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Below are the most recent 25 friends' journal entries.
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| Tuesday, December 29th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ gillan ]
|
11:09a |
I am having a bit of a hard time. Anymore, I feel like there is a significant part of the world's population that is, essentially, monsters walking around wearing rubber human masks. Compassion was never something I struggled with. I never had to think, "Why should I feel compassion for this person?" I just did. But anymore, I feel like it's been bled out of me. Help? Some sutras or something? I don't know. I am really stuck. What do you think and feel when you look at the cruellest, most pitiless humans? Can you help me? |
buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
4:43a |
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| Monday, December 28th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ owl_clan ]
|
3:52p |
Barbarian Nonsense
Did I ever mention how much I hate China? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091228/ap_on_re_as/as_china_britain_death_sentenceActually, China's not alone in this barbarity. Many Asian nations execute people over things that would get them a few years in prison in the US, at most. I'm talking drug trafficking, of course; I'm sorry, but I consider how we treat the helpless- and that includes prisoners who are incapacitated totally- as the supreme sign of what level of civilization we have achieved. Fuck China. They've gone from being one of the world's oldest and most brilliant civilizations to being an officially atheist toilet bowl with billions of people and corruption beyond measure in charge of their sorry excuse for a government. Their corruption makes USA corruption look like an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. But truly, is Texas any better? They just executed a man whose IQ tested in the range of mentally handicapped. Fuck Texas! I wish they would succeed from the "union", such that it is. I think of them as an embarrassment that produced the Bush family. Good thing I'm not the British Government, because I'd take better care of my citizens. I'd issue a travel advisory for all Brits telling them the truth: If you travel in these barbaric, backwards-assed Asian nations, you may be murdered by the governments there if you do something you wouldn't be murdered for here. (Some of the fools here who may want to argue with me about this execution being a "murder" can be silenced now- morally unjustifiable killing is always murder, even if a barbaric law-code says that it's an acceptable legal penalty.) And if I were the King of England, or the PM, or some important Brit with a Brit accent, I'd send the Special Air Services to the ass-smelling shantytown that this man is being held in, and have them extract him by force (there's almost no chance of them failing). And I'd tell China that I did it, after the fact, and expel their "diplomats" and cut off all relations with them over this. Yes, over one citizen of my country would I say "fuck you". That's just the resentful sort of bastard I am. I would never allow my citizens to be subjected to kangaroo courts and murder at the hands of thugs and barbarians. I'd be happy to have him sent back to England to face charges of drug trafficking in his home country, however. If the Chinese justice system was worth anything, and not a joke on the world Human Rights stage, I might be inclined to allow my citizens to be subjected to it. But what's happening here is a bigger crime, a far bigger crime than what China claims this man did. This all comes down to the foolish, backwards, vicious, and useless penalty of death, of capital punishment in general. There's no use for it anymore. It's bullying, it's vengeance, it's useless. It doesn't deter crime, as studies have revealed. I only consider it to be worthwhile in one instance, the instance of the murder of children- but some here (mostly non-parents) would disagree with me on this one. That's fine. These situations are complicated, but in the end, capital punishment as a whole reeks. China is an embarrassment to humanity, sorta like Texas, except WAY bigger, WAY more people, and WAY more executions. Bullying and barbarity and corruption and violence-for-pleasure seeking power-drunk GOONS everywhere... funny thing, this: do any of you remember when you became an adult? What marked your real mental transition from a child's worldview to an "adult" worldview? I know when mine was. I remember it. I realized one day, while watching some horrible shit on the news, that adults weren't in charge of the world. My mother couldn't explain to me why someone wouldn't come and stop the terrible things I was seeing, the crying, scared people huddling for shelter from whatever thug or tyrant was murdering them in some country a world away. When you're growing up, most people rely on the "adults", you think they