Is there anything that everyone in the world can agree upon?
What can Buddhists agree upon?
EDIT: maybe a better question
A Buddhist discussion forum on Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism
What Can We Agree Upon?
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What Can We Agree Upon?
by edearl » Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:13 pm
Last edited by edearl on Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
HHDL: "My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
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edearl - Posts: 289
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Re: Can We Agree on Anything?
by Madeliaette » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:39 pm
hmmm... the majority of humans have a pair of feet at the bottom and a head on top....
um.... As we are not yet Buddhas, we are not yet good 'enough' to give up trying to be better....
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Re: Can We Agree on Anything?
by PadmaVonSamba » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:42 pm
edearl wrote:Is there anything that everyone in the world can agree upon?
All beings want to be free from suffering.
edearl wrote:What can Buddhists agree upon?
When beings try to find happiness in things which are temporary,
the happiness they find will likewise be temporary.
When the causes of temporary happiness are exhausted, beings return to suffering.
Since the essential nature of the mind is enlightened
and this essential nature does not arise from temporary conditions,
If you want to be perfectly free from suffering,
realize the essential nature of the mind.
.
.
.
Last edited by PadmaVonSamba on Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:47 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Profile Picture: "The Foaming Monk"
The Chinese characters are Fo (buddha) and Ming (bright). The image is of a student of Buddhism, who, imagining himself to be a monk, and not understanding the true meaning of the words takes the sound of the words literally. Likewise, People on web forums sometime seem to be foaming at the mouth. Original painting by P.Volker /used by permission.
The Chinese characters are Fo (buddha) and Ming (bright). The image is of a student of Buddhism, who, imagining himself to be a monk, and not understanding the true meaning of the words takes the sound of the words literally. Likewise, People on web forums sometime seem to be foaming at the mouth. Original painting by P.Volker /used by permission.
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Re: Can We Agree on Anything?
by gregkavarnos » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:45 pm
The first noble Truth?edearl wrote:What can Buddhists agree upon?
"Meditation is familiarisation with realisation"
Jigten Sumgon Gonchig: The Single Intent, the Sacred Dharma
"Oh great bodhisattva, you ought to understand the quintessence in this way: Whatever appears is one in its suchness. It cannot be falsified by anyone. The sovereign of unconceptualised sameness dwells in the spirit of the Dharmakaya which cannot be cognised."
The All Creating Sovereign, Mind of Perfect Purity.
Jigten Sumgon Gonchig: The Single Intent, the Sacred Dharma
"Oh great bodhisattva, you ought to understand the quintessence in this way: Whatever appears is one in its suchness. It cannot be falsified by anyone. The sovereign of unconceptualised sameness dwells in the spirit of the Dharmakaya which cannot be cognised."
The All Creating Sovereign, Mind of Perfect Purity.
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Re: Can We Agree on Anything?
by edearl » Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:34 pm
Madeliaette wrote:... the majority of humans have a pair of feet at the bottom and a head on top....
This statement appears to have two parts. 1) head and feet, and 2) up and down
However, up and down are relative to one's location on the earth, and someone in zero gravity does not experience either up or down. Thus, I infer that belief in up and down implies that everyone believes in gravity.
EDIT: I'm led to believe there are people who believe in both a Flat Earth and hollow Earth. See: http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/ and http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/hollow/morrow.htm. I'm unsure what they believe about gravity/up-and-down.
HHDL: "My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by edearl » Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:46 pm
edearl wrote:Is there anything that everyone in the world can agree upon?
What can Buddhists agree upon?
EDIT: maybe a better question. I am interested in the things that are common to Buddhism. The introduction to Buddhism that someone said I should read contains things I can understand and agree upon. See: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/intro_bud.htm. However, some of the Hindu and other religious beliefs that some people seem to say are intrinsic to Buddhism, are difficult for me to understand and believe.
HHDL: "My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
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edearl - Posts: 289
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by edearl » Sun Oct 23, 2011 8:38 pm
Food_Eatah wrote:That the Buddha is right.
Since the Buddha wrote nothing, exactly what did he teach?
HHDL: "My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
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edearl - Posts: 289
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Kyosan » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:30 pm
edearl wrote:What can Buddhists agree upon?
How about?
"There is suffering in life"
"Through Buddhism, one can extinguish or at least reduce suffering"
"The fundamental nature of all things is emptiness" (but we don't all have the same idea what emptiness means)
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Re: Can We Agree on Anything?
by Kyosan » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:36 pm
edearl wrote:Madeliaette wrote:... the majority of humans have a pair of feet at the bottom and a head on top....
This statement appears to have two parts. 1) head and feet, and 2) up and down
However, up and down are relative to one's location on the earth, and someone in zero gravity does not experience either up or down. Thus, I infer that belief in up and down implies that everyone believes in gravity.
EDIT: I'm led to believe there are people who believe in both a Flat Earth and hollow Earth. See: http://theflatearthsociety.org/cms/ and http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/hollow/morrow.htm. I'm unsure what they believe about gravity/up-and-down.
How about?
"the majority of humans have a pair of feet on one side and a head on the opposite side"
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Paul » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:49 pm
This is a very good examination of the topic: http://www.amazon.com/What-Makes-You-No ... 1590304063
"Do not block your six senses; delight in them with joy and ease.
All that you take pleasure in will strengthen the awakened state.
With such a confidence, empowered by the regal state of natural mind,
The training now is simply this: lets your six senses be at ease and free." - Princess Parani
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by David N. Snyder » Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:01 pm
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by edearl » Sun Oct 23, 2011 11:13 pm
David N. Snyder wrote:9 points unifying Theravada and Mahayana
Thanks!
HHDL: "My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims."
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edearl - Posts: 289
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Thug4lyfe » Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:03 am
edearl wrote:Food_Eatah wrote:That the Buddha is right.
Since the Buddha wrote nothing, exactly what did he teach?
Do not commit unwholesome deeds
commit all wholesome deeds
purify your mind
these are the teachings of all buddhas.
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Jikan » Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:24 pm
Food_Eatah wrote:Do not commit unwholesome deeds
commit all wholesome deeds
purify your mind
these are the teachings of all buddhas.
Well Spoken!
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Dechen Norbu » Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:45 pm
The problem comes when we start debating what is wholesome, what is not and what is in fact a purified mind...
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Re: What Can We Agree Upon?
by Thug4lyfe » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:15 pm
Dechen Norbu wrote:The problem comes when we start debating what is wholesome, what is not and what is in fact a purified mind...
2500 years ago we have the same problem in India, where there are philosphers, Brahmans and sages everyone claiming whats the way to liberation.
The Buddha made it simple for everyone by perscribing the medicine called the 5 precepts. It's only complicated because people's 5 poisons are trying to make them debate away the requirement of these precepts.
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