Giving Up Masturbation

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Könchok Thrinley
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Re: Giving Up Masturbation

Post by Könchok Thrinley »

Heimdall wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:23 pm If instead of changing ourselves to the Dharma, we demand the Dharma to change to ourselves, don't you fear that you may not be practicing Dharma to begin with?
I forgot that Buddha's definitive teachings were the ones masturbation.

“Observing samaya involves to remain inseparable from the union of wisdom and compassion at all times, to sustain mindfulness, and to put into practice the guru’s instructions”. Garchen Rinpoche

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For those who do non-virtuous actions,
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Matt J
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Re: Giving Up Masturbation

Post by Matt J »

I'd say it was the other way around. One should not confuse cultural norms with dharmic principles. Further, one should not confuse the words with the meanings or the precepts with the principles. At least the way I see it, an open, compassionate mind simply has no room for bigotry or misogyny. These things just tend to fall away, like the childhood belief in Santa Claus.

Heimdall wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 7:30 pm I'll give an example with Hinduism:

Savitri Devi was a French Born, Greek, Hindu practitioner during World War II who preached that Hinduism was the truth, but more specifically, the "Jewish influence on the West" was a product of Kali Yuga and that Hitler was literally Vishnu incarnate meant to kill the "Jewish menace".

Was she a legitimate practitioner of Hinduism?

If you concede that religious moral norms are subject to the changes based on a cultural whim, how can you criticize Savitri Devi's interpretation of Hinduism as an invalid one?
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Virgo
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Re: Giving Up Masturbation

Post by Virgo »

Johnny Dangerous wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:02 pm

Comparing a neutral view of masturbation to a belief of Jews being responsible for the worlds ills is beyond hyperbolic, c’mon.

Magnifying minor sexual misconduct issues (at most) into “The Dharma” as a whole is also just plain ignorant, the amount written on masturbation Dharma wise s dwarfed by so many other subjects, including simply basic ethics as regards interaction with others.
At this point I think Heimdall is talking about sexual orientation, not masturbation, if I am not mistaken.

Virgo
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: Giving Up Masturbation

Post by Johnny Dangerous »

Virgo wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:57 pm
Johnny Dangerous wrote: Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:02 pm

Comparing a neutral view of masturbation to a belief of Jews being responsible for the worlds ills is beyond hyperbolic, c’mon.

Magnifying minor sexual misconduct issues (at most) into “The Dharma” as a whole is also just plain ignorant, the amount written on masturbation Dharma wise s dwarfed by so many other subjects, including simply basic ethics as regards interaction with others.
At this point I think Heimdall is talking about sexual orientation, not masturbation, if I am not mistaken.

Virgo
The same would still hold true I think. The volumes on ethics outside of sexual orientation dwarf the mentions of it. People who willingly choose to focus on such a small part of the teachings to the exclusion of larger themes in prominent teachings are distorting the teachings by virtue of what they choose to pay attention to, and what they don't. Part of Buddhist study is not only learning to identify what are provisional and what are definitive teachings, but what is important, what is less so, and what is just dross.

The Mahayana Canon is huge and according to some even includes stuff like the Bloodpool Sutra...if people cannot discern the difference between that and say, the Heart or Lotus sutra...what can you say? Simply saying "someone somewhere once said this was Buddhavacana" is not always a convincing argument in a religion where ostensibly we are asked to test the teachings like a man tests gold.
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Hazel
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Re: Giving Up Masturbation

Post by Hazel »


Removed some off topic talk about oysters.


:focus:


[Mod note 2024: Topic locked because it's very old now.]
Happy Pride month to my queer dharma siblings!

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