Mahayana

[Amita]

A sample of the first two chapters of Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's Treatise on the Bodhisattva Vow, with Chinese on facing pages:

http://kalavinka.org/book_excerpts/V-Bcitta_excerpts/VBcitta_X-21_Chapters.pdf

Endnotes are not in this sample, you need the book.  However if anyone has a specific query about a note, let me know.

Edited October 9, 2018 by Amita

[Podo]

On 10/8/2018 at 7:32 AM, Amita said:

Yes, Santideva's classic Path of Bodhisattvas is a gem

I'm reading the Dalai Lama's commentary on this right now, as a matter of fact. I am not a Buddhist, but I have nothing but respect for Buddhism.

[Amita]

A couple of my favorite verses from chapter one (Padmakara version):

Quote

5.

Just as on a dark night black with clouds,

The sudden lightning glares and all is clearly shown,

Likewise rarely, through the Buddhas’ power,

Virtuous thoughts rise, brief and transient, in the world.

6.

Virtue, thus, is weak; and always

Evil is of great and overwhelming strength.

Except for perfect bodhichitta,

What other virtue is there that can lay it low.

 

[Amita]

Quote

May every living being,
Our minds as one and radiant with light,
Share the fruits of peace,
With hearts of goodness, luminous and bright.

If people hear and see,
How hands and hearts can find in giving, unity,
May their minds awake,
To Great Compassion, wisdom and to joy.

May kindness find reward,
May all who sorrow leave their grief and pain;
May this boundless light,
Break the darkness of their endless night.

Because our hearts are one
This world of pain turns into Paradise
May all become compassionate and wise,
May all become compassionate and wise.

Traditional Buddhist aspiration for Harmony & Unity, translated from the Chinese by American Bhikshus Heng Sure and Heng Lyu.

And here are the verses put into a song with video:

https://www.drbu.edu/blog/dedication-merit

Edited October 16, 2018 by Amita

[Amita]

Here is a chart giving the many stages of the path to buddhahood, from ordinary human, to human bodhisattva, to finally a human buddha:

https://www.wholesomevision.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-Two-Paths-English.pdf

[StarMountainKid]

In my poor and humble experience, moments of insight happen by themselves unexpected and uncalled for. I'm wondering if following complicated instructions lead to the same result.

[Amita]

1 hour ago, StarMountainKid said:

In my poor and humble experience, moments of insight happen by themselves unexpected and uncalled for. I'm wondering if following complicated instructions lead to the same result.

If you have any confidence in causality or karma, then even those 'moments of insight' have conditions & causes from past states of mind - past lifetimes even.

The chart looks complex only because it compresses eons of work into it.  

Many simple versions exist such as replacing anger with compassion - craving with non-attachment & delusions with wisdom.  Even simpler still is reducing our anger, craving & delusory thinking.

[jmccr8]

15 minutes ago, Amita said:

If you have any confidence in causality or karma, then even those 'moments of insight' have conditions & causes from past states of mind - past lifetimes even.

The chart looks complex only because it compresses eons of work into it.  

Many simple versions exist such as replacing anger with compassion - craving with non-attachment & delusions with wisdom.  Even simpler still is reducing our anger, craving & delusory thinking.

Hi Amita 

I see little difference between replacing or reducing in this instance because they are both about attitude modification.

I m not a religious thinking type of individual so please keep in mind that I am not speaking against you. Based on the many posts of yours that I have read you have invested yourself into a belief system. For you what is the end and how would you apply it to others that do not share your views? Why does there need to be past and future lives? What criteria can it satisfy?

I always find it interesting to know what motivates a person to attach themselves to and idea of afterlife or re-incarnation, is it fear of nothingness? If it is I find it ironic because isn't meditation to seek nothingness?

jmccr8 

[Marcus Aurelius]

On 10/8/2018 at 11:21 AM, Piney said:

You really need to stay away from those Quakers. They are way too open minded. 

