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  1. dyanaprajna2011

    Anatta

    You can't quote the Nirvana sutra as the be-all-end-all of Buddhism, and then complain about what other scriptures teach. You also can't take just one scripture without understanding how it fits in with the rest of Buddhist philosophy. If it's what you believe, great; just know that it's not...
  2. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    Apocalyptic, yeah. I'm not sure if I believe the three dharma ages to be real or metaphorical.
  3. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    It's about the dharma ending age; Ven. Hsuan Hua talked about it.
  4. dyanaprajna2011

    Anatta

    "Monks, where there is a self, would there be (the thought), 'belonging to my self'?" "Yes, lord." "Or, monks, where there is what belongs to self, would there be (the thought), 'my self'?" "Yes, lord." "Monks, where a self or what belongs to self are not pinned down as a truth or reality...
  5. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    I'll agree that everyone views the teachings of Buddhism based on where they are on the path, even if it differs from others. I'll also admit that the teachings and scriptures are just fingers pointing at the moon. But I can't figure how, if all we regard as the Buddha's teaching is just our...
  6. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    It won't let me frubal you yet. But interesting thought. I think the reason for that is that anatta has to be experienced, and no matter how much we talk about it, words simply won't suffice to explain it.
  7. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    Good point. We have to remember the middle way, and avoid the extremes of either/or. The Diamond sutra does a good job at explaining these points too. :)
  8. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    I'll try to answer your questions, but understand that there are many aspects of Buddhism that human language and knowledge can't convey, some things simply have to be experienced. The realization of anatta, if I'm not mistaken, would be one of the last realizations before nirvana. Both can...
  9. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    Remember, bodhisattvas are beings who have yet to attain the final goal, as such, they still have a "being" to talk about. They have yet to experience final release. They put off such to remain in samsara, the relative realm of being, in order to save others. The sattva in bodhisattva is not...
  10. dyanaprajna2011

    Cessation of Suffering and Rebirth...Why?

    This thread started in the Buddhism DIR. In Buddhism, the word dukkha has been translated as stress, suffering, unsatisfactoriness, and a few others.
  11. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    'Being' is a conventional term, a relative term. The Buddha never denied that there is an existential existence, but only that what we perceive to be eternal and unchanging, like a soul or spirit, is not real. You quoted the Heart sutra, it makes my point clear: "form is emptiness; emptiness...
  12. dyanaprajna2011

    Christian and Islamic misconceptions about Buddhism

    Diary of a Dharma-Greenhorn: Plowing the fields of delusion, sowing the seeds of change...: Lost in Translation: Christian, Islamic and Secular misunderstandings of Buddhism clarified. I came across this blog post, and thought it was interesting enough to share. It's kind of long, and...
  13. dyanaprajna2011

    What party am I?

    That's a really good point, and I agree.
  14. dyanaprajna2011

    Anatta

    Some points to remember on anatta: 1. Anatta is "not-self", not "no-self". 2. Anatta is not eternalism or annihiliationism. 3. Anatta is tied in with the ideas of anicca and dukkha. 4. Anatta is tied in with the idea of the five aggregates. 5. Buddha-nature is not atman; it is...
  15. dyanaprajna2011

    What party am I?

    Interesting question. I want to say about half and half. Something along the lines of being able to respect the rights of collectives, without taking away from the rights of individuals.
  16. dyanaprajna2011

    Atman, Other-Emptiness, and other Buddhists

    For one thing, almost all the Mahayana Sutras say that they are the highest teaching. This, in and of itself, says to me that they are all upaya. Next, most other Buddhist scriptures and schools would disagree with the Tathagatagarbha school that each person has an eternal, independent self...
  17. dyanaprajna2011

    Religious freedom vs. freedom of conscience

    I think this is part of it. Some conservative Christians are of the opinion that since this is a Christian nation (arguing from their point of view, I know it's not), that everyone should be Christian, and think and believe and act the way they do. This is why we see such bills as in Arizona...
  18. dyanaprajna2011

    A Different Look at Fascism and its Future

    I think this is problem with any political philosophy. Socialism, if done correctly, can be a great thing, yet it's ever hardly done correctly. Capitalism has it's good points, but still it's failed at every turn. Personally, I'm beginning to take the view that politics is never going to be...
  19. dyanaprajna2011

    Religions as Value Systems

    It's hard to imagine that a religion exists that doesn't have given values/ethics. I would define religion as a set of rituals and beliefs based around the concept of a higher existence/power. So while many religions do posit value/ethics systems, these aren't necessarily inherent in the...
  20. dyanaprajna2011

    A Different Look at Fascism and its Future

    If we define it as a centrist/progressive political philosophy, then what's the issue with it?
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