Samatha and Vipassana
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The Buddha's Wager by Piya Tan
Revisioning Buddhism ©Piya Tan, 2017 The Buddha’s wager1 The Buddha always holds the Dharma first, as evident from the Gārava Sutta (S 6.2),2 which records one of the first key events in the Buddha’s life after the great awakening. In the Mahā,- parinibbāna Sutta (D 16),3 which records his last moments, too, the Buddha declares that the Dharma comes first, before the teacher. However, against the Buddha’s clear instructions, other Buddhist sectarians and later teachers put their Sutras and Teachings first. Such disregard from the Buddha arises from various reasons and conditions, but basically it was (and is) on account of desire for worldly gains and following, for putting down rivalry and dissent, and the influence of worldly conditions and other religions. The Buddha does not make such vital statements frivolously or as an option that we may dis- regard. He has very good reasons for giving us such initial and final instructions. To remind ourselves of the vitality of these instructions we will call them the “Buddha’s wager.” This wager or challenge can be simply put like this: The Buddha holds Dharma above himself. Buddha or no Buddha, Dharma is always there. The later sectarian Buddhist teachers place their Sutras and Teachings first. Without these gurus’ Sutras and Teachings, there are no later Buddhist sects. We don’t need the later Buddhist sects, and can and must go directly to the Dharma. Here, I think, is an almost infallible test for the authenticity of the historical Buddha’s teaching or the Buddha Dharma, the teaching of awakening. -
The Role of Puñña and Kusala in the Dialectic of the Twofold Right Vision and the Temporary Integration of Eternalism in the P
The Role of puñña and kusala in the Dialectic of the Twofold Right Vision and the Temporary Integration of Eternalism in the Path Towards Spiritual Emancipation According to the Pāli Nikāya s Krishna Del Toso Esercizi Filosofici 3, 2008, pp. 32-58 ISSN 1970-0164 THE ROLE OF PUÑÑA AND KUSALA IN THE DIALECTIC OF THE TWOFOLD RIGHT VISION AND THE TEMPORARY INTEGRATION OF ETERNALISM IN THE PATH TOWARDS SPIRITUAL EMANCIPATION ∗ ACCORDING TO THE PĀLI NIKĀYA S Krishna Del Toso …a motto adopted from one of Salvor Hardin’s epigrams, “ever let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right!” Isaac Asimov 1 Abstract : This article shows how in the Pāli Nikāya s, after having defined Eternalism and Nihilism as two opposed positions, Gotama makes a dialectical use of Eternalism as means to eliminate Nihilism, upheld to be the worst point of view because of its denial of kammic maturation in terms of puñña and pāpa . Assuming, from an Eternalist perspective, that actions have effects also beyond the present life, Gotama underlines the necessity of betting on the validity of moral kammic retribution. Having thus demonstrated the central ethical error of Nihilism, he subtly introduces peculiar Buddhist moral concepts ( kusala/akusala ) to purify the Eternalist vision from the doctrine of a real existing self ( attāvāda ) and from the puñña /pāpa dichotomy. We can summarize this dialectical course as follows: Nihilism is pāpa /akusala because it denies kamman , Eternalism is puñña /not-akusala because it upholds kamman from a non-Buddhist perspective, Buddhism is kusala because it admits the law of kamman not centered on a theory of a real existing self (anattāvāda ). -
A Study of the Saṃskāra Section of Vasubandhu's Pañcaskandhaka with Reference to Its Commentary by Sthiramati
