Theravada Tradition

Anicca

Originally posted by tickmeoff at 10-5-2008 09:20 AM
I am banana. So I cannot join the chinese forum.

oh, sorry to hear that, but in chinese  there is alot of good stuff to dig off.


May u be happy.

tickmeoff

but most chinese follow the mahayana tradition anyway, something I don't have affinity to.

do drop by from time to time

linnhann

i nvr been in chinese forum as i don't how to pinyin. i can read but cant write. So sometime i wonder the chinese language  base  more to Mahayana trad.  is true?

tickmeoff

yes. Amitabha, kuanyin, all other buddhas/boddhisatvas from mahayana tradition.

In theravada , only Sakyamuni as a Teacher, and the only boddhisatva mentioned is the Buddha himself before he attained nibbana, and Boddisatva Matrieya who is the next buddha.

cabang

yea, as i know the concept of Boodisatva has a bit different between thravada n mahayana. can anybody explain this??

tickmeoff

why don't you let us know how much you understand about the path of Ariya or Arhat and the Theravada tradition?

Anicca

Originally posted by cabang at 17-5-2008 10:13 AM
yea, as i know the concept of Boodisatva has a bit different between thravada n mahayana. can anybody explain this??

In the early buddhist text or sutta(sutra),whether in Theravada or Mahaya, there is no such word of 'Boddhisatta'(Boddhisatva

linnhann

the word boddisatta actually  during the budddha's time, its just mean who before become the buddha, or Buddha to be. sorry for so long never  read the Buddhst text, so i forgot which  text to refer to.

happeaceone

From what I know, in Mahayana, Boddhisatva is a person who can become a Buddha but holds in abeyance until he saves all beings from samsara.  In Theravada, a Boddhisatta simply means a Buddha-to-be.

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[ Last edited by  happeaceone at 2-6-2008 12:07 AM ]

linnhann

holds in abeyance until he saves all beings from samsara...

i don't think  its wise to do so...please comment, i m not really understand how to make this dream come true.

Anicca

Originally posted by linnhann at 30-5-2008 06:13 PM
the word boddisatta actually  during the budddha's time, its just mean who before become the buddha, or Buddha to be. sorry for so long never  read the Buddhst text, so i forgot which  text to re ...

Boddhisatta is a person who have not heard the 4 noble truths and 8 noble foldpath, he is still collecting the 10 kinds of paramis(The wisdom) for a very very long time.

First, we must clarify the definition of "saving" "Savior", Enter the heaven? to become rich? away from sick?
How can a Boddhisatta can give a way to the path to the purification?

In general terms, saving means to let a person knows the dhamma, the way of cessation of suffering, Nibanna.
Example, if a person who does not know how to swim, how does he to save the people in the water? or maybe he dies together with the people out there?

In the Dhammacakkapavatana Sutta(The  Discourse Of Turning Dhamma Wheel), Buddha has claimed that before he has gained the enlightement,  he is still flaoting inside the samsara.

There is only 4 kinds of 8 types of noble saint are worthly to be offered, homage, which of them?
The stream enterer, the stream winner, the once returner, the non returner, the arahant & so on.
This is clearly described on the early sutta, the original text. Boddhisatta belief only appear after the Mahayana Sects formed.

Based on the early buddhist text or sutta, there is no teaching comes from Buddha that you have to become a Boddhisatta or become a Buddha, only the origin of suffering & the cessation of the suffering.

[ Last edited by  Anicca at 4-6-2008 10:40 PM ]

linnhann

There is only 4 kinds of 8 types of noble saint are worthly to be offered, homage, which of them?
The stream enterer, the stream winner, the once returner, the non returner, the arahant & so on.
This is clearly described on the early sutta, the original text. Boddhisatta belief only appear after the Mahayana Sects formed.


i understood what u mean anicca,  so that mean boddhisatta js Buddha to be, even in jataka text v know that boddisatta is the monkey.

linnhann

yea thanks 4 remind  me, Jatakas  are tales,,,most  of these tales r illogical n unpractical.

Anicca

Originally posted by linnhann at 12-6-2008 08:48 PM
yea thanks 4 remind  me, Jatakas:shakehead3:  are tales,,,most  of these tales r illogical n unpractical.

Hi, friend. If you are interest to find out more of the Buddha's teaching,I'm strongly recommand you to read the Pali text of sutta, the Tipitaka, and the early discourse, such as: Samyutta nikaya,Anguttara Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya & Digha Nikaya, the Jataka tales was added to the later part of the Tipitaka, which is Khudakka Nikaya.

