Meditation - Essential to Buddhism

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by sentient

How is your book coming along?

Why did you choose a Buddhist forum ...
*

I gave up on the idea of writing a book. To me, I am on the Buddha's path. But then 5000 years of persons
have been adding to Buddha's teachings. Picking little jewels out here and there, like Bodhidharma.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

I gave up on the idea of writing a book. To me, I am on the Buddha's path. But then 5000 years of persons
have been adding to Buddha's teachings. Picking little jewels out here and there, like Bodhidharma.

I personally think if we stick to the Basic Teachings we can't go wrong

Added to and developed from are slightly different, if they make no sense and can't be used in normal day to day life leave them for others...

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by janielee

Pema Chodron interview:

Stories of Trungpa Rinpoche’s sexual encounters with students still upset a lot of people. Have they ever upset you?

No. But he upset me. He upset me a lot. I couldn’t con him, and that was uncomfortable. But it was exactly what I needed. Sometimes, in certain situations, I can see how I’m a con artist, and I can see how I’m just trying to make everything pretty and smooth, and all I have to do is think of Rinpoche and I get honest. He has the effect on me of relentlessly—in a dedicated way—keeping me honest. And that’s not always comfortable.

How did he respond to your choice of celibacy?

He encouraged me to be very strict with my vows.

He never provoked you or needled you about being attached to your vows?

Quite the opposite. He actually was very strict and used to say, “You know people will be watching you, people will watch how you walk, how you move, and you should really represent this tradition well.”

In terms of how to be a nun or monk, his teachings were always very straight, very pure. He needled me about other things. I remember one time saying something to him about feeling that I was a nice person. I used the word “nice,” and I remember the look that crossed his face—it was as if he had just eaten something that tasted really bad. And he would also do this thing, which many students have talked to me about, where you’d be talking on and on in your most earnest style and he’d just yawn and look out the window.


It takes a lot to understand but in my viewpoint, a Buddhist teacher of genuine repute and ability is going to continually cut away at the student's ego, beliefs, self-investment.

This is not the same as what is reported in the recent case (of Trungpa's son) i.e. criminal [I stress that I do not know much of these cases so talk at a high level here only, without fact] - but it is not outside the understanding of a teacher to continually challenge students. In fact, it is their job to do so.

JL

Thanks for posting that interview it was insightful to me. It reminds me of what happened in the Ananda community http://www.anandainfo.com/intro.html

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

I gave up on the idea of writing a book. To me, I am on the Buddha's path. But then 5000 years of persons
have been adding to Buddha's teachings. Picking little jewels out here and there, like Bodhidharma.

How do you come up with 5000 years?

I come up with about 2500.

[Phaelyn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

How do you come up with 5000 years?

I come up with about 2500.

Some philosophy teacher at a community college told our class that. I'll google it as I have no idea. I'm still confused about BCE BC AD and all of that lol.

Buddha was born in the 6th century B.C., or possibly as early as 624 B.C., according to some scholars. Other researchers believe he was born later, even as late as 448 B.C. And some Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha lived from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C

Ok that didn't help.

B.C. means "before Christ" and B.C.E. stands for "Before the Common Era

What? So Buddha's birth day is based on Christ's birth day??? Why? Time starts at zero when Jesus was born? So there is before christ time and after christ time? What about the parts of the world that don't believe in Christ at all... what is time there.... what year is it there?

In the modern calendar, we label all years with B.C. (before Christ) or A.D. (anno domini, or "in the year of our lord"). There is no "zero" year -- in this system, the year Christ was born is 1 A.D., and the year preceding it is 1 B.C.

So is this year basically 2020 A.D.?

here is no difference in dating, just in the terms. Anno Domini is Latin for "in the year of the Lord" referring to the birth of Jesus Christ. C.E., the abbreviation for "Common Era" is used to mark time in the same way. B.C. means "before Christ" and B.C.E. stands for "Before the Common Era".

Therefore, 1403 A.D. and 1403 C.E. are the same date as are 4000B.C. and 4000B.C.E. Read the article "Common Era (CE) and Before Common Era (BCE)" by the website Time and Date.

The Anno Domini year–numbering system was introduced by a Christian monk named Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century. The year count starts with year 1 in the Gregorian calendar. This is supposed to be the birth year of Jesus, although modern historians often conclude that he was born around 4 years earlier.

Time is not very precise eh.... but then what year it is would be made up anyway.....why not start with the big bang? Well because then we would have to list todays date as 13 billion, 8 million, 147,895.... or something like that.

Ok back to how long ago Buddha lived....

I'll just make a guess based on the above which I'm still iffy about if I understand it or not....

So it is now 2020, Jesus was born in the year 1, when the monk started counting years, Buddha was born around 500 years before Jesus so Buddha would have been born around 2520 years ago if I did that right. Yea you get what you pay for in community college.

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

What? So Buddha's birth day is based on Christ's birth day??? Why? Time starts at zero when Jesus was born? So there is before christ time and after christ time? What about the parts of the world that don't believe in Christ at all... what is time there.... what year is it there?
.

Yeah so it seems that the world uses "Christ" as the convention for time, but it would be interesting to explore your question further. I assume it took hold because most of modern history is and has been ruled by those associated with the Church.

Fascinating stuff, hey, this world of conventions

Originally Posted by sentient

LOL!

Apparently he terrified a lot of people – lol! I can imagine.

Unmasking is never comfortable, but necessary.

*

Yes I had to admire how Trungpa Rinpoche caused some angst in his students, and I particularly liked the yawning part and look of having eaten something unappetizing in response to Pema calling herself 'nice'. I laughed at that. Fantastic.

The world needs more realized teachers, sentient.

Why aren't there more, I wonder?

JL

Phaelyn:

I found this -

How Time Works

by Marshall Brain
B.C. and A.D.

In the modern calendar, we label all years with B.C. (before Christ) or A.D. (anno domini, or "in the year of our lord"). There is no "zero" year -- in this system, the year Christ was born is 1 A.D., and the year preceding it is 1 B.C.

This practice was first suggested in the sixth century A.D., and was adopted by the pope of that time. It took quite a while for it to become a worldwide standard, however. Russia and Turkey, for example, did not convert to the modern calendar and year scheme until the 20th century.

[sky]

Originally Posted by Phaelyn

Some philosophy teacher at a community college told our class that. I'll google it as I have no idea. I'm still confused about BCE BC AD and all of that lol.



Ok that didn't help.



What? So Buddha's birth day is based on Christ's birth day??? Why? Time starts at zero when Jesus was born? So there is before christ time and after christ time? What about the parts of the world that don't believe in Christ at all... what is time there.... what year is it there?



So is this year basically 2020 A.D.?





Time is not very precise eh.... but then what year it is would be made up anyway.....why not start with the big bang? Well because then we would have to list todays date as 13 billion, 8 million, 147,895.... or something like that.

Ok back to how long ago Buddha lived....

I'll just make a guess based on the above which I'm still iffy about if I understand it or not....

So it is now 2020, Jesus was born in the year 1, when the monk started counting years, Buddha was born around 500 years before Jesus so Buddha would have been born around 2520 years ago if I did that right. Yea you get what you pay for in community college.

Don't complicate your life

They both lived, both died and both left beautiful Teachings , that's all we need to know, me anyway....

Wise, sky123. Thanks.

JL