What are your doubts on Buddhism

last SG · 2006-10-13T00:07:47+00:00

Sitting meditation is just an aspect of Buddhism... and meditation isn't just sitting. In fact Buddhism isn't all about sitting meditation and chanting... th...

Herzog_Zwei SG

I have been through the whole webpage, and there's no reproducable proof.

An Eternal Now SG

http://www.near-death.com/reincarnation.html

His study is also completely reproducible which means that anybody who doubts the validity of this study is perfectly welcome to repeat it for themselves.

An Eternal Now SG

Honestly the best Scientific Method when dealing with things like rebirth is still Buddha's 'scientific method' which as Ajahn Brahmavamso said, and that is readily reproduceable by anyone without any $$ as long as he is willing to take up the effort.

Because our current modern scientific understandings has its limits and defects, it covers lots of areas but the closest it gets to conciousness studies is neuroscience but it can't help much. It is just that - consciousness is not being studied enough. Quantum physics may be able to prove things that Buddhists talk about regarding to consciousness but anyway, still best if you can recall your past lives yourself.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Doubt so... You must completely die in order to prove the case as per the experiment. And what the website author did for proof is to quote sayings from writers and philosophers.

path_seeker SG

Not necessary. You may wish to try hypnotising. Subconsciously, we carry some memories we brought from our past lives, which is sometimes vividly displayed in our dreams.

An Eternal Now SG

Agreed. Past life regression & hypnotism works. Although is not from Buddhism.

Buddhism method is meditation.

An Eternal Now SG

No need what... you don't have to die to find out. Put it in another way, everyone died before, so you can find it out already.

They did not quote writers and philosophers.. they quoted scientists and reserach.

Herzog_Zwei SG

Anyone come across this psychiatric term 'false memories'?
Accurately describes the problem.

An Eternal Now SG

It cannot be false memories if everything they remember corresponds with reality and facts.

Many of those who remembered past lives visited their old homes, their old families (even though they no longer recognised them)

My Buddhist master and teachers certainly did remember their past lives, they were teachers in a Zen Monastery in Kyoto in previous life. Some of the japanese monks visited one of my taiwanese teachers and my taiwanese teacher could even speak Japanese to them (not that he learnt in this life, he could remember). My local dharma teacher has also went back to Japan to visit her old monastery too, if memory serves.

They even brought one of their past life photo and it looked eerily similar to his current looks.

An Eternal Now SG

Interesting article I posted in the forum before: Boy remembers Past Life Being Shot in WWII

His memory is an example of what I call, 'corresponding to facts'

Related topic: Reincarnation

bladez87 SG

how to mediate and learn more of the past life?

bladez87 SG

btw why buddhist cannot eat beef? after reading some of your posts, i think buddhist cannot eat any meat. but since we are not monks, i guess we can “ignore” that teaching. but the beef part leh?

Cenarious SG

buddhists CAN eat beef. i think AEN should stickie a thread with title saying “buddhists can eat beef”.

An Eternal Now SG

Hi, I have replied this to someone else on PM shortly before so I will copy down my reply to him here.. hehe

Buddhists do not necessarily follow vegetarian diet. I for one, am not a vegetarian.

In general, Buddhism has 3 major traditions, which is the Theravada (i.e Thai, Sri Lankan Buddhism), Mahayana (i.e Chinese Buddhism), Vajrayana (i.e Tibetan Buddhism). The Theravada tradition does not have a tradition of following vegetarian diet, and are willing to take any non-vegetarian food alms from lay Buddhists as long as they are suitable for eating. This is in a way a practise of 'non-preference'. Likewise, vegetarianism is not very emphasized in the Tibetan Tradition, although some of them do practised it. That is because in Tibet, the high altitude and climate makes it very difficult for agriculture and they depend largely on animals for their food, etc.

Vegetarianism is more widespread in the Chinese Mahayana tradition. But still, not everyone from the Chinese Mahayana tradition is a vegetarian. I am considered to be from the Chinese Mahayana tradition but I am currently not a vegetarian yet.

