gatito

No need, just the relevant references is ample. I have my own copy that I prefer to any translation. Thank you.

Just noted a possible glitch on the permissions in my PPF as I hid a post but now it's disappeared completely, so that I can't unhide it (even if I wanted to unhide it - which I don't - at the moment anyway... ) In my previous PPF I had the ability to unhide posts (and to delete posts/threads completely). Is it indeed a glitch or has the setup now changed?

As I said previously: not at the moment dwai. At present I'm just asking for any specific scriptual references that might back up your beliefs because all the Hindu scriptures with which I'm familiar run contrary to your assertions.

Thanks dwai That's interesting because it's contrary to my own direct experience and begs a number of questions that I may explore further with you (if you've the time to indulge me). In the interim do you have any specific scriptural references to which I could refer.

It's a lovely story dwai. Thanks for sharing.

Following on from 3bobs request here, I thought that a thread-split was appropriate to discuss the translation of mantras. I'll start the ball rolling by offering two, neither if which I'll translate because the point that I'd like to make is that they don't translate and that I only started to understand the workings of mantras properly after I started to learn sanskrit (which is an ongoing project of life-long learning). So the two mantras that I'll offer to support my point are ॐ (Auṃ or Oṃ) and the gāyatrī mantra. There's some further reading here for ॐ and here for the gāyatrī. After a decent interval, I'll come back and disagree with Wikipedia and offer my own view (if someone indicates any serious interest). In the interim, I'll let the incomparable gāyatrī speak for itself (although these versions may not appeal to any traditionalists ): -

Thanks for the input dwai. I'm glad that you've found the time to be active in the new forum. Correct pronunciation and metre are of course vital and indeed these are obviously completely absent in translation. Regarding the concept of transmission: who do you believe transmits whatever you assert gets transmitted. Do you believe that the transmission is from a jīva or controlled in any way by a jīva? Perhaps the subject for a separate thread if you'd like to start one? Edit to add: - I've taken the liberty of starting the thread here to save you the trouble. Looking forward to your further input.

I've noticed that a substantial proportion of the posts here are by people who don't seem to understand the source texts from which they derive their quotes. Anyone here read/write/speak Tibetan or Pali? Anyone here interested in learning/teaching Tibetan or Pali?

... very unlikely...

Thanks. Could you change the G to a g please?

Ah yes... PMs... I intended to update my Friends List thread to deal with this issue but I've had it on the back burner incubating for a long time and I guess that it's probably nicely cooked now. However, I think that , I'll deal with it in my new PPF instead, which I'll request in the appropriate place when I get around to it (unless someone with admin permissions happens to spot this post and sets one up for me first). Incidentally, in the interim, I'll mention that it's unwise to take anything personally...

The Body Strike The Body Strike means to approach the enemy through a gap in his guard. The spirit is to strike him with your body. Turn your face a little aside and strike the enemy's breast with your left shoulder thrust out. Approach with the spirit of bouncing the enemy away, striking as strongly as possible in time with your breathing. If you achieve this method of closing with the enemy, you will be able to knock him ten or twenty feet away. It is possible to strike the enemy until he is dead. Train well. The Water Book Go Rin No Sho Musashi Miyamoto Trans: Victor Harris

3bob and dwai Thanks for your replies. I'll pick up 3bob's question on mantras later and I'll be grateful if any fellow sanskritists take the time to correct me if I make any errors.

It's not MoPai or Buddhism that's the problem, it's those individuals who don't have access to an authentic teacher* and who are instead searching for answers to their problems on the internet (as opposed to in-real-life) that are the issue. This applies across the board and to "Taoists" as well (e.g. <without naming names > The Idiot Taoist) As I continue to say, appropriate moderation (of those individuals) is the key. * authentic teacher - being another key and an entire thread in its own right (because there's only One )

Quoted for truth and emphasis! Just noticed that you'd double posted as well. I love synchronicity.

QFT&E

Why not start it yourself ilumairen? You could then moderate it using Owner Permissions in order to stop it from turning into the same Pseudobuddhist shambles as this one.

