"nothing is inevitable"

[seer0000]

prepare as you will -

don't worry overmuch

the year isn't over

Comments

[anomniverse]

Hey!

You once gave me a link to this page,
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/nina-abhidhamma/nina-abhi-00.htm

which I think is some kind of book by Van Gorkom... the link is no longer working, and I am very interested in reading this. Do you know a different link or source where I can find this text?

hi

[seer0000]

it is available here:

http://www.abhidhamma.org/abhid.html

and here:

http://www.vipassana.info/nina-abhi-00.htm

enjoy! :)

[jajunk]

Hi, are you a Theravada practitioner?

I'm interested in your opinion if one who practices Zen should also study Abhidhamma.

Or even lucid dreaming, and the study of the Book of Natural Liberation by Listening in the Between...

You see, I'm just so interested in a variety of interesting Buddhist topics and practices. I have no teacher, but practice with a Korean Zen group on Saturdays. I'm just enjoying myself by reading about lucid dreaming and death and how it pertains to Buddhist practice. But studying the Abhidhamma is something I'm interested in and I'm not sure it is recommended. I'm not sure my Korean friends would be knowledgeable about it, so I haven't asked them. You've linked a page to it here so I thought maybe you know a thing or two...

What do you think?

short answer

[seer0000]

I am a practitioner of Buddhism. The traditions are necessary for distinctions of technique and lineage, but a Buddhist is a Buddhist - differentiated from others by the useful maintenance of Buddhist View

Re: short answer

[jajunk]

Thank you very much for your answer.:)

Re: short answer

[jajunk]

Excuse me but I have another question... You emphasize view and I understand why, but how come then it seems there's an obsession with Right View? I understand that, with respect to Dependent Origination, the Middle Way between eternalism and nihilism is the Buddhist Right View; but it seems to make sense that one's view is constantly changing - especially those like myself who enjoy indulging in a variety of literature from different traditions. I just have this gut feeling that "mindfulness" is not what we think it is; but then again maybe I have no clue exactly what is mindfulness. Is there something special about how we are supposed to be mindful? I know that if I died now based on what I've read of Bar-do I ought to be mindful of particular things. So then what is a Zen practitioner mindful of when it comes to death? Or I guess their only hope is to have experienced Kensho by then

[ocha_no_hanashi]

Hi Caratas this is Shinkuu/Huseng from E-sangha. :)

[fivebells]

Hi, Matthew. I remember one time the book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha came up on the Buddhists livejournal group, and you indicated that you considered it to be deeply misguided. If you recall why, could you let me know? I am really getting into it, and would appreciate critical feedback on it.

[seer0000]

don't recall the context for earlier criticisms. too many little issues for exhaustive detail. author writes from an informed theravadin perspective and provides an adequate account of many different aspects of practice as undertaken by him within that tradition. his realizations still seem more intellectual than wise, however, and it is doubtful that a qualified authority would consider him to be an arhat, as is explicitly claimed in his bio, or perhaps an anagami. approval given to the idea of teaching contemplative techniques is not a basis for a claim of mastery. tone is appropriately self-deprecating for a collection of ruminations and advice, but is inconsistent with underlying claims of experience and attitude and view which are supposed to provide some accurate form of legitimation for statements made. comparisons between traditions and systems highlight the problem of projecting an assumed competence, while deftly employing self-deprecation as a means of deflecting criticisms of ego or status inflation

[fivebells]

Thanks, Matthew. That was very helpful.