Those who do not wish to become vegetarian yet, in Buddhism, would have to eat meat only under 5 conditions which the karma resulted is lesser, also known as the 5 pure meat:

Five Clean Sources of Meat

Buddha understands the ignorance and habits of sentient beings that have accumulated from aeons of their many past lives. In order to provide sentient beings with an expedient means of embracing Buddhism, those who are not able to convert to a vegetarian diet on a long term basis are permitted to consume meat provided:

(1) That he did not slaughter the animal personally
(2) That he did not instruct others to slaughter
(3) That the slaughter was not committed for his sake
(4) That he did not witness the slaughter
(5) That he did not hear the cries associated with the slaughter

Vegetarianism is practised in Mahayana because the Mahayana scriptures stated that the Buddha taught that a Bodhisattva/Mahayana practitioner will have to abstain from meat in order to develop Great Compassion. Or rather, meat eating will destroy one's root of Great Compassion, because eating meat is indirectly killing the animals.

> "Further more, Mahamati, in order to turn the worlds into pure Buddha-
> worlds, in which all living beings can be enlightened, Bodhisattvas
> should not eat meat. They should discern that all meats are like the
> dead bodies of human being, we cannot even bear looking at or
> smelling them, how could we put them into our mouths? Mahamati, the
> burned dead bodies are mephitic and feculent, the cooked meats are as
> mephitic and feculent as the burned dead bodies, so how could we eat
> such things? Therefore, Mahamati, in order to turn the worlds into
> pure Buddha-worlds, to enlighten all living beings, Bodhisattvas
> should not eat meat."
>
> ~ Lankavatara Sutra

---------

Now as to the question of beef...this has also been discussed before but to answer beyond_religion's first post, it's perfectly alright to ask whether it has been asked before Smile

The custom of not eating beef is linked with Hinduism and Chinese folks culture. Because they do not forget the hard work that cows have helped in their agriculture. And also, the Hindus treat cows as holy animals.

Actually Buddha did not particularly single out beef as not to be eaten. However, those who choose to eat meat should eat meat under only three conditions Smile

If you go to Thailand, the monks there can eat beef because they belong to the Theravadin tradition. The only animals they cannot eat are the flesh of humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, and panthers.

An Eternal Now SG

If you are interested in learning meditation, there are places for you to learn meditation.... but I am not exactly sure if they will give 'remembering past lives' instructions like Ajahn Brahmavamso Laughing According to him one should enter into the Jhanas, a kind of blissful meditative absorption. My path does not require me to cultivate the jhanas so I do not know much.

For me, I do not seek to remember past lives through any special methods, I would rather focus on my usual Buddhist cultivation... when my cultivation gains strength, and Samadhi is developed, naturally recalling past lives will become possible.

The Buddha taught...

THE SIX SUPERNATURAL POWERS OF BUDDHA

The All-knowing One further elucidated thus: "If a monk should frame a wish as follows:- Let me call to my mind many previous states of existence, to wit one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, one hundred births, one thousand births, one hundred thousand births, many destructions of a world cycle (Kappa), many renovations of a world cycle, many destructions and many renovations of a world cycle: I lived in such a place, had such a name was of such a family, of such a caste, had such a maintenance, experienced such happiness and such miseries had such a length of life. Then I passed from that existence and was reborn in such a place. There also I had such a name, was of such a family, of such a caste, had such a maintenance, experienced such happiness and such miseries, had such a length of life. Then I passed from that existence and was reborn in such a place. There also I had such a name, was of such a family, of such a caste, had such a maintenance, experienced such happiness and such miseries, had such a length of life. Then I passed from that existence and was reborn in this existence." Thus let me call to my mind many former states of existence and let me specifically characterise them," then must he be perfect in the precepts etc. -

One should cultivate one's Precepts, Samadhi (unwaveredness of mind) and Insight/Wisdom through our dharma practise.

Do read: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/basic-guide.htm on basic Buddhism and practise.

