I'm a buddhist and looking for someone to converse with :)

[OtakuBosatsu]

Ah I see, yes loving-kindness meditation is where you direct first feelings of compassion at yourself, a close one you love, a neutral person and finally an enemy. The idea is to build up your sense of compassion for everyone and thus generate peace for yourself. But the same kind a meditation exists in Mahayana Buddhism, the type of meditation that is. If I'm not mistaken, in Mahayana we go from the principal that everyone wants to be happy and that those who have nearly reached Buddhahood, deliberately hold back so as to lead the rest into the Buddha nature before becoming one themselves.

Yes that would be the first of the four vows of the Bodhisattva, which goes something like:

Beings are numberless; I vow to free them all.

Delusion are inexhaustible; I vow to end them all.

Reality is boundless; I vow to perceive it.

The Buddha way is non-attainable; I vow to realize it.

 

I wonder if the Vajrayana way has something similar to the 4 Vows?  From what little I know of Tibetan Buddhism, there are all sorts of bodhisattvas that we Mahayanists share like Kannon or Avalokitesvara (Mahayana) = Chenrezig, etc.

 

Indeed, there are so many branches to Buddhism that you really just have to pick the one that resonates the most with your own senses. Btw, this just came to my mind. In Zen, is there a certain 'allegiance' towards the Dalaï Lama? or does Zen Buddhism have it's own high priest (/lama)?

 

 

No, there's no allegiance - but there is generally respect.  It's just that we don't think of him as the Buddhist equivalent of the Pope.  There are priests and teachers, and they do have organizations in Japan and also abroad - I just don't know of anyone who is a "high priest/lama" in the same way as the Pope is a high priest (you could say the highest priest) of the Roman Catholic Church.  In Treeleaf, we just have two ordained priests based in Japan who act as our teachers, plus a number of ordained novices who assist.  That's pretty much it. 

 

 

Oh the phillippines, that's nice want to visit that place again, the culture has always fascinated me (as with most Asian cultures), oh okay so then she's a Zen Buddhist too or not? Give her my kind greetings ^^

 

Oh you've been here?  Where did you stay?  I live in Davao City in southern Mindanao (and no, it's not as bad as the media portrays it - I'm more afraid of walking the streets of Manila).  My wife is the typical Japanese who grew up in a largely Buddhist/Shinto culture, but doesn't really practice or study it.  Which is ok, many different ways of living the bodhisattva way and she doesn't mind that I practice daily (or try to).  I think she's glad that I am a Buddhist because the Philippines is largely Christian so maybe she doesn't feel so alone as a religious minority.

[cobaltsword]

 

Yes that would be the first of the four vows of the Bodhisattva, which goes something like:

Beings are numberless; I vow to free them all.

Delusion are inexhaustible; I vow to end them all.

Reality is boundless; I vow to perceive it.

The Buddha way is non-attainable; I vow to realize it.

 

I wonder if the Vajrayana way has something similar to the 4 Vows?  From what little I know of Tibetan Buddhism, there are all sorts of bodhisattvas that we Mahayanists share like Kannon or Avalokitesvara (Mahayana) = Chenrezig, etc.

 

No, there's no allegiance - but there is generally respect.  It's just that we don't think of him as the Buddhist equivalent of the Pope.  There are priests and teachers, and they do have organizations in Japan and also abroad - I just don't know of anyone who is a "high priest/lama" in the same way as the Pope is a high priest (you could say the highest priest) of the Roman Catholic Church.  In Treeleaf, we just have two ordained priests based in Japan who act as our teachers, plus a number of ordained novices who assist.  That's pretty much it. 

 

Oh you've been here?  Where did you stay?  I live in Davao City in southern Mindanao (and no, it's not as bad as the media portrays it - I'm more afraid of walking the streets of Manila).  My wife is the typical Japanese who grew up in a largely Buddhist/Shinto culture, but doesn't really practice or study it.  Which is ok, many different ways of living the bodhisattva way and she doesn't mind that I practice daily (or try to).  I think she's glad that I am a Buddhist because the Philippines is largely Christian so maybe she doesn't feel so alone as a religious minority.

 

Indeed, thats the vow from Tibetan Buddhism. I can't remember but I think that a similar vow exists considering the branch you'd belong too. There would be at least the vow of 'allegiance': i pledge myself to the Dharma, I pledge myself to the Sangha, i pledge myself to the Buddha. (x3)

Aah I thought so, kinda like protestants towards the pope ^^ Well their's obviously a clear hierarchy in the Zen system. I've checked out some photo's of Zen buddhist priests, just so i remember.