Quakers represent the highest forms of Protestant spiritual practice and contemplation, things that have essentially been shunned in that tradition. Because of this, I find the contributions of the Quakers to be absolutely vital in the Christian religion.

[Piney]

7 hours ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

Quakers represent the highest forms of Protestant spiritual practice and contemplation, things that have essentially been shunned in that tradition. Because of this, I find the contributions of the Quakers to be absolutely vital in the Christian religion.

The "Henry Cadbury"  Quakers are extinct in my Quarter. Now it's just a group of "convinced" who never bother to read any of the early writings. The "message" that was the "straw" in my home Meeting was a "Overseer?" professing his Catholic guilt. Because of that, and other forms of hyprocrisy I haven't attended in 2 years.

At least there is still someone who "gets the message". 

[Amita]

13 hours ago, Marcus Aurelius said:

Quakers represent the highest forms of Protestant spiritual practice and contemplation, things that have essentially been shunned in that tradition. Because of this, I find the contributions of the Quakers to be absolutely vital in the Christian religion.

Not being deeply into Xtianity, I wonder if the noble William Law's teachings are still being 'shunned'?

[Amita]

Many Mahayana cultivators make use of mantras.  Often considered the most powerful one is this Shurangama mantra, in Sanskrit.  One can follow along line by line or just listen - it runs a little less than 20 minutes.  There is also a Chinese version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3tEEgf_Ruc

Edited October 23, 2018 by Amita

[StarMountainKid]

The above reminds me, I used to listen to this mantra several years ago.

 

[Amita]

3 minutes ago, StarMountainKid said:

The above reminds me, I used to listen to this mantra several years ago.

Of course that Hindu Shiva mantra is not Buddhist nor Mahayana.

[StarMountainKid]

2 minutes ago, Amita said:

Of course that Hindu Shiva mantra is not Buddhist nor Mahayana.

Yes, I know, but I think all reverence is alike in spirit. Is the true spirit we may discover within ourselves unique to a particular religious path?

[Amita]

1 minute ago, StarMountainKid said:

Yes, I know, but I think all reverence is alike in spirit. Is the true spirit we may discover within ourselves unique to a particular religious path?

Big questions!  1) All people do not revere for the same reason & with the same motivation, so that is why we have many pathways.  2) Since every person is unique is some way or ways, yet also shares common characteristics of temperament, intellect, ethics etc. the 'true spirit' discovered is unique to that individual, yet is harmonious with those of similar temperament etc.

A shorter way of saying it is that there are countless buddhas who have 90% identical samyak-sambodhi insights, but each buddha adds something extra.

[Amita]

The conditions needed for a being to become a buddha are many and take many lifetimes.  Here are ten categories of those most needed, as listed by the Mahasattva Samantabhadra Bodhisattva in chapter 37 of the Avatamsaka Sutra.

Quote

Ten Past Things Contributing to a Tathāgata’s Appearance

Then Samantabhadra Bodhisattva told Wondrous Virtues Arising from Tathāgata Nature Bodhisattva and the other Bodhisattvas in the assembly, “Buddha-Sons, this matter is inconceivable because a Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyak-Saṁbuddha, appears in the world through countless dharmas. Why? Because a Tathāgata’s appearance is not accomplished through one condition or one thing, but through ten kinds of countless things in the past. What are these ten? They are (1) activation of the immeasurable bodhi mind to draw in all sentient beings; (2) immeasurably pure and excellent aspirations; (3) immeasurable rescue and protection of all sentient beings with great lovingkindness and compassion; (4) countless continuing action vows; (5) insatiable accumulation of merit and wisdom; (6) immeasurable offerings to Buddhas and teachings to sentient beings; (7) pure paths of immeasurable wisdom and skillful means; (8) stores of immeasurable virtuous works; (9) immeasurable majestic wisdom-knowledge; (10) immeasurable understanding of the meanings of the Dharma. Buddha-Sons, upon completion of such countless Dharma Doors, a Bodhisattva becomes a Tathāgata.

