish states like 10 fetters in Zen, but there are some mystery words left by the enlightened one from which we can have clue to judge their state. -
The Buddhist Review
Copyright 2021. Tricycle. All rights reserved. Enlightenments, Not Enlightenment By Jack Kornfield nce a month, Tricycle features an article from the Inquiring Mind archive. O Inquiring Mind, a Buddhist journal that was in print from 1984–2015, has a growing number of articles from its back issues available at www.inquiringmind.com. This month’s selection is “Enlightenments,” by Jack Kornfield, from the Fall 2010 “Enlightenment” issue. ♦ On a meditation retreat several years ago, late one evening after the dharma talk, a woman raised her hand and asked one last question: “Is enlightenment just a myth?” When we teachers went back to our evening meeting, we asked each other this question. We exchanged stories about great spiritual teachers—the creative freedom of Ajahn Chah (1918–92), the enormous field of metta [lovingkindness] around Dipa Ma (1911– 89), the joyous laughter of Poonja (1910–97)—and of our own awakenings. Of course there is enlightenment. But the word enlightenment is used in different ways, and that can be confusing. Is Zen, Tibetan, Hindu, or Theravada enlightenment the same? What is the difference between an enlightenment experience and full enlightenment? What do enlightened people look like? APPROACHES TO ENLIGHTENMENT Early on in my practice in Asia, I was forced to deal with these questions quite directly. My teachers, Ajahn Chah in Thailand and Mahasi Sayadaw in Burma, were considered among the most enlightened masters of Theravada Buddhism. While they both described the goal of practice as freedom from greed, hatred and delusion, they didn’t agree about how to attain enlightenment, or how it is experienced. -
Kālāma-Sutta: Epistemology, Ethics, and the ‘Sacred’
Buddhist Studies Review 24(1) 2007, 91–107 ISSN (print): 0256–2897 doi: 10.1558/bsrv.v24i1.91 ISSN (online): 1747–9681 Doubting the Kālāma-Sutta: Epistemology, Ethics, and the ‘Sacred’ STEPHEN A. Evans Bangkok [email protected] ABSTRACT: The Kālāma-sutta is frequently cited as proof of the rational and empirical spirit of early Buddhist epistemology, ‘The Buddha’s charter of free enquiry’, accord- ing to Soma Thera. A close reading, however, calls that interpretation into question. The Kālāmas do not ask what is the truth, and the Buddha does not tell them how to find it. Rather the Kālāmas ask ‘Who is telling the truth?’ in what may have been the pursuit of sacred or quasi-magical power through the person of a teacher. The Bud- dha, in turn, encourages them to adopt a set of attitudes and actions, which includes choosing a teacher. The method of evaluation that the Buddha gives, which includes the famous ‘know for yourselves’ is found to be as least as much ethical as it is epis- temological and to invoke the opinion of authority and the public. The Buddha here seems to call for a decision that is partly based on faith, and the Kālāmas respond not with independent research, but with an act of faith in committing themselves to (and being accepted by) the Buddha. INTRODUCTION The Kālāma-sutta (or, more accurately, the Kesamutti-sutta) is one of the best known and most widely cited suttas of the Pāli Nikāyas. Its importance, on the one hand, is that it seems to give an account of the Buddha’s epistemology; its popular appeal, on the other, is that the epistemology seems strikingly modern. -
Chapter 1 Introduction Overview and Statement of the Problem
1 Chapter 1 Introduction Overview and Statement of the Problem A continuing central issue in Buddhist meditation, a popular substitute for the Pāli term ‘bhāvanā ’ which literally means ‘development’ or ‘culture,’ i.e., mental development or mental culture, is how two interconnected processes are related. These processes are samatha (tranquillity) or samādhi (concentration) on the one hand and vipassanā (insight) or paññā (wisdom) on the other. 1 Samatha which denotes calmness, tranquillity, serenity and concentration possesses the function of calming, centering and unifying the mind by means of which the mind and its concomitants remain focussed on a single object. The mental unification cannot be attained all at once but develops in a graded sequence of absorption levels, namely the jhāna s. 2 Vipassanā aims to gain direct understanding of the true nature of phenomena as they really are, in terms of the three characteristics; anicca (impermanence), dukkha 3 (unsatisfactoriness) and anattā (not-self). It is generally regarded as the unique discovery of the Buddha and of central importance for the achievement of nibb āna. 4 The issue of the relationship between these processes is crucial because meditation provides the reliable means for the achievement of Buddhist liberation from the circle of existences and supreme security from bondage to ignorance. 1 Henepola Gunaratana, A Critical Analysis of the Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation , (Ph.D thesis, The American University, 1980), p. 11. 2 The grammatical rules for the use of the plural forms of Pāli terms, are very complex and depend on such things as the gender and final vowel of the term. -
The Buddha and His Teachings
TheThe BuddhaBuddha andand HisHis TTeachingseachings Venerable Narada Mahathera HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. The Buddha and His Teachings Venerable Nārada Mahāthera Reprinted for free distribution by The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation Taipei, Taiwan. July 1998 Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā-Sambuddhassa Homage to Him, the Exalted, the Worthy, the Fully Enlightened One Contents Introduction ................................................................................... vii The Buddha Chapter 1 From Birth to Renunciation ........................................................... 1 Chapter 2 His Struggle for Enlightenment ................................................. 13 Chapter 3 The Buddhahood ........................................................................... 25 Chapter 4 After the Enlightenment .............................................................. 33 Chapter 5 The Invitation to Expound the Dhamma .................................. 41 Chapter 6 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta ................................................ 54 Chapter 7 The Teaching of the Dhamma ..................................................... 75 Chapter 8 The Buddha and His Relatives ................................................... 88 Chapter 9 The Buddha and His Relatives ................................................. 103 iii Chapter 10 The Buddha’s Chief Opponents and Supporters .................. 118 Chapter