How would you answer the above?
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Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by Astus » Fri Dec 23, 2011 4:19 pm
Happiness means the lack of suffering. It is not the common happiness of worldly people that is filled with desire and attachment, but the peaceful contentment of liberated beings.
"While teachers of the middle way, mind only, transcendent wisdom, mantra, and other schools may have their own assertions, the fulfillment of those intentions is the same. There is not a single thing that is not contained within mind."
(Gampopa to Düsum Khyenpa, in "The First Karmapa", KTD Pub, p 254)
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(Gampopa to Düsum Khyenpa, in "The First Karmapa", KTD Pub, p 254)
Mahayana Links
The European Buddhist Blog
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by sinweiy » Sat Dec 24, 2011 10:22 am
yea, ordinally happiness when ended, suffering occur there after.
Know that suffering is real, and happiness is false. As suffering don't become happiness, but happiness can become suffering.
Example, when eating good food. Eating your favourite food is happiness. But, if you were to continue to eat bowl after bowl of the same food, it becomes a suffering. This is how happiness become suffering. happiness if continue become suffering. But suffering if continue does not become happiness.
Example, when hungry, i am experiencing suffering. If one continue to stay hungry for 7 days, one will experience more suffering, not happiness. So suffering is real, and happiness is false.
Now neither suffering nor happiness is a good experience/realm. But one cannot sustain this state as time waits for no man.
Example when we are born, we are already walking towards the deathbed. Who can stop moving? Nobody.
But it's said that in Western Pureland, a Nirvanic Bliss(Ulitmate happiness), there's no all above three forms of sufferings.
In this samsaric world there's duality. Suffering and joy is dualistic view for one side or the other. If Ulitmate happiness has no suffering, then happiness is also gone. As it's on the same side with suffering. One gone, the other is gone too. It's when both suffering and joy is ended that bring forth the Ulitmate Reality of Nirvana (aka 極樂, Ulitmate Bliss). Thus called True bliss/joy. If there's joy, then joy is suffering and False. Ulitmate Joy is indeed inconcievable! Inconcievable mean cannot be said, nor cannot be think nor cannot be percieve.
Samsara is dimension of matter/karma controlling, you can't have your own wish or doing, hence suffering. Nirvana is a state/dimension of Mind/will/vow controlling, hence no suffering. There's this Utimate reality Buddha discovered.
Know that suffering is real, and happiness is false. As suffering don't become happiness, but happiness can become suffering.
Example, when eating good food. Eating your favourite food is happiness. But, if you were to continue to eat bowl after bowl of the same food, it becomes a suffering. This is how happiness become suffering. happiness if continue become suffering. But suffering if continue does not become happiness.
Example, when hungry, i am experiencing suffering. If one continue to stay hungry for 7 days, one will experience more suffering, not happiness. So suffering is real, and happiness is false.
Now neither suffering nor happiness is a good experience/realm. But one cannot sustain this state as time waits for no man.
Example when we are born, we are already walking towards the deathbed. Who can stop moving? Nobody.
But it's said that in Western Pureland, a Nirvanic Bliss(Ulitmate happiness), there's no all above three forms of sufferings.
In this samsaric world there's duality. Suffering and joy is dualistic view for one side or the other. If Ulitmate happiness has no suffering, then happiness is also gone. As it's on the same side with suffering. One gone, the other is gone too. It's when both suffering and joy is ended that bring forth the Ulitmate Reality of Nirvana (aka 極樂, Ulitmate Bliss). Thus called True bliss/joy. If there's joy, then joy is suffering and False. Ulitmate Joy is indeed inconcievable! Inconcievable mean cannot be said, nor cannot be think nor cannot be percieve.
Samsara is dimension of matter/karma controlling, you can't have your own wish or doing, hence suffering. Nirvana is a state/dimension of Mind/will/vow controlling, hence no suffering. There's this Utimate reality Buddha discovered.
_/\_
Amituofo!
"Enlightenment is to turn around and see MY own mistake, Other's mistake is also my mistake. Others are right even if they are wrong. i'm wrong even if i'm right. " - Master Chin Kung
Amituofo!
"Enlightenment is to turn around and see MY own mistake, Other's mistake is also my mistake. Others are right even if they are wrong. i'm wrong even if i'm right. " - Master Chin Kung
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sinweiy - Posts: 223
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by LastLegend » Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:11 am
plwk wrote:If the Pure Land only has happiness and if one has never suffered, how can one feel the happiness?
How would you answer the above?
If one has never experienced suffering, then one has never experienced happiness also. This one must be enlightened then.
NAMO AMITABHA
NAM MO A DI DA PHAT (VIETNAMESE)
NAMO AMITUOFO (CHINESE)
NAM MO A DI DA PHAT (VIETNAMESE)
NAMO AMITUOFO (CHINESE)
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by Mr. G » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:45 pm
LastLegend wrote:plwk wrote:If the Pure Land only has happiness and if one has never suffered, how can one feel the happiness?
How would you answer the above?
If one has never experienced suffering, then one has never experienced happiness also. This one must be enlightened then.
- How foolish you are,
grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
- Vasubandhu
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by Zenshin 善心 » Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:56 pm
show me one who has never suffered...
All beings since their first aspiration till the attainment of Buddhahood are sheltered under the guardianship of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who, responding to the requirements of the occasion, transform themselves and assume the actual forms of personality.
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
Thus for the sake of all beings Buddhas and Bodhisattvas become sometimes their parents, sometimes their wives and children, sometimes their kinsmen, sometimes their servants, sometimes their friends, sometimes their enemies, sometimes reveal themselves as devas or in some other forms.
- Ashvaghosa, The Awakening of Faith
oroka
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Zenshin 善心 - Posts: 86
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Re: Happiness, suffering and the Pure Land
by PadmaVonSamba » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:27 am
plwk wrote:If the Pure Land only has happiness and if one has never suffered, how can one feel the happiness?
Go ask someone who has never suffered.
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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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