#buddhistpractice — Public Fediverse posts

Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia

Greco-Buddhism or Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia, resulting in Greek cultural syncretism developing between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD in Gandhara, which is located in present-day Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan.

link

Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia

Greco-Buddhism or Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia, resulting in Greek cultural syncretism developing between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD in Gandhara, which is located in present-day Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan.

link

Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia

Greco-Buddhism or Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia, resulting in Greek cultural syncretism developing between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD in Gandhara, which is located in present-day Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan.

link

Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia

Greco-Buddhism or Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia, resulting in Greek cultural syncretism developing between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD in Gandhara, which is located in present-day Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan.

link

Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia

Greco-Buddhism or Graeco-Buddhism was Buddhism within the Hellenistic period of South and Central Asia, resulting in Greek cultural syncretism developing between the 4th century BC and the 5th century AD in Gandhara, which is located in present-day Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan.

link

How Greek imagery and art influenced Buddhism and Asian art

When Buddhism entered China from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara, it carried Hellenistic wind-god imagery: the wild-haired airborne form associated with Boreas and the great wind bag motif linked to Aeolus.

These Greco-Buddhist forms later passed into Japan through Chinese Buddhism, where they were adapted into the wind god Fūjin. The Gods took new names, but the Hellenic image endured from Greece to Japan.

link

How Greek imagery and art influenced Buddhism and Asian art

When Buddhism entered China from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara, it carried Hellenistic wind-god imagery: the wild-haired airborne form associated with Boreas and the great wind bag motif linked to Aeolus.

These Greco-Buddhist forms later passed into Japan through Chinese Buddhism, where they were adapted into the wind god Fūjin. The Gods took new names, but the Hellenic image endured from Greece to Japan.

link

How Greek imagery and art influenced Buddhism and Asian art

When Buddhism entered China from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara, it carried Hellenistic wind-god imagery: the wild-haired airborne form associated with Boreas and the great wind bag motif linked to Aeolus.

These Greco-Buddhist forms later passed into Japan through Chinese Buddhism, where they were adapted into the wind god Fūjin. The Gods took new names, but the Hellenic image endured from Greece to Japan.

link

How Greek imagery and art influenced Buddhism and Asian art

When Buddhism entered China from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara, it carried Hellenistic wind-god imagery: the wild-haired airborne form associated with Boreas and the great wind bag motif linked to Aeolus.

These Greco-Buddhist forms later passed into Japan through Chinese Buddhism, where they were adapted into the wind god Fūjin. The Gods took new names, but the Hellenic image endured from Greece to Japan.

link

How Greek imagery and art influenced Buddhism and Asian art

When Buddhism entered China from the Greco-Buddhist world of Gandhara, it carried Hellenistic wind-god imagery: the wild-haired airborne form associated with Boreas and the great wind bag motif linked to Aeolus.

These Greco-Buddhist forms later passed into Japan through Chinese Buddhism, where they were adapted into the wind god Fūjin. The Gods took new names, but the Hellenic image endured from Greece to Japan.

link

Divine powers and demonic entities are the same

Divine powers and demonic entities are the same

Divine powers and demonic entities are the same

Divine powers and demonic entities are the same

Divine powers and demonic entities are the same

Layperson: I reduced watching the news.

Ven. Ajahn Suchart: Yes, the news is the same. You cannot ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #news #realnews

Layperson: I reduced watching the news.

Ven. Ajahn Suchart: Yes, the news is the same. You cannot ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #news #realnews

Layperson: I reduced watching the news.

Ven. Ajahn Suchart: Yes, the news is the same. You cannot ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #news #realnews

Layperson: I reduced watching the news.

Ven. Ajahn Suchart: Yes, the news is the same. You cannot ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #news #realnews

Layperson: I reduced watching the news.

Ven. Ajahn Suchart: Yes, the news is the same. You cannot ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #news #realnews

Temple that has housed Japan’s ‘eternal flame’ for 1,200 years is destroyed by fire

A temple that housed Japan‘s ‘eternal flame’ for more than 1,200 years has been destroyed by a fire.

The devastating blaze gutted part of Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Wednesday. 

The fire ripped through the historic Reikado Hall, which was home to a sacred flame believed to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years.

Known as the ‘unquenchable fire’, the flame was said to have originally been lit by a Buddhist monk in the year 806.

Reikado Hall, atop Mount Misen on Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, before the fire

link

Temple that has housed Japan’s ‘eternal flame’ for 1,200 years is destroyed by fire

A temple that housed Japan‘s ‘eternal flame’ for more than 1,200 years has been destroyed by a fire.

The devastating blaze gutted part of Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Wednesday. 

The fire ripped through the historic Reikado Hall, which was home to a sacred flame believed to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years.

Known as the ‘unquenchable fire’, the flame was said to have originally been lit by a Buddhist monk in the year 806.

Reikado Hall, atop Mount Misen on Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, before the fire

link

Temple that has housed Japan’s ‘eternal flame’ for 1,200 years is destroyed by fire

A temple that housed Japan‘s ‘eternal flame’ for more than 1,200 years has been destroyed by a fire.

