The encounter between Buddhism and the West is one of the greatest collisions of the twenty-first century
Arnold Toynbee
Buddhism brings a sophisticated psychology, techniques of meditation, a profound metaphysics, and a universally admired code of ethics. The West brings a skeptical empiricism, a pragmatic science and technology, and a commitment to democracy and individual liberty. If the history of the spread of Buddhism to other cultures teaches any lessons, it is that a genuinely new and distinctive form of Buddhism will be born from this encounter.
Demien Keown, Buddhism- A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2013), p. 145.
The Dhamma ...is immortal, but its form must ever change to serve the ever-changing human need
Christmas Humphreys (1901-1983), Founder President of the Buddhist Society in England, Sixty Years of Buddhism in England, p. 80
The emergence of the CyberSangha, a network of Buddhist groups linked by computers, and the availability of online information about Buddhism
Source:
Demien Keown, Buddhism- A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2013).
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Buddhist Solutions to Current World Issues or What Makes Buddhism Different from Other Religions
There have been many vibrant discussions and inspiring writings about whether Buddhism is a religion or a philosophy of life, and about the shared and non-shared areas between Buddhism and modern science, especially quantum physics. From a Buddhist practitioner's perspective, two striking fundamental features seem to make Buddhism stand out from other traditional philosophies and religious beliefs. One is related to Buddhist self examination; the other, the Buddhist relationship between the practitioner him-/herself and the surrounding worlds (beings and phenomena). Both features are not theoretical, but completely empirical and pragmatic. In fact, Buddhism is to be experienced, not to be discussed. That is why the Buddha' s Dhamma is for those who are willing to come, and able to see (not for those who are unable or unwilling to see), and for those who can recognize the Truth or Reality, and achieve enlightenment with his/her own efforts through practice.
First, self examination or introspection. The Buddhist is a vigilant observer of him-/herself body (behaviors, speech, actions), thoughts, feelings and emotions (consciousness and mind). This is a nonstop struggle to conquer oneself. Hence, each Buddhist is a soldier engaged in a fight against his/her own greed, anger, and ignorance till the last breath. Buddhist practitioners are expected to be aware of what is going on to their own body and mind. They are not supposed to rely on others for their mindfulness and enlightenment (the ultimate goal of their practice). A Buddhist is an atheist in this sense. The statue/photo of the Buddha is only for the Buddhist to show respect to his/her great Teacher. The Buddha is not an omnipotent or omnipresent God who can save the follower from the hell s/he has created through his/her misdeeds (bad karmas).
Second, the Buddhist's attitudes or reactions towards others, what is happening around him/her, including all changing events and phenomena in this world and in the universes. All genuine Buddhists are supposed to cultivate wisdom (namely, seeing things as they actually are or Truth/Reality) and three virtues in their life on earth. These virtues are Loving-kindness & Compassion (Metta & Karuna), Joy (Mudita) and Equanimity (Upekkha or Letting Go/Not disturbed or agitated, neither attached nor unattached). Wisdom and the three virtues guide Buddhists in their response to various situations. Buddhists' learning about and experience life universal laws in action inside and outside themselves: interdependence or interconnectedness (dependent origination), karma, cause and effect, to mention a few. There is nothing that comes into being by itself. In other words, this is (this exists), because that is (that exists). Everything is changing in an unending process. No beginning. No ending. Cyclic.
The Anapanasati Sutta is the popular guide to Buddhist practitioners. The Sutta guides the practitioner to observe the body, the feelings, the mind, and the dhammas (universal laws). With breathing in and breathing out as one's life companion, one can follow the Way, and achieve, step by step, the ultimate Goal the Buddha Himself pointed out to humankind. It was exactly the Way and the Goal which the Enlightened One once experienced and attained within His own lifespan. This lifespan of ours is only part of our journey towards the ultimate destination, enlightenment. Effort and perseverance will do wonder.
As long as every human can get engaged in conquering him-/herself, and learns to develop wisdom and to cultivate the three virtues mentioned above, peace may happen on earth, within and without. Fundamentally, humankind is a peace-loving and happiness-seeking species.
Related links:
In Vietnamese:
http://thuvienhoasen.org/a22760/thay-tru-tri-thien-vien-truc-lam-gap-go-duc-dat-lai-lat-ma
First, self examination or introspection. The Buddhist is a vigilant observer of him-/herself body (behaviors, speech, actions), thoughts, feelings and emotions (consciousness and mind). This is a nonstop struggle to conquer oneself. Hence, each Buddhist is a soldier engaged in a fight against his/her own greed, anger, and ignorance till the last breath. Buddhist practitioners are expected to be aware of what is going on to their own body and mind. They are not supposed to rely on others for their mindfulness and enlightenment (the ultimate goal of their practice). A Buddhist is an atheist in this sense. The statue/photo of the Buddha is only for the Buddhist to show respect to his/her great Teacher. The Buddha is not an omnipotent or omnipresent God who can save the follower from the hell s/he has created through his/her misdeeds (bad karmas).
