thebigview.com http://www.thebigview.com/forum Pondering the big questions. en Thu, 17 May 2012 00:01:58 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.thebigview.com/forum/images/thebigview/misc/rss.jpg thebigview.com http://www.thebigview.com/forum Truth often hurts http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8665&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 21:11:55 GMT but don't worry .

Unlike lies, it does not spread through words ! ]]> Philosophy 2dumb http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8665 When I was a child http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8654&goto=newpost Tue, 15 May 2012 03:49:31 GMT :peace:This mind journey of conquering the mountain top of intellectualism begins afar or near. It begins at the fringe of the mountain for some, and... :peace:This mind journey of conquering the mountain top of intellectualism begins afar or near. It begins at the fringe of the mountain for some, and at the foot of the mountain, or on the mountain itself for others. All people of the earth are vagabonds in pursuit of the mountain's peak whether they are aware of this or not. And no matter what any person has accumulated and crowded in the storehouse of the soul they are - " a living soul" -, and there is no rest to be found within their house, only rays of light breaking through small openings. The accumulation of inherited knowledge, human wisdom, religious dogma, scientific inquiry, discovery, and "they say" information, along with all the material toys of matter, and self-righteous superior egos, people will come to find they will disappear from the earth, just as the preceding wandering vagabonds who came before them so room for the next recruits of temporary vagabonds can have their time to follow the patterns of relativism.

Eventually all people will come to comprehend every portion of their journeys have been no different in principles nor patterns than any others. In some moment of recognition of the principles and patterns, some will come to understand the routes taken by them have been the same grueling experiences all have taken at some point of their living. Some routes more painful, some more pleasurable, some with, some without. Some will come to understand they are no better or worse than anyone else, for the principles of achieving the peak epiphany; the Holy Grail they believed will move them beyond their human thoughts unto holiness is there for all to reach, touch, hold, and claim ownership of. Life is opened to everyone equally regardless of the appearance. The use of the principles and patterns is activated according to the advancement of how high one is willing to go to experience the ultimate suffering unto death, the physical climb from animalism required for ascending the roads the mountain provided for ascension into the Spirit substance and essence of the climbers.

I stand on a platform of the knowledge I express as truth stemming from my experience concerning different and distinct situations. I cannot believe another truth to be the reality of my experiences because experienced moments in another persons life are never the same as mine. I've found each man's movement in life is a capricious antonyms as the human mind. To change a belief in the human mind from this to that requires only one thing, a change of thought. My platform is that of advancing from what I experienced then to what I experience now, simply because my experiences, although appearing as the same, can never be in exactness even for me.

I have no fixed beliefs. I have positions of stillness which do not have permanence, only a direction of advancement upon a path I have no idea where it is going, nor where or if it shall end even in my demise. We are all on this path in our own way. So I do not have a belief, I have a demanding will to expand beyond the knowledge which has brought me here. We live in a parenthesis of eternity. We all came into this interval of life head first when the door open for us specifically, without any human words or influence other than the DNA programming which makes us who we are individually. We will leave when the door close regardless of what we believe or think.

We are obligated to go beyond what we find already here when we arrived, This means we have come into this parenthesis to find our own understanding for being here beyond the understanding of just being here. If we have lived our lives from someone elses projected experience of advancement or regression, we are children still learning how to be mature in our own understanding, and how to take the reins, or responsibility of purging that which we find cripples the body of love in us from being whole, perfect, complete and pure. We have not taken the responsibility to leave this parenthesis a better place than we found it. Living from someones elses dreams,experiences, interpretation, and never advancing beyond "they say" means we have became crippled victims ourselves of that which need our hand of elimination, and we have not place a rung of higher spiritual consciousness for others of the world to advance upon.

