From parisjm2004 at yahoo.com Fri Jan 4 10:12:09 2008 From: parisjm2004 at yahoo.com (Michael Paris) Date: Fri Jan 4 10:12:15 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] buddist staff question In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <228991.88756.qm@web57003.mail.re3.yahoo.com> What is the name of the staff / walking stick that Buddhist priests use? It has small bells and a triangular design at the tip. I saw it in Donzoko, the film Joanna Kirk discussed, and a Japanese anime series about a fox spirit - Inu Yasha, I believe. Thanks in advance. Michael Paris ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping From rhayes at unm.edu Sat Jan 5 15:08:09 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Sat Jan 5 15:08:17 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] The Levine fund Message-ID: <200801051508.10252.rhayes@unm.edu> Dear denizens, A while back I forwarded a message about a fund for Stephen Levine and his wife to aid them as they cope with ailments. Several of you contacted me privately to ask whether the Levine fund is legitimate. Mrs Hayes, who had forwarded the message to me, kindly checked back through the chain of forwarded e-mails to make sure the appeal was not one of those Nigerian scams. I am sorry to report that it is true that Stephen Levine and his wife Ondrea really are ailing and in need of financial assistance, and I am glad to report that there really is a fund that has been established to give them the help they need and that 100% of the contributions made to that fund will get to Stephen and Ondrea. So those of you who felt led to help them out can do so without worry of a scam. (The details of how to do so are given at the end of this message.) Thanks for being cautious; in these sadly demoralized times such precautions are unfortunately necessary. As a topic for discussion, this appeal for aid for Stephen and Ondrea seems to me like it is a sign of things to come. For decades I have been concerned about what is going to become of all the people who have opted out of the materialistic ruts of modern society and given generously of their time and talents as translators, meditation teachers and helpers of well-known Dharma teachers, not to mention as workers in various right-livelihood businesses and non-governmental organizations. All those people are getting older and will soon be needing health care and a source of income to sustain them in retirement and perhaps infirmity. In societies in which Buddhism is not well established institutionally, there are few Buddhist institutional resources to help these people. Perhaps especially in the United States, where greed is much more handsomely rewarded than any kind of virtuous livelihood, we could see a generation of excellent Dharma workers facing bleak futures. Where the hell is karma when you need it, eh? -- Richard Hayes To contribute to Stephen and Ondrea Levine: Mail: Send to: Bread for the Journey, 267 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, California 94941. In the letter, please enclose a note indicating that your gift is for the Stephen and Ondrea Levine Fund and in the note section of your check write "Levine Fund." In honor of the immeasurable gifts Stephen and Ondrea have given to the family of the earth, Bread for the Journey has generously offered to manage the fund with 100% of your donation going to the Levine Fund. Online: click here and designate the donation to the Levine Fund: http://www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=3583&isRecurring=& Phone: call 415-383-4600 with a credit card number. For questions and other means of giving, contact SorenGordhamer@gmail.com. From smith at wheelwrightassoc.com Sat Jan 5 16:07:13 2008 From: smith at wheelwrightassoc.com (Timothy Smith) Date: Sat Jan 5 16:07:20 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] The Levine fund In-Reply-To: <200801051508.10252.rhayes@unm.edu> References: <200801051508.10252.rhayes@unm.edu> Message-ID: <35C16DEE-F90B-4A8E-B90D-1624408A2993@wheelwrightassoc.com> Done! Thanks for the reminder. Timothy Smith Wheelwright Associates www.wheelwrightassoc.com On Jan 5, 2008, at 2:08 PM, Richard Hayes wrote: > > > To contribute to Stephen and Ondrea Levine: > > Mail: Send to: Bread for the Journey, 267 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, > California 94941. In the letter, please enclose a note indicating that > your gift is for the Stephen and Ondrea Levine Fund and in the note > section of your check write "Levine Fund." In honor of the > immeasurable > gifts Stephen and Ondrea have given to the family of the earth, Bread > for the Journey has generously offered to manage the fund with 100% of > your donation going to the Levine Fund. > > Online: click here and designate the donation to the Levine Fund: > http://www.justgive.org/giving/donate.jsp?charityId=3583&isRecurring=& > > Phone: call 415-383-4600 with a credit card number. > > For questions and other means of giving, contact > SorenGordhamer@gmail.com. > From jehms at xs4all.nl Mon Jan 7 09:41:43 2008 From: jehms at xs4all.nl (Erik Hoogcarspel) Date: Mon Jan 7 09:41:49 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Wikia Buddhism page Message-ID: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> I just found a new buddhism information website. It's free for anyone to participate. Wikia is commercial, but the positive side is that it tries to break the monopoly of top down search engines. http://buddhism.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page -- Erik Info: www.xs4all.nl/~jehms Weblog: http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950 Productie: http://stores.lulu.com/jehmsstudio From jwilson101 at gmail.com Mon Jan 7 09:51:18 2008 From: jwilson101 at gmail.com (Jeff Wilson) Date: Mon Jan 7 09:51:24 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Re: Buddhist staff Message-ID: Michael, the staff that Buddhist priests use is called a shakujo (shakujou, to be precise). I assume you want the Japanese term since you asked about in the context of two Japanese media productions. Sincerely, Jeff Wilson From rhayes at unm.edu Mon Jan 7 10:51:37 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Mon Jan 7 10:51:45 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Wikia Buddhism page In-Reply-To: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> On Monday 07 January 2008 09:41, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote: > I just found a new buddhism information website. It's free for anyone to > participate. Wikia is commercial, but the positive side is that it tries > to break the monopoly of top down search engines. > http://buddhism.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page This wiki phenomenon is fascinating to watch as it evolves. As a teacher, I am sometimes discouraged by the fact that so many students nowadays go no further than Dr Google and Professor Wiki for their information on any topic. On the other hand, as a deeply opinionated and totally closed-minded advocate of open-source software, I have come to appreciate the amount of useful documentation on open-source software that is readily available on the Internet. Rarely am I stumped for long by a puzzling piece of software, or even hardware. When my cat knocked a cup of scalding coffee onto my laptop, a wiki article told me exactly what to do to save the computer, and I am still using the computer (and feeding the cat). As readers of buddha-l know by now, I write only the absolute truth about Buddhism, and that truth is that if you're not using a Linux operating system and reading wiki software documentation, you're just not a Buddhist. Sorry, but that's just the way reality works. But I digress. When it comes to controversial issues, on the other hand, wiki articles are to be taken with liberal pinches of salt. A few years back, the wiki on Zen was changing about once an hour as advocates of competing visions of what is True Zen duked it out in cyberspace. As I recall, one of the forces at play was the so-called Dark Zen outfit, whose main proponents, Mark Vetanen and Ardent Hollingsworth, used to amuse the denizens of buddha-l with their thundering and almost always vicious denunciations and character assassinations of both academics and traditional Asian Zen teachers and their American followers. In much the same way that they tried to purge buddha-l of impurities in doctrine and practice, they tried to purge the Wikipedia of all influences they found dangerous and pernicious. (They seemed to be quite convinced that if we somehow got Buddhism wrong, the entire solar system would collapse into a black hole.) As a result, the Wikipedia articles on Zen were in a perpetual state of flux, thus admirably illustrating the Buddhist doctrine of momentariness. More and more one finds a little tag on Wikipedia articles saying "The neutrality of this article is disputed." (Indeed, I recently saw such a tag on the Wikipedia entry for the word "wiktionary".) I'm not sure what effect such tags have on people. When I see such a tag, my reaction tends to be "So what else is new? What of any interest in this world is NOT disputed by someone?" Hell, I bet if I wikished (published on a wiki) my favorite recipe for Rio Grande Valley chile, its