Palace Buddhism
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Rembrandt's brilliant mastery has had effects for centuries. Detail from his allegorical Earth and Water. Esoteric Buddhism uses quite similar symbols here and there. |
"To read and not to understand is to pursue and not take (German)." Read the cardinal values of our time and see if you conform to them. Wise hints can be got here.
Palace Buddhism
Parts of the Common Enculturation: Conformism and Slavery
In the West we have fairy tales and other tales to entertain us. One popular tale is "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". In it, the great gain is a hoard of treasures that robbers had hidden in a cave, and which Ali Baba found and started to spend.The robbers soon found him and might have killed him were it not for his woman slave Morgiana. She served her master by killing off 39 robbers in boiling oil, and stabbing the last. Thereby she ensured Ali Baba's gold, silver, and future well-being: he could live to enjoy deviously had riches that had blood on them. Ali Baba came to riches through his loyal, clever, dancing slave woman. Honour the one that honour is due; as a reward Ali Baba made her his co-wife.
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| Icon of the age . . . |
Mauraiding Jehovah and Deforestation
Jesus speaks for robbery-theft and his followers do not reject slavery.TO THINK that Jesus is even a little bit good goes against his own words [Mark 10;17-8]. Jesus teaches that killing someone else for the gross transgressions of others is righteousness, and calls his "Father Jehovah" who is one with him and has instituted both slavery and such scapegoating in the Bible, "righteous Father" in John. But it is not so, and nasty demagoguery does not make that sort of horrible injustice and heinous transgressions against innocent victims do not make it so either. Beware of gruesome freak teachings masked as holy and religious, then.
Further, Jesus also appears to find robbery-theft to be OK. In one place he talks of binding the strong one and taking his things - and stealing is forbidden in the Law of Moses, which Jesus vouches for - and that Law regulates slavery too, among other dark deals, such as scapegoating, vicarious sacrifices (butcherings) of innocent animals, etc. [Matthew 12;29-30, 33]
Proficiency in marauding with slave-taking brought Israelites a long way. Holocausts were demanded by Jehovah at the time of Moses and Joshua and further. The Jews killed minor children and cattle, and destroyed many trees. You can read of these issues, of slaves and slavery too, in the Old Testament [see eg Exodus 21 ff]. Slavery was not banned by Jesus and his apostle Paul either. [Exodus 21:20-21; Matthew 20:26-27; Titus 2:9].
There is slavery in the Bible before Moses too. The church did not ban slavery till quite recently. Today business exploitation goes hand in hand with deforestation and so on, and a madness that equals sawing off the branch others sit on, next one's own branch, perhaps - the formerly lush planet is in for troubles due to global heating as well. Resources are dwindling. Unconcern helps wrongdoers to get away with a great deal. Are they the "chosen fraud people" nowadays? [LINK]
Buddhism and Slavery
Slavery that fits Buddhism may not be found . . .
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| From a painting by Johannes Vermeer (1632-75). He usually portrayed scenes of reassuring, daily life, very often depicting women working in dignity in the home. He was preoccupied with paintings of worldly concern and the depth of it. - TK |
Throughout history there have been people who believed that slavery was not a good or natural condition, but very few found slavery to be unnatural or immoral until the second half of the 1700s, writes Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Slavery got crucial blows in most of the world due to the British abolition movement, which was initiated by the English Quakers, who in turn were following the Pennsylvania Quakers it it. And the European colonization movement of the second half of the 1800s put an end to slavery in many parts of Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. [Ebu, "slavery"]
- "Perfect" bullying, robbery, stealing, killing and cursing may work contrary to what it looks like. Thus, the marring slave taker may next be loved much like royalty by brainwashed, overpowered victims, and that is serious . . .
Stealing and Foul Language is Low: The Path
In quite many folk tales the hero swindles, steals and robs his victims, and kills too.
Gautama Buddha does not advocate stealing and killing and robbery and foul language. He teaches a Noble Eightfold Path, also called the Middle Path, "free from pain and torture, from groaning and suffering". It consists of:- Right understanding,
- Right mindedness. Right understanding and mindedness together are wisdom.
- Right speech,
- Right action,
- Right living. Right speech, action and living are morality.