Cenarious SG

The only animals they cannot eat are the flesh of humans, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, hyenas, and panthers.

any reason why those 10?

An Eternal Now SG

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/bmc1/ch08-4.html

5) Meat. The flesh of any biped or quadruped, except for that which is unallowable. The following types of meat are un-allowable: the flesh of human beings, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears, and hyenas (panthers). Human beings, horses, and elephants were regarded as too noble to be used as food. The other types of meat were forbidden either on grounds that they were repulsive ("People were offended and annoyed and spread it about, 'How can these Sakyan contemplatives eat dog meat? Dogs are loathsome, disgusting'") or dangerous (bhikkhus, smelling of lion's flesh, went into the jungle; the lions there were offended and annoyed and attacked them).

To eat human flesh entails a thullaccaya; to eat any of the other unallowable types, a dukkata (Mv.VI.23.9-15). If a bhikkhu is uncertain as to the identity of any meat presented to him, he incurs a dukkata if he doesn't ask the donor what it is (Mv.VI.23.9).

Fish or meat, even if of an allowable kind, is unallowable if raw. Thus bhikkhus may not eat steak tartare, sashimi, oysters on the half-shell, etc. (Raw flesh and blood are allowed at Mv.VI.10.2 only when one is possessed by non-human beings (!)) Furthermore, even cooked fish or meat of an allowable kind is unallowable if the bhikkhu sees, hears, or suspects that the animal was killed specifically for the purpose of feeding bhikkhus (Mv.VI.31.14).

bladez87 SG

sorry . so in short we can eat beef? btw what are the 3 conditions that we can eat meat?

after reading about this, i not sure what buddhism is about. i know is the cultivation of 1 self. but why are we praying with joss sticks to Guan Yin?

just this morning i broke a mirror, and my dad asked me to pray to Ti Gong, Guan Yin, Laughing Buddha and Buddha to seek protection.

will breaking mirror really cause 7 years of bad luck? aha.

bladez87 SG

o ya another thing.

is it possible to cultivate oneself if he is of another religion like christianity?

is one about to learn from both religions teaching?

you see i believe in buddhism, the cultivation of oneself. as for the praying to Gods, well lets say i believe ba, but also not believe.

for christianity, i believe in the teachings too, but yet i also not believe in their God and stuff.

so in short, if i am a christian, can i still gain enlightenment?

btw what is enlightenment? i dont get it. haha because i am dim i supposed. what am i supposed to be enlightened of?

An Eternal Now SG

Originally posted by bladez87:
sorry . so in short we can eat beef? btw what are the 3 conditions that we can eat meat?

You can eat beef as long as under the three conditions/five conditions. Usually beef is OK (i.e under the 5 conditions) because its frozen meat, therefore its not directly killed for us, as we usually don't demand people to slaughter the cows for us. Unfortunately very often when we order seafood, we will be going against the 5 Pure Meat principle, because we are ordering those sea creatures to be slaughtered for us. Therefore we should take note. For me, if someone treat me seafood I still eat, but I will not order live seafood for myself or others.

Three Conditions or Five Conditions of eating meat are mentioned in the sutras. The more commonly heard is the three conditions, the five conditions is merely an extension of that.

Three conditions: did not see the killing, did not hear the killing, and do not suspect that they were killed.

Five conditions: (1) That he did not slaughter the animal personally
(2) That he did not instruct others to slaughter
(3) That the slaughter was not committed for his sake
(4) That he did not witness the slaughter
(5) That he did not hear the cries associated with the slaughter

after reading about this, i not sure what buddhism is about. i know is the cultivation of 1 self. but why are we praying with joss sticks to Guan Yin?

just this morning i broke a mirror, and my dad asked me to pray to Ti Gong, Guan Yin, Laughing Buddha and Buddha to seek protection.