neutrality would be disputed within four minutes, probably much sooner. (Even if I wrote on article on Republicans, it would probably be disputed within a few months by some damn fool.) As an unreconstructed academic, and a very mediocre one at that, I personally find it healthy that there are fora (that's what hard-assed academics call forums) such as Wikipedia on which people can experiment with non-standard views about things. For my entire academic career I have been appalled by the way that certain received views on things go unchallenged and gain a momentum as they are passed on from one generation to another. While the academic world tends to love to see itself as populated by hardy individualists who think for themselves and come to conclusions only after examining all the relevant evidence and have no fear of offering radical critiques of established dogmas, the truth is that most of the academic world is in fact populated by timid sheep who cower at the mere suspicion of peer disapproval. Academics who toe party lines are seen as truth-telling sages, and they get the most prestigious jobs and the most lucrative grants and regular promotions, while those who challenge the doctrines pushed by the big names in any given field tend to publish and then perish. If you want to eat and live with a roof over your head, then say what everyone else in the academic world believes. (Just ask any academic who's still on buddha-l.) For the dissidents in the ranks of academia, Wikipedia has the potential of being a venue for their views, if only because the big names are so uninterested in Wikipedia articles that they won't bother to obliterate them. (The obliteration comes from fanatics like the Dark Zen crew, not from professors at Oxford and Harvard.) Anyway, thanks for the reference to the Wikia Buddhism page, Erik. It will be interesting to see how that one evolves. -- Richard Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico From jehms at xs4all.nl Tue Jan 8 06:54:19 2008 From: jehms at xs4all.nl (Erik Hoogcarspel) Date: Tue Jan 8 06:54:26 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Wikia Buddhism page In-Reply-To: <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> Message-ID: <4783808B.5010209@xs4all.nl> Richard Hayes schreef: > On Monday 07 January 2008 09:41, Erik Hoogcarspel wrote: > > >> I just found a new buddhism information website. It's free for anyone to >> participate. Wikia is commercial, but the positive side is that it tries >> to break the monopoly of top down search engines. >> http://buddhism.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page >> > > This wiki phenomenon is fascinating to watch as it evolves. As a teacher, I am > sometimes discouraged by the fact that so many students nowadays go no > further than Dr Google and Professor Wiki for their information on any topic. > On the other hand, as a deeply opinionated and totally closed-minded advocate > of open-source software, I have come to appreciate the amount of useful > documentation on open-source software that is readily available on the > Internet. > I share your interest in this. It seems that knowledge is becoming information. Knowledge is true which is garanteed by the authority, the source. Information is just there and may become true or may not. It can change from one to the other. > When it comes to controversial issues, on the other hand, wiki articles are to > be taken with liberal pinches of salt. > I have seen many examples other then the one you mention. Often politics is involved, see f.i. the row about the Arian Invasion Theory. It makes you realise that truth and power are closely related. > More and more one finds a little tag on Wikipedia articles saying "The > neutrality of this article is disputed." (Indeed, I recently saw such a tag > on the Wikipedia entry for the word "wiktionary".) I'm not sure what effect > such tags have on people. When I see such a tag, my reaction tends to be "So > what else is new? What of any interest in this world is NOT disputed by > someone?" > Nietzsche called this the perspectivism of truth, Buddhists may call this samv.rtisatya. > As an unreconstructed academic, and a very mediocre one at that, I personally > find it healthy that there are fora (that's what hard-assed academics call > forums) such as Wikipedia on which people can experiment with non-standard > views about things. For my entire academic career I have been appalled by the > way that certain received views on things go unchallenged and gain a momentum > as they are passed on from one generation to another. While the academic > world tends to love to see itself as populated by hardy individualists who > think for themselves and come to conclusions only after examining all the > relevant evidence and have no fear of offering radical critiques of > established dogmas, the truth is that most of the academic world is in fact > populated by timid sheep who cower at the mere suspicion of peer disapproval. > Academics who toe party lines are seen as truth-telling sages, and they get > the most prestigious jobs and the most lucrative grants and regular > promotions, while those who challenge the doctrines pushed by the big names > in any given field tend to publish and then perish. If you want to eat and > live with a roof over your head, then say what everyone else in the academic > world believes. (Just ask any academic who's still on buddha-l.) For the > dissidents in the ranks of academia, Wikipedia has the potential of being a > venue for their views, if only because the big names are so uninterested in > Wikipedia articles that they won't bother to obliterate them. (The > obliteration comes from fanatics like the Dark Zen crew, not from professors > at Oxford and Harvard.) > An excellent example of Thomas Kuhn's theory of scientific progress (or the lack thereof in normal circumstances). I think you're right when you suggest that the borderline between official science and alternative speculation becomes ever more blurred, both inspiring each other. > Anyway, thanks for the reference to the Wikia Buddhism page, Erik. It will be > interesting to see how that one evolves. > You're welcome, Richard. -- Erik Info: www.xs4all.nl/~jehms Weblog: http://www.volkskrantblog.nl/pub/blogs/blog.php?uid=2950 Productie: http://stores.lulu.com/jehmsstudio From C.Rocha at uws.edu.au Mon Jan 7 23:53:32 2008 From: C.Rocha at uws.edu.au (Cristina Rocha) Date: Tue Jan 8 10:37:41 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] CFP: Buddhism in Australia: Tradition in Change Message-ID: <3239A306F7C8F24693698F633C37BE54718B36@VALLE.AD.UWS.EDU.AU> Buddhism in Australia: Tradition in Change Buddhism in Australia is changing. In 2006 Buddhists accounted for 2.1 per cent of Australia?s population, almost doubling the 1996 figures. Buddhism in Australia: Tradition in Change is an edited collection that seeks to give a more rounded profile of this phenomenon. The book endeavours to address recent changes and adaptations that Buddhism has undergone in Australia, and to give a voice to the experience of Australian Buddhists. The book will weave together two main types of papers: 1. The experiences of Buddhist teachers, monks and nuns 2. Research articles on Buddhism in Australia In this call for papers we invite Buddhist teachers, monks and nuns of any Buddhist lineage who are living and teaching in Australia to write a 250-word abstract of their experience of practicing Buddhism in Australia. This could take many different forms, including: * An autobiographical account of your own journey of Buddhism in Australia (such as how and why you became teachers, whether you studied overseas and the cultural differences involved, how and why you returned/came to teach in Australia, etc) * Reflections or anecdotes of the challenges in adapting Buddhist practices to Australian culture. * Considerations on how teaching Buddhism in Australia is different from other places you have studied/taught. * Thoughts on how your own cultural values influence your teaching and practice of Buddhism. * Your vision on the future on Buddhism in Australia. * A combination of any of these elements. We also invite scholars to submit a 250-word abstract of new work, or recently published articles in the field. Buddhism in Australia: Tradition in Change is being edited by Dr Cristina Rocha, managing editor of the HYPERLINK "http://www.globalbuddhism.org/"Journal of Global Buddhism and author of Zen in Brazil: The Quest for Cosmopolitan Modernity (Hawaii University Press, 2006); and Dr Michelle Barker (nee Spuler), author of Developments in Australian Buddhism: Facets of the Diamond (Curzon Press, 2000). Both editors have spent many years involved in Buddhist practice with local groups. The deadline for abstracts is 15 March 2008. Please submit contributions to HYPERLINK "mailto:michelle@futureinitiatives.com.au"michelle@futureinitiatives.com.au or HYPERLINK "mailto:c.rocha@uws.edu.au"c.rocha@uws.edu.au. Alternatively, you may send your abstract to Dr. Cristina Rocha Centre for Cultural Research University of Western Sydney Building EM, Parramatta Campus Locked Bag 1797 Penrith South DC NSW 1797 Australia Successful contributors will be asked to then provide a 2500-3000-word paper (teachers, monks and nuns) and a 