10
votes
Did the Buddha mean this by "rebirth"?
I suspect the Buddha used the term "rebirth"
The entire premise of your question is faulty, unfortunately. The Buddha never, afaik, used a term that could be translated as "rebirth". In fact, the ...
- 24.1k
5
votes
Accepted
What is the Origin and History of Milindapanha?
Summarizing briefly from the introduction to the translation and analysis by A.V. Paribok:
The ancient parts are Book 2 and parts of Book 1 -- most likely written in Punjab (North-Western India) ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
What is the Buddhist Perspective on Lucid Dreaming?
Lucid dream is a place where you can do more work, more Buddhist practice. For example, if you are afraid of fights you can pick a fight with anyone, man or monster. It's a safe place to try things ...
- 57.6k
5
votes
The commonly acceptable hypotheses/theories among scholars to explain how come Prajñāpāramitā sutra have existed so early as about 75 CE?
I quote all of these from the book "A History of Indian Buddhism: From Sakyamuni to Early Mahayana" (1990) by Hirakawa Akira (professor and widely respected academic authority in Buddhist ...
- 36.9k
4
votes
Accepted
What are 'suttas of indirect meaning' in the Pali canon?
From Neyyattha Sutta (A 2.3):
Bhikshus, there are these two who misrepresent the Tathagata. What are the two?
Those who explain a sutta whose sense is direct as indirect. Those who explain a ...
- 57.6k
4
votes
Is Buddhism the Way of Truth?
The spirit of the Buddha's Teaching has always been: "To come, practice, and experience it for yourself". He had long abandoned the ego to prove anything to anyone:
"Gotami, the ...
- 9,707
4
votes
Is there a real difference between "not-self" and "no self", and if so, which one is correct?
The difference is significant.
To say: "This is not the self", is to point to some existing thing and having examined it with the criteria for what is worthy to consider the self (that is, that it is ...
- 41
4
votes
Buddha's view on sexuality
There are two levels of Teaching, for the common people, and for professional seekers of Nirvana.
To first, Buddha taught no-nonsense ethics, chastity etc. Sex for procreation, faithful marriage, ...
- 57.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Was the Abhidhamma taught by the Buddha?
Mendis refers to “Theravāda tradition”. His source is the introduction to the Atthasālinī, which was compiled by Buddhaghosa in about 400 AD based on earlier texts that no longer exist.
The ...
- 1,378
4
votes
Was the Abhidhamma taught by the Buddha?
From this YouTube video entitled "The Theravada Abhidhamma with Bhikkhu Bodhi (Class #1, 5 Mar 2018)", Ven. Bodhi, the famous translator and scholar of the Pali Canon, explained the account ...
- 36.9k
3
votes
Ṛta, ritual and Buddhism
Clinging to rites and rituals
It is mis-belief in something miracle and shortcut. It is mis-belief in worshipping the creator or god can bring the worshipper's liberation/salvation. It is something ...
- 1,119
3
votes
Accepted
When were the earliest Buddhist writings created
According to Theravada tradiation:
563 BCE - (Buddha) was born.
528 - Enlighten.
483 - Parinirvana.
483 - First council ,(After 3 month of parinirvana.) collected Dhamma as (Deega, Maggima, ...
- 1,601
3
votes
When were the earliest Buddhist writings created
There is no external evidence for the Buddhist texts before Asoka. The evidence for Asoka's time is extremely limited - a few texts mentioned by name with no content. All dates in early Indian history ...
- 4,285
3
votes
Did the Buddha mean this by "rebirth"?
I offer this article, "A Secular Evaluation of Rebirth", as a possible answer to your question.
It starts with,
Insofar as we know anything about his dhamma, we know that the Buddha taught ...
- 651
3
votes
What was the reason behind the fall of Buddhism in India?
After the Pari-nibbhana of The Buddha, there was a decline of Theravada Buddhism ( those who follow the teaching preserved in the Pāli), and a rise of the Mahayana Buddhism. The third council got ...
