I was think it might be nice to introduce a relaxed, chillout section for this forum. It’s quite common in forums, have a place people can chat in a more relaxed way, with feeling they have to be serious and meaningful. You know, encouraging samphappalāpa.
If we are to do this, I wonder what we should call it. I’m trying to think of a witty sutta-based pun, but can’t think of anything good. Something like, “milk and water” or “being cool”, I don’t know. Anyway, what do you think?
That looks very nice. One name I thought for the hangout section was, in fact “puppies and kittens”. Which would be nice, but I’d like something that comes from the suttas. And frankly, there’s just not enough puppies and kittens in the suttas!
Surely there is some parks in the Suttas where the wealthy classes hung out in?
E.g. in MN 82
Then King Koravya addressed his gamekeeper thus: “Good gamekeeper, tidy up the Migācīra Garden so that we may go to the pleasure garden to see a pleasing spot.”—“Yes, sire,” he replied. Now while he was tidying up the Migācīra Garden, the gamekeeper saw the venerable Raṭṭhapāla seated at the root of a tree for the day’s abiding. When he saw him, he went to King Koravya and told him: “Sire, the Migācīra Garden has been tidied up. The clansman Raṭṭhapāla is there, the son of the leading clan in this same Thullakoṭṭhita, of whom you have always spoken highly; he is seated at the root of a tree for the day’s abiding.”
Or a certain tree to gather under? Such as the sala tree?
Ven.s Anuruddha, Kimbila and Nandiya lived in the Gosinga sala-tree wood.
Sala wood is one of the main sources of hardwood in India, valued for building homes.
Furthermore the sala is a symbol of impermanence and the rapid dissolution of worldly gain and glory…
Although I really like Milk & Water!
Ah I see! Okay, hold the milk, keep the water - The Forest Pool?
And we are the animals with the samphappalāpa coming to drink!
Like the water cooler except for forest dwellers!
in the suttas ārāmo seems to be THE venue for socializing (apart from, perhaps, markets, of which there’s little information in the Canon), not only the Sangha would reside in parks, parks where the gathering place for samanas of different traditions for the sake of debates and chatter
As in the Parileyya Forest. Is this the right spelling? And have I got the name right?
It’s from that story of the Buddha going away because of the monks fighting at Kosambi (yes?) wouldn’t listen to him. He went and stayed in the Parileyya forest and a monkey and an elephant looked after him and they both basically went to heaven cos of the joyful merit they made. Actually, I don’t know if these details are from the EBTs…it’s a lovely story though.
So I thought Parileyya as a place to retreat to with kind people who look after one another and a place to retreat to from all (or most) of the fights of the world.
Then that Nāga elephant, having gone away from the herd, went to Pārileyyaka, the Protected Jungle, the root of the auspicious Sāl-tree, and to the Gracious One. There, in that place where the Gracious One dwelt, that Nāga elephant, cleared that place of grass, and with his trunk provided the Gracious One with drinking water and washing water.
I’m just wondering whether we should be relying on obscure allusions for the name. I mean, this section is meant for people who aren’t necessarily going to get the references; using insider-speak is the quickest way to lock out newbs. I was thinking of something in the suttas, but still clear and obvious to anyone.
But maybe we’re over-thinking it; perhaps its best just to call it “hangout” or something.
Or here’s an idea: “the watercooler”. That’s the standard place for a chat, and it has a nice Dhamma echo. And for Pali geeks with a sense of irony, it recalls the “talk by the well”; yes, Buddhism invented watercooler chat!