5000-word paper (scholars) by September 2008. No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1213 - Release Date: 7/01/2008 9:14 AM From cfynn at gmx.net Wed Jan 9 04:52:44 2008 From: cfynn at gmx.net (Christopher Fynn) Date: Wed Jan 9 04:53:02 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Rangjung Yeshe Wiki [was: Wikia Buddhism page] In-Reply-To: <4783808B.5010209@xs4all.nl> References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> <4783808B.5010209@xs4all.nl> Message-ID: <4784B58C.8070008@gmx.net> A useful wiki mostly dedicated to Tibetan Buddhism: - Chris From vasubandhu at earthlink.net Wed Jan 9 05:01:48 2008 From: vasubandhu at earthlink.net (Dan Lusthaus) Date: Wed Jan 9 05:06:26 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] time to move to Seattle? References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> Message-ID: <001a01c852b7$ff886200$b5369c04@Dan> An article in today's Washington Post: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/findingfaith/2008/01/seeing_unity_behind_opposites.html Titled: Opposites Attract Buddhist. Most interesting paragraph appears in the middle of the piece: Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, of the Jodo Shinshu or Shin Buddhist sect, is one of some 65 Buddhist temples of one denomination or another in the Seattle area, according to Castro, a minister with Buddhist Churches of America for more than 30 years. Buddhism is the fifth largest religion in the United States. Dan Lusthaus From rebreedon at ucdavis.edu Wed Jan 9 00:50:03 2008 From: rebreedon at ucdavis.edu (Richard Breedon) Date: Wed Jan 9 08:45:48 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Re-post from H-BUDDHISM: NEW BOOK> Skilling, ed., Past Lives of the Buddha: Wat Si Chum References: Message-ID: My personal reason for plugging this book is that my wife wrote one of the contributions and I worked on it as a copy editor. Note that the book that presently appears on amazon.com is a pre- release that has been superseded by this version. Richard Breedon Dept. of Physics, UC Davis ---------------------------------------- It is my pleasure to announce the appearance of the following contribution to the study of Jatakas in general and in the specific context of Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai. "Past Lives of the Buddha: Wat Si Chum - Art, Architecture and Inscriptions" Edited by Peter Skilling with contributions by: Pattaratorn Chirapravati Pierre Pichard Prapod Assavavirulhakarn Santi Pakedeekham Peter Skilling. Bangkok: River Books, 2008 296 pages, 390 colour images, 30 plans and maps ISBN 978-974-9863-45-9 http://www.riverbooksbk.com "Wat Si Chum is unique among Sukhothai temples. Inside, lining the ceiling of a dark and narrow staircase leading to the open roof, are 86 inscribed stone reliefs depicting jatakas, former lives of Gotama Buddha. Their unique character and arrangement have puzzled generations of scholars. "Past Lives of the Buddha" presents the latest evidence and proposes new interpretations. The book offers the first-ever English translation of the inscriptions, photographs of the reliefs supplements by 19th century jataka paintings from Wat Khrua Wan, Bangkok, essays on all aspects of the temple, as well as a discussion of the significance of jatakas in international Buddhist literature, art and ideology." Peter Skilling -- H-Buddhism (Buddhist Scholars Information Network) From rhayes at unm.edu Wed Jan 9 09:07:50 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Wed Jan 9 09:07:57 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] time to move to Seattle? In-Reply-To: <001a01c852b7$ff886200$b5369c04@Dan> References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> <001a01c852b7$ff886200$b5369c04@Dan> Message-ID: <1199894870.6730.17.camel@localhost> On Wed, 2008-01-09 at 07:01 -0500, Dan Lusthaus quotes a newspaper article that says: > Buddhism is the fifth largest religion in the United States. That raises the interesting question: what exactly counts as a religion, and how does one distinguish one individual religion from another? If, say, Christianity counts as one religion, Islam another, Judaism a third and so on, one wonders how Buddhism could come in fifth. What came in third and fourth, assuming that Christianity and Islam are first and second? On the other hand, if Roman Catholicism counts as one religion, Baptism a second and Methodism a third, and Buddhism as a single religion, coming in fifth ain't bad. But of course if Baptists and Methodists represent different religions, then so should followers of Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, Theravada, NKT, FWBO and SGI. As for the key question that Dan raises, the answer is NO. It rains too much in Seattle. -- Richard Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico From dharmafarer at gmail.com Wed Jan 9 16:48:43 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Wed Jan 9 16:48:48 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] time to move to Seattle? In-Reply-To: <1199894870.6730.17.camel@localhost> References: <47825647.8010900@xs4all.nl> <200801071051.38068.rhayes@unm.edu> <001a01c852b7$ff886200$b5369c04@Dan> <1199894870.6730.17.camel@localhost> Message-ID: On Jan 10, 2008 12:07 AM, Richard Hayes wrote: > But of course if Baptists and > Methodists represent different religions, then so should followers of > Zen, Pure Land, Nichiren, Theravada, NKT, FWBO and SGI. > Indeed, from the various new, even radically new, developments in such Buddhist groups, it is meaningful and expedient to speak of and think in terms of them as "Buddhist religions." The conception of Theravada *bodhi* and Zen *satori,*for example, are not exactly synonymous. Of course, there are always overlaps, and we often find different monastics holding different Buddhist religious views living amicably together in the same premises. As such, it is hard to find an equivalent of say the 30 Years War in Buddhism. However, we might make Schopen smile by adding to the list, the most important Buddhist religion of all today: Buddhist "moneytheism" (after David Loy's writings). Gregory K Ornatowski has written a short introductory essay on "Continuity and Change in the Economic Ethics of Buddhism" (1996) discussing why there is the rise of money economics with the East Asian Buddhist and yet no "Protestant Buddhist ethics" of capitalism. Piya Tan From rahula_80 at yahoo.com Sat Jan 12 04:55:58 2008 From: rahula_80 at yahoo.com (Ngawang Dorje) Date: Sat Jan 12 04:56:06 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 In-Reply-To: <1199894870.6730.17.camel@localhost> Message-ID: <165802.46929.qm@web44804.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi, Are there other English translations available (published or otherwise) of the Kathavatthu beside "Points of Controversy" by S.Z.Aung & C.A.F. Davids? In KV I.1.1, Aung & Davids [p.8-9] has: Theravadin - Is 'the person' known in the sense of a real and ultimate fact? Puggalavadin - Yes. Theravadin - Is the person known in the same way as a real and ultimate fact is known? Puggalavadin - Nay, that cannot truly be said Jonardon Ganeri, in "Argumentation, Dialogue and the Kathavatthu" has: Theraradin: Is the soul (puggala) known as a real and ultimate fact? Pugggalavadin: Yes. Theravadin: Is the soul known in the same way as a real and ultimate fact is known? Puggalavadin: No, that cannot be truly said. --------- Can anyone explain to mean what does this mean? And what does, "a real and ultimate fact" refer to? Regards, Rahula --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. From nichicon at hotmail.com Sat Jan 12 21:32:29 2008 From: nichicon at hotmail.com (connie) Date: Sat Jan 12 22:55:43 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 References: <165802.46929.qm@web44804.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi Rahula, I don't know of any Kathavatthu translations other than Aung & C. Rhys-Davids "Points of Controversy". "Real and ultimate fact" refers to paramattha dhammas (classified as rupa, nama, cetasika and nibbana) as opposed to conceptual or conventional ideas such as 'a person' or 'tree'. You might want to read some of Nina van Gorkom's works such as "Abhidhamma in Daily Life" ( www.zolag.co.uk/ebook.html ) and/or Ven. Narada's English translation of the Abhidhammattha Sangaha ( www.palikanon.com/english/sangaha/sangaha.htm ). peace, connie From rahula_80 at yahoo.com Sat Jan 12 23:17:16 2008 From: rahula_80 at yahoo.com (Ngawang Dorje) Date: Sat Jan 12 23:17:22 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <175561.21547.qm@web44803.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi, So, for the Puggalavadin, the "person" is a paramattha dhammas? I would imagine that for them, there are five paramttha dhammas. Correct? If this is so, then I see the Puggalavadins have nothing against the concept of Anatta. Because, rupa is anatta, nama is anatta, therefore, "person" is anatta. Regards, Rahula --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. From alberlie at online.no Sun Jan 13 01:09:39 2008 From: alberlie at online.no (=?iso-8859-1?Q?=22K=E5re_A=2E_Lie=22?=) Date: Sun Jan 13 01:09:49 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 In-Reply-To: <175561.21547.qm@web44803.