It is a form of folks belief. And your family practises the common folks practises, or 'Ming Jian Xing Yang'. Ti Gong is a Chinese deity and is not from Buddhism. Deities are different from Enlightened Beings, because worldly deities still belong to Samsara, while enlightened beings have transcended Samsara, freed from the three poisons of Greed, Hatred, Ignorance, and the cycle of rebirth in the six realms of existence (the three lower realms are Hell, Spirits, Animals, while the three higher realms are Asura, Human, Heaven/Celestial). There are some deities that honour the teachings of the Buddha and vows to protect the dharma. We call them dharma protectors and pay them due respects. However we do not worship any worldly deities, in fact we do not even worship the Buddha or Bodhisattvas. Buddhists do not 'mi2 xing4 bai4 bai4', we 'li3 bai4', pay homage, reverence, respect, etc. Hmm sounds so familiar... oh, I just mentioned a few days ago haha. Do see my reply to SumOne on 19 October 2006 · 07:33 PM.

Joss sticks, the 'sao1 siang1', the 'siang' (fragrance) symbolises the Fragrance of Dao4 De2. In the sutras (i.e Lu Xiang Zan) it mentions 'Lu Siang Za Re Fa Jie Meng Xun', the Fragrance of Dao De pervades the entire Dharmadhatu, which means pervades the entire universe. We must learn to have 'Dao4 De2', that is what it means. Buddhists do not necessarily need to put joss stick everywhere in Buddhist monasteries at every altar, I mean if you imagine Buddha were here and the whole place is so smokey, he wouldn't like it. We can pay our respects with '3 prostrations' (san1 bai4), or just ding2 li3. But anyway there is difference between Chinese temples and Buddhist monastery, dharma centers. Chinese temples are folks tradition temples that worship gods and deities. (usually) Buddhist monasteries are where Buddhist monks and nuns resides, and also the Monasteries and Dharma Centers serves as a place to propagate the Buddha Dharma (the Truths and Teachings that Buddha taught that leads to Wisdom, Bliss, Liberation)

Anyway just to intro about those figures you mentioned. Guan Yin is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva who can perceive and hear the voices and sounds throughout the universe, and has the ability to save beings in need of help. Laughing Buddha is Maitreya Bodhisattva (Mi2 Le4 Pu2 Sa4), the Next Buddha to appear on Earth, and therefore not yet a Buddha. 'Bodhisattvas' are beings cultivating to attain complete Buddhahood. And Buddha (I presume you refering to the thinner one) is Shakyamuni Buddha, the historical Buddha in India. We should learn from the examples of the Great Bodhisattvas, and of course the Buddha himself, in practising the way of the Bodhisattva, to save the inner sentient being (yourself) and the outer sentient beings.. and eventually attain Buddhahood. The ultimate aim of Buddhism is to attain Enlightenment. Smile

More about Bodhisattvas I mentioned days ago:

Guan Yin originates from Buddhism, and is a role model Great Bodhisattva symoblising great compassion. Buddhists should therefore learn from this Great Bodhisattva and cultivate the Bodhisattva ways. There are many other famous Bodhisattvas - i.e Di Zhang Wang Pu Sa (the great Bodhisattva who vows to save sentient beings in hell), Wen Shu Shi Li Pu Sa (the Bodhisattva known for his Great Wisdm), and many many other famous ones. A Bodhisattva is one who not only seeks his own liberation/Nirvana but also vows to save/liberate sentient beings from the world of sufferings (samsara), and thereby walking the path towards perfect Buddhahood. All sentient beings have inherent Buddha Nature, and as a Buddhist we seek to awaken our Buddha Nature, practise the Bodhisattva way and eventually attain Buddhahood ourselves.

will breaking mirror really cause 7 years of bad luck? aha.

I'll be direct about this... it is a form of superstition. Even the idea of 'bad luck' is superstitious.... there is no such thing as 'bad luck', there is only karma - wholesome, unwholesome, and pure karma. Being a Buddhist, we should drop and let go all superstitious beliefs Smile

You may want to read the stickied topic posted by Neutral_Onliner: KARMA - nobody but you yourself is in control of your fate

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