Round One Chat

[NYCSPITZ]

I've been reading a lot of buddhist material, buddha. Highly prevalent in modern times, highly prevalent...

only major religion which isn't at odds with science.

mind, body, spirit, the various "planes" of existence...

one reality.

[UnbornBuddha]

Originally Posted by NYCSPITZ

I've been reading a lot of buddhist material, buddha. Highly prevalent in modern times, highly prevalent...

only major religion which isn't at odds with science.

mind, body, spirit, the various "planes" of existence...

one reality.

Any particular sutra? Or any particular master's teachings?

Stay away from many of the modern Buddhist teachings, they are not what the Buddha taught, its psycho-materialistic Buddhism.

[NYCSPITZ]

Originally Posted by UnbornBuddha

Any particular sutra? Or any particular master's teachings?

Stay away from many of the modern Buddhist teachings, they are not what the Buddha taught, its psycho-materialistic Buddhism.

You'd probably be against it but mahayanist buddhism, particularly the branch that chants nam myoho renge kyo the title of the lotus sutra. I tried chanting it today and placebo or not I felt peaceful. It's not something where I'm going to just stick to this, I'll probably have to get into some Alan Watts and translations of actual scripture but of all the major religions I identify more with buddhism. Other than that I read Siddartha by Herman hesse, the tao of physics, something by d.t. suzuki and a bunch of popular magazines. I can't forsake my natural urge toward being a grey jedi though - 75-85% good but also with the capacity for evil bc I can't fight evil with good I can only fight evil with evil. JMO.

[UnbornBuddha]

Originally Posted by NYCSPITZ

You'd probably be against it but mahayanist buddhism, particularly the branch that chants nam myoho renge kyo the title of the lotus sutra. I tried chanting it today and placebo or not I felt peaceful. It's not something where I'm going to just stick to this, I'll probably have to get into some Alan Watts and translations of actual scripture but of all the major religions I identify more with buddhism. Other than that I read Siddartha by Herman hesse, the tao of physics, something by d.t. suzuki and a bunch of popular magazines. I can't forsake my natural urge toward being a grey jedi though - 75-85% good but also with the capacity for evil bc I can't fight evil with good I can only fight evil with evil. JMO.

Ah for sure. That particular branch comes from a monk called Nichiren. He had an interesting life, survived some executions by what some call good luck or divine will. The lotus sutra is deemed as the most powerful sutra. A famous Chan master once said that if you want to find out why the Buddha came to Earth, read the Lotus Sutra. If you want to learn how he attained enlightenment, read the Surangama sutra.
And no I am not against Mahayana, that is my particular resonance, albeit I am inclined towards Chan/ Zen sect. Particularly old school type Chan.

If it made you feel peaceful that's good. If your willing, try chanting the Lotus Sutra one day in Sanskrit, it is even more powerful in effect in my opinion.

And I love Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, wish I could read it in German. One day I suppose. D.T. Susuki was a great scholar, check out his Lavankatara sutra, his greatest translation. And of course your inclined toward Buddhism, i have come to see that it attracts certain minds.

And as for Good vs evil. From the perspective of the great Confucian Mencius, evil doesn't even exist at the presence of true goodness. But relatively evil exists in contrast to good, but since this good is intertwined with evil, it is not true goodness. I think fighting exists because of good and evil, the evil think they are doing good, or they are trying to be good by doing evil. There are a couple of stories where some crazy murderers, psychopaths who would wear a necklace of their victims' fingers, were transformed when they met a being of true goodness.

[NYCSPITZ]

Originally Posted by UnbornBuddha

Ah for sure. That particular branch comes from a monk called Nichiren. He had an interesting life, survived some executions by what some call good luck or divine will. The lotus sutra is deemed as the most powerful sutra. A famous Chan master once said that if you want to find out why the Buddha came to Earth, read the Lotus Sutra. If you want to learn how he attained enlightenment, read the Surangama sutra.
And no I am not against Mahayana, that is my particular resonance, albeit I am inclined towards Chan/ Zen sect. Particularly old school type Chan.

If it made you feel peaceful that's good. If your willing, try chanting the Lotus Sutra one day in Sanskrit, it is even more powerful in effect in my opinion.

And I love Herman Hesse's Siddhartha, wish I could read it in German. One day I suppose. D.T. Susuki was a great scholar, check out his Lavankatara sutra, his greatest translation. And of course your inclined toward Buddhism, i have come to see that it attracts certain minds.

And as for Good vs evil. From the perspective of the great Confucian Mencius, evil doesn't even exist at the presence of true goodness. But relatively evil exists in contrast to good, but since this good is intertwined with evil, it is not true goodness. I think fighting exists because of good and evil, the evil think they are doing good, or they are trying to be good by doing evil. There are a couple of stories where some crazy murderers, psychopaths who would wear a necklace of their victims' fingers, were transformed when they met a being of true goodness.

what minds does it attract....

[UnbornBuddha]

Originally Posted by NYCSPITZ

what minds does it attract....

Minds that are aware of the dimensionality of their own suffering, and thus are able to perceive themselves beyond the reality set upon by the confines of social and religious norms. Minds that perceive into the veil of their own enigma, or the riddle of reality. To quote Lao zi "There is nothing better than to know that you don't know. Not knowing, yet thinking you know -- This is sickness. Only when you are sick of being sick can you be cured. The sage is not sick is because he is sick of sickness. Therefore he is not sick".

[NYCSPITZ]

Originally Posted by UnbornBuddha

Minds that are aware of the dimensionality of their own suffering, and thus are able to perceive themselves beyond the reality set upon by the confines of social and religious norms. Minds that perceive into the veil of their own enigma, or the riddle of reality. To quote Lao zi "There is nothing better than to know that you don't know. Not knowing, yet thinking you know -- This is sickness. Only when you are sick of being sick can you be cured. The sage is not sick is because he is sick of sickness. Therefore he is not sick".

I like that quote.

what are your thoughts on the lotus sutra. what do u think it means compared to the surangama sutra and why do both complement each other (as buddhism extols interconnectedness so they must complement each other)? Also What is the chan sect and why are you drawn to it. Do u have a link to the lotus sutra in sanskrit phonetically spelled out in english so one can chant it? What r d Suzuki's thoughts on the lavankatara also? Also do you feel true goodness is a spark routinely witnessed in individuals who are typically ensconsed in the mundane pull between good/evil yin/yang.