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> References: Message-ID: <5.2.1.1.0.20080113090814.01496048@pop.online.no> At 22:17 12.01.2008 -0800, you wrote: >Hi, > > So, for the Puggalavadin, the "person" is a paramattha dhammas? I would > imagine that for them, there are five paramttha dhammas. Correct? > > If this is so, then I see the Puggalavadins have nothing against the > concept of Anatta. Because, rupa is anatta, nama is anatta, therefore, > "person" is anatta. > > Regards, > Rahula Bhikshu Thich Thien Chau, "The Literature of the Personlists of Early Buddhism", gives interesting informations about the Puggalavadins. Yours, K?re A. Lie http://www.lienet.no From vasubandhu at earthlink.net Sun Jan 13 01:13:37 2008 From: vasubandhu at earthlink.net (Dan Lusthaus) Date: Sun Jan 13 01:14:05 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 References: <165802.46929.qm@web44804.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <717401c855bc$34391d30$81369c04@Dan> > Theravadin - Is 'the person' known in the sense of a real and ultimate fact? > Puggalavadin - Yes. > > Theravadin - Is the person known in the same way as a real and ultimate fact is known? > Puggalavadin - Nay, that cannot truly be said > Rahula The Pali reads: 1. Sakavadipuccha: puggalo upalabbhati saccika.t.tha-paramatthena'ti. -1. Paravadipa.ti??a: amanta. Sakavadianuyogo: yo saccika.t.tho paramattho. Tato so puggalo upalabbhati saccika.t.tha-paramatthena'ti. Paravadipa.tikkhepo: naheva.m vattabbe. Sakavadiniggaho: ajanahi niggaha.m. The PTS Dictionary defines saccik' a.t.tha as "truth, reality, the highest truth" -- a synonym for paramattha. upalabbhati = to be found or got, to be known; to exist The attack here -- as is also the case in the Abhidharmakosabhasya's attack on the pudgalavadins -- is to accuse them of equivocating, being promiscuous with "is, is not" and "neither, nor" expressions. As we discussed on this list awhile back, the pudgalavadins themselves -- based on the surviving examples of their literature -- always insist that the pudgala is a prajnapti. Thus it would not be a dravya ("real" thing). Their opponents were always eager to accuse them of taking the pudgala as too real. Among the non-pudgalavada sources that support the contention that for the pudgalavadins, the pudgala is a prajnapti are Vasumitra and Bhavaviveka. The former begins his exposition of their tenets with: "The pudgala is neither the same [as] nor different from the skandhas. It is a praj?apti dependent on the skandhas, ayatanas, and dhatus." Thus, be suspicious of any pudgalavada opponent who says or implies otherwise. Priestley's otherwise fine study of pudgalavada Buddhism is plagued by ignoring that advice. Every text (pudgalavadin or otherwise) that acknowledges that for the pudgalavadins the pudgala is a prajnapti he treats with suspicion, or as he says, puzzlement. He just can't believe them, and jumps through hoops trying to make such texts "mean" otherwise than what they say. He even tries to develop a theory of types of prajnapti that would allow that -- a prajnapti that, in his view, ends up meaning "real." There is no doubt that some of their opponents accused them of atmadrsti because of making the pudgala too real; there is much doubt whether any pudgalavadin actually ever held such a view, since their extant literature strenuously denies it. Dan Lusthaus From nichicon at hotmail.com Sun Jan 13 00:18:40 2008 From: nichicon at hotmail.com (connie) Date: Sun Jan 13 17:05:40 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu I.1.1 References: <175561.21547.qm@web44803.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hi, Rahula. So, for the Puggalavadin, the "person" is a paramattha dhammas? I would imagine that for them, there are five paramttha dhammas. Correct? If this is so, then I see the Puggalavadins have nothing against the concept of Anatta. Because, rupa is anatta, nama is anatta, therefore, "person" is anatta. Even if that might be so (and I can't quite agree), there would still be the question of anicca since I think they also would maintain that the person/soul continues to exist after death. Sorry I don't know enough to give a good answer and would rather not guess too much. best wishes, connie From mjw2000 at gmail.com Mon Jan 14 04:45:42 2008 From: mjw2000 at gmail.com (Michael Wilson) Date: Mon Jan 14 04:45:47 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Fourth Uncle in the Mountain Message-ID: <6f0196290801140345o3568c3ceibc531546358c6f76@mail.gmail.com> My review on www.amazon.com of "*Fourth Uncle in the Mountain: The Remarkable Legacy of a Buddhist Itinerant Doctor in Vietnam (Paperback) *by Marjorie Pivar(Author), Quang Van Nguyen(Author) In buddhist legend, meditation adepts attain a "samadhi fantastic beyond description". This is Fourth Uncle. The magic, sorcery, and martial art stories give way to the natural magic of one pointed concentration - in the cave of the primoridal, original, and pristine mind. I enjoyed this book so much, in spite of the tragic backdrop of pre and post Vietnamese colonial history. There is a great human truth here, that goes beyond religions, in the narration that radiates out through the eyes of a child coming into adulthood. There is also a lot of what is called by aboriginal peoples, "indigenous knowledge" about Viet Nam, which sadly may be disappearing because of enviromental desecration. This book is also a hommage to the folk doctor tradition. This tradition, so vital to the revitalization of the human spirit, is also in danger of being marginalized by institutionalized medicine. Better that it be accommodated for what it is - natural wisdom. * http://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Uncle-Mountain-Remarkable-Itinerant/dp/0312314310/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200310734&sr=8-1 * Michael J. Wilson From mgessex at yahoo.com Wed Jan 16 09:29:04 2008 From: mgessex at yahoo.com (Michael Essex) Date: Wed Jan 16 10:16:50 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Question about Pali Term Message-ID: <523391.86853.qm@web60711.mail.yahoo.com> I hope someone can help. I am doing a presentation on using Buddhist concepts in psychotherapy. I am interested in the term mindfulness. It is frequently used in Buddhist influenced therapies. This particular use seems to stem from the translation of sati used in the "Heart of Buddhist Meditation". I am most familiar with the Tibetan presentation of the development of shamata (zhi gnas) in 9 stages. Two key elements are dran pa (from SKT smriti, Pali sati) and shes bzhin (SKT samprajanyam, sorry I don't have the Pali) The way in which "mindfulness" is used by therapist seems to conflate the ideas of dran pa and shes bzhin. Anyway I am interested in whether this use of dran pa and shes bzhin (of course in Pali) is similarly contained in Theravadin literature on the development of samatha. Can someone point me to good sources? thanks Mike From twin_oceans at yahoo.com Wed Jan 16 12:31:52 2008 From: twin_oceans at yahoo.com (Katherine Masis) Date: Wed Jan 16 12:32:00 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Free Conference on Han in California Message-ID: <966494.11767.qm@web54502.mail.re2.yahoo.com> This might be of interest to the Californians on this list. Katherine ------------------------------------------------ Announcement from the Center for Process Studies list-serv: CPS News: Process and Han Conference? From: CPS Communications Director (news@ctr4process. org) Sent: Mon 1/14/08 4:42 PM ----------------------------------------------- Chinese Han and Korean Han The 2nd Process and Han Conference Friday, Feb.1, 2008 1:30 - 5:30pm Sil Ha Woo (Korea Aerospace Univ.), "The Discovery of `Liaohe Civilization' " Hyunsook Jung (Wonkwang Univ.), "The Calligraphic Style of the Great Dharani Sutra of Immaculate and Pure Light (Mugu Jeonggwang dae darani-gyeong) of the United Silla Period" Youngwoon Ko (Rogers State Univ.), "Toward a New Paradigm for the Book of Changes: Non-Directed Order and Harmony in Kim Ilbu's Jeongyeokdo" Claremont School of Theology Haddon Conference Room (Butler Building) 1325 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711 For information: Email Sang Yil Kim hanism@kornet. net *This conference is free and open to the public. --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. From rahula_80 at yahoo.com Thu Jan 17 08:46:18 2008 From: rahula_80 at yahoo.com (Ngawang Dorje) Date: Thu Jan 17 08:46:36 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Kathavatthu 19.5 In-Reply-To: <717401c855bc$34391d30$81369c04@Dan> Message-ID: <490602.33444.qm@web44805.mail.sp1.yahoo.com> Hi, Kathavatthu 19.5 Of 'Thusness' Controverted Point - That the fundamental characteristic of all things (sabba-dhamma) are unconditioned. >From the Commentary - Some, like the Uttarapathakas, hold that there is an immutable something called thusness (or suchness) in the very nature of all things, material or otherwise [taken as a whole]. And because this 'thusness' is not included in the [particular] conditioned matter, etc., itself, therefore it is unconditiones. [1] Th - Do you then identify those fundamental characteristic or 'thusness' with Nibbana, the Shelter.....the Goal, the Past-deceased, the Ambrosial? Or are there two 'unconditioned's'? You deny both alternatives [but you must assent to one or the other]. If to the latter, I ask, are there two kinds of Shelter and so on? And is there a boundary or.....interstice between them? [2] Again, assuming a materiality (rupata) of matter or body, is not materiality unconditioned? You assent. Then I raise the same difficulties as before. [3] I raise them, too, if you admit a 'hedonality' of feeling, a 'perceivability' of perception, a sankharata or co-efficiency of mental co-efficients, a consciousness of being conscious. If all these be unconditioned, are there then six categories of 'unconditioned's'? [4] U. - But if I am wrong, is the 'thusness' of all things the five aggregates taken together]? Th - Yes. U. - Then that 'thusness' of all things is unconditioned. --------- I don't think I understand what is being said. Specifically, what is the view of Theravadin? And what is the view of Uttarapathakas? What does the passage trying to tell us? Regards, Rahula --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. From rhayes at unm.edu Thu Jan 17 11:11:34 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Thu Jan 17 11:12:03 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Question about Pali Term In-Reply-To: <523391.86853.qm@web60711.mail.yahoo.com> References: <523391.86853.qm@web60711.