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How are these Great Beings explained?

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
You see good in Hitler? In wars? In converting half a marriage to cause a divorce? In telling other people how to think? In speaking to people in condescending tones, designating yourself a teacher by quoting your prophet's words, he as mankind's teacher? How odd!

That was an interesting way to continue your online experiment. Really not a thing to do with what was being discussed.

Do you have any data yet? Can you confirm that Hindu have the greatest wisdom and best way to become selfless?

As we are subjects of an experiment, we would like to share in your results.

Regards Tony
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
That was an interesting way to continue your online experiment. Really not a thing to do with what was being discussed.

Do you have any data yet? Can you confirm that Hindu have the greatest wisdom and best way to become selfless?

As we are subjects of an experiment, we would like to share in your results.

Yes, I've pretty well drawn up my personal conclusions. I won't be sharing, though. Hindus don't share.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Wow. Small town?

Dunedin is a relatively small town in the South so quite conservative. It wasn't until the mid 1980s (that I'm aware of) when Buddhism established a community that was consciously embracing Westerners. There have been Buddhists of course through the early days of Dunedin's establishment in the 1800s on account of the gold rush in the Otago province and the Chinese who emigrated and then stayed.

Ha. That sounds confusing. I think I did my search in two year intevals. From I dont know when to about fourteen, my mother introduced me to witchcraft and pagan views. At about sixteen, she took us to church out of the blue. She wanted to have the perfect family: white picket fence, christian family, labor dog, single family home, with a boy and girl and husband.

I would have never been christian if she didnt take us to church. She didnt go though. I remember saying I didnt believe in god so I wrote mt jesus prayers. I read the bible. Then I met my Catholic friend. Intrigued by devotional lifestyle I wanted to be a priest.

After five or years (of 2012 to 2014) going to Mass with my friend, her influence let me made the jump. This was during the same timeline I came out as lesbian. Not a good combination with The Church. I was offended that the Church has conversion program foe so calles homosexual attractions. Within the program they tell converts not to refer to themselves as LGBTQ.

Anyway, I slide some and studied paganism (going back to childhood). Then I practiced Zen Buddhism. I hit the wall being in the middle of the Shoshu and SGI debate.

I came back and thats when I took the precepts and now practice with the Kadampa tibetan tradition and school.

We each have our unique journey. I suppose if your mother had wanted you to attend church and become a Christian, it would have helped if she had followed that path too. What faith does she have now? It seems a little odd for an American of African descent to go to church to embrace some kind of middle class, white ideal.

I attended church from age 5 through to about 12 years old as my parents role-modelled. During my teens, religion wasn't important and became something I thought about only occasionally. It wasn't until I was 21 that I seriously focused on religion spirituality and that search culminated in becoming a Baha'i five years later.

It must be hard identifying with being gay and then being part of a faith that negates this important part of who you are.

I've seen some intense fights between Christians over the years so its no surprise Buddhism is prone to schism and disunity too.

It sounds like Buddhism is very well established in your locality with a variety of communities and practices to choose from. Its good that you have found your way back after the negative SGI experience.

Buddha nature, the nature of being enlightened once one has full wisdom isnt like a soul, spirit, or mystical spark inside a person.

Here Buddha nature is called an embryo. Its a strictly Mahayana concept. Wiki Buddha Nature. Id have to find a non wiki source.

"According to the Ratnagotravibhāga, all sentient have "the embryo of the Tathagata" in three senses:[48]
  1. the Tathāgata's dharmakāya permeates all sentient beings;
  2. the Tathāgata's tathatā is omnipresent (avyatibheda);
  3. the Tathāgata's species (gotra, a synonym for tathagatagarbha) occurs in them.
The Ratnagotravibhāga equates enlightenment with the nirvāṇa-realm and the dharmakāya.[41] It gives a variety of synonyms for garbha, the most frequently used being gotra and dhatu.[47]"
They use theist terms to describe eastern concepts. That and Mahayana Buddhism, some traditions, treat The Buddha as a savior while in Theravada, there is no such concept that I know of in the suttas.

