How Authentic are Buddhist Scriptures?

[ajay0]

The proof indeed lies in the pudding.

The popular story of the Buddha healing the serial killer Angulimala and converting him into a harmless monk, 2500 years back, shows the efficacy and depth of Buddhist psychology.

Meditation techniques like mindfulness, vipassana and others are now used in prisons all over the world considering its practicality and efficacy in neutralising violent behavior.

Vipassana Meditation Courses In Prisons

Britain's most dangerous prisoners to get meditation lessons

US police forces are practicing mindfulness to reduce officers’ stress—and violence

 

[ajay0]

The tree is known by its fruits.

According to neuroscientists, the happiest man in the world is a buddhist named Matthieu Ricard. The 71-year-old Ricard's happy label came about after he took part in a 12-year brain study centered around meditation and compassion. Leading the study was neuroscientist, Richard Davidson from the University of Wisconsin. In the research, Ricard's brain was monitored during meditation and the 256 sensors found that his mind was extremely light, happy and conscious. He scored significantly above the average of hundreds of volunteers who participated.


A 69-year-old monk who scientists call the 'world's happiest man' says the secret to being happy takes just 15 minutes a day


How To Be Happy (According To The World's Happiest Man)

 

[paarsurrey]

How Authentic are Buddhist Scriptures?

Can we be certain that Buddhist scriptures are directly attributable to the words of Buddha Himself? No, please.

Regards

 

[Samana Johann]

Once the was a King who asked a profound Elder many questions, also in regard of authenticity

3. The king said: 'Is it possible, Nâgasena, for others to know how incomparable the Buddha is?'

'Yes, they may know it.'

'But how can they?'

'Long, long ago, O king, there was a master of writing, by name Tissa the Elder, and many are the years gone by since he has died. How can people know of him?'

'By his writing, Sir.'

'Just so, great king, whosoever sees what the Truth 1 is, he sees what the Blessed One was, for the Truth was preached by the Blessed One.'

'Very good, Nâgasena!'

The collection of this talks is btw. a great gift for those looking for gaining a footing in the Buddhas teachings and of cause there is less chance to ever access for doubters who are not willing to practice to be able to see for themselves.

 

[Samana Johann]

The tree is known by its fruits.

So is it, Brahman Ajay, so comes it perceiveable by those who have a sense of the taste and quality of fruits.

 

[ajay0]

The collection of this talks is btw. a great gift for those looking for gaining a footing in the Buddhas teachings and of cause there is less chance to ever access for doubters who are not willing to practice to be able to see for themselves.

This is a great post.

“All beings are Buddhas,
But obscured by incidental stains.
When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.” — Third Karmapa Rangjun Dorje


Buddhism states that all human beings have the buddha nature, and consequently, a Buddha can emerge at any point in time. By diligent practice of the teachings, one can perceive the buddha nature in oneself and verify for oneself the authenticity or falseness of the Buddha's teachings. There had been many other Buddha's after Buddha himself, and this has played a major role in ensuring the teachings are correct without major deviations.

 

[Lyndon]

I don't think people like Trump and Hitler are Buddhas

 

[Samana Johann]

I don't think people like Trump and Hitler are Buddhas

So is it, householder Lyndon, and that such "Buddhahood inherent in all beings" ideas are not a little the realisations of the Buddha may be best presented in the fact that those thinking in such ways are most under such as the appearance of people who cause and had caused much suffering, and householder Lyndon can add Ghandi, Malcoms.., and what ever worlds heros als well to the list "surely no Buddhas and not even followers".

(Yet it is total improper to mark ones living leader and of whom one depends, even as a social-aid receiver, with attributes common identified with "slayer" and oppose him. Such doing is one cause that leads to hell.)

 

[Samana Johann]

...so such

“All beings are Buddhas,
But obscured by incidental stains.
When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.” — Third Karmapa Rangjun Dorje

has neither something to do with the literary nor with the meaning and understanding of the Buddhas teachings. On having been asked whether many or less beings would gain liberation, have the possibility, the Blessed refused to answer and merely taught the Freedom From Buddha Nature., good Brahman Ajay.

 

[ajay0]

I don't think people like Trump and Hitler are Buddhas

I find Trump comical and Hitler seriously deluded .


Still, both have the Buddha nature, though of course it is covered under a mass of defilements caused by cravings and aversions, just as a mirror covered with years of dust becomes incapable of reflecting the image properly.

 

[Lyndon]

If you find Trump comical you must have a sick sense of humour!!!

 

[Kelly of the Phoenix]

How can we know which of the scriptures if any attributed to Buddha are really Buddha's actual teachings? Knowing the words Buddha used and what He meant is the next issue. How can we be certain about what the Buddha really meant?

