Sulak Sivaraksa on Buddhist Ecumenism

Today I accidentally encountered Sulak Sivaraksa at my school. Was very fortunate not to have missed his talk despite its not being advertised ahead of time!

At the 43:25 mark of the video, he calls on me. I ask the following:

Q: In relation to your comment that it’s not okay to just be focusing on inner stability and peace, that we have to radiate it outward—that, from a very traditional, or the common understanding between Theravada and Mahayana in this country, people tend to see the difference between the arhat and the bodhisattva and say that Theravadans don’t care about anyone else, they’re just concerned with their own salvation or their own awakening, and they aren’t concerned with anyone else.

I’m curious if you see your understanding as a traditional Theravadan view or do you feel that it has been influenced by the northern teachings? Could you respond to that? I don’t necessarily agree with that distinction, I’m just curious.

A: I think that is the usual Mahayana slander against Theravada. Theravada = small vehicle, which is true. Very small vehicle, small beautiful! To say that Theravada only care for yourself is not possible. Because the Buddha’s teaching on anatta is selflessness, not selfishness. And the Buddha teaches, in all schools, that we are interconnected. 

In my last exile, I was teaching at Ryukoku University in Kyoto. Before I left there, I had to give one formal lecture. Hundreds of people came to my lecture, interpretation, and they were surprised. Theravada—we thought you only care for yourself, but what you’re talking is very similar to us. All schools of Buddhism have something very similar. Different stress, that’s all. So, Mahayana is sometimes special. Theravada sometimes special. But if you stress on the wrong thing, it could be wrong. If Theravada says, we are the only authentic [Buddhism], Pali is the sacred language spoken by the Buddha. It’s all bullshit. The Buddha never spoke Pali. I think one has to be honest, and we have to learn from Mahayana, Vajrayana, Theravada.

The uniqueness of Thich Nhat Hanh, he’s from Vietnam, he understands Mahayana, Chinese, Sanskrit, he also studied Pali. He’s from Vietnam [Mahayana country], which is next to Cambodia [Theravada country]. We all have to learn from each other.

Marananussati - Pali Word of the Day

maraṇānussati

(Pāli, mindfulness of death). The seventh of the ten recollections (anussati), being a meditational exercise on death (maraṇa) seen as an inevitable and possibly imminent eventuality. The exercise is undertaken in order to stimulate effort and zeal in religious practice. The meditator reflects on the brevity and fragility of life and the numerous directions from which death can come.

(source: Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism)

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The Buddha informed us that the mind of one who frequently contemplates death will become heedful of the truth, recollecting the impermanence, suffering and selflessness of this body. Just this subject of death then, can become a basis for our meditation, a foundation for our practice that we cannot overlook.

—Ajahn Anan, “Marananussati: Keeping the end in mind”

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Thus it will be seen that mindfulness of death not only purifies and refines the mind but also has the effect of robbing death of its fears and terrors, and helps one at that solemn moment when he is gasping for his last breath, to face that situation with fortitude and calm. He is never unnerved at the thought of death but is always prepared for it. It is such a man that can truly exclaim, “O death, where is thy sting?”

—V.F. Gunaratna, “Buddhist Reflections on Death”

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As I watch my beloved doggie companion of fourteen years slip away (she seems to have nine lives!) and prepare to start full-time work tomorrow (horrible timing), responding to both death and imminent death, in a hospital setting, I wanted to share a little bit of the traditional Theravadan Buddhist perspective on how being present in the dying process, and not just considering our own death in an abstract way, indeed gives us more energy for this incredible opportunity we have in life. For additional resources on this subject, please see my reply to In what perspective do Buddhists understand death? What does it mean in their world-view and to them personally?

See also: posts tagged with death and with life and death.

The basic problem in sexual ethics, addressed in the third precept, is betrayal. ‘Sexual misconduct’ is sexual behaviour that causes harm by breaking the trust that a loved one has placed in us. The Buddha was compassionate, and he never laid down ethical rules that caused harm or distress. Making a moral proscription against homosexuality marginalises and harms people who have done no wrong, and it is against the basic principles of Buddhist ethics.

It’s so important to keep this essential ethical question in mind. In discussions on homosexuality, as with just about any other controversial ethical issue, there is a pervasive tendency to confuse the issue. Why do we find it so difficult to look at an ethical question rationally? It is true, there are some issues that are complex and the details can be difficult to work out. But this is not one of them.

Why Buddhists Should Support Marriage Equality « Sujato’s Blog

This is a fantastic essay.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Pannavati, 59, is the first African American woman ordained in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. And she is the only African American female abbot of a monastery. (x) (more about her here) So happy to see Pannavati recognized for her strength in practice and service. I only wish as a black woman in leadership in the sangha that she weren’t such an exception. 
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Originally from Washington, D.C., Pannavati, 59, is the first African American woman ordained in the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. And she is the only African American female abbot of a monastery. (x) (more about her here)

So happy to see Pannavati recognized for her strength in practice and service. I only wish as a black woman in leadership in the sangha that she weren’t such an exception. 

(via racialicious)

Source: obhasati

Invitation to collaborative sutta study

shiracoffee asks (by way of Dhamma Everywhere):

Are you at all interested in joining a multi-owner, sutta study tumblr? I am thinking of something like an online book club, with members picking suttas for the group to read and discuss.

This sounds like a lovely idea, though the admins of DE are not currently in a position to help. For any others, please let Shira know if you are willing and able. Thank you.

Edit: Sutta Study is already in the works.

Recommended resources: