Search found 411 matches

by Varis
Sun Jul 09, 2023 12:42 am
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Stoicism as skillful means
Replies: 12
Views: 4691

Re: Stoicism as skillful means

Stoicism posits the existence of a soul (pneuma), and a creator (logos). You might as well argue for teaching Hinduism to people.

CBT reduces negative emotions without the need to believe in a soul or a god.
by Varis
Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:00 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Manjushri in China
Replies: 25
Views: 1571

Re: Manjushri in China

To make things more confusing, the guy that directly caught the turtle in the Chinese myth, was Fu Xi himself. Not a third party fisherman. See below There's no singular Chinese Fu Xi myth. In some versions it's a dragon-like creature from which he derives the trigrams and not a turtle. And in the ...
by Varis
Sun Feb 05, 2023 1:37 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Manjushri in China
Replies: 25
Views: 1571

Re: Manjushri in China

Kai lord wrote: Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:03 am Fu Xi (who discovered the eight trigrams) was the first emperor of China? And he was described as a commoner?
Nowhere does it state that Fu Xi was a commoner.

It states:
a commoner living on the seashore offered a
gold-colored turtle [to the emperor].
You're misreading it completely.
by Varis
Mon Jan 23, 2023 8:39 am
Forum: Academic Discussion
Topic: Possible Daoist origins of Hatha Yoga (and the Amritasiddhi)
Replies: 38
Views: 3488

Re: Possible Daoist origins of Hatha Yoga (and the Amritasiddhi)

However, herbal rasāyana is much older than that, and depending on how old one imagines the Carakasamhita to be, certainly dates to before the common era. Mercury rasāyana is only small branch of Ayurveda. And he is focuses only on the symbolic language in the Amritasiddhi which derives from the va...
by Varis
Sun Jan 22, 2023 5:40 pm
Forum: Academic Discussion
Topic: Possible Daoist origins of Hatha Yoga (and the Amritasiddhi)
Replies: 38
Views: 3488

Possible Daoist origins of Hatha Yoga (and the Amritasiddhi)

Recently saw an interview with Dr. James Mallinson and he stated that he's (controversially) of the opinion that Hatha Yoga has origins in Daoist alchemy. He points out that the same alchemical language, symbolism, and understanding of the body found in the amritasiddhi can be found 200-300 years pr...
by Varis
Sat Jan 21, 2023 4:01 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Correct sanskrit pronunciation
Replies: 59
Views: 4325

Re: Correct sanskrit pronunciation

In any case, there is no chance kha is a valid pronunciation of Sa. I have already provided a source discussing how this is a known Vedic style of recitation. One of the oldest styles of Vedic recitation is that preserved by the Nambodiris in Kerala. They pronounce purusha as purusha. As can be see...
by Varis
Wed Jan 11, 2023 7:24 am
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen
Replies: 313
Views: 24037

Re: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen

Sounds like they are either Shaivists pretending to be Vedanists or Shaivists disguising to be Vedantists that are trying to gain legitimacy through a synthesis attempt of the two schools. IMO Advaita Vedantins are crypto-Saivas. Sankara was patronized by Saivite kings and actively sought out their...
by Varis
Fri Dec 30, 2022 4:29 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Asa HershoffS Vajrayana "Inside Scoop"
Replies: 76
Views: 7481

Re: Asa HershoffS Vajrayana "Inside Scoop"

From what I've seen, Damo Mitchell is a very legitimate Taoist cultivation teacher, and what he presents is in line with the tradition. His books are also quite good. He claims to teach in the Longmen Pai tradition yet he's never publicly named any of his teachers. The western "Daoist" sc...
by Varis
Mon Dec 26, 2022 4:11 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: How does a Buddha become a Sambhogakaya?
Replies: 20
Views: 1285

Re: How does a Buddha become a Sambhogakaya?

Nalanda wrote: Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:54 pm Thanks so where is Sakyamuni Nirmanakaya right now according to our way of explaining things?
In the form of relics.
by Varis
Sat Dec 17, 2022 8:32 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Does Phowa practice have an Indian Buddhism root?
Replies: 186
Views: 13553

Re: Does Phowa practice have an Indian Buddhism root?

