householder buddha?

[kevdogg]

Boy oh boy.... i have read me some Buddha and i cant really find any thing favorable toward the householders plight other than how difficult it is to be one. Were there any successful householder Bodhisattvas or anything like that? Is there any chance for us? or wait till the next time round....ooofff

[Johnny Dangerous]

Boy oh boy.... i have read me some Buddha and i cant really find any thing favorable toward the householders plight other than how difficult it is to be one. Were there any successful householder Bodhisattvas or anything like that? Is there any chance for us? or wait till the next time round....ooofff

Less so in Theraveda I think..but there are plenty of lay teachers and traditions out there that are seen as legitimate for sure.

I like what Bhante Dhammika says about it on his page:

http://www.buddhisma2z.com/content.php?id=179

[kevdogg]

i dig it man!! thanx friend!

[plwk]

Anathapindika & Vimalakirti

[Konchog1]

Boy oh boy.... i have read me some Buddha and i cant really find any thing favorable toward the householders plight other than how difficult it is to be one. Were there any successful householder Bodhisattvas or anything like that? Is there any chance for us? or wait till the next time round....ooofff

Theravada states that only monks can attain Enlightenment. However, the Pali Canon mentions Enlightened laypeople. Mahayana states anyone can attain Enlightenment. This point is made explicitly clear in the Lotus Sutra wherein a young Naga girl attains Enlightenment (that is a nonhuman female child) thus showing that there are no limits.

[Indrajala]

Theravada states that only monks can attain Enlightenment. However, the Pali Canon mentions Enlightened laypeople. Mahayana states anyone can attain Enlightenment. This point is made explicitly clear in the Lotus Sutra wherein a young Naga girl attains Enlightenment (that is a nonhuman female child) thus showing that there are no limits.

Some Chinese writers suggest this as well -- you need to renounce before you attain the fourth fruit of arhatship. Stream-entry and so on are possible as a layperson, but arhatship requires renunciation.

I believe that really just means you need to give up desire entirely, which is what the arhat does. A layperson might still store food, keep money and have sex, whereas the fourth fruit of arhatship requires that it all be abandoned, which is what formal renunciation is ideally supposed to entail.

[ToddR]

House holder yogi, the great Marpa ( http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Marpa). He was the teacher of Milarepa.

[Jikan]

I'd start with Vimalakirti, as plwk has suggested.

[kevdogg]

Wow i have never been so happy. There are so many knowlegeable people in this forum it blows my wig back! Marpa!!! Vimalkriti sutra!!! This is so fantastic and amazing! thanx guys. I feel so confident now! Nothing but respect for the sangha!!! Thank you!!! WOot!!!!