have it under control, that they keep shit straight, and don't let things happen in terrible, unfair, unjust ways. They punish you for being unfair and a bully; you have to assume that no one does this stuff in the adult world. One day, I realized that even adults didn't have this world under control. They were as helpless as me, a child, to stop terrible things, unfair things, unjust things, and that adults everywhere who were in control of cities, countries, and armies were not fair people or good people. They could be worse than any bully kid, more immature and stupid than the worst kid. When I realized that this world wasn't in the hands of benevolent, calm, fair adults, I think I stopped being a "kid". Adults played their hand well- they made me think that cops and lawyers and politicians sorta had things handled, but they don't. They never did. And other nations? Asspounding barbarians and power-hungry petty tyrants who kill or send to death and laugh about it. There's no dignity out there, waiting for kids who are growing up, just teeth and talons and a struggle for safety and justice which is akin to reaching a mirage in a burning desert. |
| Sunday, December 27th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ circebe ]
|
9:01p |
(I thought this applied since Buddhism has a lot to do with being Present) Has anyone else read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle? What did you think of it? Have you applied anything to your life from the book? What changes have you noticed in your life? |
buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
11:10p |
Gatekeeper Death Disguise
Blasphemer: Gatekeeper, is death your disguise? Gatekeeper: Answers are the Echos of the Dead Cult Followers: The Dead Know The Answers of The Echos Blasphemer: Death, do you control the Gatekeeper Death: I am Alive Gatekeeper: Screams of a Soul Torn Asunder Cult Followers: We have with us a Power Blasphemer: I shall rend your locks useless, and knowledge shall flow free Death: I have killed the Gatekeeper Cult Followers: We shall drown the heathen in the lake of Gestalts Gatekeeper: Seeking a new Gestalt Blashpemer: I am a Blasphemer and I tear Your Gates Asunder Cult Followers: Neither Blasphemy Nor Gates Quench Our Thirst Completely -Noize-: Everlasting Death Echoes In The Lost Myriad Of Gestalts Form The Background Of The Meditational Mandalas |
buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
8:05p |
Who'se mother here is a bitch?
My mother looks like Ms. Piggy. She came over yesterday, and flapped her arms. Then she breathed this NASTY DISGUSTING breath on me. (I chased that old witch right back to her car.... twice.... yet, it was too late) I spent the rest of the day vomiting blood out of my nose. I called my mom to tell her what a witch she was and she said -you have Swine Flu-! (cause she looks like a pig and flapped her arms?) I don't know who thinks this kind of shit is funny, though when I was a baby, my mom used to tell me bedtime stories that involved everyone else shitting their pants and getting hosed down cause they smell bad. I don't know what this has to do with anything, though I've never vomited blood out my nose before yesterday. Anyone else here have a mother who is a witch? |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
10:46p |
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buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
12:14p |
|
buddhists
[ markcl ]
|
2:32a |
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| Saturday, December 26th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
8:41p |
Fazang on śrāvaka precepts.
The following is a brief excerpt from Fazang's commentary on the Brahma Net Sutra's Bodhisattva vows 梵網經菩薩戒本疏 (T1813).
第二諸藏所攝者。 II. Contents of the Stores 此有四重。 This has four layers. 初約二藏有二。 1. Concerning the two stores having two [layers]. 謂大小二乘各有菩薩藏聲聞藏。於此四中唯大乘內菩薩藏攝。 These are said to be the Mahayana, the Hinayana and the two vehicles each having the Bodhisattva store and the śrāvaka store. Within these four it is only within the Mahayana that the Bodhisattva store is [completely] contained. 或通大乘聲聞藏攝。 Some permeate through the Mahayana and are contained in the śrāvaka store. 以大中聲聞悉許成佛。於此戒法亦受持故。 Because within the Mahayana the śrāvaka are all able to become Buddhas, these [śrāvaka] vows are also maintained. 亦通收小中菩薩。以彼三十四心成佛等事、離此實戒更無餘故。 [The Mahayana] also passes through and absorbes the Bodhisattva [stages] contained within the lesser [vehicle]. This is because outside the actual vows of those thirty-four [states of] mind, achieving Buddhahood, and such things, there are furthermore no other [practises]. 或亦通彼聲聞藏。以七眾所持、別解脫戒、皆是菩薩律儀攝故。是故彼法亦在此中。 Some also pass through the śrāvaka store. This is because of the different liberation vows which the seven assemblies all maintain are all subsumed within the Bodhisattva disciplinary regulations. Thus those [śrāvaka] teachings are also within this one.
There are two interesting things I'd like to point out.