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <200801171111.34673.rhayes@unm.edu> On Wednesday 16 January 2008 09:29, Michael Essex wrote: > I am interested in the term mindfulness. It is frequently used in > Buddhist influenced therapies. This particular use seems to stem from > the translation of sati used in the "Heart of Buddhist Meditation". Mindfulness does indeed seem to be becoming a fashionable term. Last weekend there was a workshop at a cardiac rehabilitation and wellness center entitled Mindful Money Management. It was taught by a Methodist who has a degree in accounting and banking and who presents caring for personal finances and living within one's means as one of the many elements in a spiritual practice for householders. How does the focus on remaining mindful of one's spiritual goals as one keeps the household budget balanced fit with the Buddhist concept of sati/sm.rti? Generally speaking, I suppose it fits fairly well, since the essential ingredient in what we have come to call mindfulness in Buddhist hybrid English is remembering (sm.rti) the Dharma in everything one does, including managing one's resources. About twenty years ago there was a North American Buddhist convention at which one of the panels was on applying the principles of Right Livelihood to investing. Mindful investing turns out to be pretty challenging, since investment opportunities that don't have some connection to exploitation, war or other violet practices or the provision of unwholesome services, are rare. -- Richard P. Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes From gary.gach at gmail.com Fri Jan 18 07:04:01 2008 From: gary.gach at gmail.com (Gary Gach) Date: Fri Jan 18 07:04:09 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] digital dharma Message-ID: <598baadd0801180604m24ac31c8we9906953330bff17@mail.gmail.com> Hi, Gang. Will be one of three panelists at Sylvia Paull's next Berkeley Cybersalon ? topic being spirituality and computers. One panelist, Steven Vedro, has just published a book ,* Digital Dharma* [Quest], of possible interest. I'll be mentioning Buddha-L of course and invite any members to comment on how computers and particularly this computer-mediated discussion group has influenced their activities, and nonactivities. palms joined _/|\_ Gary Gach http://word.to From parisjm2004 at yahoo.com Sun Jan 20 09:22:17 2008 From: parisjm2004 at yahoo.com (Michael Paris) Date: Sun Jan 20 09:22:21 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Donzoko In-Reply-To: <003501c8293f$57b09d50$0400a8c0@OPTIPLEX> Message-ID: <177455.91184.qm@web57013.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Replies below. I've quoted the original message in full to include Joanna's summary of the film. Apologies in advance for possibly excessive length. Michael --- jkirk wrote: > From: Kirkpatrick [jkirk@spro.net] > > On a tangent from the western Buddhism thread, I just want to say that I watched Akira Kurosawa's film version last night of Maxim Gorky's _The Lower Depths_ (_Donzoko_). Have to admit I've never seen the Gorky play nor read it. Kurosawa says that he made a lot of changes in adapting the play to his purposes. Since I've not seen nor read the play, I can't address the changes. But Kurosawa's version is a study in both samsara and compassion, and to my mind is a very Buddhistic film. > I'd agree only to a degree that it's Buddhistic. One could argue the film is a much Christian. The character of the Buddhist priest was a Christian priest in the play. Regarding changes, the commentator stated Kurosawa took the dialog from the almost verbatim. The movie is almost a filmed version of the play. > An old man pilgrim monk arrives amidst the seedy denizens of a lower depths somewhere in Japan, at the bottom of a refuse pit (we're talking late Edo period here), and asks to stay there for a while. "Gramps" as they call him is given a bunk that was empty, and winds up gently advising various of his shared-quarters neighbors during their wild passions and disputes with one another. At the end, after he has moved on, someone recalls his compassion. Mostly they accuse him of talking comfortable lies, while "they" perceive the truth of reality, and then get drunk. It's a retooled version of the film and the subtitles are in contemporary US English slang, a bit grating-- but then I never saw the original with original subtitles, that may not have been any better. > The priest did offer comfort (e.g., to a dying woman, saying the nembutsu in hushed tones over her corpse) and good advice. He tried - with very mixed results - to help an alcoholic. His advice was common-sense, not pious nor condescending. On the other hand, all the characters - both the residents of the flop-house and the landlord's family - were not in the least interested in seeing beyond their situations. They _could_ have changed, at least from our point of view. In that sense I can agree there was a Buddhist element in the film, as we do have a choice whether to stay in samsara or seek release. We can consider Buddhism a pack of lies at worst, a false hope at best, or give it a try. The characters did perceive the truth of their reality to various degrees, the cold, cynical gambler most of all. His relationship with the priest raises doubts just who the latter really is - an itinerant religious or someone just like the other characters, pretending to be otherwise. Perhaps the priest is using piety as his escape from harsh reality. > A beautiful filmic exposition of delusion, hatred, and desire and how the social lowest of the low are so attached to their existential situation that they cannot imagine getting out of it, even though some of them dream of it. The pilgrim monk is the only one who has ever been out of the pit. > Yes. The characters would have to _completely_ change their attitudes to deal with their despair. Not so easy. >From a Buddhist point of view, once one is aware of samsara, then one needs to decide whether to do something about it (difficult) or not (difficult in a different way). The gambler saw the truth and made his choice. At least the priest talks like he's been out of the pit; he certainly seems to be wise. The truth - ? > Has anyone on the list seen this film, and/or the Gorky play? Jean Renoir filmed it in France in 1931, and Kurosawa's dates from 1957. > > Joanna K. Got the K version from Netflix, the Criterion edition with extras, including a commentary track of limited usefulness. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From twin_oceans at yahoo.com Sun Jan 20 20:11:13 2008 From: twin_oceans at yahoo.com (Katherine Masis) Date: Sun Jan 20 20:11:18 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia Message-ID: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> I copied-and-pasted this from another list, but I forgot which one. They'll publish a book with the papers presented. Katherine Masis ------------------------------ CALL FOR PAPERS Symposium on Philosophy as Therapeia: Perspectives from India and Europe 2008 Royal Institute of Philosophy Conference, University of Liverpool, 19th-21st June 2008. We are inviting proposals for papers on the topics outlined below. Please send abstracts to Clare Carlisle [ Clare.Carlisle at liv.ac.uk ] by 30th September 2007. Papers presented at the Symposium will be published by Cambridge University Press in a volume entitled *Philosophy as Therapeia*. ?Empty are the words of that philosopher who offers therapy for no human suffering. For just as there is no use in medical expertise if it does not give therapy for bodily diseases, so too there is no use in philosophy if it does not expel the suffering of the soul.? The Stoic Epicurus (341-271 BCE) was not the only philosopher to give voice to a conception of philosophy as a cure or remedy for the maladies of the human soul. Indeed, this has been a prominent theme throughout the history of philosophy in Europe, and it has been just as prominent