The day before my ‘pabbajja’ I gave up the last few currencies I had and since then I never accepted or did any transaction involving money or equivalents.
Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! You are one of the very rare living example and inspiration for many.
Since the parinibbana of the Sammasambudda and initial arahant disciples a lot of things have happened. But I am very very grateful to past Sangha for protecting and handing over the EBT to us, which is my guiding light and The Guide.
There’re certainly a lots of things happened after almost 2600 years, that’s precisely the reason for a thorough study, comparative study, research… to ascertain what truly is the Buddha’s teaching. What do you think Bhante, shouldn’t one keep an open mind in order to be able to comprehend and preserve the correct teaching?
I don’t have much knowledge about Suttas & Vinaya but I always reflect on this statement by a very wise and compassionate Ajahn:
"There is another way of reading the Vinaya to say that the Buddha left an opportunity open for just the bhikkhus to ordain bhikkhunis and revive the bhikkhuni sangha. Given this possibility in the Vinaya, we can argue that point as scholars, but also out of compassion. You have to follow the rules, but if there is a possible interpretation, which is the kind one, that’s the one we should follow because that’s what the Buddha would have encouraged us to do"
I respect this Ajahn too, as well as Ven Analayo, who I know personally.
The point I presented earlier was about the establishment of Bhikkhuni order in Sri Lanka. When some royal ladies wanted to enter the order, Arahant Mahinda, with such great compassion, did not do it by himself together with the community of Sangha he had. Instead he got down Arahant Sanghamitta from India. Definitely his knowledge of Vinaya was based exactly upon what Buddha taught, that is, the
ordination of Bhikkhunis to be carried out by both the communities of Sangha.
Dhamma can not be interpreted by using non-dhamma parameters. Dhamma is the Law of Nature. That we have to understand with direct knowledge.
Vinaya is the tool, the requisite, and the support for this direct understanding. By abiding with it, either Vinaya for householders or for Bhikkhus, as the case may be, one can tread on the Noble Path.
When something was lost, it is lost. Nothing to worry or argue about. Accept as it is. Still when there is a means to achieve the goal, strive for it. The mundane compassion is very shallow. It leads to sorrow and pain.
When one is engulfed with such unskilled dhammas as sorrow and pain, the truth, the wisdom departs.
The Buddha’s original natural spoken language, is now lost. Should we now assume that living the holy life is worthless as is trying to figure out what the original teachings were?
This has been a very interesting thread, but it’s now time for all its strands to unravel into peace! Thank you everyone for your contributions. This topic is now closed.