Thanks for the link that outlines some of the evolution of Buddhist thought in regards to what it means to acquire the Buddha nature. I realise you are outlining the case that there is no soul, afterlife, or god(s) in Buddhism. I have noted amongst some Buddhists an impassioned desire to present Buddha's teachings as essentially atheistic, and to advocate this is the only way that Buddha's Teachings can be correctly understood. Buddhist's Teachings as far as I can see appear to support the existence of an eternal soul.

Since the mind of Amida Buddha with all its boundless potentialities of love and wisdom is compassion itself, Buddha can save all.

The most wicked of people -- those who commit unbelievable crimes, whose minds are filled with greed, anger and infatuation; those who lie, chatter, abuse and cheat; those who kill, steal and act lasciviously; those who are near the end of their lives after years of evil deeds -- they are destined to long ages of punishment.



A good friend comes to them and pleads with them at their last moment, saying, "You are now facing death; you cannot blot out your life of wickedness, but you can take refuge in the compassion of the Buddha of Infinite Light by reciting His Name.


If these wicked men recite the holy name of Amida Buddha with singleness of mind, all the sins which would

have destined them to the evil world will be cleared away.


If simply repeating the holy name can do this, how much more would be possible if one is able to concentrate his mind upon this Buddha!


Those who are thus able to recite the holy name, when they come to the end of life, will be met by Amida Buddha and the Bodhisattvas of Compassion and Wisdom and will be led by them into the Buddha's Land, where they will be born in all purity of the white lotus.


Therefore, everyone should keep in mind the words, "Namu-Amida-Butsu" or Whole-hearted Reliance upon the Buddha of Infinite Light and Boundless Life!



King James Bible
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
That's weird you got Buddha nature out of this. The Buddha is not god and we don't get The Dharma from an outside party, so we don't get it from The Buddha. He isn't a god nor someone we get "anything" from.

It's an "absence of" not something you get by going through anyone.

This is the result of enlightenment. Buddha nature (the potential nature/seed of an enlightened nature) just means the potential to be enlightened not the enlightened. The "seed" of enlightenment. Ten Tai tradition sees every thing with a Buddha nature, animals and plants included.

Did The Buddha create suffering and compassion?

The Eternal One created suffering and compassion. Buddha taught how we can free ourselves from suffering and become compassionate. In like manner Jesus taught how His truth can set us free liberating us from the evil one and to become Christ-like and One with Him. The states of attaining Buddha nature or becoming Christ-like have important similarities.

How can one become Christ like without Christ?

How can one master his own self and attain Buddha nature without Buddha?

As Christ has stated the necessity of His own self, so too has the Buddha.

The Dharma isn't physical.

To me the Dharma is the life and teachings of the Buddha. What is it to you?

About BDK: You would think-> BDK (Bukkyo Kendo KaiyoKai)

Their intent seems motivated by Buddha's teachings on purity of heart and to spread His Teachings:

"Though I attain Buddhahood, I shall never be complete until people all over the world are influenced by my spirit of loving compassion that will purify their minds and bodies and lift them above the things of the world."


"Thought I attain Buddhahood, I shall never be complete until people everywhere, hearing my name, learn right ideas about life and death, and gain that perfect wisdom that will keep their minds pure and tranquil in the midst of the world's greed and suffering."


Buddha would be happy viewing all this from the perspective of being one with the Eternal.


Buddha has many forms of transfiguration and incarnation, and can manifest Himself in manifold ways according to the ability of each person.

He manifests his body in immense size to cover all the sky and stretches away into the boundless stellar spaces. He also manifests Himself in the infinitesimals of nature, sometimes in forms, sometimes in energy, sometimes in aspects of mind, and sometimes in personality.