Yes i've been once, but a very long time ago, although i remember a few things. I can't remember where exactly, it's been too long. But i'd like to go back Why does the media portray Davao City badly? I haven't seen anything in the news

Ooh okay, that's nice then if she's got you. It's a lot more inspiring to keep on doing it when you have people close to you following the same way of life.

[OtakuBosatsu]

 

Indeed, thats the vow from Tibetan Buddhism. I can't remember but I think that a similar vow exists considering the branch you'd belong too. There would be at least the vow of 'allegiance': i pledge myself to the Dharma, I pledge myself to the Sangha, i pledge myself to the Buddha. (x3)

Right.  Devotion to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha a.k.a. the Three Treasures (some call them the Three Refuges - as in "I take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha").  They make up the first three precepts of the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts of the Mahayana.  The next three are:

 

To refrain from doing what is evil

To do what is beneficial

To liberate all sentient beings (basically the 4 Bodhisattva Vows are an elaboration of this precept)

then on to the remaining ten, but let's save that for another time.

 

 

 

Yes i've been once, but a very long time ago, although i remember a few things. I can't remember where exactly, it's been too long. But i'd like to go back Why does the media portray Davao City badly? I haven't seen anything in the news

 

It's more the entire southern area of the Philippines known as Mindanao where Davao is located that usually gets bad press because in certain areas there has been a long history of violence.  I don't even know where to begin trying to explain it.  There have been peace talks and now the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front just recently signed a memorandum of agreement that will grant them some degree of autonomy of governance in their area.  Still, prejudices born out of centuries of conflict remain.  Even now people still repeat the axiom that the only good Moro (Filipino muslim) is a dead one.  That and all Moros are traitors who will stab you in the back if you let your guard down.  It doesn't help that there are warlords among the Filipino muslims who hoard all the wealth in their land, keep the rest poor and dependent upon them, and fight amongst themselves.  Google the "Maguindanao massacre", which happened in 2009 if you want to get an idea.  

 

The thing is, Mindanao is the largest island in the Philippines and the violence is limited to a few areas, the nearest of which is maybe five hours away.  But anytime something happens in those regions, it gets reported in the press and people think it's all over Mindanao including Davao City.  Then the tourism industry suffers (again).  What they don't see is that

 

1. Davao has really tight security checkpoints in all of its entry points

2. The police force here are armed to the teeth, and they coordinate closely with the military

3. Crime rate here is lower than the capital's crime rate

[cobaltsword]

Right.  Devotion to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha a.k.a. the Three Treasures (some call them the Three Refuges - as in "I take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha").  They make up the first three precepts of the 16 Bodhisattva Precepts of the Mahayana.  The next three are:

 

To refrain from doing what is evil

To do what is beneficial

To liberate all sentient beings (basically the 4 Bodhisattva Vows are an elaboration of this precept)

then on to the remaining ten, but let's save that for another time.

 

Yes that's them, I've learned them as The three Jewels but they are all the same, just the name changes ^^ does that mean that the same vow exists in Zen? Question, have you read the Dhamapada? I have no one to talk about it :/

 

 

It's more the entire southern area of the Philippines known as Mindanao where Davao is located that usually gets bad press because in certain areas there has been a long history of violence.  I don't even know where to begin trying to explain it.  There have been peace talks and now the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front just recently signed a memorandum of agreement that will grant them some degree of autonomy of governance in their area.  Still, prejudices born out of centuries of conflict remain.  Even now people still repeat the axiom that the only good Moro (Filipino muslim) is a dead one.  That and all Moros are traitors who will stab you in the back if you let your guard down.  It doesn't help that there are warlords among the Filipino muslims who hoard all the wealth in their land, keep the rest poor and dependent upon them, and fight amongst themselves.  Google the "Maguindanao massacre", which happened in 2009 if you want to get an idea.  

 

The thing is, Mindanao is the largest island in the Philippines and the violence is limited to a few areas, the nearest of which is maybe five hours away.  But anytime something happens in those regions, it gets reported in the press and people think it's all over Mindanao including Davao City.  Then the tourism industry suffers (again).  What they don't see is that

 

1. Davao has really tight security checkpoints in all of its entry points

2. The police force here are armed to the teeth, and they coordinate closely with the military

3. Crime rate here is lower than the capital's crime rate

 

I see, it sounds like a cultural/religious problem. A shame, because one of the main lessons of the Buddha is a respect and tolerance towards other beliefs. And in addition, other religions state the same thing, but sometimes it seems its harder to do in reality :/

I hope you don't have too much problems yourself. Doesn't seem like the best of situations to be in. So a part is muslim, a minority is buddhist, and then there's a part catholique porabaly?