- Right effort,
- Right attentiveness,
- Right contemplation: Right effort, attentiveness and contemplation are "concentration".
There is an old Buddhist saying, translated by Paul Carus - good to remember: "salvation is not obtained by harshness." [Paul Carus. Amitabha. A Story of Buddhist Theology, ch. 8. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company, 1906.]
The eight "wheel-spokes" (listed above) could help a lot in a life, once their central, handed-over meanings are examined and put wisely to use.
Serving Oneself, One's Family and Near Friends
It is said that charity starts at home, but it does not have to end there. First things first: the home is where the heart is; some inches below the chin, literally speaking.You don't have to be a Buddhist to adhere to higher principles of living. The following nudges talk to many people:Excerpts from the 3rd, 4th, 5th Step: Buddhist monks with honest and pure hearts are not to own male and female slaves. They are to avoid stealing, and abstain from taking what is not given to them, and from adornments and embellishments. They keep aloof from stabbing, beating, chaining, attacking, plundering and oppressing. Buddhist slavery ought to be out of the question, although the rules laid down for lay people are not as severe as all the rules for monks.
Lay Buddhist are expected to exercise in right action and right effort. And there are many things Buddha says "avoid" to, such as "Refrain from killing living creatures; from taking what is not given, and from false speech." These are three basics enjoined on any Buddhist.
Further consider that if you violate the human rights of others - animals might be considered here too - you do not give evidence of kindheartedness (metta), and are probably amassing bad karma. That is part of the karma teachings. Karma is said to be an individual force transmitted from one existence (life) to another (a future life somewhere) till it has reapened. [Narada, 359]
Lay persons are to train their own minds first and not be disturbed as to how other people act. Lay members should explore the better teachings and, as far as they are able, explain them in tune with Adi (the first) Buddha's sensible advice - especially to relatives and friends.
Man is to care for his family with a wise and sympathetic mind. He is also to learn how to serve his parents, how to live with wife and children, how to control oneself well enough, and how to manifest Buddha (that is out of his heart, his depths), and deeply go for sane wisdom. One needs to be strictly earnest in putting a wise teaching into practice.
Parents, for example, should do five things for their children: avoid doing anything evil, set an example of good deeds, give them an education, arrange for their marriage, and let them inherit the wealth at the proper time. Lay members should follow the five precepts for good behaviour: not to harm any sentient life, not to steal, to live a pure [and sensible] life, not to lie or deceive, and not to use intoxicants.
It is good to value things and use them solely in their relation to enlightenment and the Dharma [meaning such as righteous conduct and a Great Goal].
One is to learn teachings that helps happiness and success in life on a good foundation: Buddha exposes admirably who are friends and how to be one. One is to learn to prepare oneself for a living so as to support and enable a family in honour, act morally upright and learn good methods for living and steady progress in dhyana, contemplation. Having deep consideration for the teachings helps.
If a lay believer is later carried away by wickeness, he will become harmful and obnoxious; then his mind has become defiled.
[Based on Goddard, Dwight. The Teaching of Buddha, the Buddhist Bible. (1934). Ch 2, "Lay members"]
Great Harm og Great Benefit - What Will It Be?
Old and New Stances May Cost Your Life
Old and new stances or positions may cost the adherent dearly, even his or her life. The stances lead to a marred or wasted life are worse than those who do not allow you to excel in what you are doing to live all right. Stances that lead astray and stances that followers are willing to go to war for and die for if necessary, may both cost lives. So there is a good reason to be guarded and keep aware - preferably abreast of happenings.Wise and sagacious modifications of Gautama Buddha's teachings are okayed by Buddha himself, if and when such modifications are needed. But such practice should not be all right for anyone, and close followers are meant to stick to Buddha's basic teachings. What are they? They include the right to free enquiry too:
In the Kalama Sutta he tells that could be the proper thing to do - for some, under such and such conditions, but perhaps not for all his followers.
He not only allows your right to be tentative, but says you should go for it. That means he does not want blind and dogmatic faith from anyone, but a provisional one that is allied to fair discernment as well. Be lax about old stances if you cannot follow them up, rather than start on a route that leads to hypocrisy. For hypocrisy is not good for anyone. Buddha says anyone is free to test out his teachings and accommodate according to own findings in a wise way.
