https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/ckgpxp9wlqpo
A historic Buddhist hall on Japan’s Miyajima Island has burned down after catching fire. The building was known for housing a legendary ‘eternal flame’ believed to have been burning for more than 1,000 years.
I have been practicing Buddhism for some time now, Mahayana to be specific. I only meditate when I feel upset or tired. I just want to know if there is a certain time or amount of times I should meditate. Like how some Catholics pray at 6:00 pm or how Muslims pray 5 times a day. I would prefer for Mahayana answers! Thank you! :)
You say, 'Don't break my glass!' But can you prevent something that is breakable from breaking? If it doesn't break now, it will break later. If you don't break it, someone else will. If someone else doesn't, the chicken will! This is the way it is. When I want to use this glass, I just think of it as already broken. Whenever its time is up, it will break. Penetrating the truth of these things in this way, you see that this glass is already broken. Your mind is at peace. If you can see things like this, there will be no sorrow.
I always Liked Dependent Origination as a far better explanation for the world and creation than whatever other traditions say because I really don't like Creator explanation, cause even creator explanations will include Multi-conditionality, even if they reject it.
And it's Far more aligned with Modern Science than the rest.
Even concepts like Sūnyatā can be interpreted using Modern language
Many People have Misconceptions that "Sūnyatā means Nothingness" or that "Nirvana is annihilation" Both of these Things are False obviously
I also don't like the concept of "Merging with the Universe" that is taught in Pantheist / Pantheistic tradition because one will lose their Distinctiness and nothing of their own will remain ever, all will become one, it's like Putting all of Humanity's consciousness inside a single worldwide Mega computer,losing myself Eternally by merging with something bigger is just sounds horrific to me so that's just Not for me
but I also don't like eternal perfect isolation which is taught in traditions like Jainism whereas per it after moksha you will be in Eternal Isolation, You will never interact with any other soul or anything. You will just exist in the top of the universe in formless body form with perfect eternal isolation with eternally themselves,permanently isolated, omniscient yet separate without Ever interacting with the world. For me existing in Such extreme Isolation
Eternally sounds equally horrific. So that's also not for me
and both of these thoughts are also present in like the Abrahamic conception of Heaven, the dominant one though is where Human souls would exist just to sing praises of God Eternally like the Angels near the throne keep saying "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty" for Eternity without stopping. Look it up actually it is in revelations of Bible
Alongside the angels, heavenly beings and the redeemed are described casting their crowns before God and joining in this unbroken chorus of praise for eternity. The same is in Islamic Heaven where souls will engage in continuous dhikr (remembrance) in Arabic in heaven just the phrases will be in Arabic like SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, Allahu Akbar.
While Many do like these concepts and it's Good for them, but i personally don't like these so that's why these are not for me personally.
But if I was a Singer i would have DEFINITELY love this concept of Heaven as an Eternal Choir LOL
So i like the concept of Nirvana and Tathata better for me that teaches unity and multiplicity interpenetrate simultaneously in everything.
These images helped me understand stuff far better, The Monks were Right Mandala type Visualization of these Concepts really does help to understand them.
What type of grand benefits meditating everyday has? How do you deal with people like these, or do you deal with them at all?
Edit: Thank you everyone for this helpful and insightful conversation, it has been very illuminating!
hi everyone! while scrolling through pinterest, I came across a very beautiful image with words in chinese and a divine figure. When I translated it, I found the message the image conveyed beautiful. So I decided to research it further, and now I'm here! I want to learn everything about Buddhism and its various branches. Please, if you know of any reliable websites, books, or articles that explain Buddhism, I would love to know.
Just as a bee,
without hurting the flower,
its colour or scent,
gathers its nectar and escapes,
so should the sage roam in the village.
(Dhammapada 4:49)
Just sharing some pictures from this Spring’s honeybee swarm collection. One of my hives swarmed (unwelcome but not bad either) but the girls were kind enough to settle in our cherry bush at ground level. I was able to hand collect them seated, found the queen halfway through, making the rest just come into the. Ox on their own. Very pleasant.
Specifically, intelligent life similar to ourselves? Has this question been considered even in centuries past?
Coming from a Christian background, I know many would find it destabilizing to their world view. I assume buddhism would have no problem with that realization?
Just a question I'm curious about...
I posted some time ago about udana 8.8 and how it doesn't sit quite right with me.