Quick note on Buddha Nature and Omnicent Mind (Not The Buddha Siddhartha)

Knowing the mind
With transcript under the audio
Thubten Chodron is a Tibetan Buddhist

“Is the Buddha’s omniscient mind permanent?” No, because if it were permanent it
couldn’t change, which means it couldn’t perceive anything. It perceives everything, so it changes. It is conditioned. Regarding the wisdom aspect: the wisdom truth body of the Buddha’s mind is a conditioned phenomena. The nature body of the Buddha’s mind, which is the emptiness of true existence. The objective existence of phenomena through their own entity without being posited by thought."phenomenon. We talked about this some time ago and so those videos are somewhere on YouTube. But they’re there because we went through this. We talked about the four bodies of the Buddha. We need to hear these things many times because we don’t always get it at first. We don’t always get it the second, third, fourth or fifth time."

Each of our Buddha Nature cannot be something permanent such as a soul. It is ever changing (impermanent) so one moment is not the same as the next.

Impermanence refers to the phenomenal world, not the unseen realm. Emptiness is being free from our human nature so our Buddha nature is fully realised IMHO.
 
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Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I had to separate these in mini parts so I can read it all.

I was going to cut half of it but I thought this was worth the read so I split it.

We each have our unique journey. I suppose if your mother had wanted you to attend church and become a Christian, it would have helped if she had followed that path too. What faith does she have now? It seems a little odd for an American of African descent to go to church to embrace some kind of middle class, white ideal.

I actually don't know. Now that she's getting older I hear her slipping and talk about god.

Middle class white ideal?

Most African Americans here on the east south are devout protestant Christians in culture, faith, and history. One gentleman told me that I went to a white church (Catholic) and left our culture/history of Christianity with whom has opposition to this day with The Church.

I attended church from age 5 through to about 12 years old as my parents role-modelled. During my teens, religion wasn't important and became something I thought about only occasionally. It wasn't until I was 21 that I seriously focused on religion spirituality and that search culminated in becoming a Baha'i five years later.

Seems around that age people start searching spiritually. I had surgery at 18, so my "search" came in my early thirties when I moved here to a predominately christian area. If I hadn't moved, I'd probably still be practicing Zen.

It must be hard identifying with being gay and then being part of a faith that negates this important part of who you are.
It is. It's not something I can give up since I can't change who I am regardless of who I am with and what I do. When you are defined as someone you are not, you kinda feel icky about it for lack of better words.

I've seen some intense fights between Christians over the years so its no surprise Buddhism is prone to schism and disunity too.

Yeah. I was surprised, honestly.

It sounds like Buddhism is very well established in your locality with a variety of communities and practices to choose from. Its good that you have found your way back after the negative SGI experience.

Yeah. Temples are way out in the boonies mostly. The Kadampa one is new and they are in the city parts. That, Shoshu, and SGI are the only ones I know that are "in the public." The more American influenced, the more accessible it is too the public.

Thanks for the link that outlines some of the evolution of Buddhist thought in regards to what it means to acquire the Buddha nature. I realise you are...

Here is a Dharma Talk on non-existence of a permanent self (soul/spirit in other words).

Refuting misconceptions of self


She does well in explaining Buddhist concepts through a Tibetan worldview.

Since the mind of Amida Buddha with all its boundless potentialities of love and wisdom is compassion itself, Buddha can save all.

Amida Buddha doesn't speak for all Buddhism especially not Theravada.

The most wicked of people -- those who commit unbelievable...

Those who are thus able to recite the holy name, when they come to the end of life, will be met by Amida Buddha and the Bodhisattvas of Compassion and Wisdom and will be led by them into the Buddha's Land, where they will be born in all purity of the white lotus.

Amida would be ideal for you since it has a theistic worldview. It's not a Theravada worldview; so, among the two sides it's highly new.

Here is differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. and More information

Seems like you are mixing a couple of things.

1. Maitreya is from Theravada but what you are quoting is Mahayana (Younger school)

2. Theravada is more self-liberation so monastics can become enlightened arahants. (Older school: School of Elders)

continue....
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
...continue

The Eternal One created suffering and compassion. Buddha taught how we can free...

How can you create compassion and suffering?

These things existed way before The Buddha (and Christ) was around to talk about it.