But there is one snag to this scenario, though: Followers are also asked to have faith in his teachings. What are they? That is sometimes difficult to say. But in the light of his Kalama Sutta teachings - called his "charter of Free Enquiry" - it helps to seriously try out and stick to the good things found, and also to dispense with other elements. To act otherwise suggests defiling something relevant, even oneself.
Reserved Insistence
When you are young and lack the hard-won experience that comes to many who live by trial and error and thus get experienced or run over or dead, good schooling is supposed to be excellent. Let the witness accounts of others work for you, to save yourself years of work that is not paid at all. You should get more out of your testing and creative efforts if you avoid stupid dogmatism and save yourself troubles without end - by learning from the mistakes of others, and getting ideas of best ways to do things. Many such "best ways" may be improved as time goes by; they are not unlike ways and theories of science. Hence, learn from the best and modify to make things serve you, all in all; that could work. If you keep an open mind - that is, leave some room for additions and modifications - you are supposedly mentally healthier than those who overlook this side to living.Buddha's very old, groundbreaking sutta against dogmatic insistence teaches it is wise to make a proper examination before committing. Be allied with a justifiable good will to test properly and act accordingly. Try and stick to your discerning takes when they arise also. From this basic work of mind resolves may slowly grow and develop. If so, you should let them. But stick to the good conditions Buddha lays out, so as to save yourself embarrassments: Development as a minority is at times hard, and finding out first-hand can cost awfully much. You need to be reserved there.
What helps in the long run should also help in the beginning and in the perhaps long middle stretch - is a derivation from his teaching. Buddha teaches his teachings are like that, excellent in the beginning, the middle, and the end. So take care; some things in life look excellent at first, only to give a more and more hollow fare later on, like most continuing TV sports - that is, sport swallowed up by commercialism and things like that. When it is not fun any more, it is time to consider the better, less harmful outlets, means and ways of living.
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| Scrooge living his Buddhism? Developing wealth without defiling oneself and others is good. |
Adhere Well to "Buddha-Doings"
Adhere carefully to something close to what Buddha does, not just what he seems to say.What a man does, reflects his values over and above his professed teachings, ideals and so on. It is in the living you are tested. Buddha openly says that what he teaches, he does, and what he does, he teaches. That is good, good, and different from marring.
There is, further, a reason not to accept in faith everything that has come down to us andattributed to Buddha. Many devout believers have not been duly informed that Buddha did not put down anything in writing, to our knowing; he taught orally. Buddhism was at first based on oral transmission. Disciples wrote down and arranged what is supposed to be his sayings and talks, but many years could have passed between hearing teachings and writing them down. Besides, in antiquity they put words in his mouth too, for if he had said all that is now attributed to him, he could not have found time for it. The canon is so vast; that undermines its credibility to some degree, and makes in NECESSARY to search out sayings that seem to be the most authentic and keep at least some provisional reserve toward other sayings, so as not to be misled into sects of Buddhism, for there is no need for it. It is better to stand above the sectarian. Sectarians and their schools or cults do not refrain from putting words in Buddha's mouth by texts that were at least partially invented long after he was gone, even centuries after his demise.
One needs to know about how Buddhist texts developed over time to be able to follow up decently - decently to yourself, the most plausible Buddha teachings, and a fit and good tradition that allows you to do these vitally important things. You do not exist for the sect or school of Buddhism; let the good parts of Buddhism serve your development, rather. That is how Buddha wanted to be honoured. He says it right out among his last words on earth.
In the Mahaparinibbanasuttanta (The Large Text on Buddha's Demise) Buddha is recorded to have said to his aide-de-camp Ananda:
These are about his last words.Even though it is not blossoming-time, trees are standing in full bloom. They let fall a dense and mild shower of flowers over me to honour the truth-arriver [Tathagatha]. From heaven the most beautiful mandarava flowers fall in honour of the truth-arriver. The air is filled with heavenly song and music in honour of the truth-arriver.