Idk. I have been in contact with buddhism for quite a long time. I came accross it in my early teenage years and it helped me a lot. I will forever be thankful for what it taught me and the anchor it gave me in my life.
I knew buddhism is about getting rid of attachments all along. There's nothing new with that.
However, when I encountered this particular sutra it just felt weird. When I first encountered it I felt it's a bit cold but I still understand it's core teaching. Yet, now I just feel more and more empty... The more I ponder about it the more cruel it seems. Telling a woman in grief to just not be attached just doesn't seem compassionate in any way... Idk.
It is this sutra which moved me closer to Taoism. However, Taoism doesn't offer this kind of structured path which buddhism offers...
It might seem weird to you that one sutra caused me to feel like this after being in contact with buddhism for so long. And I cannot explain it myself either.
And the comments under my last post which reminded me of the option to just leave whatever doesn't feel right at the moment and come back to it later; while it makes sense; it's just the sutra is still stuck with me... I cannot believe to ever come to a point at which I would be able to deeply align with it.
It seems so silly. It's not like the sutra is extremely special or like it's advocating for something horribly brutal... But it just feels so cold. And left me feeling empty...
Any help or comments are appreciated.
May you all find peace.
Im 19. Ever since i was very young i recognized the outline of suffering, at least in a very vague sense. I tried to avoid it and live my life but i knew i was just running. Recently i dove in head first. Buddhism, shopenhaeur, a lot of existentialism, a lot of different theology. I see the pattern in them all. Comfort against a horrifying absurd and uncaring existence. A system of control to give yourself too when you no longer want to even think. Because who wants to realize this. Its just so crushing. Its so close to pessimism. I wish i was never born into this world so badly. Seeing my mother age makes me wanna vomit. I could cry and cry until the end of time. I want to believe I can find peace but god i just can't imagine this boundless hurt ending. Even if its end is true and nirvana is real its a horrifying idea still. Its just death. Returning to the void i was in for all of time before this. I just hate reality. Things cant last forever. That would be maddening. But being temporary is also so painful. I can see this is basically just my ego lashing out but. Just. Its so much. I can almost feel the pain of the entire world. Every person abandoned. every person living a meaningless lie. every person dying and being murdered and maimed and eaten and shit out. Every animal in nature and every animal in my fucking stomach. I just hope so badly i can find this peace with death and life that i hear so much about. Its just a joke. Being woken up from oblivion, forced into an ego covered in meat and blood and bile. And now i have to let it go, let it all become a distant distant memory. Everything i love will wither. I don't even really exist in a real sense. I just hope one day this ends. For everyone. A perfect silence at the end of time. Im sorry this is an insane rant but im tired of crying in my mothers arms when i know she can feel my pain just as much as her own. The only reason shes even alive is because i came along. Its like i dragged her through this world of red hot nails and emptiness for even longer. Shes so full of pain. So many chronic issues and damage to her body and mind. Its just terrible isn't it. This horrifying never ending dream of eating and rotting. Even with this obvious truth of suffering that should be evident to everyone we still allow our world to be run by the most evil demonic people possible. Hundreds of thousands every month dead for fucking what. Land? Money and power? We obviously could support all life here easily but we Waste and we Waste and we grow like a cancer that doesn't even consume it just overtakes and discards the excess matter of its victim. I'm probably gonna end up a monk eventually. It's really the only path i see. I can't keep shutting my eyes. I've been running for about 8 years probably. And only recently do i understand what Deep Shit I'm really in. It's just so god damn sad.
I was wondering if good deeds performed by animals like being a service animal, or providing soothing care to an ill human generates significant good kamma making likely a noble rebirth to a human or something closer to a vessel more imminent to nibbana. I know animals in many ways are more subject to obvious craving but as a whole I don't really know too much about animals and kamma.
I want to start Zen journey so I need some advice. I read that a book might actually help a lot so i hope for recomendations.
I am really sorry for what is happening in our country. I have attended the walk of peace and have heard plentiful Christians who literally insulted these bhikkhus who were spreading the message of peace. I am really concerned about our country's well being. I hope you all find peace in this storm. Sadhu Sadhu🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
I am recently having some curiosities about Buddhism & would like some recommendations on any books I could read to research further. Books about the history, and symbolism would be particularly interesting to me. Thanks ! 🙏
I moved so.e stuff and re decor,alsl bought a proper incense burner