Maddie

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Everything posted by Maddie

  1. What if it is for and "end" that they are cultivating for?
  2. Jesus is someone I have been trying to make sense of from a cultivation pov for a while now. He seemed to have obtained some degree of cultivation.
  3. Not a "second coming". It is said that after the teachings from a Buddha fade out of the world that another Buddha eventual comes to reintroduce the dharma again, but its a new Buddha, not the same one.
  4. That would answer the question of what to do next then. ;-)

  5. Money

    Maddie replied to Mig's topic in Daoist Discussion

    Money or the lack thereof ultimately comes down to karma. The karma of plenty is having been generous. The karma of lack is having not been generous.
  6. To one that claims to not suffer I would have one of two responses. 1. They are fully enlightened and I would like to become their student. 2. They do not fully understand suffering or dukkha, which is understandable since "suffering" is not a perfect translation of dukkha. Dukkha can mean obvious acute suffering for sure, but it also means the unsatisfactoriness of life. To one who claims to never suffer I would ask, do you ever get bored, do you ever feel lonely, do you ever feel not totally satisfied at all times in all situations?
  7. The reason to become enlightened is to end suffering. The idea that one must be doing something to be happy is grasping and grasping leads to suffering. The whole point is to end suffering.
  8. Endlessness is the characteristic of Samsara which is a characteristic of the unenlightened mind. In the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta where the Buddha becomes awakened he says it is the end there is no more rebirth he has completed the path. The Buddha definitely described his path as the end, and he described endlessness as a type of suffering and as a characteristic of being unenlightened.

  9. Sutras as a practice

    Maddie replied to Maddie's topic in Buddhist Discussion

    I've also noticed lately that as I read more Mahayana sutras that they seem to make more sense to me, are easier to understand and seem more relevant. I don't want to disrespect Pali Suttas which I have read a lot of, but this seems to be my experience, though I'm not sure why.

  10. Sutras as a practice

    Maddie posted a topic in Buddhist Discussion

    I have recently begun as a practice listening to sutras being read on youtube. I have a lot of experience with meditation, mantras, and even reading sutras to learn them, but listing to them deliberately as a practice is new to me. I have found that I feel very fidgety while listening and I also feel like it is digging up old stuff to be dealt with. What I would like to know is if anyone is familiar with or has experience with this type of practice and could possibly offer any insight into the practice and its effects.
  11. Which text did you read that gave you that impression?
  12. I'm not a fully enlightened Buddha for one LOL.

  13. Martial Arts From Home

    Maddie replied to Orgasmic19's topic in General Discussion

    Oh? What's the other forum?

  14. Sutras as a practice

    Maddie replied to Maddie's topic in Buddhist Discussion

    That's fascinating, I've never heard that before!
  15. If he didn't answer your question how can I?
  16. When the Buddha was asked if there was a self he didn't answer, and if asked if there wasn't a self he didn't answer.

  17. Martial Arts From Home

    Maddie replied to Orgasmic19's topic in General Discussion

    I was curious if from a spiritual perspective if anyone feels they've made progress with martial arts and if so how so?

  18. Sutras as a practice

    Maddie replied to Maddie's topic in Buddhist Discussion

    It's weird but it seems as I experiment reading various sutras if I pay attention I can feel them having different effects.

  19. Om Mani Padme Hum and it's profound benefits

    Maddie replied to Vajra Fist's topic in Buddhist Discussion

    I ask because I don't notice anything as obviously noticable either.
  20. I think there is a misunderstanding in Buddhism where they think that the Buddhist teachings on no self or no soul Buddha didn't think there was any kind of self or soul at all. But if you read what he says about the five Skandas he's just saying that those five Skandas are not self, not that there is not a self or a soul. There were other sutras were people explicitly asked the Buddha if there was no self and he said that he never said that.
  21. It's interesting that you say that because I feel that the majority of the western Theravada monks equate the mind and the spirit as being synonymous or think that there's nothing beyond the mind.

  22. Om Mani Padme Hum and it's profound benefits

    Maddie replied to Vajra Fist's topic in Buddhist Discussion

    I'd be curious to hear what your experiences with nembutsu is as well. I'm assuming from the spelling you do the Japanese version?
  23. This is a topic that I find very interesting as I have primarily been learning from Western Theravada monks. I guess as far as doctrine goes they're very orthodox and seem to teach that the only path is the Buddhist path and specifically the path that he laid out in the early Buddhist texts, which they seem to interpret either implicitly or explicitly as mind only the physical body has really no benefit at all. If one were to ask them if any spiritual benefit could come through practices involving the physical body I think they would emphatically deny that was even possible. So therefore I find the notion that spiritual cultivation might be possible through the physical body fascinating though not exactly sure how possible.

  24. Teacher - Student Karmic Impact

    Maddie replied to XianGong's topic in General Discussion

    The discussion about thoughts, feelings, and karma I feel leads to a discussion of the five Skandas, form, feelings, perceptions, volitions, and consciousness. 1. Form or the body. 2. Feelings. Feelings are one aspect of the mind. Feelings in this context are the input that comes through the senses and a distinction of if it's pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. 3. Perceptions. A recognition based on past association and experience. 4. Volitions or thoughts. This is where the will and judgments as well as thoughts are made. This is also where karma is both made and operates. 5. Consciousness. The awareness that the rest of the Skandas are functioning. Thoughts, and feelings, and karma are all parts of the mind.

  25. Teacher - Student Karmic Impact

    Maddie replied to XianGong's topic in General Discussion

    (that i can choose infinite actions, but my only "compass" is feelings.) Yes very strongly agree.