- 9,695
3
votes
Where to get the genuine e-book on "Jataka Tales" in English?
See: The Jataka by Robert Chalmers ed. E.B. Cowell in www.sacred-texts.com. The index is found here.
3
votes
Were there 27 more Buddhas before Siddhartha Gautam Buddha?
Were there 27 more Buddhas before Siddhartha Gautam Buddha?
Yes, the Buddha speaks of them in his suttas, many of them from different times/planets throughout the universe(s).
If so, are there any ...
- 5,151
3
votes
Accepted
Which is a good book to read about history of Buddhism?
Buddhism: Its History and Literature, by T.W. Rhys Davids
Buddhist India, by T.W. Rhys Davids
Early Buddhist Monachism (600 B.C. - 100 B.C.), by Sukumar Dutt
History of Buddhism in Ceylon: The ...
3
votes
Why Buddha rejected Upanishad and Veda?
Because nibbāna of Upanishad and Vedas is sassata-diṭṭhi (eternalism) in brahmmajālasutta. But nibbāna of buddhism is enlightened by ariya at the finish line (enlightenment) of the middle way, that is ...
- 6,136
3
votes
Accepted
Is there a real difference between "not-self" and "no self", and if so, which one is correct?
I can't easily tell a difference between "no self" and "not self" in English -- and if there is a difference (if you can construct a distinction in meaning) I think it's too fine a ...
- 45.7k
3
votes
Is Nibbana devoid of a permanent and eternal substance?
From this page, according to Nagarjuna's MMK, XXIV, 18 - 19:
Whatever is relativity, we proclaim that emptiness. It is dependent designation. It is also the central way.
Nothing whatsoever is ...
- 36.9k
3
votes
Accepted
How is 'consciousness' (vinyaana) defined in Buddhist texts?
'It cognizes, it cognizes': Thus, friend, it is said to be
'consciousness.' And what does it cognize? It cognizes 'pleasant.' It
cognizes 'painful.' It cognizes 'neither painful nor pleasant.' 'It
...
- 39.4k
3
votes
Accepted
Can everything be explained as the result of Kamma or not?
This is a very good question.
Ven. Thanissaro translated SN 36.21 as saying very clearly below that not everything that happens to us is caused by that which was done before. The sutta gives examples ...
- 36.9k
2
votes
Accepted
Were the Buddha's earliest followers bhikkhus?
The earliest records we have refer to Ānanda in many ways. But bhikkhu is one of them. For example in the Mahāpadāna Sutta we find
Mayhaṃ, bhikkhave, etarahi ānando nāma bhikkhu upaṭṭhāko ahosi ...
- 4,285
2
votes
What is the Buddhist Perspective on Lucid Dreaming?
Tibetan Dream Yoga is the original form of lucid dreaming documented for at least 1,000 years.
Just like our Westernized understanding of lucid dreams, the initial aim is to awaken the consciousness ...
- 21
2
votes
What is the Buddhist Perspective on Lucid Dreaming?
When you sleep, your mind is in somewhat of an uncontrolled state. I understand this to be the reason why monks sleep so few hours. The importance of lucid dreaming to your practice will likely depend ...
- 2,651
2
votes
What is storehouse consciousness?
We are made up of 5 aggregates : form ( body , matter ) , sensation ( feeling ) , mental activity , perception , consciousness , According to Mind school Of Mahayana , consciousness has 8 levels , ...
2
votes
What are the Core Teachings of Buddhism?
An idea of the core teachings of Buddha can be derived from the Maha Parinibbana Sutta...the teachings before his final nibbana.
In the sutta, the Blessed One says,
"Now, O bhikkhus, I say to ...
- 1,209
2
votes
What are the Core Teachings of Buddhism?
To do good deeds, avoid bad deeds and purify the mind.
And the practice to attain that is through Sila (morality), Samadhi (Meditation) and Panna (Wisdom).
- 167
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