But don't think all of the suttas in the Khuddaka Nikaya  worthless to read, some of them have no conflits with the early sutta, such as:Dhammapada,Thera gatha & Theri gatha, itivuttaka,udana & the sutta nipata.

[ Last edited by  Anicca at 25-6-2008 11:40 PM ]

linnhann

Originally posted by tickmeoff at 25-6-2008 09:31 AM
Thanks annica for the explaination.

I read also the 5th Nikaya is the largest, but we must exercise our wisdom in reading them because some of them are quite contradictory to the core teaching ...

anyway i can feel the teaching of the Buddha when i was retreat at meditation center .....the feeling  really different from what v study from the text. experiencing meditation is unexplainable . just who has the same xpriene can share it.

tickmeoff

You know why?

It's the cause and effect thing. When those people in the past heard the buddha talking, having heard the words that came out from a supreme enlightened Samasambuddha,  the effects of the Dhamma were very strong and some of them can become Sotapanna by just listening to the Buddha.

Listening to the true dhamma is one of the factor to Path and Fruition. Note the word 'LISTEN'. when buddha talked, he always asked his disciples to 'pay attention and listen'.

Reading from books, from tipitaka ... we cannot derive that kind of cause-effect thing to arise wisdom. and also, if we attach to tipitaka too much, it can lead to arising of Ego and Pride, thinking that we are better than others. Then we become intellectual and argumentative.

[ Last edited by  tickmeoff at 26-6-2008 09:55 AM ]

Anicca

You should folow the right teacher for meditation retreat, he/her shall be skilfull and experienced.

tickmeoff

Edited some of the previous posts.

Just learned that actually there is not much difference in the core teaching between Theravada and Mahayana tradition. Concept of Boddhisatta is also found inside the Theravada tradition according to my teacher. However, the Theravada concept of boddhisatta is one has to get confirmation from a living Buddha (sure prediction) after he aspires to become a Sammasambuddho, and an aspirant has to undergo training for 4 asenkheyya of kappas, or 8 , or even 16 asenkheyya of kappas..... an unimaginable long time.....

A boddhisatta would have to perfect the 10 Paramitas over the aeons to attain the Supreme Enlightenment of the Sammasambuddho. They would have to rebirth in Hells too, to experience suffering there, and also in heavens to understand the whole worlds....  not an easy feat....

A boddhisatta, has enough Paramis to be enlightened, which means... they are able to enter into the Paths (Ariya) , but they withold, because of their vow... they linger in Samsara for much longer.

Our current Buddha had received a confirmation from the another past buddha long long time ago....

I guess, there isn't much difference in Theravada/mahayana after all. But Mahayana tradition has a lot more literature when it comes to Boddhisatta, and they see it as a dinstinct path, separate from Ariyas (arhat), hence the name Greater Vehicle.

However, it is not viewed so by Theravada tradition. It is seen as part and parcel of Buddha's teaching, a whole teaching rather than separate. Which means, a person still has to purify himself, to be good, to avoid evil, and meditate.

It's noble if one aspires to be Boddhisatta, we must wish them well in their endeavour.

For most of us, this thing (of becoming a Sammasambuddho or Paceka buddha, or chielf disciples, or arhat...) shouldn't bother us at all. Our tasks today and now is try to become a better person, to be good, to reduce evil, to meditate as much as we can.....  those things can come later.. speculating too much on the future brings lots of stress.

Agree?

BTW, the Ariyas are living proof to us of the attainments. Ariyas exist, and they show us it's possible to reach Nibbana if we follow the instruction of the Buddha. It's something that people can experience directly , here and now. If not now, the very next life.

Anyway, I would like to wish all the boddhisatta aspirants to be successful in their endeavour. May they receive the sure prediction from the future buddhas to become the Sammasambuddho.

peace

Sephiroth

by tickmeoff

Concept of Boddhisatta is also found inside the Theravada tradition according to my teacher.

And who may I ask is your teacher?

I just ask because I don't remember reading about the concept of Boddhisatta in Thervada Buddhism. I just remember what Gautama Buddha taught us.

Sephiroth

I ASKED - Who is your teacher that you could claim online that concept of Bodhisatta is in Thervada Buddhism.

Answer the question.

Thank you.