Enlighten does not mean created. It's a realization. A "light bulb" in one's head to many truths (not one Truth) about the nature of life.

Christ taught through one's death, one is liberated. (Galations 2:20-someone who is crucified in christ has everlasting life)

The Buddha taught through the example of his life and teachings knows what and why they need liberation.

Liberation comes from one's self not from The Buddha.

How can one become Christ like without Christ?

Christ taught to look to his father. Follow his father. He is not his father.

How can one master his own self and attain Buddha nature without Buddha?

I don't know about Pure Land Buddhism.

It's the training of one's mind that self-liberates a person. You have to be comfortable and learn about the workings of your mind.

One attains Buddha nature (which isn't in Theravada teachings) by studying one's mind so that you are not attached to anything that prevents you from liberation of being reborn. Christ does not teach about rebirth. Rebirth is crucial to Buddhist beliefs.

YOU are the only one who can liberate yourself.
Link: I couldn't copy and paste. It looked a mess.

The verses at the bottom is a sum up that The Buddha tells us we need to train. His whole Dharma he is talking to monks so they will be enlightened themselves.

Different cultures have different intensities in praising The Buddha. The reason why we praise The Buddha is that he is one of the three jewels.

1. We learn The Dharma
2. We practice The Dharma with monastics and our peers (The Sangha)
3. We practice The Dharma with the Sangha in order to develop the Bodhi mind; the mind of The Buddha.

He doesn't give you his mind (weird :confused:) You are enlightened by you following him. He, Siddhartha, does nothing.

Siddhartha Gautama does nothing.

The Buddha (the enlightened mind) does. We just say The Buddha because we are referring to Siddhartha's mind in regards to one's practice. If we are talking about the person, we say the historical buddha.

As Christ has stated the necessity of His own self, so too has the Buddha.

Christ is necessary because people need to die in Christ in order to live forever.

Siddhartha was necessary so that he can teach The physical/oral Dharma in order for buddhas, monastics, and laity to take his lead to teach others.

When I became buddha Vajrasattva at the Kadampa temple, I did so by joining in his enlightened mind not the person himself. By being part of the Vajrasattva's mind, we become part of The Buddha's mind.

Aka. We become part of The Buddha's enlightenment; we do not become The Buddha.

To me the Dharma is the life and teachings of the Buddha. What is it to you?

Nature of life: Suffering/Cause/Solution/Method of excecution

It's nothing special. Compassion, equanimity, and generosity. to name a few things an enlightened one has because his mind isn't attached to pleasures of this world and the next (referring to his view of Hinduism).

You have part of The Dharma. The rest is practice. Usually through one of the schools and traditions one has better instruction and practice. Though, it must be your life not a correlation between more than one faith.

The physical Dharma are all the quotes we put it. The Dharma itself is the practice of compassion and generosity. The rituals and traditions emphasis and help with this. To put it in a nut shell.

Their intent seems motivated by Buddha's teachings on purity of heart and to spread His Teachings:

The teachings motivate us. The Dharma is the reason we are motivated. It works.

"Thought I attain Buddhahood, I shall never be complete until people everywhere, hearing my name, learn right ideas about life and death, and gain that perfect wisdom that will keep their minds pure and tranquil in the midst of the world's greed and suffering."

This is a Bodhisattva ideal. They feel that before we become buddhas, as Bodhisattva, we have the obligation through desire to help other living beings achieve enlightenment before ourselves.

Buddha would be happy viewing all this from the perspective of being one with the Eternal.

There is no eternity.

"So, Māluṅkyaputta, remember what is undeclared by me as undeclared, and what is declared by me as declared. And what is undeclared by me? 'The cosmos is eternal,' is undeclared by me. 'The cosmos is not eternal,' is undeclared by me. 'The cosmos is finite'... 'The cosmos is infinite'... 'The soul is the same thing as the body'... 'The soul is one thing and the body another'... 'After death a Tathāgata exists'... 'After death a Tathāgata does not exist'... 'After death a Tathāgata both exists & does not exist'... 'After death a Tathāgata neither exists nor does not exist,' is undeclared by me.

~Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta

Buddha has many forms of transfiguration and incarnation, and can manifest Himself in manifold ways according to the ability of each person.

The Lotus Sutra speaks similar to this. Except they say that instead of manifesting himself, he gives analogies for others "salvation" by changing his point to fit the person he speaks with. Just as I'm seeing too literal of Christ bodily resurrection, you're seeing too literal an eternal non-changing manifestation buddha which is totally against the point of his teachings of the changing person who has passed away because he is no longer reborn.

He manifests his body in immense size to cover all the sky and stretches away into the boundless stellar spaces. He also manifests Himself in the infinitesimals of nature, sometimes in forms, sometimes in energy, sometimes in aspects of mind, and sometimes in personality.

Impermanence refers to the phenomenal world, not the unseen realm. Emptiness is being free from our human nature so our Buddha nature is fully realised IMHO.

Impermanence means unchanging. There's too much on this to quote everything.

The word permanent means not changing. The opposite is im-permanent, which means changing. It's not a realm it just means we are not the same moment to moment.

Since we are not the same moment to moment, there is no "self" to hold on too. So our identity is not there (it's empty). When we realize we are not our identity (I am no longer LGBTQ, Woman, from the States, siting in from of the computer with an interesting expression on my face), then my mind is clear/empty. Once it's clear from all attachments

Then

We experience our Buddha nature because once everything is clear, we can continuously display compassion, equanimity, and generosity to others and self. When our attachments are 100 percent clear, we become buddhas. It's our lack of attachment is our Buddha nature.

Nothing special.
 
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Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
@adrian009

I love to learn and be challenged. Take your time.

From BDK Book (Pg. 134-135 The Way to Practical Attainment"

Before asking big questions like whether the universe is eternal, decern, and address whats important. For example, we are in a flux of birth, sickness, age, and death.

"Therefore, people should first decern what is of first importance, what problem should be solved, and what the first misfortune should be expected.

To do all this, they must first undertake the training of the mind, that is, they must first seek mind-control."

In christianity, one trains the heart by belief in christ. When one experiences life and love of christ, their mind is set on following christ and learning about him via scriptures.

Buddhism focuses on mind first. Everything we experience, heart ans otherwise, originates from our minds. Therefore, we first train our minds by ritual, purification (Tibetan), giving, teaching, etc as so to water the seeds after finding the weeds. Buddha nature is the absence of the weeds. Not all traditions teach this. But Id assume most teach you need to get rid of the arrow before asking questions about it.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Yes, you certainly shouldn't be listening to me at all. I'm a non-Baha'i way outside the Baha'i box of valid religions, a lowly outcast. You should be heeding the advice of your fellow Bahai's, as they are the only onew who know the real truth.

It doesn’t work that way because we Baha’is don’t have a monopoly on truth. There is truth in every human being. We can learn valuable lessons from every soul if we have an open and unbiased mind.

Every person has truth within them Baha’i or not.
 

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
It is excellent to be reunited with Buddhism again after such a negative experience the first time round. I'm really pleased for you.



The Tibetans were the first Buddhists to set up a Buddhist community in my town. It just so happened they purchased the house I had been living in for over half a year. I'm looking forward to going back there through the interfaith group.

It was nearly 30 years ago that I was searching for my spiritual home. On Saturday nights it would be firesides with the Baha'is, Sunday mornings chanting with the Buddhists, and Sunday evening singing praises to Jesus with the Baptists. Someone told me my weekends would be a scary proposition for most New Zealanders. It was certainly intense at the time. There was no internet back then. I've been a Baha'i for nearly 28 years now.



With BDK its just a book. I haven't had anyone come knocking at the door as yet.

Its just fantastic to contemplate the reality of Buddha. Obviously its a different experience as a Baha'i compared to when I sought my spirital abode.

