Search found 2374 matches
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:23 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
In the Bodhisattva precepts there is a precept which says that the Mahayana sutras are a teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni, if you express a contrary opinion you are breaking this precept. Why should this precept exist? The White Lotus sutra describes a schism in the Sangha that took place during the Bu...
- Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:57 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
I have said before that there are no academic proofs for this claim or view, but there are spiritual proofs, and these are not accepted by the academic world view. I.e. the Five eyes and the Six supernormal powers, these have been accepted as a basis of knowledge in the Dharma for 2500 years. Next ...
- Sun Jan 24, 2021 12:43 pm
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
... All largely irrelevant to the question of whether there was a bodhisattvayana preceding Gautama. That’s four times I’ve asked and you haven’t responded, so I’ll assume you don’t have any evidence for this. We do know, and it’s very well documented, that there were sramana movements before, duri...
- Sat Jan 23, 2021 10:05 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
You opined: I have the impression that the Bodhisattvayana is older than the time of Siddhartha Gautama, i.e. it existed in India already at time of his propagation of the doctrine. And I asked: Would be interested to hear who asserts this, and on what textual / archeological / other basis. You fur...
- Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:40 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
There are many strands of knowledge in the world... Sure, but still: would be interested to hear who asserts this, and on what textual / archeological / other basis. Or is it your theory? Also the examples you offer also talk about some sort of eternal soul, which is definitely not the Bodhisattvay...
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:10 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
I have the impression that the Bodhisattvayana is older than the time of Siddhartha Gautama, i.e. it existed in India already at time of his propagation of the doctrine. It was called Bodhisattva-gana or something like that, it was not called Sangha. Gautama joined the Bodhisattva-order at some poi...
- Thu Jan 21, 2021 9:32 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
Preservation of an old motif in a scripture or object of art can not, of course, be used to demonstrate the antiquity of said scripture. This should be obvious. I have the impression that the Bodhisattvayana is older than the time of Siddhartha Gautama, i.e. it existed in India already at time of h...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 10:03 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
- Replies: 40
- Views: 919
Re: Books on Early Mahayana Development, History and Sutras
I have the impression that the Bodhisattvayana is older than the time of Siddhartha Gautama, i.e. it existed in India already at time of his propagation of the doctrine. It was called Bodhisattva-gana or something like that, it was not called Sangha. Gautama joined the Bodhisattva-order at some poin...
- Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:44 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Faith Restored, stories of kindness to animals
- Replies: 10
- Views: 418
Re: Faith Restored, stories of kindness to animals
Slightly more than ten years ago I lived in an old wooden house, that had sawdust as insulation within its walls. The outer planks were rotten in places, squirrels and other animals had invaded the walls of the house and had built their nests there. So I have had contact with squirrel youngsters on ...
- Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:53 am
- Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
- Topic: Why are Mahayana sutras in Sanskrit?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 5277
Re: Why are Mahayana sutras in Sanskrit?
It really doesn't matter much, as there are eight or nine Indian commentaries on the longer version of the Heart sutra. Indian Commentaries on the Heart Sutra from Tibetan and Chinese language Sources, English Title, Peking Tripitaka 1. Vast Explanation of the Noble Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom...
- Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:22 am
- Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
- Topic: Why are Mahayana sutras in Sanskrit?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 5277
Re: Why are Mahayana sutras in Sanskrit?
Buddha didn't forbid the conversion of people from the brahmin caste into his teaching and community, and there were brahmins in the Sangha already at the time of Buddha Gautama. This is mentioned somewhere in the pali suttas. Some scholars have argued that after the Parinirvana there was a signific...
- Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:29 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: On the Origin of Indian Logic from the Viewpoint of the Pāli Canon
- Replies: 3
- Views: 150
Re: On the Origin of Indian Logic from the Viewpoint of the Pāli Canon
There is an important work in this field that knows a lot more about the early Buddhist, Jain, Ajivaka and other schools of logic in India: " Kulatissa Nanda Jayatilleke (1 November 1920 – 23 July 1970) was an internationally recognised authority on Buddhist philosophy whose book Early Buddhist Theo...
- Wed Jan 13, 2021 10:11 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Wildlife crossings
- Replies: 2
- Views: 87
- Wed Jan 13, 2021 9:27 am
- Forum: Lounge
- Topic: Wildlife crossings
- Replies: 2
- Views: 87
Wildlife crossings
May everything that breathes, all living creatures, be free from suffering and its causes!
- Mon Jan 11, 2021 11:21 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Resources Request: Development of Buddhism at Nalanda (5th-7th century)
- Replies: 2
- Views: 161
Re: Resources Request: Development of Buddhism at Nalanda (5th-7th century)
Atleast you can find information about the chinese monk Xuanzang who visited Nalanda in India. Xuanzang [ɕɥɛ̌n.tsâŋ] (Chinese: 玄奘; fl. 602 – 664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (陈祎), was a Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who traveled to India in the seventh century and described t...
- Sun Jan 10, 2021 5:11 pm
- Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
- Topic: Difference between Covetousness and Greed
- Replies: 5
- Views: 186
Re: Difference between Covetousness and Greed
I don't think there is such difference mentioned in the Abhidharma. Lobha is usually translated as greed or covetousness, and there are several other quite similar words like chanda, raga, tanha or trishna, pema or prema, samudaya and samyojana. Which is which is open to usage and definition.
- Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:49 pm
- Forum: Discovering Mahayana Buddhism
- Topic: Ahetukavinasavada Non-Causal Destruction
- Replies: 3
- Views: 134
Re: Ahetukavinasavada Non-Causal Destruction
AbhidharmaKoshaBhashyam, p. 553: 1. That which depends on a cause is an effect, something "done", "created". Destruction is a negation: how can a negation "be done" or "created"? Therefore destruction does not depend on a cause. 2. Destruction does not depend on a cause: hence a conditioned thing pe...
- Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:38 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Academic Sources on Development of Vajrayana
- Replies: 7
- Views: 339
Re: Academic Sources on Development of Vajrayana
Encyclopedia of Tantra, 5 volumes
by Sadhu Santideva

It is not very much buddhist, but it is interesting, and relevant to the question of history.
by Sadhu Santideva

It is not very much buddhist, but it is interesting, and relevant to the question of history.
- Wed Jan 06, 2021 12:51 pm
- Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
- Topic: Three kayas
- Replies: 18
- Views: 681
Re: Three kayas
The best explanation is that there is no perceiver-independent object anywhere in the world. And thus, if you are on the level of the Deva-realms, you will perceive a heavenly, shining and brilliant body of the Buddha. Apply this principle to the bodhisattva bhumis, and you will get the Sambhoghakay...
- Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:11 am
- Forum: Academic Discussion
- Topic: Early Buddhism sources, scholars, Buddhologists, experts, books, etc
- Replies: 7
- Views: 330
Re: Early Buddhism sources, scholars, Buddhologists, experts, books, etc
I recommend studying the oral traditions that still exist on this planet. Buddhism was for centuries an oral tradition not written down in books. That is the earliest phase of it. You could learn the oral traditions that there still are, it has a very different flavour to it. Once you have written ...