 

[quiXilver]

While Buddhism is born from and known for being Hindu, stripped for export.

[StarMountainKid]

2 hours ago, quiXilver said:

While Buddhism is born from and known for being Hindu, stripped for export.

Sounds like Alan Watts. I'm  wondering why Buddhism traveled to China, Japan and other  far Eastern countries, while Hinduism I think mainly stayed in India, or at least did not travel as much.

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

On 23/10/2018 at 12:40 AM, Amita said:

Not being deeply into Xtianity, I wonder if the noble William Law's teachings are still being 'shunned'?

Is there a particular reason you’re consistently removing Christ from Christianity?

[Amita]

5 hours ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

Is there a particular reason you’re consistently removing Christ from Christianity?

Not sure what you mean.  If you are talking about the abbreviation Xtianity, it is only that.  

Quote

Just "replacing Christ with the abbreviation Xt (from Ancient Greek Χ (Ch), the first letter of Χριστός (Christós, "Christ") + t, the last letter of "Christ")

 

[Amita]

What is a Buddha?  Chapter 37 of the Avatamsaka Sutra gives some detail about a buddha's body, voice, mind, actions etc.  Here is a sample:

Quote

Buddha-Sons, the sun rises in Jambudvīpa and benefits all sentient beings in countless ways, such as dispelling darkness, removing coldness and wetness, nurturing trees and grass, ripening grains and crops, lighting the open sky, opening flowers, enabling travelers to see their way, and inhabitants to do their work. Why? Because the sun emits immeasurable radiance.

Buddha-Sons, likewise a Tathāgata, a wisdom sun, appears in the world and benefits all sentient beings in countless ways, such as ending their evil to produce good, changing their stupidity into wisdom, rescuing and protecting them with great lovingkindness, delivering them with great compassion, expanding their capacities, strengths, and aspirations for bodhi. He enables them to elicit profound belief and discard the muddled mind, to see and hear [the Dharma] without destroying causes and conditions, to acquire the god-eye to see the places of their births and deaths, to acquire the hindrance-free mind without damaging their roots of goodness, to develop wisdom and open the flower of enlightenment, and to activate the bodhi mind to complete all Bodhisattva actions. Why? Because a Tathāgata’s body is a vast wisdom sun, which emits immeasurable radiance to illuminate all. Buddha-Sons, this is the third characteristic of a Tathāgata’s body. In this way a Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva should see His body. 

 

Here is the entire chapter as translated by Rulu:  http://www.sutrasmantras.info/sutra43a.html

Edited October 25, 2018 by Amita

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

3 hours ago, Amita said:

Not sure what you mean.  If you are talking about the abbreviation Xtianity, it is only that.  

 

Speaking as a Christian, I’ve always found it a bit rude, akin to calling the Buddha “the Bud” as a shorthand. 

[Amita]

25 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

Speaking as a Christian, I’ve always found it a bit rude, akin to calling the Buddha “the Bud” as a shorthand. 

Sorry for being only 'a bit rude', but being a loving, charitable, long suffering Xtian I hope you will forgive me. 

This may be apocryphal - perhaps it was Buddha who said:  "Sticks & stones may break bones, but names will never hurt one." 

 

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

11 minutes ago, Amita said:

Sorry for being only 'a bit rude', but being a loving, charitable, long suffering Xtian I hope you will forgive me. 

This may be apocryphal - perhaps it was Buddha who said:  "Sticks & stones may break bones, but names will never hurt one." 

 

He’d never had a dictionary thrown at him, obviously

speaking as a teacher though - names do hurt, so your somewhat facetious comment doesn’t wash. They do have power, they do kill. Politeness costs nothing, being a Buddhist I hope you will consider that.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Sir Wearer of Hats