When they want smarta Hindu brahmins they are invited from South India, because all the brahmins in Nepal are tantrikas who drink alcohol and eat meat. Ironic considering most smarta brahmins in South India are also tantrikas, albeit of a different stripe than those found in Nepal and North India.
by Varis
Fri Dec 16, 2022 8:40 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen
Replies: 313
Views: 24037

Re: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen

Adi Shankara wrote a lot about Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga being supportive and supplementary practices to Jnana Yoga, the primary practice which eventually leads to moksha. Sometimes he even added in some Raja yoga. No mention of kuṇḍalinī yoga, use of chakra, channels, etc, in that liberation sche...
by Varis
Thu Dec 15, 2022 7:58 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen
Replies: 313
Views: 24037

Re: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen

Thats modern day Neo Vedanta which is a hybrid consists of many practices. The original Vedanta founded or unified by Adi Shankara, spoken of three yogas for moksha, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti yoga and Karma yoga, kuṇḍalinī yoga was viewed as secondary practices at best. I'm not talking about modern Neo-Ad...
by Varis
Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:51 pm
Forum: Dzogchen
Topic: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen
Replies: 313
Views: 24037

Re: Advaita Vedanta and Dzogchen

The followers of Advaita don't practice tantra or kuṇḍalinī yoga as they believe the latter is nonsense. This isn't true. Most Advaita Vedāntins in South India are also Śrī Vidyā upāsakas. As for OP's question, we could start with the fact that traditional Advaitins believe in the caste system and ...
by Varis
Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:40 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: a poll about fifth precept
Replies: 42
Views: 2575

Re: a poll about fifth precept

Transubstantiation is the Catholic Church's doctrine about what happens to the bread and wine. It's not an explanation of how it happens. While it's correct that according to the Catholic Church it is technically impossible to actually explain how it happens, the doctrine of transubstantiation is a...
by Varis
Mon Nov 07, 2022 1:16 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: a poll about fifth precept
Replies: 42
Views: 2575

Re: a poll about fifth precept

I’m wondering though, what do the Coptics & Eastern Orthodox churches say about this, versus the romish & protestant churches…? The Orthodox/Copts agree with the Catholics on the subject of 'real presence', meaning they believe the eucharist and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ but...
by Varis
Wed Nov 02, 2022 5:02 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Will I gain Buddhist merit as a Hindu?
Replies: 104
Views: 4661

Re: Will I gain Buddhist merit as a Hindu?

Daoists will preach the unity of the three teachings and how they take refuge in Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism as their three jewels yet their texts are riddled with attacks on Buddhism. They teach that Buddhists will become ghosts forever because of too much sitting meditation. So much for uni...
by Varis
Wed Nov 02, 2022 2:33 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Will I gain Buddhist merit as a Hindu?
Replies: 104
Views: 4661

Re: Will I gain Buddhist merit as a Hindu?

Malcolm wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 7:54 pm
Injrabodi wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 2:47 am
I bring this up now, because I am a devotee of Shiva and I wonder if my worship of Shiva qualifies as worshipping all of the Buddhas.
Nope.
Unless you're Parvati, Matsyendranatha, or Gorkasanatha and Siva is your (Buddhist) guru :tongue:
by Varis
Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:10 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Is Shingon lesser because it has less tantras than Tibetan vajrayana?
Replies: 57
Views: 5768

Re: Is Shingon lesser because it has less tantras than Tibetan vajrayana?

Well, the practice of action tantra in Nyungne is still pretty effective in these degenerate times and have seen no one disputed that yet. So thats enough for every practitioner to know. No one in this thread has made the claim that kriya tantra is ineffective. It's just not as effective as HYT, in...
by Varis
Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:07 am
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Qigong / Chinese Alchemy in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism?
Replies: 82
Views: 24982

Re: Qigong / Chinese Alchemy in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism?

To be honest I'm not really sure what is meant by "Daoism" anymore, since so much of it developed in reaction to Buddhism anyway. But I'm especially not sure it's useful to talk about Daoism in connection to Hakuin, except inasmuch as he would have been familiar with the general body of C...
by Varis
Mon Aug 08, 2022 10:28 am
Forum: East Asian Buddhism
Topic: Qigong / Chinese Alchemy in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism?
Replies: 82
Views: 24982

Re: Qigong / Chinese Alchemy in East Asian Mahayana Buddhism?

In any case Hakuin portrays him not as a Daoist figure, but a combinatory one (with Daoist, Confucian, and Buddhist texts sitting on a table in his cave). This is more stereotypically Daoist than you might think. Sanjiao (三教) is a hallmark of Quanzhen Dao, the most widespread sect of Daoism today a...

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