But that is not how to honour, respect and deeply heed the truth-arriver [Tathagatha], Ananda. The monk, nun, layman or laywoman who lives the teaching [Dharma] in all his behaviour, he or she honours me the most, and shows me the greatest respect, Ananda. Therefore, train yourselves to live the teachings og live decently in everything, Ananda! . . .
Be energetic and work hard to reach the most sublime goal [Bsa 115-16, 118, 126, emphasis added]
The task today is to select the best of the teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha and make the best out of the selections. That challenge does not have to be difficult, once you have got deep principles for approaching the field called decent or appropriate living and stick to it to your ability and even better, for that matter.
For example, you should not think that building a stupa or tower or something else in stone in honour of yourself or Buddha - whatever - is the most valuable use of your resources. To the contrary. A castle of bone is worth more than one of stone. That is, if you really help a living being - yourself is the centre in your universe - you do better than dealing in stiffened edifices, generally speaking. Even though a stupa or temple is costy, and may be a decent marking of something in a society, it is not as valuable as right living. Make it proper and solid living. One's perspective has to be right; in these matters too.
Now you have been informed that the good Buddhist is not necessarily the one who erects edifices over his lost manhood or things like that, but the one who tries to be a good himself or herself, as judged by the central teachings.
Dealing with Attributed Sayings and Wrong Clues
Yes, sayings by Buddha are attributed to him. We cannot be absolutely certain that he stood for everything he seems to forbid and recommend, but there are some things among them that most Buddhist scholar seem to agree on, and, once again, a decent approach to such matters counts much. There should be no doubt about that.Do not be hemmed in by complications dictated by others if you can avoid them. There are not a few rules and regulations for monks that appear to have been added later. There is such a vast amount of Buddhist scriptures too, some from the early centuries.
Wrong Clues Are not Great Boons
There is not one, completely unified Buddhism, but many forms of it. Hopefully you arrive at the best of the stances very early in life, so that you will not waste time on less that fine pursuits and endeavours. You want to find out of things yourself, and not be subjected to restrictions and demands by sectarians or sectarian outlooks. Show yourself enough respect in this too; that is best.Most ancient variants agree on basic matters. That makes it much easier. The oldest extant school appears to be Theravada Buddhism. It contains old Buddhist scriptures that seem close to what Buddha really stood for. By carefully comparing old and essential Buddhist writings one may get an idea of what Buddha stood for along general lines, all rooted in the ancient oral transmission, later recordings, and other features and processes involved. Thus, we can be reasonably sure of some basic stances, less sure of others. There is good reason to try and find out what he himself stood for behind the cloaks of modifications and additions - as well as behind the masks of legends that grew around him. Take a good look at how Buddha lived himself. Many clues are there for interpreters of his messages too. Well, you can hopefully do it, Buddha himself showed a way. [REMINDERS]
Differing ways (vehicles) of Buddhism, and their differing schools and sects and traditions, try to benefit from statements that appear to canonise or legitimise such ways, schools, sects, and traditions. That could be expected.
Tall, Guarded Basis
What has been cursorily showed above from the early Buddhist fare, is laid bare in great detail in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. It points out that there is disagreement among scholars about when Buddha's was born and died, but disagreements do not stop there. In the centuries following the founder's death, Buddhism developed in two directions after being one sect among many in a culture that allowed a wide range out outlooks. These two great directions are called the lesser and the greater vehicles, or, Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. It could be good to select your winning elements from both of them. It is also good to know that Tantric Buddhism arose in the homeland of Buddhism: This Esoteric Buddhism (Vajrayana) is aiming at liberation more speedily through yoga practices.Followers of the Mahayana and Tantric Buddhist traditions accept many words from Theravada collections as "words of the Buddha". And Buddhist ethics remained basically the same though all of it, and so did its basic structure. Buddhism did not negate its basic principles: Instead they were rethought and reformulated, and stand out as a central nucleus that is marked by continuity. Beings evolve in the right direction when they get away from blunt conditioning and being in wrong "kegs". The human life is fit for developing enlightenment. Not all elements of Buddhism are found in other sects and schools in India from the time of Buddha, but many distinguished concepts are. Many doctrines in pre-Buddhist India were generally accepted in Buddhism too, also as basis for the moral life. All of these could be cherished as information to study and maybe adjust to "for a while - for some time" to get first-hand experiences of a fare.