The devastating blaze gutted part of Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Wednesday. 

The fire ripped through the historic Reikado Hall, which was home to a sacred flame believed to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years.

Known as the ‘unquenchable fire’, the flame was said to have originally been lit by a Buddhist monk in the year 806.

Reikado Hall, atop Mount Misen on Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, before the fire

link

Temple that has housed Japan’s ‘eternal flame’ for 1,200 years is destroyed by fire

A temple that housed Japan‘s ‘eternal flame’ for more than 1,200 years has been destroyed by a fire.

The devastating blaze gutted part of Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Wednesday. 

The fire ripped through the historic Reikado Hall, which was home to a sacred flame believed to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years.

Known as the ‘unquenchable fire’, the flame was said to have originally been lit by a Buddhist monk in the year 806.

Reikado Hall, atop Mount Misen on Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, before the fire

link

Temple that has housed Japan’s ‘eternal flame’ for 1,200 years is destroyed by fire

A temple that housed Japan‘s ‘eternal flame’ for more than 1,200 years has been destroyed by a fire.

The devastating blaze gutted part of Daishoin Temple on Miyajima Island in the city of Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Wednesday. 

The fire ripped through the historic Reikado Hall, which was home to a sacred flame believed to have burned continuously for more than 1,200 years.

Known as the ‘unquenchable fire’, the flame was said to have originally been lit by a Buddhist monk in the year 806.

Reikado Hall, atop Mount Misen on Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima, Japan, before the fire

link

A modern explication of Buddhism by Bernardo Kastrup and Nathan Hawkins

Part One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib9jDiHIsC4

Part Two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XQJRwOzYKQ

I highly recommend these two videos. They provide an excellent explanation of Buddhist philosophy or world view without ever mentioning Buddhism.

The ‘small self’ of Buddhism is Kastrup’s ‘dissociated entity inside a Markov Blanket’. Kastrup’s ‘mind at large’ is Buddhist ‘ultimate reality’, ‘the Tathagata’, the ‘Buddha mind’, ‘enlightenment’, etc. The ‘doings’ of the entity inside the Markov blanket are karma. In this sense, those doings, or that karma (work), perpetuate a series of ‘rebirths’ rather than reincarnations. The Noble Eightfold Path is a concise way of describing the behaviors that lead to full realization of ‘mind at large’ or enlightenment.

Two of the (falsely understood) most ‘negative’ things in Buddhism are nicely cleared up in Kastrup’s description. The first is the mistaken notion that ‘nirvana’ or the ‘cessation of suffering’ is the cessation of being itself. Nirvana is ‘merely’ the return of the small self to ‘mind at large’, or the enlightenment of the small self to Buddha nature or ultimate reality. The second is karma is some kind of punishment administered by some kind of god thing. Karma is much more what Kastrup calls ‘doings’ and is simply a way to describe how what we do affects what we become.

I want to add that Nathan Hawkins does a wonderful job of interviewing Kastrup. He contributes a great deal to this conversation, which overall is not only a good description of Buddhism (without ever mentioning Buddhism) but also an excellent example of how people should talk. At one point, Hawkins says he wants to create a something like a ‘proto-religion’ that does not rely on ‘sacred texts’. He also says he wants philosophy to be more in touch with people’s lives as they are really lived. I like that a lot. It’s basically what basic Buddhism already is.

The Buddha said he was just a man; that he should not be worshiped; that his words are not sacred; that his teachings should be conveyed mind-to-mind (as in the videos above) and not turned into scared texts; and that each of us should make the teachings our own; learn them in our own languages and convey them to others generously when and if they want to hear them. I bet the Buddha would thoroughly enjoy and approve of the discussion above.

In a deeply Buddhist sense, there is no need for a Buddhist tradition. The whole thing could be thrown away and recreated. But why bother? Buddhism today is not a clinging to some sacred past or god-like figure, but a present iteration of a long tradition (which is largely philosophical) that dates back 2,500 years to the Sage of the Scythians, Shakyamuni Buddha. Watch the videos above and see what you think. ABN

UPDATE: I do not want to detract at all from Kastrup’s vision, but would like to say that, imo, Mind at Large or Ultimate Reality is much more like Mahayana on steroids than the philosophically guarded position Kastrup holds. He himself says he is conservative and sticks to ordinary interpretations like time and space and probably the existence of other civilizations and realms. I appreciate that he does that and why. Another point worth mentioning is the Markov Blanket each of us is ensconced in is surely semi-permeable. In that sense, a great deal of religious practice, including especially the samadhi states in Buddhism, can be understood as ways to make the Markov Blanket more permeable, to invite Mind at Large into our little cocoons. Prayer and religious ritual do that as well as does calling on God or practicing the presence of God. Moral actions, no matter how they are understood, that make us receptive to powers much greater than us are fundamental to human being and our comprehension of who and where we are. If we can comprehend Mind at Large viewing our lives through our eyes and senses, we can also comprehend having a very rich relationship with Mind at Large. In Buddhist terms, that might be described as us being drawn to the Tathagata to the point of never wanting to turn back. ABN

Complex mind, simple thoughts

I strongly believe a major cause of neuroticism, emotional agony, and mental illness is our minds are more complex than much of our thinking and most of our communication.