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.":peace: ]]> Religion jufa http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8654 Suicide Forest in Japan http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8650&goto=newpost Mon, 14 May 2012 05:21:20 GMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FDSdg09df8 The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FDSdg09df8
The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular site for suicides in Japan. After the novel Kuroi Jukai was published, in which a young lover commits suicide in the forest, people started taking their own lives there at a rate of 50 to 100 deaths a year. The site holds so many bodies that the Yakuza pays homeless people to sneak into the forest and rob the corpses. The authorities sweep for bodies only on an annual basis, as the forest sits at the base of Mt. Fuji and is too dense to patrol more frequently.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. ]]> Gelatinous Pope http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8650 The problem found with this topic being presented is found within the message itself http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8604&goto=newpost Thu, 10 May 2012 05:31:34 GMT
Quote:
"The desire to explain things is an admission of ignorance. So, the starting position is infected with ignorance. It is inevitably wrong. So, we should be prepared to recognize it as such and to revise it when it is possible to increase its accuracy."
Can a finite mind say what reality or knowledge when everything it receives and projects is speculative, especially when it comes to his giving evidence of origin?:dunno: The words reality and knowledge are words of bits and pieces of hand-me-down wisdom of relativism never seen in true form, only fragments.

Should it be possible to return to yesterday, what then stops us from going back to creation's began and making what we deem wrong with creation right? Even if it were possible to return to the beginning, exactness of the creation could never be possible because everything in the universe is a one time occurrence. Agree or disagree with this analogy what has been stated can only be related to according to where one have been in the school of man's knowledge, and where one is in the wisdom of utilizing the gift of expanding beyond the knowledge of the Elders.

Although we have no awareness of our beginning, just by the forming and development of our physical bodies lets us know thoughts existed in us before we were cognizant. Thoughts, and thought formation began for us the very moment we were conceived into life by the activity of two different individuals merging for an interval to become one. Boom! Boom! Boom! The merging. The vibrations. Boom! Boom! Boom! and explosion took place in the two who, for a moment became one, and we became the fragmented condensed form of matter and flesh. We are who we are today because two individuals who came out of life into life in the exact same manner as ourselves, and lived within the arc of life no different than ourselves and all who has come and gone before us.

Now all this happened because of life. None of this was possible had there not been for the Spirit of Life, which goes back to the above question:
Quote:
"Can a finite mind say what knowledge is when the finite cannot comprehend the beginning nor end of infinity?" :dunno:
"The Illusion Of God By Julius Fann"
http://www.lulu.com/shop/...ck/product-14921371.html


http://theillusionofgod.yuku.com ]]> Religion jufa http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8604 <![CDATA[Vesak: How Buddha's Birthday Is Celebrated Around The World]]> http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8593&goto=newpost Sat, 05 May 2012 22:34:46 GMT Vesak: How Buddha's Birthday Is Celebrated Around The World (PHOTOS)

What do you get for the man who has attained perfect enlightenment? That depends on where in the world you are celebrating.

Buddha's birthday, known as Vesak Day (or Wesak), is celebrated on various dates in the spring throughout the world, and each Buddhist culture has its own traditions for the day. It is usually observed during the first full moon in May.

Buddhists celebrate the Buddha's three most important life stages on Vesak: Birth, Enlightenment and Death, which traditionally are said to all have happened on the same day of the calendar throughout his life. The birth story is important because the Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, while his mother stood holding onto a tree. Once born he is said to have taken seven steps forward after which a lotus flower arose from each footstep. He then declared that this was his last rebirth and that he would become an enlightened individual.

In South Korea, followers light lotus lanterns that cover the temples in remembrance of these lotus footsteps. In Sri Lanka, where colorful lanterns are also used, elaborate electric light displays depict different stories from the Buddha's life. In Indonesia, Buddhists light and release lanterns into the air while visiting the Borobudur temple. In Taiwan, followers pour fragrant water over Buddha statues to symbolizing a fresh start in life. In Singapore, devotees set caged birds free on the Buddha's birthday.



cheers :) ]]> Buddhism francis http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8593 The Cakkavatti Sutta and Human Lifespan. http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8584&goto=newpost Tue, 01 May 2012 02:28:32 GMT I am in accord with most of the teachings of the Buddha with which I am familiar, including the concepts of rebirth which have been amply supported... I am in accord with most of the teachings of the Buddha with which I am familiar, including the concepts of rebirth which have been amply supported by empirical evidence. However, the discussion about human lifespan as historically ranging from 10 to 80,000 years, as described in the Cattavatti Sutta, seems preposterous in view of scientific evidence. Further, the 31 planes of existence seem to me as only possible as states of mind.

Is there any rationale for accepting the details of the teachings in the Cattavatti Sutta as anything more than mythological baggage ?

