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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Religions & Faiths > Buddhism

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  #1  
Old 21-10-2011, 02:19 AM
IndigoAmber
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Book of reference for buddhists?

I was just wondering what book buddhists reference for inspiration and stories of the life of Buddha. I know there's the bible for Christians; but what do buddhists use?
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  #2  
Old 21-10-2011, 02:24 AM
Miss Hepburn Miss Hepburn is offline
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Good one:
A Buddhist Bible
by Dwight Goddard (1st ed.) [1932]
An edited (but not watered-down) collection of key Zen documents, a favorite of Jack Kerouac. This anthology has had a huge influence on the spread of Buddhism in the English-speaking world.
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  #3  
Old 22-10-2011, 08:26 AM
Samana Samana is offline
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Hi IndigoAmber,

'The Dhammapada' is the most popular and well known source of inspiration and can be found online here.


http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit...ntro.budd.html


The 'Anguttara Nikaya Anthology' is also a good place to start investigating the words of the Buddha in the Pali canon.

http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=17984

It's best to look directly at what the Buddha taught in the Pali suttas rather than other people's versions of the Dhamma. (many suttas be read at the first link I gave)

with kind wishes,

Samana
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  #4  
Old 05-11-2011, 09:37 PM
Mandarava
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hundred thousand songs of Milarepa has been nick named 'The Buddhist Bible'
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  #5  
Old 06-11-2011, 07:11 PM
Samana Samana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandarava
hundred thousand songs of Milarepa has been nick named 'The Buddhist Bible'

The Hundred thousand songs of Milarepa --which I have myself because I used to be a Tibetan Buddhist -- were devised by an an 11 century Tibetan man about his personal experiences . They are not stories of the life of the Buddha, which was requested in the OP BY Indigo Amber.
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  #6  
Old 07-11-2011, 08:00 PM
Mandarava
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Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samana
The Hundred thousand songs of Milarepa --which I have myself because I used to be a Tibetan Buddhist -- were devised by an an 11 century Tibetan man about his personal experiences . They are not stories of the life of the Buddha, which was requested in the OP BY Indigo Amber.


Yes it's a great book isn't it.Milarepa is one of my favorite yogis.And to put up with all that discipline from Marpa just makes me like him even more.He never gave up his practise no mater what was thrown at him.


Indigo Amber mentioned the Bible in her post and asked what Buddhists would use instead of.That's why I mentioned Hundred Thousand Songs because my Teacher once told me that this book was like the Bible in Tibet and refered to ofter.He also said that the book has the answers to all the questions one may have.It is highly respected.
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Old 09-11-2011, 12:29 AM
Samana Samana is offline
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Yes but its nothing to do with the original Buddha of the Pali canon.

Buddhism wasn't establishecd in Tibet until the 9th century and then again in 11th century. Also, people who were significant in Tibet were unknown in the rest of the Buddhist world - as was Tibetan Buddhism until the Chinese take-over and lamas escaping out of Tibet in the 1950's who had never seen the outside world before. There's also a lot of cultural stuff and shamanism from the earlier Bon religion mixed in with Tibetan Buddhism.
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  #8  
Old 09-11-2011, 04:15 PM
Mandarava
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Samana
Yes but its nothing to do with the original Buddha of the Pali canon.

Buddhism wasn't establishecd in Tibet until the 9th century and then again in 11th century. Also, people who were significant in Tibet were unknown in the rest of the Buddhist world - as was Tibetan Buddhism until the Chinese take-over and lamas escaping out of Tibet in the 1950's who had never seen the outside world before. There's also a lot of cultural stuff and shamanism from the earlier Bon religion mixed in with Tibetan Buddhism.

Really?
I don't like the sound of that because this makes it VERY difficult to find out what the Buddha actually said and what was added on later.

I recently left a Dharma centre I had been part of for a long time for reasons like this. Reiki and Shindo being mixed into the regular program of Karma Kagyu Buddhism is NOT my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these practises but I do believe they don't belong in Dharma centre's.

I was wondering, would you be able to give me a link to info on this matter.I mean about the cultural stuff and shamanism being mixed in with Tibetan Buddhism.
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  #9  
Old 09-11-2011, 06:49 PM
philji
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Isnt it true that Buddhism wherever it has gone has adapted to different cultural and traditional beliefs etc. Buddhism appears quite different in Japan, Thailand, India, Tibet for instance but the core principles of 4 noble truths, A belief in Buddha nature/emptiness//sunyata etc exists also the preciousness of human birth, karma, impermanence and sufferings exist as well as loving kindness and compassion. The practice of meditation also is very similar in all forms of buddhism... shamata and vippassana again sometimes with different names.... I think it is wonderful that Buddhism has this ability to transform its outer appearance in this way, i am sure that in time it will also do this in the west. Perhaps the traditional monastic setting will not work for the west for example and a more householder tradition will form. I think that like everything else Buddhism changes( this is one of the core principles of Buddhism isnt it?) but as long as the core teachings/essential points remain then good. In this way Buddhism can remain in this world as a positive force for good. One last point, i am wondering when the name buddhism came into being. The term Dharma/Dhamma meaning right actions were the original terms used.
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  #10  
Old 09-11-2011, 10:52 PM
Samana Samana is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandarava
.

I was wondering, would you be able to give me a link to info on this matter.I mean about the cultural stuff and shamanism being mixed in with Tibetan Buddhism.

I've known about it offline for quite a long time. There's something here:

Quote:
The history of Buddhism in Tibet begins with Bon. The Bon religion of Tibet was animistic and shamanistic, and elements of it live on today, to one degree or another, in Tibetan Buddhism.

source: http://buddhism.about.com/od/vajraya...iberthist1.htm
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