Evidently there is only one way to discover our Buddha nature and that is through Buddha. It sounds a little like John 14:6 that the Christian fundamentalists like to quote:

'Once upon a time a king gathered some blind men about an elephant and asked them to tell him what an elephant was like. The first man felt a tusk and said an elephant was like a giant carrot; another happened to touch an ear and said it was like a big fan; another touched its trunk and said it was like a pestle; still another, who happened to feel its leg, said it was like a rope. Not one of them was able to tell the king the elephant's real form.
In like manner, one might partially describe the nature of man but would not be able to describe the true nature of a human being,
the Buddha nature. There is only one possible way by which the everlasting nature of man, his Buddha nature, that can not be disturbed by worldly desires or destroyed by death, can be realized, and that is by the Buddha and the Buddha's noble teaching.'

.

Adrian do you have the source for that quote - ‘There is only one possible way? ‘
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Adrian do you have the source for that quote - ‘There is only one possible way? ‘

@adrian009

There are many ways to enter into the path of enlightenment and different practices/schools that lead to the truths of enlightenment.

Seven factors of awaking

Two practices to knowledge (essay)

There are many possible ways towards one goal. The appropriate way to say it it is there are many ways (edit) to one enlightenment (not a universal Truth; only to practitioners devoted to The Way and path of The Dharma).

Enlightenment is true for all people who are devoted to the practice. To those who are not, they dont have that truth (not the truth). Buddha Nature (potiental to enlightenment) is dormant until one practices The Dharma. Universal truth refers to all people. The Dharma are pecific practices for monastics and laity practitoners to obtain The Dharma truth. Its not universal. Its for devotees.

If you arent devoted to the Jewels as the only means to enlightenment, the practices wont lead you to enlightenment but practices can be helpful in general for those who want to train their mind.
 
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loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
@adrian009

There are many ways to enter into the path of enlightenment and different practices/schools that lead to the truths of enlightenment.

Seven factors of awaking

Two practices to knowledge (essay)

There are many possible ways towards one goal. The appropriate way to say it it is there are many ways (edit) to one enlightenment (not a universal Truth; only to practitioners devoted to The Way and path of The Dharma).

Enlightenment is true for all people who are devoted to the practice. To those who are not, they dont have that truth (not the truth). Buddha Nature (potiental to enlightenment) is dormant until one practices The Dharma. Universal truth refers to all people. The Dharma are pecific practices for monastics and laity practitoners to obtain The Dharma truth. Its not universal. Its for devotees.

If you arent devoted to the Jewels as the only means to enlightenment, the practices wont lead you to enlightenment but practices can be helpful in general for those who want to train their mind.

Thanks Carlita. Very interesting about the healing of sickness.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member

Carlita. I enjoyed what I read in the discussions between you and Adrian. I have to admit in all these discussions I look for the common themes offered by Baha'u'llah. To date I have found nothing from Buddha that I find incompatable, when I read what is attributed to the Buddha original sayings.

This post needs no reply, I just want to again show how the world is thinking of the principles given by Baha'u'llah not knowing the source that inspired them.

In the link posted to Adrian quoted above was this opening statement;

"Many of the formidable social and cultural problems we face today are rooted in the sharp schism that has divided Western civilization between science and religion". (Two Paths to Knowledge by Bhikkhu Bodhi© 2005)

The Harmony of and Religion Science is a major principle Given by Baha'u'llah, there are many writings on this;

"Religion and Science are inter-twined with each other and cannot be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must fly. One wing is not enough. Every religion which does not concern itself with science is mere tradition…. Therefore science, education and civilization are most important necessities for the full religious life. – Abdu’l-Baha in London, p. 28-29.

A selection of other quotes;

Harmony - Science and Religion

Stay well and happy, Regards Tony
 
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Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Adrian do you have the source for that quote - ‘There is only one possible way? ‘


There is only one possible way by which the everlasting nature of man, his Buddha-nature, that can not be disturbed by worldly desires or destroyed by death, can be realized, and that is by the Buddha and the Buddha's noble teaching.


http://www.e4thai.com/e4e/images/pdf/theteachingofbuddha.pdf
p75 (verse 6 under Buddha nature)

In summary we need the Manifestation of God for our age, Which Buddha represented for peoples of the Indian subcontinent as Christ did for the Jews. Ironically both peoples rejected their Great Teacher but their Teachings were established abroad.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
@adrian009

I love to learn and be challenged. Take your time.