The first is that the statement "...within the Mahāyāna the śrāvaka are all able to become Buddhas..." is an idea drawn from the Lotus Sutra where Hīnayāna practitioners are also said to eventually achieve Buddhahood. This was something that Mahāyāna thinkers differed on amongst themselves. Some thought that Hīnayāna practitioners would achieve Arhatship and enter Parinirvāṇa never to return. Others proposed that Arhatship was only temporary, albeit a fairly long, stage and that eventually all beings without exception including Arhats would achieve final unexcelled Buddhahood. It is evident that Fazang was in favour of the later theory.
The second relevant point here is that Fazang is in full support of a Mahāyāna Bodhisattva aspirant observing the śrāvaka precepts. At first that sounds like common sense, but we should keep in mind that only a few decades prior there was Daoxuan, a noted scholar and advocate of the Vinaya, who complained of Mahāyāna practitioners disregarding the Hīnayāna precepts.
《四分律刪繁補闕行事鈔》卷2：「今時不知教者。多自毀傷云。此戒律所禁止。是聲聞之法。於我大乘棄同糞土。猶如黃葉木牛木馬誑止小兒。此之戒法亦復如是。誑汝聲聞子也。」(CBETA, T40, no. 1804, p. 49, b27-c1)
In present times many of those who do not know the teachings destroy and injure themselves saying,"What this Vinaya prohibits is a śrāvaka teaching. For our Mahāyāna we toss it away just like dirty soil. Just like yellow leaves, a wooden cow or a wooden horse deceive a little child, these precept teachings are like this. They deceive you little śrāvaka!"
One can gather from Daoxuan's writings that in his day, which was only a generation or two before Fazang, that some Buddhist monks in China did not actually observe the Vinaya. It should be noted that during the Tang dynasty there were many "monks" who bought their ordination certificates and engaged in questionable and immoral activities and businesses. There was something of a mirror monastic community that was really just a refuge for those wanting to avoid mandatory civil labour duties and taxation. It was something of an ongoing problem throughout the Tang dynasty and it resulted in more and more regulations and restrictions being placed on monastics eventually resulting in the great repression of 845.
I would venture to say that Fazang was aware of this problem and thus in his commentary on Mahāyāna precepts he also indicated that Mahāyāna vows also by default include the Hīnayāna precepts as well so a monk is obligated to conduct himself in line with the Vinaya.
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| Thursday, December 24th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ salami_salome ]
|
10:39p |
in which I am an insufferable hippie
Hello, dharma pals. =) I have a very mundane question for you. I meditate with a Vipassana sangha on Sundays. On the first Sunday of every month there's a little potluck afterward. I ordinarily flee from this event, as I'm not very imaginative where food is concerned. Every once in a strange while, though, I like to make tea eggs. Making them is joyful to me, like a little ritual. The boiling tea/spice/soy mixture perfumes my apartment, and the eggs come out looking like marble. I've just gotten some eggs from a local farm with free-range chickens. So just now, I thought: say, wouldn't some locally/humanely-sourced tea eggs be lovely funny things to bring to sangha potluck? But then I thought hrm, not vegan. Would that be Not OK? I know the snacks people bring are always vegetarian, but vegan I'm not sure. I will first carefully gauge the level of ova-consumption among my fellow sitters so I don't make a terrible faux pas. In the meantime, though, I just thought I'd bounce it off you guys. This is not an invitation to debate the role of veg*nism in Buddhism! It's just a question about wanting to offer something, and not wanting to disrespect others in doing so. What do you think? Skilled? Or OMG So Not? I know that folks will probably respect my intentions, but still. One likes to get it right the first time if one can. |
| Friday, December 25th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
3:02a |
Serious Considerations
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate. This chemical is now added to cigarette paper to make it extinguish itself. This chemical does not yield to the metabolism. This is a direct attack on the health and well being of the population. ( tl;dr ) |
| Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009 |
buddhists
[ dharma_ben ]
|
8:56p |
Ten Philosophical Questions to Ask About Buddhism
Professor Richard Hayes - a notable Buddhist scholar specializing in the Buddhist logicians Dignaga and Dharmakirti - has a series of ten talks delivered at Leiden University discussing ten very interesting philosophical questions that one could ask about Buddhism. Enjoy. Leiden Lectures |
buddhists
[ satan_hitler ]
|
11:22p |
 By the way, Happy Gesulentday! |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
8:40p |
The Woodenfish Program
Sponsored by Fo Guang Shan, the Woodenfish program aims to advance Humanistic Buddhism through a series of projects geared toward young adults. Woodenfish works with them to promote a spiritual, academic, and socially relevant understanding of Buddhism. Room and board at Fo Guang Shan Monastery will be provided free of charge to participants for the duration of the program. Students will live in guest housing on the monastery grounds. Most meals will be taken in the main dining hall with the assembly of monks and nuns, and students will be taught proper monastic dining etiquette. During the cultural tour, participants will stay at Fo Guang Shan branch temples throughout the island of Taiwan. Due to the intensive nature of the program, dependents (spouses, children, and/or partners) will not be able to accompany participants. http://www.woodenfish.org/Foguangshan, one of the largest Buddhist organizations in the world, organizes the above program and it is free of charge. There is also a winter program that takes place in California. See the link on the site for info. |
| Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 |