El Inquisidor ]]> Buddhism Inquisidor http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8584 actual, real,virtual reality http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8583&goto=newpost Tue, 01 May 2012 02:03:51 GMT I'm just curious if anyone has ever realy tried to actually explore this id. of simulations within simulations and so on.
Here i am with this brain (the grey matter) that has the stunning capability to
ponder over this very fact that this pondering is a capablity of that very brain.
Meaning that my brain can imagine a brain.
So....
If i would call this my virtual brain then,
logic then tells me that,
this virtual brain in principle is capable to do the same as my actual brain does.
But can i realy imagine this?
It would mean that whatever i experience ( see,hear, taste, smell pleasurable not pleasurable, various forms of discomfort pain and so on, construct narratives and
again conceive an other virtual brain, which in it's turn again can conceive yet an other
one with again those same abilities.
The interresting part of this philosofical exercize in futility, is that the conception of the first virtual brain as well as the next ones leans on the capacity of my actual brain.
So...
to make the exercize as realistic as possible, i must in some way endow/animate my first virtual brain with a quality that simulates my actual brain.
Iow. my real actual brain now, must then become the shell of my first virtual brain that now has become my actual brain then this process must be repeated and so on.
Nah, i can't do it, can you? ]]> Philosophy j000han http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8583 <![CDATA[What's the appeal of zombies?]]> http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8569&goto=newpost Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:20:41 GMT Discuss! :silly: Discuss! :silly: ]]> Zoid http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8569 Hello. http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8560&goto=newpost Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:33:48 GMT Hello, everyone. I am glad to have found this forum. I am particularly interested in the discussions about Buddhism. El Inquisidor Hello, everyone.

I am glad to have found this forum. I am particularly interested in the discussions about Buddhism.

El Inquisidor ]]> Welcome Inquisidor http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8560 Myth-busting the Bodhisattvas by Bodhipaksa, Wildmind, March 31 2012 http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8550&goto=newpost Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:13:21 GMT Myth-busting the Bodhisattvas by Bodhipaksa (http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/myth-busting-the-bodhisattvas#more-17502) is doing the rounds... Myth-busting the Bodhisattvas by Bodhipaksa is doing the rounds lately. I thought it was an illuminating article. What do you think?

quote – “Adam Savage star of TV’s popular Myth Busters, gave an impassioned speech at the recent Reason Rally in Washington, DC. At the conclusion of his talk he had the following to say:

“I have concluded through careful, empirical analysis and much thought that somebody is looking out for me, keeping track of what I think about things, forgiving me when I do less than I ought, giving me strength to shoot for more than I think I’m capable of. I believe they know everything that I do and think and they still love me and I’ve concluded after careful consideration that this person keeping score is me.”

As Roshi Bernie Glassman says, in Infinite Circle: Teachings in Zen, “Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is the manifestation, or embodiment, of both prajna wisdom and compassion. Who is this Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva? It is nothing other than us, it is nothing other than who we intrinsically are … We must realize that Avalokitesvara is not separate — it’s us!” - end quote.


with metta ]]> Buddhism francis http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8550 greetings to all the member http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8549&goto=newpost Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:02:49 GMT hello everyone:rofl: . It's so nice to be here, I find all the topic so interesting. They find things on philosophical views and they are really learning. It tackles the reality that is happening now in the world. ]]> Welcome tyduzz11 http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8549 Religion and Science not mutually exclusive http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8531&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:42:42 GMT I think that it is absurd to discount scientific facts for religious teachings based on "faith". It is equally absurd that religion is outright dismissed because it does not hold up to "scientific testing". Science and religion each have their place and each have their own value. They are just different. Holding one to the expectations and scrutiny of the other is like trying to force a football team to play according to the rules of basketball. It doesn't work that way - and it's not meant to.

Science and religion, while different, are not mutually exclusive. It is kind of like wave-particle duality. Sometimes you need to look at something as if it were a wave and other times as if it were a particle. Sometimes I need to look at myself as nothing more than a heap of physiological and chemical reactions and other times I need to look at myself as a spiritual being endowed with moral accountability. I wouldn't expect to go to my doctor with chest pains and be told to repent and pray harder. Likewise I wouldn't expect to go to a religious leader with a moral dilemma get a prescription to take two "morality pills" twice a day. They are just two different perspectives of the same truth. For example, science explains how and why our bodies age while religion seeks to explain how to cope with mortality.