in many of the various traditions of philosophy in India. The aim of this Royal Institute of Philosophy symposium is to explore this paradigm or metaphor for the nature of philosophical practice. Our intention is that the resulting volume, to be published by Cambridge University Press, will contain the most definitive statement to date of the scope and limits of the medicinal model. There will be studies of all the most important uses to which this model have been put by philosophers in the past (Socratic, Stoics, Epicurus, Sextus Empiricus; early Buddhists, Mahayana Buddhism; Upanisadic, Nyaya, Epic; Kierkegaard, Spinoza, Wittgenstein, Derrida), and also analyses of the model from contemporary and comparative perspectives. Some of the central themes this Symposium will discuss include: - What are the ?illnesses? that afflict ourselves as subjects, to which philosophy might be cathartic? - What is the content of the medical analogy? Is the medicine a curative, a tonic, or a prophylactic? - Why do both Sextus Empiricus and the Buddha regard the medicine that is philosophy to be an emetic, purging itself as well as the disease? - What is the role of the sage or wise person, for example Yaj?avalkya in the Upanisads or the Stoic Sage? - What is the relation between philosophy as treatment and ?indirect communication? (Kierkegaard)? --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. From smith at wheelwrightassoc.com Sun Jan 20 23:35:32 2008 From: smith at wheelwrightassoc.com (Timothy Smith) Date: Sun Jan 20 23:35:41 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia In-Reply-To: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> References: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <34F75F4B-9CBB-4069-90FB-365E9BC3D28B@wheelwrightassoc.com> If, as most Jungians would have it, therapy means 'attending to', and philosophy means 'love of wisdom', I'm not sure how to make sense of the following. > - What are the ?illnesses? that afflict ourselves as subjects, to > which philosophy might be cathartic? > - What is the content of the medical analogy? Is the medicine a > curative, a tonic, or a prophylactic? > - Why do both Sextus Empiricus and the Buddha regard the medicine > that is philosophy to be an emetic, purging itself as well as the > disease? > - What is the role of the sage or wise person, for example > Yaj?avalkya in the Upanisads or the Stoic Sage? > - What is the relation between philosophy as treatment and > ?indirect communication? (Kierkegaard)? > Isn't there a kind of gross over reaching going on here? Or is it just one more attempt to make philosophy relevant in an age where action is valued over reflection. Just wondering. Timothy Smith Wheelwright Associates www.wheelwrightassoc.com On Jan 20, 2008, at 7:11 PM, Katherine Masis wrote: > I copied-and-pasted this from another list, but I forgot which > one. They'll publish a book with the papers presented. > > Katherine Masis > > ------------------------------ > CALL FOR PAPERS > > Symposium on Philosophy as Therapeia: Perspectives from India and > Europe > 2008 Royal Institute of Philosophy Conference, University of > Liverpool, 19th-21st June 2008. > From rhayes at unm.edu Mon Jan 21 11:11:42 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Mon Jan 21 11:11:51 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia In-Reply-To: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> References: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1200939102.7740.3.camel@localhost> On Sun, 2008-01-20 at 19:11 -0800, Katherine Masis wrote: > Symposium on Philosophy as Therapeia: Perspectives from India and Europe Philosophy AS therapy? What a fascinating concept. I have always seen philosophy as a disease that makes the person afflicted by it require therapy, but for which no therapeutic intervention has yet proved effective. -- Richard Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico From rhayes at unm.edu Mon Jan 21 11:17:49 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Mon Jan 21 11:17:55 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia In-Reply-To: <34F75F4B-9CBB-4069-90FB-365E9BC3D28B@wheelwrightassoc.com> References: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> <34F75F4B-9CBB-4069-90FB-365E9BC3D28B@wheelwrightassoc.com> Message-ID: <1200939469.7740.9.camel@localhost> On Sun, 2008-01-20 at 22:35 -0800, Timothy Smith wrote: > Isn't there a kind of gross over reaching going on here? Or is it > just one more attempt to make philosophy relevant in an age where action > is valued over reflection. You?ll notice that the most recent philosopher they mention as someone who might have something to say to our times is Sextus Empiricus (second century B.C.E.) > Just wondering. Just stop it, Tim, before it's too late. Wondering leads to philosophy. -- Richard Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico From parisjm2004 at yahoo.com Mon Jan 21 11:38:59 2008 From: parisjm2004 at yahoo.com (Michael Paris) Date: Mon Jan 21 11:39:05 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia In-Reply-To: <803198.10332.qm@web54503.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <708248.77132.qm@web57013.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Epicurus was a _Stoic_? Mayhaps there's some confusion between the Stoic Epictetus and the Epicurean Epicurus. I'm not so sure that Epicurus conceived of philosophy as therapy; Epictetus, possibly. Michael Paris --- Katherine Masis wrote: > > The Stoic Epicurus (341-271 BCE) was not the only philosopher to > give voice to a conception of philosophy as a cure or remedy for the > maladies of the human soul. [snips pre- and post-] ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs From curt at cola.iges.org Mon Jan 21 13:15:13 2008 From: curt at cola.iges.org (Curt Steinmetz) Date: Mon Jan 21 13:15:31 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Call for Papers: Philosophy as Therapeia In-Reply-To: <708248.77132.qm@web57013.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <708248.77132.qm@web57013.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4794FD51.3010303@cola.iges.org> Here's a link to the website for the Symposium in question: http://www.liv.ac.uk/philosophy/events/rip/index.htm They appear to have corrected the misidentification of Epicurus as a "Stoic" (on the website). Epicureans definitely viewed philosophy as therapy - like all of the major schools of Greek philosophy. Philosophy had no real meaning outside of the conscious effort to live well. Curt Michael Paris wrote: > Epicurus was a _Stoic_? > > Mayhaps there's some confusion between the Stoic Epictetus and the > Epicurean Epicurus. > > I'm not so sure that Epicurus conceived of philosophy as therapy; > Epictetus, possibly. > > > Michael Paris > > --- Katherine Masis wrote: > >> >> The Stoic Epicurus (341-271 BCE) was not the only philosopher to >> give voice to a conception of philosophy as a cure or remedy for the >> maladies of the human soul. >> > > [snips pre- and post-] > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > From holbjaff at praha1.ff.cuni.cz Sun Jan 27 14:18:04 2008 From: holbjaff at praha1.ff.cuni.cz (holbjaff@praha1.ff.cuni.cz) Date: Sun Jan 27 15:41:39 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Dhammapada Message-ID: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> Dear colleagues, I am going to write an article about ethics and wisdom in Dhammapada. Please, could you recommend me please some article or book concerning this issues? Thank you very much, Jiri Holba Charles University Prague ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ From pjbowen at gmail.com Sun Jan 27 16:59:29 2008 From: pjbowen at gmail.com (Peter Bowen) Date: Sun Jan 27 17:12:34 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Dhammapada In-Reply-To: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> References: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> Message-ID: Hi Jiri: A good introductory article is Bhikkhu Bodhi's short discussion: http://www.bps.lk/bodhi_leaves_library/bodhi_leaves_pdf/bl_129.pdf Best wishes, Peter Bowen Toronto, Canada On 27/01/2008, holbjaff@praha1.ff.cuni.cz wrote: > Dear colleagues, > > I am going to write an article about ethics and wisdom in Dhammapada. Please, > could you recommend me please some article or book concerning this issues? > > Thank you very much, > > Jiri Holba > Charles University > Prague > > > > ------------------------------------------------- > This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ > > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > From dharmafarer at gmail.com Sun Jan 27 18:01:59 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Sun Jan 27 18:02:05 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Dhammapada In-Reply-To: References: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> Message-ID: Dear Jiri, The academic classic remains with Burlingame's Buddhist Legends (Harvard Oriental Series). Vol 1 has a very good comparative study with other canonical sources, and a critical analysis of the Dhammapada stories. A good source of critical ideas, if not the entertaining, educational and liberating stories. With metta, Piya Tan On Jan 28, 2008 7:59 AM, Peter Bowen wrote: > Hi Jiri: > > A good introductory