Second, the Buddhist's attitudes or reactions towards others, what is happening around him/her, including all changing events and phenomena in this world and in the universes. All genuine Buddhists are supposed to cultivate wisdom (namely, seeing things as they actually are or Truth/Reality) and three virtues in their life on earth. These virtues are Loving-kindness & Compassion (Metta & Karuna), Joy (Mudita) and Equanimity (Upekkha or Letting Go/Not disturbed or agitated, neither attached nor unattached). Wisdom and the three virtues guide Buddhists in their response to various situations. Buddhists' learning about and experience life universal laws in action inside and outside themselves: interdependence or interconnectedness (dependent origination), karma, cause and effect, to mention a few. There is nothing that comes into being by itself. In other words, this is (this exists), because that is (that exists). Everything is changing in an unending process. No beginning. No ending. Cyclic.
The Anapanasati Sutta is the popular guide to Buddhist practitioners. The Sutta guides the practitioner to observe the body, the feelings, the mind, and the dhammas (universal laws). With breathing in and breathing out as one's life companion, one can follow the Way, and achieve, step by step, the ultimate Goal the Buddha Himself pointed out to humankind. It was exactly the Way and the Goal which the Enlightened One once experienced and attained within His own lifespan. This lifespan of ours is only part of our journey towards the ultimate destination, enlightenment. Effort and perseverance will do wonder.
As long as every human can get engaged in conquering him-/herself, and learns to develop wisdom and to cultivate the three virtues mentioned above, peace may happen on earth, within and without. Fundamentally, humankind is a peace-loving and happiness-seeking species.
Related links:
In Vietnamese:
http://thuvienhoasen.org/a22760/thay-tru-tri-thien-vien-truc-lam-gap-go-duc-dat-lai-lat-ma
Important:15:30
In English:
Discussion of Service with Princeton University
Students
Saturday, April 11, 2015
2014 Tax Numbers
President Obama's income as president : $400,000
Royalties from his books in 2014: $94,889
President Obama and his wife Michelle Obama earned $477,383 in adjusted gross income in 2014.
(Joseph Biden and his wife earned $388,844 in 2014.)
The Obamas paid $93,362 in federal taxes.
(Joseph Biden and his wife paid $90,506 Federal taxes in 2014.)
The Obamas donated $70,712 (15% of their income) to charity. $22,012 to Fisher House Foundation, a Chicago-based organization that provides accommodations to families of service members who are receiving treatment at military and veterans' hospitals. In 2012 they donated $103,000; and in 2013 they gave
$8, 751 to the group.
(Joseph Biden and his wife donated $7,380 to charity in 2014.)
Source:
NY Times. Saturday April 11, 2015, A13.
Royalties from his books in 2014: $94,889
President Obama and his wife Michelle Obama earned $477,383 in adjusted gross income in 2014.
(Joseph Biden and his wife earned $388,844 in 2014.)
The Obamas paid $93,362 in federal taxes.
(Joseph Biden and his wife paid $90,506 Federal taxes in 2014.)
The Obamas donated $70,712 (15% of their income) to charity. $22,012 to Fisher House Foundation, a Chicago-based organization that provides accommodations to families of service members who are receiving treatment at military and veterans' hospitals. In 2012 they donated $103,000; and in 2013 they gave
$8, 751 to the group.
(Joseph Biden and his wife donated $7,380 to charity in 2014.)
Source:
NY Times. Saturday April 11, 2015, A13.
Monday, April 6, 2015
The Eight Stages of Jhana and Their Characteristics
Attainment of Cessation
Touching Nirvana with the body
Sphere of Formlessness
8th Jhana Neither
perception nor non-perception
7th Jhana Nothingness
6th Jhana Infinite
Consciousness
5th Jhana Infinite Space
Sphere of Pure Form
4th Jhana Concentration,
Equanimity, Beyond pleasure and pain .
Psychic power attained at this stage
Psychic power attained at this stage
3rd Jhana Concentration, Equanimity
2nd Jhana Concentration, Rapture, Joy
Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Retrocognition, Telepathy, Psychokinesis
1st Jhana Discursive thought, Detachment, Rapture, Joy
Source:
Damien Keown. Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford
University Press, 2013), p. 100.
Notes:
Damien Keown (born 1951) is a prominent bioethicist and authority on Buddhist bioethics.[1] He currently teaches in the Department of History at the University of London. Keown earned a BA in religious studies from the University of Lancaster in 1977 and a DPhil from the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University in 1986.
Keown's most important books include The Nature of Buddhist Ethics (1992) and Buddhism & Bioethics (1995). His most widely read book is Buddhism, A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press).
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