This causes us to be like prisoners trapped in small space when we are capable of much greater freedom.

A new study illustrates why this happens.

The study show how auditory hallucinations can be induced in people who are not otherwise prone to hearing them.

Pairing a stimulus in one modality (vision) with a stimulus in another (sound) can lead to task-induced hallucinations in healthy individuals. After many trials, people eventually report perceiving a nonexistent stimulus contingent on the presence of the previously paired stimulus. (Pavlovian conditioning–induced hallucinations result from overweighting of perceptual priors)

Since this effect can be induced fairly simply it shows that:

These data demonstrate the profound and sometimes pathological impact of top-down cognitive processes on perception… (from the study itself: Pavlovian conditioning–induced hallucinations result from overweighting of perceptual priors)

Note that these hallucinations “result from overweighing perceptual priors.”

A “perceptual prior” is, in these cases, a mistaken assumption about reality.

If our auditory and visual “realities” are susceptible to mistakes like these, how much more is our psychology?

Due to our generally very simple ways of interacting with other people, we are essentially forced to hallucinate who they are and at the same time who we are.

That is, our complex minds are essentially forced to see ourselves and others in simple, hallucinatory terms that cannot possibly be true.

I believe this is the cause of great mental and emotional distress for all people everywhere.

I also believe that this problem can be largely overcome by practicing FIML

FIML allows us to remove our psychological hallucinations about our FIML partner as they remove theirs about us.

FIML works because it allows partners to escape the simplicities and many hallucinatory traps of ordinary communication.

As far as I know, there is no other method for doing this. FIML is practical psychotherapy that will optimize your mind and psychology by providing the data you need to overcome hallucinating most of your life.

In this respect, FIML is a preeminent Buddhist mindfulness practice done by two (or more) people working together.

I hope the day comes when Buddhist Sanghas will practice FIML among themselves and teach it to lay followers when they have mastered the technique.

FIML is deeply human and not something AI will be able to do. It is very well-suited to this Human Realm because it shows us how delusions are formed, where they lie within us and how to extinguish them.

So ‘intent’ isn’t an idea in your head, but the inclination of your heart. And Right Intent, or Right Motivation ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #intent #motivation #Theravada #BuddhistPractice #Dharma

So ‘intent’ isn’t an idea in your head, but the inclination of your heart. And Right Intent, or Right Motivation ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #intent #motivation #Theravada #BuddhistPractice #Dharma

So ‘intent’ isn’t an idea in your head, but the inclination of your heart. And Right Intent, or Right Motivation ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #intent #motivation #Theravada #BuddhistPractice #Dharma

So ‘intent’ isn’t an idea in your head, but the inclination of your heart. And Right Intent, or Right Motivation ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #intent #motivation #Theravada #BuddhistPractice #Dharma

So ‘intent’ isn’t an idea in your head, but the inclination of your heart. And Right Intent, or Right Motivation ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #intent #motivation #Theravada #BuddhistPractice #Dharma

What the Buddha is encouraging is a strength of attitude, a robustness, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

What the Buddha is encouraging is a strength of attitude, a robustness, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

What the Buddha is encouraging is a strength of attitude, a robustness, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

What the Buddha is encouraging is a strength of attitude, a robustness, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

What the Buddha is encouraging is a strength of attitude, a robustness, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Question: Is everything that happens in our life meant to be, or is there such a thing as free will?

Answer: The Buddha rejected the belief that everything in our life is fated, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Question: Is everything that happens in our life meant to be, or is there such a thing as free will?

Answer: The Buddha rejected the belief that everything in our life is fated, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Question: Is everything that happens in our life meant to be, or is there such a thing as free will?

Answer: The Buddha rejected the belief that everything in our life is fated, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Question: Is everything that happens in our life meant to be, or is there such a thing as free will?

Answer: The Buddha rejected the belief that everything in our life is fated, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Question: Is everything that happens in our life meant to be, or is there such a thing as free will?

Answer: The Buddha rejected the belief that everything in our life is fated, ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Any form of wealth, if we want it to last, must depend on good basic principles in the heart, steady principles which are not ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Any form of wealth, if we want it to last, must depend on good basic principles in the heart, steady principles which are not ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Any form of wealth, if we want it to last, must depend on good basic principles in the heart, steady principles which are not ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Any form of wealth, if we want it to last, must depend on good basic principles in the heart, steady principles which are not ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

Any form of wealth, if we want it to last, must depend on good basic principles in the heart, steady principles which are not ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

The quality of sympathetic joy is an interesting one in terms of social action. Its opposite is ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

The quality of sympathetic joy is an interesting one in terms of social action. Its opposite is ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma

The quality of sympathetic joy is an interesting one in terms of social action. Its opposite is ...

#Buddhism #Dhamma #BuddhistPractice #Theravada #BuddhistWisdom #Dharma