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Hello there text study fellows, for whatever reason I got curious on why and/or under which circumstances lying is deemed acceptable and is not opposing the precepts. My forgetful brain reminds me there must have been a discussion, where Mahayana Buddhism sided for lying being acceptable while the other branches sided it being unacceptable no matter what. Now, does anyone know which author wrote about it or at which time or circumstances this was debated? Answers to this matter I would be very much appreciated! Thanks!

Hey fellow bums i posted here several months ago a bit prematurely it seems. I was transitioning from years of asceticism and trying times to gradually reintegrating back into the world. Now the shackles that the I Ching had put on me for years as an expedient means to cultivation have come off, my austerities I was doing (diet, hygiene, letting go of desires in general) seem to be over and done with. As nice as it is to live a normal life again with new eyes and appreciation, I don’t want to rest on my laurels and believe the time is right to seek a genuine teacher who can encourage and guide me on my path. The only prerequisites I’m looking for are someone who is sympathetic to the I Ching path as well as the bodhisattva aspiration. I have little to no experience with internal arts but I think I have progressed extensively through years of non doing, refining my thoughts, attitudes, and conduct, and attempting to devote my life to service. I’d be happy to hear from anyone, teacher or not, but ultimately I hope to be pointed toward expedient and optimal practice tailored to how I am. I hope to get feedback from you guys. thank you, -Elliot 🙏🏼

As I've mentioned in another post, I've been meditating for a long time in a particular tradition and am now exploring other paths. It's a bit overwhelming to see just how many teachers and traditions there are out there, each with it's own take on spiritual development. One big distinction seems to be the (apparent?) Theravada/Mahayana divide, which I think represents a much more general categorization than is found just within Buddhism: On the one hand there is self-reliance and seemingly "down-to-Earth" practices which don't involve much cognitive dissonance for the average western-atheistic-mainstream-scientific worldview. On the other, there is reliance on blessings, transmission and lineage, and all manner of phenomena that are generally beyond the pale of the mainstream western mentality, such as psychic events and suspension of the usual behavior of the "laws" of physics. I’m curious to hear which path some of you have chosen, and why. Or perhaps some of you make use of elements from both approaches, and this works for you too? I ask to help meet my needs for learning, exploration and sharing.