What is your Buddhism and how does it fit?

[Scarlett Wampus]

There are beliefs, important rites of passge, underlying ways of thinking and doing, presecribed lifestyles, particular forms of clothing, etc. - all associated with Buddhism. What, to you, distinguishes what is central to Buddhism from what is non-essential?

How do you see your way in relation to Buddhism as a whole?

 

[koan]

Knowing the mind and associated, mindfulness and awareness. Everything else is an add on, to me.

 

[zenzero]

Friend SC,

What is your Buddhism and how does it fit?

Correct, WHAT IS BUDDHISM?
can anyone tell?

Personally have no idea except that *buddha* comes from the Sanskrit root ‘budh’, meaning to awaken. So, if someone is doing anything to awaken the *self* is following buddhism?

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love & rgds

 

[Ozzie]

There are beliefs, important rites of passge, underlying ways of thinking and doing, presecribed lifestyles, particular forms of clothing, etc. - all associated with Buddhism. What, to you, distinguishes what is central to Buddhism from what is non-essential?

Good Sila is essential to Buddhism. The 10 precepts here prescribe behaviours to refrain from. 9 and 10 are for monks I believe, so not essential?

1. Refrain from killing living things.
2. Refrain from stealing.
3. Refrain from un-chastity (sensuality, sexuality, lust).
4. Refrain from lying.
5. Refrain from taking intoxicants.
6. Refrain from taking food at inappropriate times (after noon).
7. Refrain from singing, dancing, playing music or attending entertainment programs (performances).
8. Refrain from wearing perfume, cosmetics and garland (decorative accessories).
9. Refrain from sitting on high chairs and sleeping on luxurious, soft beds.
10. Refrain from accepting money.

How do you see your way in relation to Buddhism as a whole?

Well my morality is questionable according to the 10 precepts. I manage 1, 2, 8 and 9 easily. The rest are harder in life to manage for me (4 is only hard because I have a Government job). However, I do manage to keep them during retreats.

So my way in relation to Buddhism as a whole at the moment is to have an attitude that I identify as Buddhic, or a posture I have adopted towards the world that is Buddhist in spirit, not that you would have any discernible way to identify me as a Buddhist if you met me.

 

[katiafish]

Be aware.

What else is there?

 

[Master Vigil]

Buddha, no Buddha. Mind, no Mind.

If that doesn't make sense... Zenzero explained my scenario quite well.

 

[Ywet War]

The main Buddhist Canons are Tipitaka, written in Pali. Some of the religious researchers said that Tipitaka is the biggest book in the world. If someone knows Pali language very well and he can give 8 hours a day to read that book, it will take him nearly 3 years to complete reading.

From a such big book we can get only 3 messages of Buddha. They are…

• keeping away from all evil deeds,
• cultivation of life by doing good deeds and
• purification of mind from mental impurities.

We believe that…
Keeping away from all evil deeds can protect us from various kinds of undesirable suffering(Dukkha Dukkha).
Cultivation of life by doing good deeds can provide us various kinds of material wealth.
Purification of mind from mental impurities by means of Samatha can provide us various kinds heavenly wealth.
Purification of mind from mental impurities by means of Vipassana can provide us Nirvana (liberation from all kinds of suffering)

 

[zenzero]

Friend YetWar,

You mention *dukkha*; now can you explain what it is and how it affects one?

Personally *dukkha* and *sukkha* are just dualities and the buddha's middle path is all about finding that balance between the two poles. AND for that the only way is by doing *nothing*, not even *thinking*.

Love & rgds

 

[Ywet War]

Good Sila is essential to Buddhism. The 10 precepts here prescribe behaviours to refrain from. 9 and 10 are for monks I believe, so not essential?

1. Refrain from killing living things.
2. Refrain from stealing.
3. Refrain from un-chastity (sensuality, sexuality, lust).
4. Refrain from lying.
5. Refrain from taking intoxicants.
6. Refrain from taking food at inappropriate times (after noon).
7. Refrain from singing, dancing, playing music or attending entertainment programs (performances).
8. Refrain from wearing perfume, cosmetics and garland (decorative accessories).
9. Refrain from sitting on high chairs and sleeping on luxurious, soft beds.
10. Refrain from accepting money.

Hello Ozzie

The 10 precepts, u written are the training rules for Buddhist novice monks.

As for us (Buddhist lay men) there is no need to obey all of these 10 precepts. First 5 precepts are enough.

As for Bhikkus ( Buddhist monks ) 10 is not enough. There are 227 training rules in Buddha's law.

best wishes
yw.

 

[YmirGF]

How do you see your way in relation to Buddhism as a whole?

I see Nothing as essential; everything is window dressing.

 

[zenzero]

Friend YmirGF/ 'all,

I see Nothing as essential; everything is window dressing.

exactly!

Love & rgds

 

[Ywet War]

Friend YetWar,

You mention *dukkha*; now can you explain what it is and how it affects one?

Personally *dukkha* and *sukkha* are just dualities and the buddha's middle path is all about finding that balance between the two poles. AND for that the only way is by doing *nothing*, not even *thinking*.

