Are there individuals within Tibetan traditions that don’t practice Vajrayana but the paramitayana? And how similar is it to Pure Land practices in East Asia? I guess I’m wondering if the paramitayana practitioners still aspire for rebirth into a Pure Land after death?
From what I know, Theravada monks accept any food(besides some forbidden meat by the Buddha) that comes from their alms including meat. I don't know how this works in the West though. I do know an American Theravadin temple that is pescatarian.
In East Asian Mahayana, almost all monks I know of are vegetarian.
I've heard that certain Tibetan monastics consume meat, but know that there is vegetarianism practiced historically and presently, like the great Shabkar.
I would like to ask those who know more about the dietary traditions of Tibetan monks and would also ask if the vegetarian monks of Tibet or East Asia are able to consume milk or eggs.
How did philosophers like Prajñākaragupta, Jitāri from the Indian Dharmakirtian tradition and the Chinese Huayan philosopher Fǎ Zàng explicate the idea of retrocausality in reasonable terms?
Was reading a Ekottara Agama sutra (EA 3.1) on Buddhanusmrti. We know that Buddhas can have different appearances, vows, and characteristics, like Medicine Buddha having a blue body and Amitabha having a Golden body. Amitabha Buddha also vows to save beings and his pure land is more accessible to sentient beings. Medicine Buddha is more connected towards the sick.
Is this sutra's description of the Tathagata applicable to all Buddhas or specifically, Shakyamuni?
"Once it doesn’t leave his eyes, then he recollects the Tathāgata’s virtues: ‘The Tathāgata’s body is made of diamond. Having perfected the ten powers, he’s courageous amidst his assembly with four kinds of fearlessness. The Tathāgata’s appearance is handsome, unmatched, and not tiresome to watch. His discipline and virtue are accomplished, unbreakable like diamond, and pure and flawless like beryl.’
“The Tathāgata’s samādhi never lacked anything. Once calmed, he was forever tranquil, without another thought. Arrogance, violence, and the passions were pacified. He had completely eliminated the entangling bonds of wishes, angry notions, confused thoughts, and doubts.
“The Tathāgata’s body of wisdom was a knowledge without limit or impediment. The Tathāgata’s body had accomplished liberation, had reached the end of destinations, and no longer would decide: ‘I will fall into birth and death again.’ The Tathāgata’s body had reached knowing and seeing the city [of nirvāṇa]. He knew whether other people had the capacity to be liberated or not. ‘Here they die, and there they’re born. Round they turn, reborn until the end of birth and death.’ He fully knew who was liberated and who wasn’t."
EA 3.1. Source: https://suttacentral.net/ea3.1/en/patton?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false
https://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?t=10195
Hey guys I came across this post and found it quite interesting.
It is linked above, and it basically talks about the importance of nianfo right upon waking up as this drowsy consciousness is similar to the consciousness that's present when just arriving in the state of the bardo.
This seems pretty cool and a good thing to work towards. Has anyone heard teachings or read something about nianfo in the bardo or drowsy state that is similar to this?
Coming from an East Asian Mahayana background, I've don't have any exposure to Tara. I've always seen the name of the deity Tara in Buddhist forums, and would like to learn more.
Is Tara a Buddha or Bodhisattva? What is her relationship to Avalokitesvara, Amitabha, etc?
I believe that an important part of Yogācāra is the explanation of intersubjectivity.
However, there is little to no information about the shared mental projection, which is the bhājanaloka.
Scholarship usually sticks to the idea of every storehouse consciousness being its own life world and states that the idea of the shared mental projection as non-Yogācāra.
I think that there should be more mention of such an important topic in works on Yogācāra Buddhism.
It has been said from Patriarch Yinguang to knowledgeable scholars that reciting Guanyin, can lead to a Sukhavati rebirth. What I am curious about is if anyone knows what the "escort retinue" looks like? Like for Amitabha recitation, it is common knowledge that Amitabha will appear with his escort retinue of the remaining two pure land sages and other Bodhisattvas.
But what about Quan Am, do her practitioners see the same escort retinue or just her?