buddhists
[ theultimate42 ]
|
3:33p |
Happy Holiday Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all... and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make [insert country or area of choice] great (not to imply that [country or area of choice] is necessarily greater than any other country or area of choice), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual orientation of the wisher or wishee. This wish is limited to the customary and usual good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first. "Holiday" is not intended to, nor shall it be considered, limited to the usual Judeo-Christian celebrations or observances or to such activities of any organized or ad hoc religious community, group, individual, or belief (or lack thereof). Note: By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. This greeting is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. This greeting implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for the wishee her/himself or others, or responsibility for the consequences which may arise from the implementation or non-implementation of same. This greeting is void where prohibited by law. Offer invalid in Quebec. |
| Monday, December 21st, 2009 |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
11:16p |
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| Sunday, December 20th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ cthrusoul ]
|
8:34p |
Material Desires, Ego and Such
Hey all, Not sure how to ask this or kind of get it off my chest, but here's the thing - lately I've been feeling down in the dumps and it's not because I don't have gobs, hell, any cash at all to spend on presents for people. That said, I've read about and greatly understand the need to release ego's desire for what your neighbor may have and it's a good thing to do because I think like many things Buddhist, that release does bring peace of mind. I was watching and simultaneously gagging on MTv's "Best of Cribs" yesterday - now there are some egos right? And don't get me wrong, it'd be nice to have a Bentley or four in the garage, the pool, the 700,000 square feet and such, but I never, ever have asked for that, I've always just wanted to be able to pay my bills and maybe have a few nice things that for me, equal a trip to the thift store where I leave feeling like a pirate with my treasures! Still..... I am in a job where I"m making less than $17K a year and I know damn well with my skills I could (and am trying to) find work where I"m making more.... I never, ever have extra money and so I never go anywhere or do anything. I have a car that's omg a piece of dukka all its own and ready to be put out to pasture, to the point where I am never really sure it's going to get me to said low paying job... and on top of this, my health is declining. Believe me, I am blessed, despite all of these complaints. 2 years ago I was homeless and have fought my way back to where I am now in my own apartment, loved and adored by 2 wonderful felines, I have food in my cupboards most times even if I have to go to pantries - I have a job in this economy and a car to get there - So i am not snubbing my good fortune nor discounting my own role in it. Yet is it wrong really to want, well, basically, greater security?? A better car to ensure holding on to my job? A better job to secure rent each month without the whole robbing Peter to pay Paul bit? How does one balance letting go of the importance of material things with the want for just these simple objects and intangibles? I just want to be happy in my own little nondescript crib, yo. |
| Monday, December 21st, 2009 |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
12:13a |
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| Sunday, December 20th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ markcl ]
|
9:02p |
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| Friday, December 18th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ gear_eagle ]
|
8:42p |
Creating desire in others
Is there negative karma in provoking desire and attachments in others? Would the job of salesman, model, artist or marketing psychologist be considered Wrong Livelihood? |
| Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ typing_sound ]
|
5:24p |
_ Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itself. Ten days' worth of rice in my bag; a bundle of twigs by the fireplace. Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment? Listening to the night rain on my roof, I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out. Ryokan________ Stories of RyokanIt is common practice for a monk to abstain from eating meat. Once a young monk sat to dinner with Ryokan and watched him eat fish. When asked why, Ryokan replied, “I eat fish when it’s offered, but I also let the fleas and flies feast on me [when sleeping at night]. Neither bothers me at all.” It is said Ryokan only slept with most of his body inside of a mosquito net so that he would not hurt the bugs outside. Ryokan attended the midsummer Bon Festivals. Because he was a monk, he would normally be unable to attend, but sneaked in disguised as a woman. Ryokan hated waste, and so any food that he was offered that he did not eat, he put into a little pot. Over time, the food rotted and became filled with maggots and other bugs. When warned against eating it, all Ryokan said was, “No, no, it’s all right. I let the maggots escape before I eat it and it tastes just fine!” One evening a thief visited Ryokan's hut at the base of the mountain only to discover there was nothing to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. "You have come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift." The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. Ryoken sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor fellow," he mused, "I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon." from Wikipedia.org |
| Thursday, December 17th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ ocha_no_hanashi ]
|
1:41a |
Attachment to precepts?