One of the biggest complaints against religion is the intolerance and injustices poured out in the name of religion. This is verifiable fact and absolutley deplorable. However, a simple fact that is often ignored is that some of the world's greatest mass killings and atrocities (especially in the 20th century) were not committed in the name of religion but rather by atheistic governments. It is estimated that more than 60 million people died under communism in the USSR. That's nothing to say about China under Mao Zedong or the suffering inflicted by Nazi Germany. Bad people will do bad things whether under the name of religion, collectivism, eugenics or any other creed.

I would never want to live in a world of pure faith without science and I would never want to see a world of pure science that denies the dignity and morality of mankind.
]]> Religion Fairfield81 http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8531 Living Without Money in America http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8516&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:02:17 GMT From the BBC: *Daniel Suelo lives in caves in the canyonlands of Utah. He survives by harvesting wild foods and eating roadkill. He has no job, no... From the BBC:

Daniel Suelo lives in caves in the canyonlands of Utah. He survives by harvesting wild foods and eating roadkill.

He has no job, no bank account and does not accept government welfare. In fact, Suelo has no money at all.

Suelo may have shunned all the trappings of modern American life, but he is not an isolationist.

Since abandoning money in 2000, the former cook from Moab, Utah has remained an active member of his community and avid blogger.

Mark Sundeen, author of The Man Who Quit Money, admits many people would regard Suelo's alternative lifestyle as bizarre. But the 2008 financial crash has led many to question the value of money. He explains some of the lessons found in Suelo's philosophy.

Video c/o BBC

Suelo's Website

What do you think, Big Viewers? Is this man lazy, crazy, or stark raving sane?

While I'm not about to adopt his lifestyle myself, I think Suelo is on to something quite profound, and consider him a kind of all-American sadhu. I have a great deal of respect for somebody who is prepared to live their ideals in such an utterly fearless way. And as economic malaise becomes "the new normal", I also can't help but wonder if there will be others joining him. ]]> Philosophy Samvega http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8516 Proselytizing in the Buddhist tradition http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8515&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 21:48:13 GMT For a long time now, I've been interested in the missionary or proselyte tradition within Buddhism. I have a couple different yet ultimately convergent purposes in this thread, so let me start at the beginning....


I'm very interested, first and foremost, in any historical resources anyone which take an in-depth look at the history of the propagation of Buddhist thought and practice, whether its specific examples such as how the original sangha spread throughout India, the specific role of missionaries in extending the reach of Buddhism beyond India, how they coped with translating Buddhist philosophy and practice into the medium of another language and culture, etc. Did Buddhism train people specifically to be missionaries? If so, how were they trained? Who are some of the most famous Buddhist missionaries (off the top of my head, I think immediately, of course, of such mythologized figures as Bodhidharma, and Padmasambhava, rules such as Ashoka and the prince of Japan who popularized Buddhism whose name escapes me currently, or in more modern times, maybe D.T. Suzuki or Allen Ginsberg could be construed as missionaries, in the sense that they serve as popular funnels of people towards the Dharma.)

Secondly, what has traditionally been the attitude of Buddhism towards proselytizing in general? Is anyone aware of any texts/sutras which specifically deal with A) methods of belief change or techniques of successful proselytizing or B) either support or attack the notion of propagating/proselytizing the Buddhadharma?

And, finally - what about today, right now? I am vaguely aware that there was/is a Nichiren organization in the United States which was apparently very successful in their proselytizing efforts, especially (why?) among the African-American community. Herbie Hancock, the talented jazz/funk musician, belongs to this branch of Buddhism. However, philosophically I tend to find myself mostly in disagreement with this particular branch of Buddhism. Does anyone know how this organization was able to be so (relatively) successful within the United States?

And more generally, what are the attitudes of Buddhist organizations you are apart of/aware of towards the active propagation of the dharma? Part of the reason I bring this up is to spark a discussion: it seems to me, from my limited experience, that modern (American) practitioners of the dharma seem to take a largely passive approach towards spreading the dharma, a sort of "If we build it, they will come" approach. Are you happy with this, or would you like to see more active, vigorous attempts to spread the dharma? ]]> Buddhism Andrew_Roxby http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8515 Bad Science in the Media http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8514&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:04:47 GMT I can't stand bad science reporting in the media. But unfortunately, I sometimes find myself drawn to awful science journalism the way some people are drawn to watch horrific car accidents.