I'd be most grateful if you'd be kind enough to create a Hindu Textual Studies sub-forum in the Hindu Discussion area. Thank you in anticipation.

Firstly, I've addressed these issues several times including most recently here. See here also. However, off the cuff: - I'm not surprised that getting volunteers is difficult. The first step would be to persuade (in alphabetical order) Brian, Chang and soaring crane to get back on board to increase the moderator group to 5. Only 3 need to be active but all of them should be permanent members of the moderator group, so that we (the rest of TTBs) don't know who are the active ones. I'd suggest no more than a 12-week active tour for any individual mod. From now on, moderators should use only this Mod Squad profile to post moderation messages and I suggest that they mainly use standard cut-and-paste messages, so that it's more difficult to target via posting style. This also decreases the possibility of inappropriate personal involvement. If someone is personally involved in a thread (e.g. has started it or has posted in it, etc...) then, if the Mod Squad needs to get involved, the 3-mod quorum needs to be made up by off-duty mods. Hopefully, the first step is usually a polite cut-and-paste Mod Squad message inviting an edit and if this isn't possible, hide the post for discussion by the active Mod Squad and send a standard cut and past message to the member whose post was hidden. Then recruit more members (particularly women) until you have at least a dozen mods who rotate in order to avoid burnout and to avoid "targeting". Don't stop there though. Ideally the whole forum should end up in the moderator group and self-police, although that won't happen in practice, as there will be many people who won't be interested in joining that group or who are unsuitable. However, that doesn't mean to say that they're not on an equal footing with individual members of the moderator group (see the Founding Principles, the Valve Handbook and the Structure & Dynamics of Organisations and Groups). Then just moderate in line with the Founding Principles, the Valve Handbook, The Structure & Dynamics of Organisations and Groups and the rules. Encourage everyone to use the report button (including the moderator group). Most importantly, as admin, let the three active mods get on with the job without interference or just do all the moderation by yourself... I might add to or subtract from this after I've thought about it properly and/or in response to any constructive feedback from anyone to me via PM. ********** END OF THREAD UNLESS IT GETS BACK ON-TOPIC... **********

Ah... yes... Simple_Jack... I recall that I drew your attention to that particular problem several times, starting at the beginning of your tenure... However, as I said, better late than never.

Could you move it and pin it please - unless anyone has any objections? I think that it's in keeping with the stated egalitatarian Founding Principles that eveyone should have equal standing in recommending texts that they consider to be useful. As an aside, on the matter of the excellent Founding Principles, could I suggest that they're placed somewhere that everyone can access them? At the moment, you have to be a logged-in member to see them. Regarding your kind offer, I'll not be going through the remaining threads in the main area with the intention of suggesting any others but if I happen to stumble across any, I'm happy to suggest them here (as can anyone else). In fact, what I had in mind was to start afresh with some sanskrit texts in the new section, however, the universe came up with something that's different and, I think, better. The new section is now well seeded, with the exception of the only thread that I think deserves to be pinned. I'm content now to let it grow and to watch events unfold as they will...

Well said! Wisdom is in deed wisdom. It's of vital importance to find someone competent not only to teach these things but also someone who is ready, willing and able to pick up the pieces if the student fucks-it-up. In my book that means regular contact on a personal (in-real-life) basis. It should be obvious that this person (from whom you choose to learn) should have cast-iron integrity, so make sure that you conduct a thorough background check... Furthermore, if you try to learn from a book, how are you going to find competent help if it goes badly wrong? Therefore, find competent help before there's any possibility of it going awry (i.e. before you start messing around with things that you don't really understand).

Found it: - http://thedaobums.com/topic/23120-book-recommendations/

There was a great thread that was a suggested reading list with contributions from a wide variety of members (and former members) that that I've just returned to this thread to add to the list because I thought that it should not only be moved but that it deserved pinning. I was looking through it earlier but I can't locate it now and I'm wondering if I hid it by mistake?