《大智度論》卷13〈1 序品〉：「譬如無足欲行，無翅欲飛，無船欲渡，是不可得；若無戒欲得好果，亦復如是。若 人棄捨此戒，雖山居苦行，食果服藥，與禽獸無異。」(CBETA, T25, no. 1509, p. 153, b25-29) Chapter thirteen of the Mahāprājñā-pāramitôpadeśa states, “It is like without feet wanting to go somewhere, without wings wanting to fly, without a boat seeking to cross – this is not possible. It is also like this if one without vows wants to seek the good fruit. If a person should discard these vows then even if they live in a mountain doing austerities, eating fruits and taking medicines, they are no different from wild beasts. ”
Well, at least adherence to your precepts is necessary for progress, or at least that's what Nagarjuna had to say about the matter. In my discussions in this community it seems a lot of people think keeping your precepts is some kind of dangerous attachment. Precepts is one of the three trainings (the other being meditation and wisdom) and without it there is no realization. You need discipline if you're going to progress. You know historically in China at least you study the Vinaya (rules, regulations and precepts) before you ever look at the philosophy of emptiness. |
| Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ angielator ]
|
2:14a |
Buddhist tells lies to audience
Hey again guys! I decided to get other opinions on this article since I thought it was sort of odd, lying isn't considered good Karma, so I'm kind of on the fence as to why the monk phrased his inability to explain his studies to an audience in this manner. The article I'm talking about can be found here: http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=60,8766,0,0,1,0I'm of the opinion he could've handled himself differently in this situation since he was asked to present to an audience, but that's just one opinion. What's yours? Namaste, Angie Current Mood:  coldCurrent Music: Push it - Static-X |
| Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 |
buddhists
[ dead_buddha ]
|
8:13p |
Tathata, the absolute reality in Mahayana Buddhism.
Yesterday I had a lengthy argument with some members of this community about the description of the Absolute Reality in an old Gnostic scripture.
I have pointed towards the fact that this description is similar to the one that can be found for Tathata (Suchness) in the Mahayana Buddhist texts.
Based on this similarity, and other similarities found in the descriptions of the Absolute Reality related by different mystics and spiritual masters from different religious traditions and cultural backgrounds, I have presented the hypothesis that the Absolute Reality contemplated by a mystic's mind is the same despite the differences of cultural and religious indoctrination.
But my opponents in the debate did not want to see what I was pointing to.
Thus I present here a concise description of Tathata (Suchness) which I have copied from The Awakening Faith in Mahayana, one of the most influential Mahayana scriptures:
"In its very origin suchness is of itself endowed with sublime attributes.
It manifests the highest wisdom which shines throughout the world, it has true knowledge and a mind resting simply in its own being.
It is eternal, blissful, its own self-being and the purest simplicity; it is invigorating, immutable, free...
Because it possesses all these attributes and is deprived of nothing"
For the ones interested to compare, please see the description given by the Gnostics here:
http://community.livejournal.com/buddhists/2813143.html
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