A Study of the Saṃskāra Section of Vasubandhu's Pañcaskandhaka with Reference to Its Commentary by Sthiramati Jowita KRAMER 1. Introduction In his treatise "On the Five Constituents of the Person" (Pañcaskandhaka) Vasubandhu succeeded in presenting a brief but very comprehensive and clear outline of the concept of the five skandhas as understood from the viewpoint of the Yogācāra tradition. When investigating the doctrinal development of the five skandha theory and of other related concepts taught in the Pañcaskandhaka, works like the Yogācārabhūmi, the Abhidharmasamuccaya, and the Abhidharmakośa- bhāṣya are of great importance. The relevance of the first two texts results from their close association with the Pañcaskandhaka in terms of tradition. The significance of the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya is due to the assumption of an identical author of this text and the Pañcaskandhaka.1 The comparison of the latter with the other texts leads to a highly inconsistent picture of the relations between the works. It is therefore difficult to determine the developmental processes of the teachings presented in the texts under consideration and to give a concluding answer to the question whether the same person composed the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya and the Pañcaskandhaka. What makes the identification of the interdependence between the texts even more problematic is our limited knowledge of the methods the Indian authors and commentators applied when they composed their works. It was obviously very common to make use of whole sentences or even passages from older texts without marking them as quotations. If we assume the silent copying of older material as the usual method of Indian authors, then the question arises why in some cases the wording they apply is not identical but replaced by synonyms or completely different statements. -
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. -
The Role of Puñña and Kusala in The
The Role of puñña and kusala in the Dialectic of the Twofold Right Vision and the Temporary Integration of Eternalism in the Path Towards Spiritual Emancipation According to the Pāli Nikāya s Krishna Del Toso Esercizi Filosofici 3, 2008, pp. 32-58 ISSN 1970-0164 THE ROLE OF PUÑÑA AND KUSALA IN THE DIALECTIC OF THE TWOFOLD RIGHT VISION AND THE TEMPORARY INTEGRATION OF ETERNALISM IN THE PATH TOWARDS SPIRITUAL EMANCIPATION ∗ ACCORDING TO THE PĀLI NIKĀYA S Krishna Del Toso …a motto adopted from one of Salvor Hardin’s epigrams, “ever let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right!” Isaac Asimov 1 Abstract : This article shows how in the Pāli Nikāya s, after having defined Eternalism and Nihilism as two opposed positions, Gotama makes a dialectical use of Eternalism as means to eliminate Nihilism, upheld to be the worst point of view because of its denial of kammic maturation in terms of puñña and pāpa . Assuming, from an Eternalist perspective, that actions have effects also beyond the present life, Gotama underlines the necessity of betting on the validity of moral kammic retribution. Having thus demonstrated the central ethical error of Nihilism, he subtly introduces peculiar Buddhist moral concepts ( kusala/akusala ) to purify the Eternalist vision from the doctrine of a real existing self ( attāvāda ) and from the puñña /pāpa dichotomy. We can summarize this dialectical course as follows: Nihilism is pāpa /akusala because it denies kamman , Eternalism is puñña /not-akusala because it upholds kamman from a non-Buddhist perspective, Buddhism is kusala because it admits the law of kamman not centered on a theory of a real existing self (anattāvāda ). -
An Excursus on the Subtle Body in Tantric Buddhism. Notes
THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BUDDHIST STUDIES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A. K. Narain University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA EDITORS L. M.Joshi Ernst Steinkellner Punjabi University University of Vienna Patiala, India Wien, Austria Alexander W. Macdonald Jikido Takasaki Universite de Paris X University of Tokyo Nanterre, France Tokyo, fapan Bardwell Smith Robert Thurman Carleton College Amherst College Northfield, Minnesota, USA Amherst, Massachusetts, USA ASSISTANT EDITOR Roger Jackson FJRN->' Volume 6 1983 Number 2 CONTENTS I. ARTICLES A reconstruction of the Madhyamakdvatdra's Analysis of the Person, by Peter G. Fenner. 7 Cittaprakrti and Ayonisomanaskdra in the Ratnagolravi- bhdga: Precedent for the Hsin-Nien Distinction of The Awakening of Faith, by William Grosnick 35 An Excursus on the Subtle Body in Tantric Buddhism (Notes Contextualizing the Kalacakra)1, by Geshe Lhundup Sopa 48 Socio-Cultural Aspects of Theravada Buddhism in Ne pal, by Ramesh Chandra Tewari 67 The Yuktisas(ikakdrikd of Nagarjuna, by Fernando Tola and Carmen Dragonetti 94 The "Suicide" Problem in the Pali Canon, by Martin G. Wiltshire \ 24 II. BOOK REVIEWS 1. Buddhist and Western Philosophy, edited by Nathan Katz 141 2. A Meditators Diary, by Jane Hamilton-Merritt 144 3. The Roof Tile ofTempyo, by Yasushi Inoue 146 4. Les royaumes de I'Himalaya, histoire et civilisation: le La- dakh, le Bhoutan, le Sikkirn, le Nepal, under the direc tion of Alexander W. Macdonald 147 5. Wings of the White Crane: Poems of Tskangs dbyangs rgya mtsho (1683-1706), translated by G.W. Houston The Rain of Wisdom, translated by the Nalanda Transla tion Committee under the Direction of Chogyam Trungpa Songs of Spiritual Change, by the Seventh Dalai Lama, Gyalwa Kalzang Gyatso 149 III. -
Chapter-N Cetasika (Mental Factors) 2.0. Introduction
44 Chapter-n Cetasika (Mental Factors) 2.0. Introduction In the first chapter, Citta (Consciousness) has been introduced. In this chapter, Cetasika (Mental factors) which means depending on citta will be discussed in detail with reference to the Abhidhamma pitaka by dividing topics and subtopics related to the present chapter. In the eighty-nine types of consciousness, enumerated in the first chapter, fifty-two mental factors arise in varying degree.There are seven concomitants common to every consciousness. There are six others that may or may not arise in each and every consciousness. They are termed Pakinnakas or Ethically variable factors. All these thirteen are designated Annasamanas, a rather peculiar technical term. Anna means other, samana means common. Sobhanas (Good), when compared with Asobhanas (Evil), are called Aiina (other) 'being of the opposite category'. Thus the Asobhanas are in contradistinction to Sobhanas. These thirteen become moral or immoral according to the types of consciousness in which they occur. 45 The fourteen concomitants are invariably found in every type of immoral consciousness. The nineteen are common to all type of moral consciousness. The six are moral concomitants which occur as occasion arises. Therefore these fifty-two (7+6+14+19+6=52) are found in all the types of consciousness in different proportions. In this chapter all the 52- mental factors are enumerated and classified. Every type of consciousness is microscopically analysed, and the accompanying psychic factors are given in details. The types of consciousness in which each mental factor occurs, is also described. 2.1. Definition of Cetasika Cetasika=cetas+ika When citta arises, it arises with mental factors that depend on it. -
Số 305-Ngày-15-09-2018
GIÁO HỘI PHẬT GIÁO VIỆT NAM 15 - 9 - 2018 Phật lịch 2562 Số 305 Ánh đạo vàng Như Lai Tr. 7 Nặng lòng với Ngã ba Đông Dương Tr. 57 Tr. 16 T r o n g s ố n à y GIÁO HỘI PHẬT GIÁO VIỆT NAM Sương mai 3 TẠP CHÍ VĂN HÓA PHẬT GIÁO Phát hành vào đầu và giữa tháng Sự đóng góp của Phật giáo Nam tông Kinh trong sự phát triển của Phật giáo Việt Nam (Thích Thiện Nhơn) 4 Tổng Biên tập THÍCH TRUNG HẬU Ánh đạo vàng Như Lai (Trần Quê Hương) 7 Phó Tổng Biên tập Thường trực Giàn giao hưởng còn lỗi nhịp (Nguyên Cẩn) 9 kiêm Thư ký Tòa soạn TRẦN TUẤN MẪN Năm phương pháp đưa đến định tâm (Nguyên Xuân) 12 Phó Tổng Biên tập Như hóa (Nguyễn Thế Đăng) 16 THÍCH MINH HIỀN Phật Giáo tại Đức quốc (Thích Nguyên Tạng) 18 Trị sự Những mẩu chuyện thiền (Lâm Hạnh Nhiên sưu tầm và dịch) 22 NGUYỄN BỒNG Năm chướng ngại trong khi hành thiền (Thích Trung Định) 24 Trình bày MAI PHƯƠNG NAM Hạnh phúc thực tại giữa thế giới vô thường (Huỳnh Thị Cẩm Nhung) 28 Phòng Phát hành Trụ sở Tòa soạn VHPG Phật giáo Hà Tiên dưới thời Mạc Cửu (Thích Minh Nghĩa) 32 ĐT: (84-28) 3 8484 335 Ngô Văn Thông, DĐ: 0906 934 252 Về tổ ngành nhiếp ảnh ở Việt Nam (Tôn Thất Thọ) 35 Quảng cáo Đưa chánh niệm vào học đường (Hoa Tâm Thủy) 38 Pháp Tuệ, Dương Đạt “Mẹ ơi! Đừng để con ngủ!” (Cao Huy Hóa) 42 Tòa soạn Về sách giáo khoa lịch sử phổ thô ng hiện nay (Cao Văn Thức) 44 294 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Quận 3, TP. -
Honor List 00-01
Jailal Nicholas G Ablack Stefanie Dianne Bombardier Melissa Conte Nicholas G. P. Feroze Katherine Anne Hagerman Qingjun Jiao Jennifer Mary Lamb Patrick Joseph Masterson Talitha Nabbali Adam Wesley Pite Susan Schirripa Mark Szczerba Christopher Ward Yohannes Abreham Mebrahtu Mark David Bona Robert D. F. Cooper Melissa Christine Ferreira Timothy John A. Hain Koi Jin Bridget Evelyn Lamberts Diane Mastronardi Ilan Nachim Sara Emalee Plain Martin Johann Schleich Tom Szczerbowski Laura May Ward Mazen Abu-Khater Joseph Bonasia Midori Courtice Caren D. Fields Dalia Halawani Yashina Jiwa Sean Landicho Stephen Simpson Mathews Brodie Justin Nadeau Candace Eileen Pletzer Davin Joseph Schmidt Janet Elizabeth Szymanski Svetlana Warford Robert Adam Glencora Letizia M. Borradaile Rebecca K. Cowan Renee Filion J. Douglas Hall Kacy William Johnson Joshua Samuel Landy Daniela Matijevic Tamizan Nathoo Karolina Plota Jennifer Anne Schofield Kathleen M. F. Tam Thomas Andrew Warren Jarrett Adams Sean Albert Bosman Aaron Richard Cox Natalie Finkelstein Brooke Ann Halpert Sarah Johnson Sabine-Sue Lloyd Lange Andrew Adel Gurguis Mattar Kathryn Elisabeth Naus Mark C. Pluym Kevin L. Schwartz Hua Tang Nancy Wat Jeffery Mark Adams James Theodore Botelho Andrea Marie Cox Diane Marie Finley Helga Clare Halvorsen Adam jones Hasti Larjani Leah Anne Mawhinney Steven Nazarian Janelle Podesta Robin Scott Karen Hoi Chi Tang Joel Christopher Watts Marnie Lynn Adams Brad Botting Jacqueline Cramer Graham Allan First James Joel A. Hamilton Claire Ann Jones Brian Nathaniel Laski Gregory Mayer Ryan Neinstein Anneliese Poetz Niall Scully Yinong Tang Nina Alyson Wedge Oluwatola Oluwafunmike Afolabi Jeffrey Bowler Cornel Constantin Cristea Gil Fischler Jennifer Charity Hamilton Jared Wayne Jones Matthew David Laskin Peyman Mazidi Nicole Christine Nelson Aleksandra Policha Melissa Lynne Seabrook Elizabeth F. -
Chanting Book
Samatha Chanting Book Published by the Samatha Trust 1 With thanks to all those from the various traditions of Pali chanting from whom we have learned chanting in the past, or will do so in the future. Sādhu sādhu sādhu 2 Chanting Book This book is one of a series published from time to time by the Samatha Trust. The Samatha Trust was founded in 1973 and is a registered charity. The Samatha Centre Greenstreete Llangunllo Powys LD7 1SP www.samatha.org First published in 2008 Second Edition 2014 ISBN 978-0-9514223-4-2 This Book may be freely copied for non-commercial distribution. Printed by: Oxford University Computing Services - Printing Department 3 4 CONTENTS 1 BEGINNINGS THE THREE REFUGES AND FIVE PRECEPTS ....................................................................................................2 RECOLLECTION OF THE TRIPLE GEM Iti pi so ................................................................................................3 2 PŪJĀ - OFFERING VERSES Vandāmi cetiyaṃ .........................................................................................................................................................4 TRANSFERENCE OF MERIT Ettāvatā ..................................................................................................................6 3 PARITTA, AND OTHER CHANTS OF BLESSING AND PROTECTION INVITATION TO THE DEVAS Samantā cakkavāḷesu (or: Pharitvāna mettaṃ) ...................................................8 BUDDHAMAṄGALAGĀTHĀ Sambuddho ............................................................................................................8 -
Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation: a Practice Guide
Praise for Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation: A Practice Guide This is a pearl of a book. On reading it, and comparing it to the author’s previous two studies of satipaṭṭhāna, the impression is that of having left the university lecture theatre and entered the meditation hall, where the wise and experienced teacher is offering Dhamma reflections, illuminating the practice of satipaṭṭhāna with a fertile and colourful lucidity, free of footnotes and arcane cross-references. This book is a treasure-house of practical teachings, rendered accessible with a clear and simple eloquence. The author states that his motivation has been to enrich the practice of satipaṭṭhāna rather than to compete with other approaches – he has succeeded admirably in this, I feel, and with praiseworthy skill and grace. – Ajahn Amaro This breathtaking practice guide is brief, and profound! It offers a detailed, engaging, and flexible approach to satipaṭṭhāna meditation that can be easily applied both in meditation and in day-to-day activities. The inspired practice suggestions and joyful enquiry that pervade each chapter will draw students, gradually but surely, towards deep liberating insight. Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation: A Practice Guide is destined to become an invaluable resource for meditators! – Shaila Catherine, author of Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity Once more Bhikkhu Anālayo has written a masterpiece that holds within it an accessible and clear guide to developing and applying the teachings held within the Satipaṭṭhāna-sutta. Within this book Anālayo explores the subtle nuances of developing mindfulness and how that dedicated cultivation leads to the awakening pointed to in the discourse. -
Summer 2006 / 2548 Setting up a Monastery for Nuns in Victoria
Volume 14 No. 10 Summer 2006 / 2548 Setting up a monastery for nuns in Victoria The interest among some members of the BSV in supporting a nuns’ community here in Melbourne resulted in setting up a working group at the end of last year. A meeting of this working group was called in January. But before we could even have the first meeting of this group, we had very good news from our president of the BSV (Cora Thomas) regarding a bhikkhuni with full ordination who has accepted Coras’s invitation to take residency here in Melbourne. Ayya Sucinta is of German origin and has completed 16 rains. Ajahn Brahmavamso has given his approval for us to go ahead with our plans. We expect her to be here in Melbourne in January 2007. More information about her will appear in the news letter in the near future. The working group (see report below) has now been invited to become a Society sub-committee and will be set up as such by the next meeting. At the meeting held in January 2006 we looked at the importance of educating the group and then the wider community of the rules and regulations of the order, respect for bhikkunis in Ayya Sucinta the same manner as for a bhikkhu to be promoted, the suitability of places for residency in order to meet some of the requirements specified by her and most importantly our policy in supporting and encouraging other women to join the community who are in or new to ordination. The importance of our serving the bhikkuni and accepting any gift of teaching from her was accepted unanimously.