7
votes
Accepted
How to find the right Dhamma teacher
At this point I venture to say that the school one picks is largely irrelevant. It's much more about the teacher's ability to connect the map of the teaching with the jungle of your immediate living ...
- 59k
7
votes
Are there Bad teachers? Is Mara in the Sanga?
There have always been bad men robed as monks. If we have clear moral discernment, we will avoid them.
There are many evil characters and uncontrolled men wearing the saffron robe. These wicked ...
- 43.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Why don't teachers just tell us the answers?
Because the question is supposed to "point directly at your mind" like the finger pointing at the moon. The answer could not do better. In fact, you learn more from trying to solve an apparent ...
- 4,956
5
votes
How to find the right Dhamma teacher
The Dhamma of the Buddha is the right dhamma teacher; as stated in the Pali suttas.
I have set forth the Dhamma without making any distinction of esoteric and exoteric doctrine; there is nothing, ...
- 43.7k
5
votes
How to find the right Dhamma teacher
I would recommend you to pick the tradition closest to the original teachings of the Buddha and try to find a good teacher within that tradition. Trying many traditions would probably lead you to ...
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5
votes
What does it mean to find a teacher?
When I say, "find a teacher" I just mean, don't rely on your understanding of books alone. Go to an actual resident Buddhist master of any denomination, like a teaching Theravada bhikkhu or a Zen ...
- 59k
5
votes
Accepted
The Oldest Traditional Buddhist Lineage?
Every "official" Chan/Zen master (that is, a master recognized and authorized by an older master) keeps a list of his ancestral teachers going back all the way to the Buddha Shakyamuni. I have such ...
- 59k
5
votes
Finding a Vipassana Teacher in a pandemic
Ven. Yuttadhammo, who was formerly a moderator of Buddhism.SE, heads the Sirimangalo International Meditation Centre in Ontario, Canada. He was a student of Ven. Ajaan Tong Sirimangalo.
He teaches ...
- 37.9k
5
votes
What is the actual status of the Dalai Lama in regard of Dhamma-Vinaya?
The 14th Dalai Lama has no standing in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
However, in the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist tradition and conforming to the Dharma and Vinaya of Tibetan Buddhism (and in ...
- 37.9k
4
votes
How to find the right Dhamma teacher
The Udayi Sutta (AN 5.159) describes the five qualities in one qualified to teach the Dhamma:
"It's not easy to teach the Dhamma to others, Ananda. The Dhamma
should be taught to others only when ...
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4
votes
Is there any forwarding benefit to ask equal?
It depends on the question.
There are people who understand the canon better than I do and who can help me to read and understand it, so it makes sense to ask that sort of question.
Also there are ...
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4
votes
Are anagamis/arahants common (1000+) nowadays?
In Udana 7.2, Ven. Sariputta (the Arahant) tried to teach Ven. Bhaddiya without realizing that he too was an Arahant.
The Buddha saw this and exclaimed the verse, describing Ven. Bhaddiya:
He has cut ...
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3
votes
Can humiliation be liberation?
Do you think that pointing out ego fixations publicly serves to free students of their egos?
In general, no. To me, it is cultish behaviour.
What do you think are the advantages, and drawbacks of ...
- 43.7k
3
votes
What is the actual status of the Dalai Lama in regard of Dhamma-Vinaya?
This says that the Dalai Lama is ordained according to the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama Bestows Ordination Vows
Today, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave a group of monks full ...
- 47.4k
3
votes
Are anagamis/arahants common (1000+) nowadays?
Silly question. If you spent any time with Buddhists you'd realize they have zero agreement on interpretation of most doctrinal points, including the definitions of the stream-entry, non-return, and ...
- 59k
3
votes
Relying upon a Spiritual Guide, who created this idea? Is it actually a necessity for liberation?
It's true that DN 16 says rely on yourself but it doesn't mean you don't need a teacher, just as a student in university relies on his own effort to study for exams, do assignments, projects etc. but ...
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2
votes
In Buddhism can all we percieve / experience b used as teachers?
The Buddha told us the three marks of existence, all things which exist in the mind have these properties:
Sabbe sankhara anicca
Sabbe sankhara dukkha
Sabbe dhamma anatta
All conditioned things are ...
- 1,603
2
votes
What should you do when someone teaches false Dharma?
Coming from the middle of the United States (OKC, OK) I have encountered the following Buddhist groups: Vietnamese (Mahayana), Korean (Mahayana), Thai (Theravada), Chinese (Mahayana), and Californian (...
- 942
2
votes
Have any notable Buddhists commented on Krishnamurti's teachings?
I have read a remark by Ajahn Sumedho on Krishnamurti. I don't recall much of the details. But I can tell you that Krishnamurti 's teachings are different from Buddhism, although he has practiced ...
2
votes
Why don't teachers just tell us the answers?
Now a good report of Master Gotama has been spread to this effect:
'That Blessed One is such since he is arahant and fully self enlightened,
perfect in true knowledge and conduct, sublime, knower ...
- 1,992
2
votes
Why don't teachers just tell us the answers?
Answers are written in plain language in plain sight in books you can buy anywhere and may already own. Sometimes we miss the underlying sense of a sentence because the subtlety is hard to grasp. But ...
- 295
2
votes
How to find the right Dhamma teacher
I tried to follow everything from the nissayamuccaka-course which I described in this answer, when I was still in a monk-hood by myself; and I had a low-quality teacher for about five years; before I ...
- 6,320
2
votes
Why don't teachers just tell us the answers?
Because the mind is like the stream, the width of it dictated the water capacity. Normal mind runs on intellect, a PhD, or common genius mind like certain mathematician scoring IQ 200 is just that the ...
- 2,307
2
votes
Would Siddhartha Gautama have agreed with modern forms of Buddhism?
There is a related statement in SN16.13, where the Buddha warns about the decline of his teachings, the true Dhamma, and the rise of counterfeit Dhamma. But at the end, he also gives some hints as to ...
- 37.9k
2
votes
Accepted
How can I find a teacher who is a stream entrant?
Into the Stream -- A Study Guide on the First Stage of Awakening
and The Power of Judgment might help.
It's all a matter of having done what leads to blessings -- and "dwelling" in ...
2
votes
How can I find a teacher who is a stream entrant?
Mirror of Dhamma:
Stream-entry is often called the arising of the Dhamma eye. What stream-enterers see with this Dhamma eye is always expressed in the same terms: "Whatever is subject to ...
- 5,609
2
votes
Is finding a teacher necessary to practise dhamma?
Do you need teacher to practice Buddhism?
No you don't - but you need to know how to practice. And with so much contradicting information about Buddhism on the Internet and in books, to know the ...
- 59k
2
votes
Looking for a teacher in Australia
If you're in Western Australia, and interested in Theravada, the best teacher for you would be Ajahn Brahm. You can find videos of his talks on the Youtube channel of the Buddhist Society of Western ...
- 37.9k
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