The idea of adapting the Vinaya to the needs
of a cybersangha in the 21st Century is a
great idea; I'm posting this in support.
Thanks.
While I have your attention: I'll be off line
between 5/29 and 7/5, leading a practice
period in Texas. Soz

Good Friends:

The East Bay Sutra Salon will meet this coming Wednesday, May 15 at 7
p.m., at Terry Stein's house.  We will be finishing the Connected
Discourses.

Those of you who wish to join the East Bay Sutra Salon for the first
time, please contact Terry at tsstein@... for directions.
Don't worry about the reading material.  Just show up and see how the
group functions (we're friendly --- really).  The reading for the
next month will be available at the group.

The San Francisco Sutra Salon will meet Friday, May 24, at 7:30 p.m.
at Karl Young's place.  We will be finishing the Connected Discourses.

Those of you who wish to join the S.F. Sutra Salon for the first
time, please contact Karl at kyoung@... for
directions.  As in the East Bay Sutra Salon, don't worry about the
reading material.  Just show up.  Once you join us you'll see how
comfortable the group is.

The reading for the next month will be the Dhammapada, the Byrom
translation.  I am bringing copies to the Salons.  The cost, at 20%
off, is $12.47.  Payment must be by check, made out to Readers' Books.

Thanks,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

This is a thought piece -- i am sort of thinking outloud.  So bear
with me.

The immediate cause of this is a puzzle over the behavior of some
participants in cybercommunities, specifically online Buddhist
Forums, that is very destructive.  A slang has arisen to describe
such people; trolls is the most widely used name.  A friend of mine
referred to these people as "drive-by shouters", which i think is a
good description.

I have been online for something like 3 years now.  The plus side of
being online is being able to interact with scholars that i would
never have had contact with otherwise.  Two examples come to mind.
On a Taoist Forum i was able to contact a Russian Scholar of Taoism
who had specialized knowledge of Chuan Chen Taoism.  I was then able
to ask questions regarding the Buddhist influence on that form of
Taoism and settle some questions that i had had for many years.  It
was fantastic.  The second example is my recent encounter with a
Tibetan Scholar who is translating the Abhidharmakosha and was able
to kindly answer many of my questions about the Abhidharma in
general.  This has led to a re-evaluation on my part of that section
of the canon and opened up a whole new area of the Dharma for me.

So it is clear to me that cybespace has great potential.

The downside is what i have observed on a number of Forums which have
been taken over by people who clearly have their own agenda, who
interrupt every conversation, who do not hesitate to insult and
intimidate others, and generaly wreak havoc on the online community.
I have observed at least two online communities rapidly disintegrate
in the presence of such posters.

This has led me to consider the Vinaya, and how it might apply to
cyberspace.  The Vinaya are the rules of conduct for the monastic
sangha in particular; but they have a larger applicability in many
cases.

What is it that makes a sangha?  A sangha is not just a gathering of
people.  A sangha is not even a gathering of people who are
discussing Buddhism; although that helps.  A sangha is a gathering of
people focussed on the Dharma, but also, and this is what i want to
highlight, a gathering that exhibits the Dharma in the interactive
behavior among its members.  That's the particular focus of the
Vinaya.

The Buddha was aware of the strong tendencies humans have towards
rancor and dissension.  In the Vinaya he instituted a means for
addressing this.  Twice a month, on the new and full moons, the
monastic sangha gathers.  At the gathering they are asked by a
qualified monastic, if everyone has lived up to the rules of the
Vinaya since the last time they met.  At that time, if a member has
not lived up to these rules, the member steps forward to confess the
wrongdoing.

The Vinaya details the consequences for specific offenses.  Most
offenses require only that there be confession, and a renewed
commitment to not let this behavior happen again.  That is
sufficient, and with this procedure the person in question is then
reinstated in the community in good standing. (More serious offenses,
such as murder, of course entail harsher treatment.)

I am thinking that it may be possible to create such a procedure
online, in a genuine cybersangha.  A specific time would be put aside
for this online "ceremony".  In order to a member of this sangha, one
would have to agree to attend this particular online meeting. It
could be done in a chatroom, or as a list like on a forum.  In any
case, people would be given the opportunity to confess and reform on
a regular basis.

My purpose in bringing this up is that this would be a procedure for
keeping an online community on focus and for the reforming of
disruptive behaviors.  This, potentially, would transform an online
forum into a genuine sangha, a means for entering the path.

Any comments on this?