Love & rgds

Friend Zenzero,

In our daily life we say that

Rich life is Sukkha and poor life is Dukkha.
Healthy life is Sukkha and diseased life is Dukkha.
Living with ones, whom we love is Sukkha and parting from ones, whom we love is Dukkha.
….
….
….
Sukkha itself is Sukkha, and Dukkha itself is Dukkha.

Of course they are dualities.
But how can we find the balance between them?

I think you misunderstand Buddha’s middle path.

White itself is white, and black itself is black.
Buddha didn’t find the balance between every pair of dualities.
Trying to make balance all pairs of dualities is impossible, and it is not way of living.
Buddha’s middle path is way of living.

Right understanding is the origin of Buddha’s middle path.

Actually there is no Sukkha in Buddhist four noble truths.
Dukkhas, I described are Dukkha, because they are ordinary suffering.
Sukkhas, I described are also Dukkha because they are produced by change and conditioned states.

Our wealth can be destroyed at any time by various enemies (such as fire, water, government, thieves and bad children, ...)
Our Health can be destroyed at any time by various sickness. (such as flu, ..)
Because of various reason sometimes we need to live very far away from the people, we love.

That is why, we (Theravada Buddhists) understand that there is no Sukkha in the world, and liberation from all kinds of suffering is the best.

best wishes

yw.

 

[Ywet War]

the only way is by doing *nothing*, not even *thinking*.

Right action is very important in Buddha’s middle path.

Right understanding is the origin of Buddha’s middle path.
To get right understanding we need to study, we need to think, and we need to make some practices.



doing *nothing*, not even *thinking* is not walking along Buddha’s middle path.

It is just one of the extremes path.

yw.

 

[zenzero]

Friend YwetWar,

Thank you for your response.
It is understood what the words sukkha and dukkha means but the idea was to bring out the fact that one should not be attached to either and that is the right understanding or the middle path.

That is why, we (Theravada Buddhists) understand that there is no Sukkha in the world, and liberation from all kinds of suffering is the best.

Exactly!. However that understanding can be reached without being attached with buddhism besides one has to finally *kill the buddha* even if he comes on the WAY.
Love & rgds

 

[zenzero]

Friend YW,

Right action is very important in Buddha’s middle path.

Right understanding is the origin of Buddha’s middle path.
To get right understanding we need to study, we need to think, and we need to make some practices.



doing *nothing*, not even *thinking* is not walking along Buddha’s middle path.

It is just one of the extremes path.

yw.

Yes it is ZEN.
Zen is the merging of Tao and buddhism.
Roots of what was mentioned are in buddhism.

Gautama after spending years with different *so called masters* became just a skeleton after having tried every trick in the book even fasting for days etc. when he reached under the tree and was fed by a girl. Then he slept peacefully for the first time during his entire years of search.
He realised that there is no need to torture our bodies no need to overeat, be in the middle and he mediated till all thoughts left his mind and the mind was totally still.

Besides my friend YW, everything works on its own accord we do nothing, we are just mediums to carry out the work of existence and to be that medium we do nothing not even *thinking* and to reach that state one has to kill any buddha or thought that might cling to the mind.

Love & rgds

 

[nameless]

perform everything consciously.

 

[katiafish]

Friend YwetWar,

Thank you for your response.
It is understood what the words sukkha and dukkha means but the idea was to bring out the fact that one should not be attached to either and that is the right understanding or the middle path.



Exactly!. However that understanding can be reached without being attached with buddhism besides one has to finally *kill the buddha* even if he comes on the WAY.
Love & rgds

I second that.

"To be attached to any doctrine, even the Buddhist one, is to betray the Buddha" Buddha

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

Differences in doctrine are endless but do the three marks of existence unite Buddhists?

There is impermanence (& no independent arising), suffering/pain and emptiness/illusion - Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. There is also liberation from the cycle of vainly grasping at things as if the three marks of existence were not universal. If there wasn't also liberation there could be no Buddhism.

 

[Ywet War]

I suppose….
Buddha as a great teacher, who taught middle path and noble truth, and
Tipitaka as an interesting book, that I need to study.

I sometimes pay homage to Buddha as my late Teacher.
I don’t ask from him anything.
I don’t expect anything for paying homage.
Simply!!! I just honour the person who is worthy of Honour.

If someone says that by worshiping or paying homage to him every body can get salvation, I will never pay homage to him.
Because I believe that (only) I myself is responsible for my own salvation and that I should not depend on the others.

I never say that Buddha is mine, and Tipitaka is my book.
I don’t have any attachment to them.


Having attachment is the straight opposite way of Buddha’s middle path.

 

[Ywet War]

Friend YwetWar,
Exactly!. However that understanding can be reached without being attached with buddhism besides one has to finally *kill the buddha* even if he comes on the WAY.
Love & rgds

You said that, we don't need to study Buddha's teaching to get the right understanding.
(If i misunderstand forgive me and explain again.)

As for me, I want to say "to get the absolute [FONT=&quot]liberation from all kinds of suffering[/FONT] is to take the middle path". Without Buddha's teaching nobody can get right understanding. But I cannot prove that, because i still need to study much.