The BBC's online Science section strikes me as being especially prone to running bad science stories. Here's an example:

The following story is found on their website under the link, 'Romance is Driven by Women'. Upon clicking the link, we are led to the following story:

Quote:
Phone data shows romance 'driven by women'

A study of mobile phone calls suggests that women call their spouse more than any other person.

That changes as their daughters become old enough to have children, after which they become the most important person in their lives.

The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

It also shows that men call their spouse most often for the first seven years of their relationship. They then shift their focus to other friends.

The results come from an analysis of the texts of mobile phone calls of three million people.

According to the study's co-author, Professor Robin Dunbar of Oxford University, UK, the investigation shows that pair-bonding is much more important to women than men.

"It's the first really strong evidence that romantic relationships are driven by women," he told BBC News.

"It's they who make the decision and once they have made their mind up, they just go for the poor bloke until he keels over and gives in!"

But the data shows that women start to switch the preference of their best friend from about the mid-30s, and by the age of 45 a woman of a generation younger becomes the "new best friend", according to Professor Dunbar.

"What seems to happen is that women push the 'old man' out to become their second best friend, and he gets called much less often and all her attention is focussed on her daughters just at the point at which you are likely to see grandchildren arriving," he says.

Prof Dunbar also claims that the findings suggest that human societies are moving away from a patriarchy back to a matriarchy.

The aim of the project was to find out how close, intimate relationships vary over a lifetime.
There are so many things wrong with this story and its presentation that I simply don't know where to begin. First of all, this study doesn't appear to have anything to do with romance, it has to do with telephone calls. While I haven't seen the actual paper, based on the information in the article it doesn't appear that they tracked the content of those telephone calls, or even the duration, just the frequency and the relationship between the people calling each other. In fact, in the case of friendship, it defined the participants "best friends" as the people they called the most. Somehow the journalists (and possibly the researchers, too) think this is enough evidence to make sweeping assertions about both "romance" and the direction of "society". It also assumes that somehow the exchange of cell phone calls and digital messages are the best or most important indicators of romantic interest and social trends.

Sadly this kind of drivel is typical of the BBC's Science section and many other websites, as well. :wallbash:

Does anybody else get extremely annoyed by poor quality science journalism? What other examples of bad science reporting have you steaming? ]]> Science Samvega http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8514 Who Am I? http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8506&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:18:31 GMT Received this in my morning e-mail: ---Quote--- I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not... Received this in my morning e-mail:

Quote:
I was born in one country, raised in another.

My father was born in another country.

I was not his only child.

He fathered several children with numerous women.

I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me.

My mother died at an early age from cancer.


Although my father deserted me and my mother raised me, I later wrote a book idolizing my father not my mother.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.

My birth records were sketchy.

No one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.

I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my new country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs and didn’t follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them.

That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and embarked on a new career.

I wrote a book about my struggles growing up.

It was clear to those who read my memoirs, that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in local politics in my 30’s then, with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s.

They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization.

Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me, as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances.

This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country’s foreign policy......

I was very critical of my country in the last war, and seized every opportunity to bash my country.

But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country’s economy.

I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better, and every poor person would be fed and housed for free.

I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess.

It was the free market, banks, and corporations.

I decided to start making citizens hate them and, if they became envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine “A People’s Campaign”.

That sounded good to all people.

I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics and was able to gain widespread popular support.

I knew that, if I merely offered the people ‘hope’, together we could change our country and the world.

So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include “persecuted minorities”

My true views were not widely known and I kept them unknown, until after I became my nation’s leader.

I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with. I’m glad they didn’t.

Then I became the most powerful man in the world.

And then the world learned the truth.

Who am I?

ADOLPH HITLER
]]> Ron-the-Elder http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8506 Buddhism and the website http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8504&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 06:16:15 GMT Hey all, just wanted to open up a very general discussion about the Buddhist presence on the web. A couple of questions for all the big viewers out... Hey all, just wanted to open up a very general discussion about the Buddhist presence on the web. A couple of questions for all the big viewers out there:

1) What are some of your favorite Buddhist websites? This might include dharma resources such as talks, recordings, video, articles, etc

2) Do you visit or participate in any other Buddhist forums beside this one? If so which ones?

3) How do you feel about Buddhism's presence on the Web? Do you have any qualms about it?