article is Bhikkhu Bodhi's short discussion: > > > http://www.bps.lk/bodhi_leaves_library/bodhi_leaves_pdf/bl_129.pdf > > > Best wishes, > Peter Bowen > Toronto, Canada > > > On 27/01/2008, holbjaff@praha1.ff.cuni.cz > wrote: > > Dear colleagues, > > > > I am going to write an article about ethics and wisdom in Dhammapada. > Please, > > could you recommend me please some article or book concerning this > issues? > > > > Thank you very much, > > > > Jiri Holba > > Charles University > > Prague > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------- > > This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > buddha-l mailing list > > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > > > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > -- The Minding Centre Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr) Singapore 650644 Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com From rhayes at unm.edu Sun Jan 27 20:02:13 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Sun Jan 27 20:02:21 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Dhammapada In-Reply-To: References: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> Message-ID: <1201489333.14422.10.camel@localhost> Just an incidental curiosity to report. This weekend in Albuquerque there was a three-day event entitled "Jesus and the Buddha," sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation. Some 900 people attended. One of the 900 attenders came to the Albuquerque Quaker Meeting this morning and enthusiastically paraphrased lines from the Dhammapada. (Hatred can never be removed by hatred and so on.) A few minutes later another Friend rose and quoted a lengthy and inspiring prayer from the Upanishads. Then a Jewish Quaker woman stood and recited a beautiful Jewish prayer and gave a lovely talk around it, ending with a tearful expression of joy that the Palestinians have breached the wall around Gaza and saying that there will never be peace until people come close to God, and no one can be close to God if they build walls to keep others out. Quite an eventful meeting by Albuquerque Quaker standards! And to think, it all started with a citation of the Dhammapada by a woman who had learned it at an interfaith event sponsored by a Franciscan monk. -- Richard Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico From dharmafarer at gmail.com Sun Jan 27 20:39:29 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Sun Jan 27 20:39:35 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Dhammapada In-Reply-To: <1201489333.14422.10.camel@localhost> References: <1201468684.479cf50c7decc@horde.ff.cuni.cz> <1201489333.14422.10.camel@localhost> Message-ID: Sadhu! On Jan 28, 2008 11:02 AM, Richard Hayes wrote: > Just an incidental curiosity to report. This weekend in Albuquerque > there was a three-day event entitled "Jesus and the Buddha," sponsored > by the Center for Action and Contemplation. Some 900 people attended. > > One of the 900 attenders came to the Albuquerque Quaker Meeting this > morning and enthusiastically paraphrased lines from the Dhammapada. > (Hatred can never be removed by hatred and so on.) A few minutes later > another Friend rose and quoted a lengthy and inspiring prayer from the > Upanishads. Then a Jewish Quaker woman stood and recited a beautiful > Jewish prayer and gave a lovely talk around it, ending with a tearful > expression of joy that the Palestinians have breached the wall around > Gaza and saying that there will never be peace until people come close > to God, and no one can be close to God if they build walls to keep > others out. Quite an eventful meeting by Albuquerque Quaker standards! > And to think, it all started with a citation of the Dhammapada by a > woman who had learned it at an interfaith event sponsored by a > Franciscan monk. > > -- > Richard Hayes > Department of Philosophy > University of New Mexico > > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > -- The Minding Centre Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr) Singapore 650644 Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com From Jackhat1 at aol.com Mon Jan 28 08:16:50 2008 From: Jackhat1 at aol.com (Jackhat1@aol.com) Date: Mon Jan 28 08:17:02 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Jhana Message-ID: Does jhana refer to general meditation in some places in the canon? It is clear that "jhana" used in the four jhana refers to levels of concentration. But, there seems to be instances where it is used alone without reference to the 4 jhanas and might mean meditation in a more general sense. For instance, the Buddha was feeling tired so he entered a jhana state for a few minutes to rest. jack **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 From rhayes at unm.edu Mon Jan 28 09:27:01 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Mon Jan 28 09:27:33 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Jhana In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <200801280927.01467.rhayes@unm.edu> On Monday 28 January 2008 08:16, Jackhat1@aol.com wrote: > Does jhana refer to general meditation in some places in the canon? I don't know, but I hope someone answers this. > For instance, the Buddha was feeling tired so he entered a > jhana state for a few minutes to rest. The Sanskrit dhyaana is derived from dhyai, which can mean, among other things, to think. Dhyaana in general Sanskrit usage covers such activities as working out algebra problems, thinking about metaphysics, contemplating beauty and so forth, and I think it has this same sense in Pali. When one is working on a differential equation, then one is in first jhaana. Aristotle argues in various places that God's only activity is to contemplate the Good, and since God is the greatest good, God's only activity is to think about God. Human beings are closest to being like God when they are contemplating for the pure sake of contemplating, and that happens when one is thinking about metaphysical issues. I think he was right. I have always held that either Aristotle was a Buddhist without knowing it or that Gautama was an Aristotelian without knowing it. -- Richard P. Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes From rhayes at unm.edu Mon Jan 28 09:31:45 2008 From: rhayes at unm.edu (Richard Hayes) Date: Mon Jan 28 09:32:14 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Say what? Message-ID: <200801280931.45383.rhayes@unm.edu> Fellow denizens, Every day I get a Peace Quote in my inbox. Being a Buddhist I am of course an incurable absolute pacifist, so I love these quotes. Today's quote took me by surprise. It is attributed to the Buddha, but I have never seen anything quite like it in any Buddhist text, although I have frequently said almost exactly what this alleged quote says while teaching mettaa-bhaavanaa. Can someone identify this quote, or at least some qutation of which this might be an apt paraphrase? ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: PEACE Quote Date: Monday 28 January 2008 04:02 From: Daily Peace Quote Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love the world. - The Buddha ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -- Richard P. Hayes Department of Philosophy University of New Mexico http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes From jkirk at spro.net Mon Jan 28 08:36:06 2008 From: jkirk at spro.net (jkirk) Date: Mon Jan 28 09:33:19 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Jhana In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <004901c861c3$7f866410$0400a8c0@OPTIPLEX> Isn't the term jhana related to the Skt term dhyana? If so, a general use for it would not be problematic. Joanna -----Original Message----- From: buddha-l-bounces@mailman.swcp.com [mailto:buddha-l-bounces@mailman.swcp.com] On Behalf Of Jackhat1@aol.com Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 8:17 AM To: buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com Subject: [Buddha-l] Jhana Does jhana refer to general meditation in some places in the canon? It is clear that "jhana" used in the four jhana refers to levels of concentration. But, there seems to be instances where it is used alone without reference to the 4 jhanas and might mean meditation in a more general sense. For instance, the Buddha was feeling tired so he entered a jhana state for a few minutes to rest. jack **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 _______________________________________________ buddha-l mailing list buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.12/1245 - Release Date: 1/26/2008 3:45 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.12/1245 - Release Date: 1/26/2008 3:45 PM From dharmafarer at gmail.com Mon Jan 28 09:35:24 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Mon Jan 28 09:35:32 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Say what? In-Reply-To: <200801280931.45383.rhayes@unm.edu> References: <200801280931.45383.rhayes@unm.edu> Message-ID: Not by the historical Buddha, as far as I know. Perhaps it is a lazy translation of a text. Piya On Jan 29, 2008 12:31 AM, Richard Hayes wrote: > Fellow denizens, > > Every day I get a Peace Quote in my inbox. Being a Buddhist I am of course > an > incurable absolute pacifist, so I love these quotes. Today's quote took me > by > surprise. It is attributed to the Buddha, but I have never seen anything > quite like it in any Buddhist text, although I have frequently said almost > exactly what this alleged quote says while teaching mettaa-bhaavanaa. > > Can someone identify this quote, or at least some qutation of which this > might > be an apt paraphrase? > > ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- > > Subject: PEACE Quote > Date: Monday 28 January 2008 04:02 > From: Daily Peace Quote > > Do not judge yourself harshly. Without mercy for ourselves we cannot love > the > world. - The Buddha > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > -- > Richard P. Hayes > Department of Philosophy > University of New Mexico > http://www.unm.edu/~rhayes > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > -- The Minding Centre Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr) Singapore 650644 Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com From twin_oceans at yahoo.com Tue Jan 29 18:56:57 2008 From: twin_oceans at yahoo.com (Katherine Masis) Date: Tue Jan 29 18:57:01 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Re: Jhana Message-ID: <307828.71642.qm@web54501.