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Saturday , July 18 , 2009

My acknowledgement to Khun Krajok and Buddhist Studies

Posted by lurker , Reader : 653 , 13:31:00

I want to thank Khun Krajok for his lectures on Buddhism. I have so many books on Buddhism, but neglect my own dhamma studies in favor of more secular pursuits. So when Khun Krajok talks about Buddhism, he actually inspires me to go look at my Buddhism books to go over the concepts he talks about. The thing about my own life is that I wouldn't consider myself a practicing Buddhist, but I am a Buddhist, at least philosophically. Put simply, I agree with the philosophy, agree with the precepts, try to live a mindful life, or aware of my own lack of mindfulness, but I am not exactly the best possible Buddhist I can be. Anyway, as I was going through my books, I found a really good one that I recommend for the layperson who wants a really good grounding on how Buddhism evolved. Buddha by Karen Armstrong It is the best book on the life of the Buddha I have ever read. I also like Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, but that is a work of fiction. A lot of people think that Thai Buddhism has been perverted by a lot of hocus pocus and superstition, like in Thanong's blogs, but if you really want to get past the hocus pocus, myths, legends and superstition, you should read about Thai forest monks and their traditions. I really like them because they always speak out against those who wish to make Buddhism into something it isn't. Thai forest monks, to my knowledge, practice the purest form of Buddhism in the world, because they practice Buddhism like the first monks who practiced under Goutama. That is the tragedy of Thai Buddhism. Thailand is supposed to be the country responsible for sustaining the Theravada tradition, because it is the freest of all the Theravada countries, but it has really done a poor job of being the chief preserver of the ancient ways. To give you an understanding what I mean. Imagine that Thailand was supposed to be responsible for preserving the early Christian church and sustain its orthodoxy, but later decided to include Santa Claus and Easter Bunnies myths as part of the canon. I know some Burmese monks preserve the old ways, but I really know next to nothing about Burmese Buddhist practices, though I have read some books by Burmese Buddhist monks also. Anyway, my favorite Thai forest monks are Ajarn Mun and Ajarn Chah. Their works are available in English if people care about it. I am sure Khun Krajok can recommend other Thai monks who practice and teach correctly as well.

I want to thank Khun Krajok for his lectures on Buddhism.

I have so many books on Buddhism, but neglect my own dhamma studies in favor of more secular pursuits.

So when Khun Krajok talks about Buddhism, he actually inspires me to go look at my Buddhism books to go over the concepts he talks about.

The thing about my own life is that I wouldn't consider myself a practicing Buddhist, but I am a Buddhist, at least philosophically.

Put simply, I agree with the philosophy, agree with the precepts, try to live a mindful life, or aware of my own lack of mindfulness, but I am not exactly the best possible Buddhist I can be.

Anyway, as I was going through my books, I found a really good one that I recommend for the layperson who wants a really good grounding on how Buddhism evolved.

Buddha by Karen Armstrong

It is the best book on the life of the Buddha I have ever read. I also like Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, but that is a work of fiction.

A lot of people think that Thai Buddhism has been perverted by a lot of hocus pocus and superstition, like in Thanong's blogs, but if you really want to get past the hocus pocus, myths, legends and superstition, you should read about Thai forest monks and their traditions. I really like them because they always speak out against those who wish to make Buddhism into something it isn't.

Thai forest monks, to my knowledge, practice the purest form of Buddhism in the world, because they practice Buddhism like the first monks who practiced under Goutama. That is the tragedy of Thai Buddhism. Thailand is supposed to be the country responsible for sustaining the Theravada tradition, because it is the freest of all the Theravada countries, but it has really done a poor job of being the chief preserver of the ancient ways. To give you an understanding what I mean. Imagine that Thailand was supposed to be responsible for preserving the early Christian church and sustain its orthodoxy, but later decided to include Santa Claus and Easter Bunnies myths as part of the canon.

I know some Burmese monks preserve the old ways, but I really know next to nothing about Burmese Buddhist practices, though I have read some books by Burmese Buddhist monks also.

