"Distracted Buddhist Community"

Laurence, you are def a better Buddhist than I; seeing the possibilities of good in everyone. :slight_smile: I love the cobbler reference. This is why the girl in blue is dating him. You know, it doesn’t get much better than dating a cobbler with a bad case of dandruff! :slight_smile:

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Some Buddhisms are more do-it-yourself than others.

My super lazer lotus guild is more do-it-yourself than what they practice at most viharas!

:sweat_smile::speak_no_evil::hear_no_evil::see_no_evil:

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I, myself, belong to the highly exclusive “Super Bionic Ninja Warrior Ultra Diamond Heart Lotus Meditation Fellowship.” Sadly, we don’t have lasers, :slightly_frowning_face:, but if we did, I’m sure we’d all be 50th level Jhana practitioners by now.

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The Laser Lotus’s are a sect of Reformed Neo-Buddhism, but we are open to synchretism. You should consider incorporating some of our practices into your daily routine.

Our practice consists mainly of meditating on our inner lazer, which is located 2 millimetres from the surface of the eye, right in the centre of it. We meditate on our lazer in hope of its eventual activation.

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Thank you for the offer, @Coemgenu! I will have a word with the Grand Master, so he can assign a committee to discuss the viability of laser integration.

:lightsaber_red:

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I don’t you can achieve liberation following step-by-step guides ( assuming they exist ), so in the end actually walking the path is do-it-yourself-Buddhism.

I think the smart approach is to learn everything the masters/mistresses/teachers have to say, master the basic techniques, amass your own observations, and apply your observations.

Of course, there are foolish people who will cut things out or add things on BEFORE they have thoroughly examined what the teachers have to say ( or people who will mindlessly follow teachers until they die ).

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@Coemgenu @Timothy, Waking up to humour this good - Many thanks :rofl:

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I think questioning the teaching and practice of another monk is in line with Buddha’s teaching.

The following website supports the new theory.

I see a person wanting love and intimacy and trying to be attractive -craving and eliciting craving in another. I see another practicing the Dhamma, not perfect, trying hard to see foulness, elements of the body, yet getting caught in his cravings and imperfections. I see an on-looker judging him, maybe trying to help him, unsuccessfully, imperfect in her own way!

I see consciousness looking at this entire picture and feeling metta at their collective suffering.

May we all find an end to our suffering.

with metta

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No, Buddhism doesn’t work that way. The various leaders (Mahanayakas) might like to exert some influence, but there’s not much they can do.

Usually what happens is that these new movements come up, get really popular for a few years, then fade away—or blow up.

What is interesting, though, is the underlying ground. The Buddha said that the Dhamma was not to be threatened by external forces, but by the lack of good practice among the Buddhist community. And the problem is that the mainstream of Buddhism is so weak—riven by corruption, full of rituals and superstitions, unable to cope or keep pace with modernity at all—that they have no authority when someone new comes along. It is, I believe, very much a part of the collapse of faith in authority and expertise that we see worldwide. Someone can come up with these radical ideas and there is simply no appreciation of the fact that there are people in the world who do actually understand these things, due to long study and practice.

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Yes. And the population intuitively knows what the real thing is.

True. Also the Dhamma has become inaccessible enshrined in gilded books, in locked cupboards. Virtue and renunciation has stopped being valued. ‘Success’ ie financial gain has become the height of ‘spirituality’ and positive psychology. The man in the sky is being sold for an income and followers. The resulting loss of faith and even more, trust, is really bad for everyone’s wellbeing. People swallow superstition when they know it isn’t true- they are not given a choice by those who know no other Dhamma.

Yes. Sometimes these things are intentional. I heard one of those involved in this scam to say the Buddha was born in Sri Lanka boasted to internal associates that he would get 100 lakhs of rupees in one day, so there’s hardly any appreciation of the Dhamma, much less learned and practicing bhikkhus.

Then there are those who’s views are distorted due to various reasons.

with metta

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I am one of the luckiest person member of discussion groups in online. Bhante, After 18th century, due to Sir Edwin Arnold Buddhism arising around the world with creative way of thinking. There are many creative innovation in Buddhism to protect core teaching of the Buddha. Such as emptiness by Nagarjuna, Pali text society by David, Bhikkhuni ordination by Ajarn Bhram, and now Sutta central by Bhante Sujato.

When i was in 19th years old India i thought Buddha was thought Hindi. Then i focus on Hindi. During 17 years study period in India. I could not see such kind of research in Hindi. But now i am not that level to give opinion dharma in English.
One thing I can request Bhante please continue find core teaching of the Buddha and avoid all hybrid teaching of the Buddha. May all beings be happy and peaceful mind. Jayato Sutta central.

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Is it against the rules for monks to openly disagree with other monks?

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On the contrary, it is our duty to point out where other monastics are teaching non-Dhamma as Dhamma.

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In that case I would just name the guy.

Aside from people knowing who to avoid, it would also avoid a lot of passive aggressive styled conversations where something that isn’t an issue takes on the onus of an issue.

I’ve seen articles in Sri Lankan newspapers by Ajahn Brahm.

Maybe they would accept an essay from you about the correct meaning of the terms in the funny meme.

I’m pretty sure we’re all talking about Ven Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero, another user here has a thread about it on DhammaWheel:

https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&p=482015#p482015

I’ll be the evil guy who says the name.

Two members of his “group” came here a while ago trying to spread folk etymologies. Anatta isn’t no(n)-self, anicca isn’t impermanence, etc.

They also tried to argue that Buddha was born in Sri Lanka, that India (Jambudvīpa) was Sri Lanka, and that the ground beneath Sri Lanka has unusual gravitational properties that results in a higher chance for the arisings of Tathāgatāni there.

The thread was called something like “Where is Jambudipa?”

The poster who asked the question marked one of his own posts as the “answer”. Hilarious.

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According to puredhamma, it was one of Waharaka’s disciples, against the wishes of Waharaka himself, who promoted the “Buddha was born in Sri Lanka” theory. Waharaka Thero’s stuff isn’t in English so I can’t evaluate the claim myself.

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Nice one, @DKervick!

This distracts me… :joy:

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