Acharya Sujatin (temple host)

Dharmavidya:

PAIN IN A BOMBU WORLD

In the on-line order meeting this past Saturday I said that in relation to the current world crisis caused by the arrival of a virus for which, as yet, we have no cure, I am a happy pessimist.  I’ll say a little more on this subject.

Firstly, the pessimist.  Clearly, in the present situation, there are lar…[Read more]

Dharmavidya writes:

Saigyo (1118-1190) was a wandering poet monk in Japan.  He is one of the most famous Japanese poets.  He wrote more than fifteen hundred poems, many of which became famous.  His poetry reflects his life as a rather solitary wanderer, often spending the winter in the mountains in a thatched hut far from civilisation.

The na…[Read more]

QUESTION:  I’d like to be clear about what nembutsu practice is. It’s seems from what I can glean from your writing you are saying Amida Buddhism is the work of compassion in the world in the play of opposites. So practice begins with some kind of descent into what has been disowned. So I enjoyed the way you framed the practices of Chih Quan and…[Read more]

Dharmavidya writes:

What are the Basic Teachings of Amida Shu Buddhism?
Added by Dharmavidya on July 19, 2008

Amida Shu is a form of Buddhism that affirms

– (together with all Mahayana Buddhsim) the threefold nature of Buddha (ultimate Buddha, spiritual Buddha, Buddha in the world),

– adheres to the Pureland Buddhist emphasis upon the ‘…[Read more]

Dharmavidya:

Humans press on forward.  It is like an automatic car.  The basic state of such a car is to move slowly forward.  To get it to stand still while the engine is running one actually has to apply a brake.  It will not come to a stop of its own accord.  Humans are the same.  When you learn to drive a car, the first thing to learn is ho…[Read more]

Following the discussion after the essay :: here

Dharmavidya writes:

I am making this into a new discussion as it is somewhat at a tangent from the “Unmodernising Buddhism” theme.

Clearly Anapanasati and Satipatthana were teachings that were important to the Buddha.  These were key items that he wanted disciples to hang onto.  The question i…[Read more]

BUDDHIST MODERNISM

One reads a good deal these days about Buddhist modernism.  This is a movement that began in South and South East Asia as a resistance to colonialism.  Local Buddhists wanted to present their countries as “modern” and so injected a lot of Western rationalist prejudices into their culture and religion in order to make it look …[Read more]

Video talk here :: link

Dharmavidya:

A little while ago I answered a knock on my door and found myself in conversation with two Jehovah’s Witnesses.  I told them I was Buddhist.  They immediately asked if I was a religious Buddhist or a philosophical Buddhist.  I replied, without hesitation, that I was a religious Buddhist.  We had a pleasant conversation and found…[Read more]

Dharmavidya talks about solitude – :: here

Dharmavidya writes:

A CONTROVERSIAL ESSAY

Tao Sheng (360-434) was an important figure in the history of Chinese religion. He was a younger contemporary of Kumarajiva and of Hui Yuan and he spent time with both of them as well as at his home temple further to the east. He wrote a number of important essays and commentaries, some of which met with…[Read more]

Thus did I hear

Once the Buddha at Shravasti dwelt

In the Jeta Anathapindika garden

Together with a multitude of friars

One thousand two hundred and fifty

Who were arhats every one

As was recognised by all.

Amongst them…

Shariputra the elder, Great Maudgalyayana, Maha-kashyapa,

Maha-katyayana, Maha-kausthila,

Revata,…[Read more]

Dharmavidya writes:

FAMOUS WORDS

Buddhist sutras generally begin with these words.  Hearing is very important in Buddhism.  In fact, the essence of Buddhism is to hear the Dharma.

These words can be taken in a simplistic way and quickly passed over or they can be reflected on to some benefit.  Simplistically, one can take them as the in…[Read more]

:: link