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by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 6:09 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: What did Indian Buddhists call themselves?
Replies: 11
Views: 515

Re: What did Indian Buddhists call themselves?

“भारतीय” (bharati) it means someone from India.
by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:14 pm
Forum: Pure Land
Topic: Right Mindedness at the time of Death
Replies: 2
Views: 66

Re: Right Mindedness at the time of Death

t is difficult for me, personally, not to worry about this Since worrying about it won’t help, I would stop worrying about it. Amitabha is the one who made the vow, so let him worry about it. As my teacher says, “沒問題” Mei wen ti … no problem. If either theory is correct, then there’s nothing you ca...
by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 1:55 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"
Replies: 43
Views: 1191

Re: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"

it is an "intelligent space" that manifests "objects" out of itself! really? Please name one. Please name one object that isn’t simply a gathering of smaller and smaller objects all the way down to the space between atoms. Then tell me, is the appearance of objects due to someth...
by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 12:49 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Is it Beneficial to Use Dharma Names in Daily Life?
Replies: 2
Views: 271

Re: Is it Beneficial to Use Dharma Names in Daily Life?

Considering the positive imprints left by Dharma names, would it be beneficial to also use Dharma names in daily life for objects or places, in addition to pets, to create a more mindful environment? Originally, the Buddha gave Dharma names because in the Himalayas and in India, your family name of...
by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:04 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Coating the inside of a statue / stupa prior to filling it?
Replies: 3
Views: 268

Re: Coating the inside of a statue / stupa prior to filling it?

Well, as I wasn't able to get any advice, I took my chances and winged it :smile: I'll share the deets here for the benefit of anyone else who comes along with the same question. First I bought 4 grams of quality saffron and ran it (carefully) through a coffee/spice grinder until it was a fine powd...
by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 27, 2024 3:52 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"
Replies: 43
Views: 1191

Re: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"

I wonder, can great traditions really view ultimate reality in fundamentally different ways? Does that make any sense? Actually, no, it doesn’t, although I completely understand the question. It doesn’t make sense because “ultimate reality” is an abstract concept. To make the point that various bel...
by PadmaVonSamba
Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:33 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"
Replies: 43
Views: 1191

Re: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"

Ophidian Rainbow wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2024 7:17 pm What would your take on this be?
1. In this context, “space” means no edge, no center. Basically like the known universe, containing every thing.

2. The veil of Ignorance is paper thin. In other words, it doesn’t take much to obscure the true nature.
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 10:30 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Inherent Existence? (continued)
Replies: 42
Views: 3653

Re: Inherent Existence? (continued)

wpwoodjr wrote: Sun Mar 24, 2024 9:12 pm I'm asking if you agree that meditation is an empirical activity, that is, an activity which is based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic?
Would you regard building a campfire
as an empirical activity?

If so, then why?
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:03 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?
Replies: 37
Views: 1111

Re: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?

Jacobcz wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:57 pm As I said at the beginning, it was just a fun idea to try, rather than a serious research question.
Well I definitely like the idea of fun, and I don’t want you to be disappointed. I hope you get a lot of replies.
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:00 pm
Forum: Meditation
Topic: Counting breaths while meditation
Replies: 18
Views: 1801

Re: Counting breaths while meditation

I sometimes find it very useful to meditate on the word distraction .
‘Dis’ while inhaling, ‘traction’ while exhaling .
For some reason, this reduces actual distractions.
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:52 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"
Replies: 43
Views: 1191

Re: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"

I'm afraid OP will need to keep looking for some teaching to fit their ideas into. Buddhadharma will not be the stamp of approval. The OP might be more comfortable with Vedantaism. It’s more aligned with the view that everything is part of one great consciousness, which is common to many different ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:41 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?
Replies: 37
Views: 1111

Re: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?

But when it comes to spiritualism, I do not understand why it is such a controversial idea that there are also differences between practitioners. The logic is the same - some are more passionate about it, some less. Some people have more time, some less. Suddenly it becomes a taboo to notice differ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:47 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?
Replies: 37
Views: 1111

Re: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?

Jacobcz wrote: Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:01 pm I fully agree with that statement, but even then, one is still able to compare oneself with others I think.
Comparing oneself with others automatically defines what kind of mango you are.
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 25, 2024 12:48 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?
Replies: 37
Views: 1111

Re: POLL: What type of mango-practitioner are you (as per "Letter to a friend" verse 20)?

There’s a problem, that if a practitioner is truly ripe, modesty will preclude their acknowledging it. It’s sort of like with parenting: the best parents will never feel that they have done enough to help their children. Similarly with astronomers. The most knowledgeable astronomer realizes that com...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 24, 2024 8:48 pm
Forum: Discovering Mahayana Buddhism
Topic: Form and emptiness
Replies: 3
Views: 277

Re: Form and emptiness

"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form." Does Mahayana/Madhyamaka say all phenomena are empty *and* have form? Or are there exceptions, non-empty or form-less phenomena? Neither. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. There isn’t any “have” involved. Puffy clouds are like this.
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 24, 2024 6:42 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"
Replies: 43
Views: 1191

Re: Emptiness as "insignificance" and as "spatial vacuity"

My point in the A,B,C above is that, for example, a tree grows not because of its roots, or the soil, or the sun, or the earth, solar system , galaxy, ... , but because of the intelligent space in which it is embedded, together with all its formal "causes" that I tried to enumerate. What ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 24, 2024 6:30 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: How to be consistent? How to just do it??
Replies: 3
Views: 131

Re: How to be consistent? How to just do it??

I know Zen Buddhism has the power to be life changing. The words in Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind (great book) hit me at my core. I know this path can open the door to acceptance in my day to day life. However my main issue is lack of discipline. I love reading “about” Zen Buddhism, but making the time...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 24, 2024 2:01 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics
Replies: 20
Views: 581

Re: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics

Thirdly, it is not as though if I rescue a kitten from a tree that something good will happen to me. That’s not what karma is. Then we both have different understanding of karma. Good or bad acts are karma. Based on the supposed karmic result, we distinguish what is a good or bad act. For example k...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 24, 2024 4:31 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics
Replies: 20
Views: 581

Re: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics

I would argue that being an arsehole to the people you are around because of self-grasping is far worse in terms of karma than being duped by a smooth-talking politician into voting for them. Imagine voting for Adolf Hitler or Vladimir Putin. So I would agree with you at normal times, when there ar...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sat Mar 23, 2024 6:46 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics
Replies: 20
Views: 581

Re: Act- and Rule-Consequentialism: The Mahayana Debate About Ethics

So voting for such politicians is worse than having a bad conduct, likewise studying politics (so one can vote for the objectively least bad politician/good politician) is more important than studying how to make our behavior better. Again, this is confusing karma with good acts, good vibes, socisl...

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