I'm not convinced it's a relevant or appropriate question. Abrahamic faiths rely pretty heavily on "appeals to authority", where if one authority doesn't measure up, entire sections of the faith can be affected. However, Buddhism strikes me as one more interested in right thinking/acting, and the leader or speaker or guide is rather irrelevant.

 

[Samana Johann]

Possible of much use in how to read, understand, the texts when used to such as Bible (also for Non-Buddhists):
The Buddha via the Bible - How Western Buddhists Read the Pāli Canon

Western culture learned how to read spiritual texts by reading the Bible. Not that we all read it the same way—quite the contrary. We’ve fought long, bloody wars over the issue. But most of the differences in our readings lie within a fairly tight constellation of ideas about authority and obligation, meaning and mystery, and the purpose of history and time. And even though those ideas grew from the peculiarities of the Bible and of Western history, we regard them as perfectly natural, and in some cases, even better than natural: modern. They’re so implicit in our mindset that when people rebel against the Bible’s authority, their notions of rebellion and authority often derive from the tradition they’re trying to reject....​

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm not convinced it's a relevant or appropriate question. Abrahamic faiths rely pretty heavily on "appeals to authority", where if one authority doesn't measure up, entire sections of the faith can be affected. However, Buddhism strikes me as one more interested in right thinking/acting, and the leader or speaker or guide is rather irrelevant.

Looking at a different paradigm through the coloured glasses of your own paradigm is a tad too common for my liking. For me, to understand Buddhism means you become a Buddhist, not 'study' it from the outside.

 

[Samana Johann]

Abrahamic faiths rely pretty heavily on "appeals to authority", where if one authority doesn't measure up, entire sections of the faith can be affected. However, Buddhism strikes me as one more interested in right thinking/acting, and the leader or speaker or guide is rather irrelevant.

Householder Kelly. Not really but often thought so. Authority, faith and the teacher play a huge role, yet the "God" is not something one meets only after having arrived but guides all the way in front. It's actually not a selfstudy way but like a draft requires certain teacher disciple relation. one would see one dark places and it's not so that the "God"s to not tell direct. Scripts and their study are like teacher who have not been given authorities yet and are good to gain firm faith. But the refuge is Threefold. Refuge: An Introduction to the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha

 

[Samana Johann]

For me, to understand Buddhism means you become a Buddhist, not 'study' it from the outside.

Thats a good thought, Brahman Vinayaka. Especially western, modern, do only have scripts and google (supplier which are after binding their user, "Mara") as their refuge and lack the Basics, are not able to progress and in that way degenerated, cut of the family, like citizen in socialistic states...

 

[Vinayaka]

Thats a good thought, Brahman Vinayaka. Especially western, modern, do only have scripts and google as their refuge and lack the Basics, are not able to progress and in that way degenerated, cut of the family, like citizen in socialistic states...

In fairness to the OP though, he is married to a Buddhist, if I remember correctly. That's about as close as you can get without being one.

 

[Samana Johann]

In fairness to the OP though, he is married to a Buddhist, if I remember correctly. That's about as close as you can get without being one.

One can be a child of parents having grown up degenerated. Less western, modern, have ever taken refuge to the Tripple gems and are in contact and guided by the Sangha, but raised by the "state" or google and so unable to ever leave home and access borderlands, Brahman Vinayaka. Isolated they mostly cultivate defilements and later transfere them, in many cases. Yet there are exeptions as well, sure, but seldom.

 

[Dawnofhope]

I'm not convinced it's a relevant or appropriate question. Abrahamic faiths rely pretty heavily on "appeals to authority", where if one authority doesn't measure up, entire sections of the faith can be affected. However, Buddhism strikes me as one more interested in right thinking/acting, and the leader or speaker or guide is rather irrelevant.

Abrahamic Faiths are diverse with varied approaches to their sacred writings. We all know about the fundamentalists and literalists but there are also moderates, liberals, reformists and mystics who are much more flexible. There is a spectrum of approaches in Buddhism too.

I attended a church service yesterday where religious leaders of different faiths had been invited. Baha'is don't have religious leaders such as ministers, priests. I went along as a representative and the various Buddhist/Hindu groups represented were the same. None of us thought in terms of an individual heirachy where we as individuals were leaders.

The role of authority and leadership within faith is an important aspect of how any community operates. Same deal about what constitutes sacred writings and the individuals relationship to those writings. The OP question is to explore a core aspect of Buddhism without casting judgement about right or wrong.

 

[Samana Johann]

None of us thought in terms of an individual heirachy where we as individuals were leaders.

Well, trade with conceit works in that way and fools/blind follow at large such. Much success in believing you are secure in following your defilement while "We" and "Self" worshiping.

Communism/marxism is all and ever present, yet it is fundamental the death of any religion... be sure that the Buddha didn't taught and advocated such. It's just secular eating of their parents of what is left for those with less hope (faith).