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Jack, I downloaded this the other day. It's Henepola Gunaratana's PhD dissertation from American U back in 1980. He has a center in West Virginia. Title: **A Critical Analysis of the Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation** http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/printguna.pdf Katherine --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. From dharmafarer at gmail.com Tue Jan 29 19:17:08 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Tue Jan 29 19:17:14 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] Jhana In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Jack, There is some discussion on Dhyana in this paper: http://dharmafarer.googlepages.com/sd15.1_Bhavana_piya.pdf With metta, Piya Tan On Jan 28, 2008 11:16 PM, wrote: > > Does jhana refer to general meditation in some places in the canon? It is > clear that "jhana" used in the four jhana refers to levels of > concentration. > But, there seems to be instances where it is used alone without reference > to > the 4 jhanas and might mean meditation in a more general sense. For > instance, > the Buddha was feeling tired so he entered a jhana state for a few > minutes to > rest. > > jack > > > > > **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. > http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > -- The Minding Centre Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr) Singapore 650644 Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com From jinavamsa at yahoo.com Tue Jan 29 23:18:40 2008 From: jinavamsa at yahoo.com (Mitchell Ginsberg) Date: Tue Jan 29 23:18:49 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] testifying with body (AN.i.118) In-Reply-To: <200801281635.m0SGZZf4001614@ns1.swcp.com> Message-ID: <483254.43551.qm@web62511.mail.re1.yahoo.com> hello all, I just opened the PTS edition of AN vol. 1 and came across AN.II.3.Sect.21 (in one ordering), aka AN.i.118 (by pagination). In that little section is the concept of Testifying with Body (that's the way the PTS translation puts it). I am not clear what they are gettingat, but I interpret it to relate to the progress possible for one who is focusing on the first of the four satipatthanas, which is body, after all. In the passage, the Buddha is asked, and says that of the 3 kinds of people being considered it is not easy to tell which is the best, which means, I take it, that they're pretty much about the same in worthiness in the (Buddhist) path. The three are people who testified to the truth with body, who have won view (or insight)_ and who are released by confidence (or "faith" in the special Buddhist sense that is quite different from the term in Christianity). The one thing I can see so far is that it has to do with the concentration developed by paying careful attention to the body. Are there any passages elsewhere, or in the cmy lit. that clarifies this? Thank you very much. Mitchell G. ========== In memoriam Robert Solomon: http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/books/TheInnerPalace/TIP_RCS.html For information on psychotherapy with links of interest: http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/mentalhealth.html Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ From dharmafarer at gmail.com Wed Jan 30 00:38:24 2008 From: dharmafarer at gmail.com (Piya Tan) Date: Wed Jan 30 00:38:31 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] testifying with body (AN.i.118) In-Reply-To: <483254.43551.qm@web62511.mail.re1.yahoo.com> References: <200801281635.m0SGZZf4001614@ns1.swcp.com> <483254.43551.qm@web62511.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Mitchell. There is some discussion on this interesting ares in the annotated translation of the Kitagiri Sutta (M 70), which also quotes others citations: http://dharmafarer.googlepages.com/M70_Kitagiri_S_sd11.1.pdf With metta, Piya Tan On Jan 30, 2008 2:18 PM, Mitchell Ginsberg wrote: > hello all, > > I just opened the PTS edition of AN vol. 1 and came > across AN.II.3.Sect.21 (in one ordering), aka AN.i.118 > (by pagination). > > In that little section is the concept of Testifying with > Body (that's the way the PTS translation puts it). > > I am not clear what they are gettingat, but I interpret > it to relate to the progress possible for one who is > focusing on the first of the four satipatthanas, which > is body, after all. > > In the passage, the Buddha is asked, and says that of > the 3 kinds of people being considered it is not easy > to tell which is the best, which means, I take it, that > they're pretty much about the same in worthiness in > the (Buddhist) path. > > The three are people who testified to the truth with body, > who have won view (or insight)_ and who are released by > confidence (or "faith" in the special Buddhist sense that is > quite different from the term in Christianity). > > The one thing I can see so far is that it has to do with the > concentration developed by paying careful attention to the > body. > > Are there any passages elsewhere, or in the cmy lit. that > clarifies this? > > Thank you very much. > > Mitchell G. > > ========== > In memoriam Robert Solomon: > http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/books/TheInnerPalace/TIP_RCS.html > For information on psychotherapy with links of interest: > http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa/mentalhealth.html > Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/jinavamsa > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > > _______________________________________________ > buddha-l mailing list > buddha-l@mailman.swcp.com > http://mailman.swcp.com/mailman/listinfo/buddha-l > -- The Minding Centre Blk 644 Bukit Batok Central #01-68 (2nd flr) Singapore 650644 Website: dharmafarer.googlepages.com From jkirk at spro.net Wed Jan 30 10:56:04 2008 From: jkirk at spro.net (jkirk) Date: Wed Jan 30 10:56:05 2008 Subject: [Buddha-l] FYI--book on _Mongolian Buddhism: The Rise and Fall of the Sangha_ Message-ID: <017b01c86369$62250b90$0400a8c0@OPTIPLEX> H-ASIA January 30, 2008 Member publication: Michael Jerryson, _Mongolian Buddhism: The Rise and Fall of the Sangha_ (new American edition) ***************************************************************** From: Michael Jerryson May I introduce my new publication _Mongolian Buddhism: The Rise and Fall of the Sangha_ which was originally published by Silkworm Books and which is now being released in the United States through the University of Washington Press. by Michael K. Jerryson First paperback edition 2007 by Silkworm Books. Released through University of Washington Press in the United States. ISBN 978-974-9511-26-8 This is the first book to explore the development of Mongolia's state religion, from its formation in the thirteenth century around the time of Chinggis Qaan (aka Genghis Khan) until its demise in the twentieth century under the Soviet Union. The focal point is the religious genocide in Mongolia during its years as a Soviet satellite under the iron fist of Joseph Stalin. The significance of this massacre goes well beyond the confines of religion. Until its downfall, Mongolian Buddhism had served as a scientific, political, and medical resource for the Mongolian people. During the 1930s, Mongolian Buddhist monasticism, the caretaker of these resources, was methodically and systematically demolished. Lamas were forced to apostatize, and either enslaved or executed. Now, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolian Buddhism has reemerged in a country that has yet to fully confront its bloody past. Through historical analysis that employs Tibetan, Chinese, and Russian accounts of history, the author offers a much-needed religio-political perspective on the ebb and flow of Buddhism and the Sangha in Mongolia, on the Asian periphery. ------------------------ with warm regards, Michael Jerryson University of California, Santa Barbara mjerryson@gmail.com -- Michael Jerryson Dept. Religious Studies UC - Santa Barbara No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.16/1251 - Release Date: 1/30/2008 9:29 AM