Anyway, my favorite Thai forest monks are Ajarn Mun and Ajarn Chah. Their works are available in English if people care about it.

I am sure Khun Krajok can recommend other Thai monks who practice and teach correctly as well.

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comment 11
Patriot date : 21/07/2009 time : 01.42
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/Patriot

I too have enjoyed reading the postings of Khun Krajog. There is nothing krajog about his blogs, they are well written with a very in-depth understanding of Thai culture. My compliments.

Thailand is challenged on many fronts, what I believe has held us together is our core values and moral commitments to our cultural beliefs which in my view has resulted in an accumulation of merit. It is this merit that has allowed us to endure the challenges of past and present.

Today I feel the greatest challenge we face as Thai people is the loss of our cultural identity. There is an erosion in values and a gradual decline in our understanding of what it is to be Thai. Many of our children are being influenced by a lifestyle that lacks respect, add to that growing issue of drug abuse and increasing poverty, the future for our future generations seem bleak.

At some point we as a nation will have to address these issues, not just merely discussing them in a blog but actually taking action by committing resources and developing programs that target resolution of these serious concerns.

comment 10
expresso date : 21/07/2009 time : 00.05
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/expresso

It seems the first thing to learn to become happy is to get rid of egotism.

I reckon that's a might hard thing to do.

That's why I sometimes drink to provoke egotistical people to speak and enjoy their own ways miserably

comment 9
maverick263 date : 20/07/2009 time : 22.24

@ Ian, c.7:

:-) na...

there was discussion on "words" & our ability to "understand" (or our open-ness, acceptance of a guest, willingness to do so).

there are a lot of words around :-) in one of my comments; i guess it was in reply to al... i recalled an incident of a world-wide renowned contemporary leading authory on "cultural studies"... being confronted by a very simple question:

he spoke a lot about buddhism, about nibbana, about "the void". question simply was... if he ever _done_ it. "done what"? meditation na khrap. esp vipassana meditation.

no, he didn't. he had read books. he got very upset & angry about implication that individual practice of vipassana would hv more relevance for mind cultivation than reading & citing books, writing more books, & touring the world commenting on more books, terms, thoughts...

*

imho, teachings of the Buddha are lucid & crystal clear. the 8-fold noble path outlines a _technique_ for "liberation". i've met more than one person who somehow get lost in the books, terms, mental movement; not to mention differences in cultural assumptions... na

having said that... here's a quote from aj chah:

"practice is a matter of directly looking at the mind. this is wisdom [panna]. when you've examined & understood the mind, then you've the wisdom to know the limitations of concentration [samadhi; that's what a lot of people believe to be "meditation"] or books. if you've practiced & understood not-clinging, you can return to the books. they will be like a sweet dessert. they can help you to teach others. or you can go back to practice absorption [higher states of samadhi, the "jhanas"], because

_now you've the wisdom to know not to hold onto anything._"

*

:-)

comment 8
lurker date : 20/07/2009 time : 06.26
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/lurker

I appreciate everybody's comments.

comment 7
Ian date : 20/07/2009 time : 06.24
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/anterian36

Please don't treat this comment as a joke, I mean it seriously. A problem I find with reading Buddhist texts is that they use words which I just cannot fix in my mind. The word "Paticcasamupada" has been used, I cannot even pronounce it smoothly let alone remember it. Christianity has simpler words, I think the most complex that comes to mind is transfiguration.
I can see that the "r"s might make this come out as "tlansfigulation" but it would be recognisable.
Can a marriage of terminology be achieved? Or are some words like the Quran, unchangeable?

comment 6
krajog date : 19/07/2009 time : 15.06
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/oldguard

Dear Khun Lurker,

Many thanks for credting me for your inspiration leading you to go back to your books in Buddhism and renewing your interest in Buddhism. Quite a large number of Thai Buddhists now pay more attention to Buddhist principles and learn to be real Buddhists by practicing.