It's a shame because people won't go to the Phillippines as long as those problems go on. It's a shame because it's a beautiful country.

[OtakuBosatsu]

Yes that's them, I've learned them as The three Jewels but they are all the same, just the name changes ^^ does that mean that the same vow exists in Zen? Question, have you read the Dhamapada? I have no one to talk about it :/

Yes they exist in Zen.  And in pretty much every Buddhist sect that I know of.  Yes I've read the Dhammapada but  I can only remember a few parts - it was a long time ago.

 

I see, it sounds like a cultural/religious problem. A shame, because one of the main lessons of the Buddha is a respect and tolerance towards other beliefs. And in addition, other religions state the same thing, but sometimes it seems its harder to do in reality :/

I hope you don't have too much problems yourself. Doesn't seem like the best of situations to be in. So a part is muslim, a minority is buddhist, and then there's a part catholique porabaly?

It's a shame because people won't go to the Phillippines as long as those problems go on. It's a shame because it's a beautiful country.

 

Muslims, Buddhists, basically all those who are non-Christian are a minority.  The majority are Christian (mostly catholic but also Born Agains, JWs, Protestants, Baptists, etc.)

 

The conflict in Mindanao was/is not about the difference in beliefs.  It has to do with Philippine history.  Long before the Spanish came to our islands and branded them as the Philippines (after their king Phillip, btw), we were not a single nation-state.  There were kingdoms and tribes all over the archipelago, and they established trade relations with the Chinese, Indians, Malays, etc.  Some of the peoples paid tribute to kingdoms in what are currently other nations, and vice versa.  Back then the boundaries of nations were different.  If you were to go to Indonesia, for example, you'd notice that they have similar styles of traditional clothing and even musical instruments.  

 

Then the Spanish came, introduced Christianity, and colonized the islands.  They were not fully successful though - particularly in Mindanao where the indigenous people, many of whom had long embraced Islam by this point fought back fiercely.  Christianized Filipinos fought side by side with the Spanish against the "Moros" - and thus the axiom "the only good Moro is a dead one" was born. After Spain came the U.S.  Same thing - they couldn't really fully win against them.  Over time however - and I'm not too sure about the exact history on this one - people from the other island groups (Luzon and Visayas) migrated to Mindanao to settle there.  So conflicts between the settlers and indigenous peoples on land ownership and territorial rights ensued.  That's about it in a nutshell, though it's a hell of a lot more complex than that.  Like I said, they did sign an agreement a few months back so I'm hoping that works out.

[cobaltsword]

Yes they exist in Zen.  And in pretty much every Buddhist sect that I know of.  Yes I've read the Dhammapada but  I can only remember a few parts - it was a long time ago.

 

aha, i thought as much. Of that's okay it's not like I know the book through and through, i'm just curious what you thought of it?

 

Muslims, Buddhists, basically all those who are non-Christian are a minority.  The majority are Christian (mostly catholic but also Born Agains, JWs, Protestants, Baptists, etc.)

 

The conflict in Mindanao was/is not about the difference in beliefs.  It has to do with Philippine history.  Long before the Spanish came to our islands and branded them as the Philippines (after their king Phillip, btw), we were not a single nation-state.  There were kingdoms and tribes all over the archipelago, and they established trade relations with the Chinese, Indians, Malays, etc.  Some of the peoples paid tribute to kingdoms in what are currently other nations, and vice versa.  Back then the boundaries of nations were different.  If you were to go to Indonesia, for example, you'd notice that they have similar styles of traditional clothing and even musical instruments.  

 

Then the Spanish came, introduced Christianity, and colonized the islands.  They were not fully successful though - particularly in Mindanao where the indigenous people, many of whom had long embraced Islam by this point fought back fiercely.  Christianized Filipinos fought side by side with the Spanish against the "Moros" - and thus the axiom "the only good Moro is a dead one" was born. After Spain came the U.S.  Same thing - they couldn't really fully win against them.  Over time however - and I'm not too sure about the exact history on this one - people from the other island groups (Luzon and Visayas) migrated to Mindanao to settle there.  So conflicts between the settlers and indigenous peoples on land ownership and territorial rights ensued.  That's about it in a nutshell, though it's a hell of a lot more complex than that.  Like I said, they did sign an agreement a few months back so I'm hoping that works out.

 

Aaah I see, sounds a bit like Belgium. A nation that wasn't united at it's roots was forced to unite under one same king (here it's mainly between the flemish and the walloons, only it doesn't get violent. the conflict is more on a governmental level.)

Still it's too bad such a conflict exists in the phillippines. Such a beautiful country that's gonna suffer because of the decrease of tourisme :/ Still I hope the situation will get better because of that agreement ^^