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by PadmaVonSamba
Wed Mar 06, 2024 2:07 pm
Forum: Sūtra Studies
Topic: The Modern Western Theravada bias
Replies: 273
Views: 17842

Re: The Modern Western Theravada bias

What do they say nibbana is? It is total extinction of consiousness! But if you stop your consciousness with your own consciousness, then it is like extinguishing a fire with fire; If you do not need your consciousness to stop your consciousness, then you have nothing to stop; If you need someone e...
by PadmaVonSamba
Tue Mar 05, 2024 11:54 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Vajrayana in the spectrum
Replies: 41
Views: 2971

Re: Vajrayana in the spectrum

The prevalent disease model views things through a lens of deficit, partially based on social expectations that can be pretty arbitrary. That’s why I go by whether a condition involving cognitive functioning actually dis-ables a person (makes them unable) and my criteria for that is being able to a...
by PadmaVonSamba
Tue Mar 05, 2024 1:49 pm
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?
Replies: 68
Views: 2969

Re: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?

And it was an identity trip for all the green anarchists I hung out with. Almost as much of an identity trip as vegans today. Must be difficult being the only one "keeping it real" in a landscape littered with posers. :roll: Not difficult at all. I was one of them too! What got accomplish...
by PadmaVonSamba
Tue Mar 05, 2024 1:41 pm
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?
Replies: 68
Views: 2969

Re: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?

Go read some anarchist authors, this is so far off the mark of what anarchism is historically, it's basically the (incorrect) pop culture definition of it. I read Bakunin 50 years ago. Does that count? The most productive thing that most anarchists accomplish is that they manage to call themselves ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Tue Mar 05, 2024 12:00 am
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?
Replies: 68
Views: 2969

Re: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?

If you are trying to set up a societal system, that sort of defeats the purpose of anarchism. Mostly it’s an identity trip. Buddhism is bad for identity trips. Go read some anarchist authors, this is so far off the mark of what anarchism is historically, it's basically the (incorrect) pop culture d...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:56 pm
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?
Replies: 68
Views: 2969

Re: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?

If you are trying to set up a societal system, that sort of defeats the purpose of anarchism. Mostly it’s an identity trip. You could not be any more wrong, even if you tried. Well tell that to the OP who says : Basically, it combines anarchism, which believes in complete freedom and lack of govern...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 7:27 pm
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?
Replies: 68
Views: 2969

Re: Buddhism Green Anarchism: Opinions?

I'm not entirely sure if this is an actual political/socioeconomic/philosophical beliefs, but it is an option I have become interested in recently. Basically, it combines anarchism, which believes in complete freedom and lack of government and police and leadership, everyone having their own freedo...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 6:23 pm
Forum: Discovering Mahayana Buddhism
Topic: Recommended teachers who are genuinely awake?
Replies: 9
Views: 833

Re: Recommended teachers who are genuinely awake?

Are there any teachers or authors who are genuinely “awake” that this forum would recommend? I think you could get recommendations for some very good teachers via private message. Buddhists tend to avoid making outright claims publicly about their own teachers. I have had teachers who I would say (...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:48 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Inherent Existence? (continued)
Replies: 42
Views: 3653

Re: Inherent Existence? (continued)

The mind is not an empirical phenomena and can't be observed. You're demanding an examination of the mind that cannot be done. Would you agree that meditation is an empirical (based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic) activity? Would you ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:49 am
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Vajrayana in the spectrum
Replies: 41
Views: 2971

Re: Vajrayana in the spectrum

One of the main therapies for ASD is very controversial because it basically involves training kids to “not act autistic”, the argument is that this often has more to do with social expectations than with the welfare of the patient. That’s Behavioral Intervention therapy, which I will defend (based...
by PadmaVonSamba
Mon Mar 04, 2024 11:28 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: A geometric analogy for understanding emptiness. Is it valid?
Replies: 11
Views: 435

Re: A geometric analogy for understanding emptiness. Is it valid?

I agree with all my heart that all arising phenomena lack any intrinsic reality, but II cannot exclude the possibility that some of them may point to intrinsic reality, some more than others as for the human condition, thus have some value. well of course arising phenomena, as illusory as it is, be...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:31 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Vajrayana in the spectrum
Replies: 41
Views: 2971

Re: Vajrayana in the spectrum

It is very interesting, because people on the spectrum have different neuronal "wiring", so i suspect subtle channels are plainly different. “Spectrum” is kind of a misnomer. Every person has unique wiring. We are all on the spectrum of brain activity. But most of us do not have autism. B...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:17 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: A geometric analogy for understanding emptiness. Is it valid?
Replies: 11
Views: 435

Re: A geometric analogy for understanding emptiness. Is it valid?

workbalance wrote: Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:51 pm has this extension to infinite dimensions caught the attention of buddhist philosophers?
Interesting as it is, this has nothing g to do with the Buddhist term “emptiness” (sunyata) which refers to the fact that all arising phenomena (including geometrics) lack any intrinsic reality.
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 03, 2024 8:01 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Silly but persistent pop-culture myths about Buddhism.
Replies: 26
Views: 972

Re: Silly but persistent pop-culture myths about Buddhism.

Was the original from the conversation with Vacchagotta, maybe? There are a few suttas regarding Vacchagotta where the Buddha explains to Ananda that Vacchagotta is “bewildered” and that answering either yes or no to various questions of existence will only confuse him further. https://www.accessto...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:43 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5966

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

Lastly, I think that generally in the West Sangha members are old. if a Dharma center is located in a city with a university or college, there may be a larger percentage of young people. The age is due mainly has to do with Buddhism not being the ‘native religion’ in the west. Temples supported by ...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:23 pm
Forum: Tibetan Buddhism
Topic: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching
Replies: 126
Views: 5966

Re: Stagnant sanghas, teachers not teaching

I'd be curious to hear people's thoughts. I’m surprised that in one city there are two dharma centers with this problem, unless perhaps it is a very large city anyway, in which case I would think there are other Dharma centers to go to instead. Issues to consider: 1. Westerners’ expectations of lam...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sat Mar 02, 2024 11:37 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Politics in dharma center - article
Replies: 202
Views: 8133

Re: Politics in dharma center - article

But if your position is that the sangha is already a political entity, then either there’s nothing more that a sangha needs to do, or, a sangha needs some self-inspection to see specifically how it exists politically. I call that “sanghas focusing on getting more political”. So, for you, recognisin...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sat Mar 02, 2024 4:06 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Politics in dharma center - article
Replies: 202
Views: 8133

Re: Politics in dharma center - article

And if that’s the case, then instead of Buddhist sanghas needing to focus on becoming more political... Who said this? Not me! Yeah, ummm. I was actually referring back to the main topic, the article which states: It appeared to me then, as it does now, that unless we bring into full recognition ou...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sat Mar 02, 2024 2:38 pm
Forum: Dharma in Everyday Life
Topic: Politics in dharma center - article
Replies: 202
Views: 8133

Re: Politics in dharma center - article

I have a question for the debaters here: what do you make of Dalai Lama's words that he is Marxist? And his arguments? (although I am sure this has been discussed on the forum previously) https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/tys6cw/dalai_lama_as_far_as_socioeconomic_theory_is/ https://www.new...
by PadmaVonSamba
Sat Mar 02, 2024 1:44 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: How to respond to theistic/deistic arguments from a Madhyamaka point of view?
Replies: 24
Views: 1291

Re: How to respond to theistic/deistic arguments from a Madhyamaka point of view?

Since god-theory is based on circular reasoning, debating with a theist is pointless.

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