From BDK Book (Pg. 134-135 The Way to Practical Attainment"

Before asking big questions like whether the universe is eternal, decern, and address whats important. For example, we are in a flux of birth, sickness, age, and death.

"Therefore, people should first decern what is of first importance, what problem should be solved, and what the first misfortune should be expected.

To do all this, they must first undertake the training of the mind, that is, they must first seek mind-control."

In christianity, one trains the heart by belief in christ. When one experiences life and love of christ, their mind is set on following christ and learning about him via scriptures.

Buddhism focuses on mind first. Everything we experience, heart ans otherwise, originates from our minds. Therefore, we first train our minds by ritual, purification (Tibetan), giving, teaching, etc as so to water the seeds after finding the weeds. Buddha nature is the absence of the weeds. Not all traditions teach this. But Id assume most teach you need to get rid of the arrow before asking questions about it.

Thank you for your posts and your gentle and patient teaching about the traditions of Buddhism you follow.

I think we both love to be challenged and to challenge. It is a good natured and insightful discussion we are engaging in, so long may that continue.

During the Buddha's time, there was a moral decline of the peoples at that time. The Dharma as taught and practiced amidst the Buddha's peoples had been lost and obscured amidst metaphysical concerns. The practical aspect of faith had become dimmed and righteousness had declined. That's why Buddha brought this teaching, to focus and train the mind on the basic teachings of right living through the eightfold noble path, having identified and defined the nature of suffering.

To become Christ-like or Buddha-like is to embrace and cultivate our true nature. Though the language to describe these teachings were different, they are analogous.

Christianity like Buddhism, is a very practical religion, and Christ's apostles taught both actions and faith were necessary for salvation as did Buddha and one without the other was insufficient.

Christ who spoke in parables often using metaphor and allegory to teach as the Buddha did. The use of as seeds and weeds is a good example of this as evidenced by the parable of the sower.
 
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TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Buddha, Truth and Brotherhood; An Epitome of Many Buddhist Scriptures

The Final Teaching of Buddha, mirrors many other scriptures I have read from the Great Beings. Would be an interesting to find those quotes and compare.

Regards Tony

I started doing this and it soon became apparent this is like the Letter I was going to write to my Mother back in about 1985 about the Trinity making Christ God. I read the entire Bible, Old and New Testament marking down all quotes I could see that showed Jesus was Not God, that there was One God and Gods Messengers.

When I finished I had about 5 A4 pages crammed with quotes. Armed with this I sat down to write the letter. I got as far as Dear Mother. Why?

Why was because as I considered the amount of information I had, how overwhelming was this theme in the Bible, compared to the alternate view of passages that had become Fundamental Doctrine. At that time the light turned on, if it was so obvious, then why did I need to go any further, if my Mother wanted to see this, there it was plain as day. Nothing I could show her would change her Frame of Reference if she chose not to look.

Here is the start I made this morning Just on the Theme of Light is Knowledge that we must find in our own selves. There are thousands of quotes form all writings of the Great Beings.


Buddha


"Make my teaching your light! Rely upon it; do not depend upon any other teaching. Make of yourself a light.”


Buddha, Truth and Brotherhood; An Epitome of Many Buddhist Scriptures


Baha’u’llah


“Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.”


And the splendor of that light is in the hearts, yet it is hidden under the veilings of sense and the conditions of this earth, even as a candle within a lantern of iron, and only when the lantern is removed doth the light of the candle shine out.


In like manner, when thou strippest the wrappings of illusion from off thine heart, the lights of oneness will be made manifest. (Baha'u'llah : The Seven Valleys)


King James Bible : Ephesians


“5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”


King James Bible : John


12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.


Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism


“Perceiving above the darkness (of ignorance) the higher light (in the sun), as the higher light within the heart, the bright source (of light and life) among the gods, we have reached the highest light, yea, the highest light.” (vol. 1 : Khandogya-Upanishad Part 2)


Thus I thought why not just offer the greatest gift that enables us to do this with ease, it is the program - Interfaith Explorer - Baha'i Search Software for Windows, Web and Mobile

This program gives all the Religious Scriptures in Notepad format which is on your computer. Have fun with it and you will find with ease the common themes throughout all the Religious Scriptures. Cementing for all time our Oneness. Each person can now pursue this, if they choose to do so.

Regards Tony
 
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TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I will put this as its own post.

There is a program available that allows us to search each and all Scriptures from the Great Beings, this is a priceless gift.

Interfaith Explorer - Baha'i Search Software for Windows, Web and Mobile

The great thing with this program is that it stores all the scriptures on your device in notepad form. If you wish to add more reference material, you can by converting to notepad and add it to the index file.


Regards Tony
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
I had to separate these in mini parts so I can read it all.

I was going to cut half of it but I thought this was worth the read so I split it.

Interesting, but when we start posting to each other, we both have much to say and we seem to create ever enlarging epistles to one another. I find it quite difficult to keep up with your posts as there is so much there. Its all quality stuff too, so I want to respond, there just isn't enough time to respond to it all. It's just an observation.

I actually don't know. Now that she's getting older I hear her slipping and talk about god.

My mother came from Northern Ireland where there has been conflict between Catholics and Protestants for centuries. It is as if Ireland never really recovered from Christianies great schism that afflicted Europe. She was Protestant and her father could not see the point in her being educated beyond age 15 as she was a woman. Women either worked in the local mill or married. They didn't receive a complete education in accordance with their capacity or have careers. How the times have changed. When she came over to New Zealand, her best friend was a Catholic from Northern Ireland. Had the two friends first met in Northern Ireland, they never would have spoken to each other, let alone been friends. My mother became disaffected by Christianity and didn't attend church for the last 40 years of her life.

Middle class white ideal?

Most African Americans here on the east south are devout protestant Christians in culture, faith, and history. One gentleman told me that I went to a white church (Catholic) and left our culture/history of Christianity with whom has opposition to this day with The Church.

My bad. I forgot that most African-American are staunch protestants. I heard that often churches are not so mixed and African-Americans and those of European descent, often do their own thing. How come your mother wasn't like other women of her generation if you don't mind me asking?

Seems around that age people start searching spiritually. I had surgery at 18, so my "search" came in my early thirties when I moved here to a predominately christian area. If I hadn't moved, I'd probably still be practicing Zen.

You are certainly not typical in any way, which is a good thing. Its great that you had the experience of Catholicism. It sounds like you compartmentalise to some extent where your Catholicism and Buddhism are two very different parts of who you are. My natural tendency is to integrate and have a universalist view. We all read the reality of our own lives and find approaches that work best. What you do works for you, as what I do works for me.

Here is a Dharma Talk on non-existence of a permanent self (soul/spirit in other words).

Refuting misconceptions of self


She does well in explaining Buddhist concepts through a Tibetan worldview.

Thank you for that. You have posted me a link with that particular nun of few months back. She's an interesting character. She has some valuable insights but of course is a staunch atheist.

Amida Buddha doesn't speak for all Buddhism especially not Theravada.

Amida would be ideal for you since it has a theistic worldview. It's not a Theravada worldview; so, among the two sides it's highly new.

Exactly. I am much more aligned with Amida Buddhism than some other schools, and the publication by BDK totally resonates with my Baha'i belief.

Here is differences between Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. and More information

Seems like you are mixing a couple of things.

1. Maitreya is from Theravada but what you are quoting is Mahayana (Younger school)

2. Theravada is more self-liberation so monastics can become enlightened arahants. (Older school: School of Elders)

continue....

That's another really helpful link thank you. Of course I am neither Theravada nor Mahayana. I am a follower of the Meitreya Buddha. As such I seek the truth and the Eternal Dharma. :)
 
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