My 3 parts series in my 'Of thing Thai.." on an important Buddhist canon "Paticcasamutapada" or the Theory of Causes and Effects is very useful for understanding the nature of all things in this world, living or non-living things as well as mind and mentality of people. If we look at things including our mental tendency toward what we believe through Paticcasamutpada, we will understand how our beliefs and emotions have developed in our mind. Buy you have to ask yourself in the following questions. 1) What is the cause of the thing you are looking at or believe in. 2) If you know about the cause, is it's an effect of another cause and what is it? 3) if you found that each cause is the effect of a previous cause, do you have a solid proof the original cause is a fact.

Paticcasamupada teaches us that if orioginal cause is a fact, the effect is also a fact. In the opposite, if things we believe in originating on non-fact, the effect would be on-fact too. The Buddha taught us that Nibhana is attainable if we can get rid of our ignorance completely and keep ourselves on track to cut off all our defilements. Once our mind is pure in a state of Nirodha, the final Magga to achieve Orahatship or Orahattmagga would finally lead us to Orahattaphala (อรหัตตผล).

Please take my comment as an exchange of opinion between you and me as two Buddhists friends should do.

comment 5
notdisappointed date : 19/07/2009 time : 13.21

lurk, I appreciate and admire your interest in Buddhism. Ajarn Mun and Ajarn Chah are two of many wise teachers of this 'religion'. They as well as well as the leading light of Ajarn Buddhadassas and Ajarn Panya define the meaning and practice of no nonsense Buddhism.

Keep up your experience in seeking the Middle Path.

comment 4
wch date : 19/07/2009 time : 07.19

I like to advise if anyone is interested in studying buddhistic philosophy, do it in parallel with reading western philosophy together.
One may find two tracks have been run and both are finally at meeting point today.
Many of phisophy class students of American ivies drop out and bog down in a Zen temple and undertake vigorous mediation training.

Some of them come out on media and make preach, amazing insights that has been told never before by no one.

comment 3
netnapit date : 19/07/2009 time : 05.50
http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/netnapit

What I like about Buddhism is that your belief, your progress as a true Buddhist depends on your own self efforts in cultivating an understanding about its core principles, which is what each monk that takes a forest pilgrim puts himself up to. The Thai people are fortunate that we have the example of this group of monks related to Acharn Cha-Acharn Mun who took the practice seriously and brought us a fresh perspective about what reallys matters in the contemplation of Buddhist principals.

What we see on the outside of Buddhist practice in Thailand: the rules, the ceremonies, etc., they're all just cultural dressing, none of them the true essence of Buddhism. However, I think they are a necessary form, an environment, that is there to nurture a larger group of people towards a path of discovering the essence of Buddhism themselves. Some will and some won't, some will get to it really quickly, some will require a lifetime if not more. What is important is that those differences are respected.

comment 2
maverick263 date : 18/07/2009 time : 20.51

thx 4 sharing, lurker, na... :-)

yes, sometimes we've a lot of books... but our heart/mind is... on fire.

maybe sometimes it's ok to share our care & dedication while we exchange..., "fried rice" recipes :-) i liked yours. thx na

*

if u've time, lurker...

by now u've an unique opportunity. as during this "vassa" ("rainy season", "buddhist lent") there's a group from myanmar's "panditarama center" in chiang mai.

that is, "practice of meditation" in tradition of mahasi sayadaw. imho, _STRICTLY_ "technically speaking", it is one of the "superior" approaches to "vipassana" & "satipatthana".

it's not for "intellectual acrobatics", "conceptualization", "theoretical speculation" --- it's _training_. mind cultivation.

*

yes, lurker, i share your appreciation for aj mun & aj chah.

maybe u'll feel attracted na :-) maybe others too *

wish u well

comment 1
wch date : 18/07/2009 time : 17.45

Buddhism is "the open philosophy" that is evoluted by meditation.
However after dialog with several buddhists or interested parties, I found there is certain confusions in field of the self-cognizance, universe and morality. Much of inspiration and consciousness being perceived by them, can be easily explainable by modern psychology and medicine and from this springboard, they are supposed to expand the horizon of meditation.

Sometimes I watched the Dharmagaya's meditation program on TV. Missing part is the vigorous effort to figure own SELF.

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