Dharma Wheel

One thing strikes me: the alaya vijnana is not so different from the casual body in Vedanta (karana sarira). According to Samkhya philosophy, the entire world is made up of prakriti, up to and including the various functions of consciousness (manas, buddhi, etc.). The mind was made out of subtle mat...

The point is, once the "seeds" manifest, they are no longer latent. They are actualizing. "Levels" of consciousness is a strange idea to me. Consciousness is formless, so how can it have levels? Of course you can "see" the seeds, they are what manifests via manas into mano vijnana, vijnana and citta...

I think I'm clear on what alaya vijnana is, experientially, and I find I have come across the exact question. From the point of view of direct experience, I come to the same problem. An unconscious mind can only exist as an inference. If so, then why would we presume many instead of one? Maybe every...

Thank you for giving me the chance to stretch my mind muscles. First, let me practice some Nagarjuna: If there is a reality independent of the senses, is it the same as or different from the senses? If they are completely the same, then reality is the senses, and there is no independent reality. If ...

I believe it is called nihilism, an extreme clearly rejected by both Buddhism and Zen. I'm completely OK if people want to see Zen as something that is ungraspable, something that has no ethical anchor points....it's just not Zen, and it might be best if this kind of view was called something other ...

I completely disagree. Asking questions is key to the Buddhist path. In fact, investigation is the second factor of enlightenment. The trouble is asking the right questions, questions that in my mind are rooted in our experience. I realise that I should not ask questions but simply ask who is the th...

I think you're confusing the Buddhist concept of karma with the Hindu concept of dharma. Also, judgment is very coarse. You're missing out on feeling (vedana) and also on intention, depending on which path you're following. If you intend to harm a person, and take steps to do so, and then "relax" to...

I feel fortunate to live in a day and a time where I've been able to choose Buddhist teachings. I was attracted to Buddhist teaching because it was sensible, required no faith, and provided an established set of transformative practices. My frustration with other spiritual teachings was that they pr...

John Daido Loori says that when one completes their koan practice, one returns to shikantaza. On the other hand, I've also heard from Korean and Chinese practitioners, that one may practice a koan their entire life. Anapanasati can be an entire path in itself--- see the Anapanasati Sutta, for exampl...

Personally, I would not define "dukkha" as positive pain. The first Noble Truth means that nothing is satisfying. If sex were truly satisfying, then we'd only need to have it once. The same goes for the other things you have listed. I've read that winning the lottery gives a temporary, short term sp...

The very basis of Buddhist practice is practice. Without practice, Buddhist study simply becomes an intellectual exercise, a way to rearrange the inner map. It is easy to practice such a "book dharma"--- but unfortunately, practice is difficult and often painful. Our habits are deeply ingrained even...

That's a fine recipe for nihilism.

oushi wrote: Actually, it's the other way around. You realise you are not in control of you mental states, and not responsible for them. Without guilt, there are no expectations, and no suffering.

The legendary Xu Yun believed they were compatible.

http://hsuyun.budismo.net/en/dharma/two ... rses1.html

I would say it depends on what type of meditation you practice. I've practiced in both Theravada and the Zen tradition. In Theravada, my thoughts would eventually quiet, but only during intensive retreats. In zazen, my thoughts arise and fall depending on my state of mind. Others traditions may have...

Depends. I've been in Rinzai-type places that face the altar. I've been in Soto-type places that face the wall. We have an alter in our home. We are Soto Zen. It has an image of the Buddha, incense burner/bowl, flowers (artificial), a candle, and an offering (we usually put a packet of tea or a fres...

If you go back to old sutta Buddhism, the Buddha teaches that everything is impermanent, lacks a self, and is not satisfying. In my mind, while these seem to be three things, they are actually related. Because things lack a permanent self, they are impermanent. Because they are impermanent, they are...

Just a thought, but perhaps it might be clearer to go through the dharma turnings in order.

I've found a thorough grounding in sutta-based Buddhism has helped me immensely in understanding Mahayana practice.

Astus, I have no disagreement, I was wondering what your "position" was. A lot of people I've been around these days have been into awareness, which is the opposite of what my Buddhist teachers, past and present, have taught. The important disclaimer is that these are primarily Theravada and Zen tea...

One can always find an excuse to NOT do something. Why not just try it and see what happens? I've read about the vipassana technique taught by Goenka. It's a body scan technique, as you know. Do you think that calmly observing bodily sensations can really lead to a change in a person's psychological...

What do you make of Foyan's statement:

People nowadays take the immediate mirroring awareness to be the ultimate principle. This is why Xuansha said to people, 'Tell me, does it still exist in remote uninhabited places deep in the mountains?'