Two ancient, Vedic doctrines stand out in early Buddhism too: That of karma (giving back), and that of rebirth. They are shared with other Indian religions and schools. Suppose you study them and say, "With my limited knowledge of any afterlife and of the very subtle effects of actions, have I got any reason not to dismiss these two elements of the teachings?" Well, yes, and that is where cleverness sets in. You should be guarded, and therefore you are free to think and act on what could bring great boons and safeguards against possible failures. Thus:
Mind development and culture of oneself are highly important elements of Buddha's foremost teachings, and development, self-culture, and tact is helped by fruitful living. Buddha specifies many central parts of it in sutras we have extracted here, with permission. [Ebu "Buddhism"]If I don't believe in an afterlife, I may do stupid things and harm my future existence if there is such a thing as an afterlife and many other lives somehow. But if I adjust to the theory of karma (that actions have consequences, and some for a long time), and of many rebirths, I seem to get the best out of these uncertainties. This is so because Buddha advocates having a very good life too. He is not just negating things, as can be seen in many ancient texts.
To be on the safe side, do great deeds according to Gautama Buddha's handed-over stipulations of how and when to, and stick to lax frivolity as you can. Both appear to be needed.
Discern Too
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| A fine painter learns to study and discern well as he goes along and composes his painting. Claude Monet (1840-1926) did it too; he was not merely "an eye", as another painter said. [Coti] |
But what is basically healthy, aesthetic pleasures may trigger off wrong responses in those who try to tame themselves and cover it. Also, difference of opinion makes possible more than horse races. Many of the nudes are found in the curricula of history of art at universities.
Life Cycle Perspectives Often Help
Some difference of opinion may be easily resolved, as seen from this: Youngsters are preoccupied with sex, adults tire of it, and corpses don't make much of it. Monk living is closer to death than to youthful outlets in this.What is natural for one, may not feel natural to another. Monkish curbing of all natural delights will not do for householders - not for children either. And greatly developed ones have something in common with children. Accordingly, be great enough to go along with things little children appreciate. Nudes and all right breasts are great to many little children, at any rate. Much of it shows up as Tantra art in Buddhism too.
Tantra means "Loom". It is a loom of treatises in not a few Buddhist, Hindu, and Jaina sects. Some spell out copulation details that are not well known. Shuddhananda Bharati writes in the preface of Sir John Woodroffe's Tantraraja Tantra on making the best of elements like earth and fire (compare the allegorical Rembrandt painting "Earth and Water" on top), and of one's sexual being.
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Literature
Ap: Mieder, Wolfgang (main editor), Stewart A. Kingsbury, and Kelsie E. Harder: A Dictionary of American Proverbs. (Paperback) Oxford University, New York, 1996.
Bsa: Lie, Kaare A, tr. Buddhas samtaler: De lange tekstene. Digha Nikaya. Bind 2. Det store bindet: Mahavagga (Conversations of Buddha: The Long Texts. Digha Nikaya, Vol 2. The Large Volume: Mahavagga). Oslo: Solum Forlag, 2005.
Cot: Shankaranarayan, S. The Ten Great Cosmic Powers. 2nd ed. Pondicherri: Dipti, 1975.
Coti: Spate, Virginia. The Colour of Time: Claude Monet. London: Thames and Hudson, 1992.
Ebu: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica 2007 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD. London: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2007.
Gas: Woodroffe, Sir John. Garland of Letters. 6th ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1974 (?).
Geta: Pandit, M. Gems from the Tantras. 2nd Series. Madras: Ganesh, 1970.
Kuo: Pandit, M. Kundalini Yoga. 5th ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1972.
Pakk: Pandit, M. Gems from the Tantras. Madras: Ganesh, 1969.
Tata: Woodroffe, Sir John. Tantraraja Tantra. 3rd ed. Madras: Ganesh, 1971.
Tiy: Evans-Wentz, Walter Yeeling, ed. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines. 2nd ed. London: Oxford University Press, 1967.
Tog: Woodroffe, Sir John, tr. Tantra of the Great Liberation (Mahanirvana Tantra). New York: Dover, 1972.
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