4) Are you aware of any efforts to use social networking/micro-blogging sites for the purpose of organizing and propagating the Dharma?

5) Follow any excellent Buddhist blogs?


Thanks,

Andrew ]]> Buddhism Andrew_Roxby http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8504 Water Spells Health http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8503&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:16:59 GMT Water is the blessing of God there is no life on earth without water our human body is 70% of water. It is really essential for the human body to... Water is the blessing of God there is no life on earth without water our human body is 70% of water. It is really essential for the human body to take at least 2 to 3 liters water daily it flashes the toxin and clean our body form inner side..... ]]> Marvin http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8503 Try Tea http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8502&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:11:36 GMT Tea is good fo the health while working it fresh our mind and prepare us for the next task whole days being a heavy tea drinker is not a bad idea... Tea is good fo the health while working it fresh our mind and prepare us for the next task whole days being a heavy tea drinker is not a bad idea but excess of everything is bad so must take tea in the limit............. ]]> Marvin http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8502 Living Yogacara http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8501&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:09:31 GMT I've been browsing the recent thread on consciousness in the Buddhist forum, and wanted to create a discussion about the Yogacara school of Buddhism. Yogacara is often translated as "mind only" or "consciousness only", although the Sanskrit name itself literally means "practice of yoga". Historically, the Yogacara had a huge impact on the development of Mahayana Buddhism, which one can still see in both Zen and the Tibetan schools. Although people often talk about the school as if it's died out, Yogacara actually still is practiced today at Kofukuji in Japan, where Yogacara is known as Hosso.

It is somewhat difficult to find material on Yogacara in English, and most of what's available is very dense, more suitable for scholars than beginners, and certainly there is very little that might be of practical use in mediation or practice more generally.

Fortunately, there is now one excellent book, available in English - it is called Living Yogacara: An Introduction to Consciousness Only Buddhism. It is by Tagawa Shunnei, abbot of Kofukuji, and has been translated by Charles Muller, a renowned scholar of East Asian Buddhism. I have found it to be very accessible, and to provide both a good, basic understanding of the philosophy of Yogacara, as well as very useful in my practice. I highly recommend it to anyone who is approaching this subject for the first time.

I would like to give a very brief summation of the basics of Yogacara for the purposes of discussion. As most posters here are probably aware, Early Buddhism and the Theravada sects have a six-consciousness model of the mind - one consciousness for each of the six senses (sight, hearing, smelling, taste, touch, and thought). Yogacara develops this model further by positing two additional layers of consciousness - the alaya-vijnana, or "storehouse consciousness", which keeps impressions of everything we have experienced at a level far beneath our normal level of awareness, and the manas, a subtle layer of consciousness that is responsible for the mind's grasping the contents of experience as 'self'. Thus the basic framework of Yogacara is one of an eight-consciousness model.

Yogaracara is usually called "consciousness-only Buddhism", but as Reverend Shunnei explains, this perhaps better rendered as "nothing but the transformations of consciousness." To explain this further, he cites a line of Japanese tanka poetry:

At the clapping of hands
The carp come swimming for food
The birds fly away from fright
A maiden comes carrying tea -
Sarusawa Pond

As Shunnei goes on to explain, this poem illustrates how a single event is interpreted in very different ways by different observers - the carp have been trained to come to the water for food when they hear the sound of hands clapping, the birds are startled, and the servants interpret this as a call for tea. The clap, and for that matter, all of the other objects of our experience, are never seen purely as they are - instead, they are filtered through the various layers of consciousness, including the associations we have stored in the alaya-vijnana and through the self-reifying activity of the manas. Moment to moment, all of our perceptions are being transformed by the activity of our consciousness. Hence, "nothing but the transformations of consciousness."

There is a lot more to Yogacara than just this, but I wanted to post an introduction here to hopefully spark some interest and perhaps open a discussion. I would like to add that I think the example of the hands clapping, and the various 'transformations of consciousness' described in the poem are are excellent example of these lines from the Pali canon:

"consciousness is conditioned by name and form/ name and form are conditioned by consciousness"

These lines are crucial because they illustrate a cycle of mutual causality between consciousness and namarupa; the concept of mutual causality is also central to certain tenets of Yogacara philosophy. I would go into this more, but I think I have said enough, and I have tea waiting (no clapping of my hands, however :) ). ]]> Buddhism Samvega http://www.thebigview.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8501