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

I thought I would share a few observations gleaned from my new view
of Abhidharma.  Specifically, this has to do with the origins of
Abhidharma.  These comments are based on Abhidharma scholars,
particularly Frauwallner, who was one of the few westerners
acquainted with both Sarvastivada Abhidharma and Pali Abhidhamma (in
other words, he was fluent in both Chinese and Pali, as well as
sanskirt -- ah, those Germans!).

In the Long Discourses there is one Discourse that consists of
nothing but a long list of numerically arranged teachings of the
Buddha.  It starts out with ones, then twos, and goes up to tens.
Each grouping simply states, "five skandhas", "four noble truths",
etc.  This was a device used to remember and recollect the teachings
of the Buddha.  Scholars tend to view these lists as among the most
ancient of Buddhist texts.  The view is that these lists were
memorized, and used for teaching purposes, in the form of commentary
on each item in the list.

Abhidharma grew out of commentaries on such lists.  The commentaries
were at some point committed to writing, but there was a long period
when the list would simply be memorized, and then passed down orally
from teacher to student.  This explains why there are different
versions of Abhidharma; different commentarial traditions would
naturally have arisen, even on the same list.

The Discourse is interesting in explaining the motivation for this
procedure.  The setting is soon after the death of Mahavira, the
great Jain teacher, an older contemporary of the Buddha.  The monks
note that after Mahavira died, schism immediately arose in the Jain
Sangha because they had not memorized his teachings, and that now
their school was in disaray.  They didn't want this to happen to the
teachings of the Buddha, and so they list the core teachings in the
form mentioned above.  In other words, the motivation at the
foundation of Abhidharma was to preserve the teachings of the Buddha
in a systematic form so that it could be passed down to future
generations in a comprehensible and meticulous way.

All of this is very interesting to me.  For one thing, it implies the
Abhidharma, at least portions of it, are as old as the Sutra portion
of the Canon.  I had for a long time considered Abhidharma as a kind
of intellectual add-on to the Canon; but that impression seems to
have been ill-informed.  Certainly over the centuries the Abhidharma
has been elaborated and expanded; but that is also true of the Sutra
Section.

Just a few thoughts from my ongoing studies.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Dear Jim,

Thanks for sharing these wonderful formulations.  As I have reread them,
I find that they shed light upon each other in wonderfully informative
and enlightening ways.  It is delightful and enriching to return to
them.

All the best,
Rob

Rob Schmidt
Tayu Meditation Center


-----Original Message-----
From: dharmajim [mailto:jimfw@...]
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 3:28 PM
To: sutrasalon@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [sutrasalon] Five Levels of the Five Precepts


Good Friends:

The Way of the Scholar Sage is open to and accessible for any
follower of the Buddhadharma, regardless of specific school
affiliation.  In my ongoing study of the Dharma, one of the aspects
of the Dharma that is common to all schools is a strong foundation in
ethics; this manifests primarily in the precepts.

At the core of the precepts are the Five Precepts (the Panchasila).
Various Dharma traditions have elaborated on these, added to them,
expanded them.  But they all share these core precepts.  I comprehend
the precepts as having Five levels, or ways of looking at them.  I
thought I would share them:

>From The Perspective Of Restraint:

1.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from harming living
beings.
2.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from taking what is
not given.
3.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from sexual
misconduct.
4.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from deceptive speech.
5.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from intoxicants.

>From The Perspective Of The Path:

1.  I undertake the rule of training to live in the sacred web of
life.
2.  I undertake the rule of training to respect other people's things.
3.  I undertake the rule of training to use sexuality in a sacred
manner.
4.  I undertake the rule of training to speak truthfully.
5.  I undertake the rule of training to remain focused and clear.

>From The Perspective Of Cultivation

1.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable love:  May all beings
be well and happy.
2.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable gratitude:  May i
awaken to all that has been done for me, given to me.
3.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable sympathetic joy:  May
good fortune fill all the days of all the lives of all sentient
existence.
4.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable compassion:  May all
beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
5.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable equanimity:  May all
sentient existence dwell forever in the limitless realm of the
everpresent peaceful heart and serene mind.

>From The Perspective Of Vow

1.  Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all.
2.  The hindrances are inexhaustible, I vow to extinguish them all. 3.
The teachings are innumerable, I vow to learn them all. 4.  The way of
the Bodhisattva is unattainable, I vow to attain it. 5.  The way of the
Buddha is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it.

>From The Ultimate Perspective

1.  I will always reside in the presence of the deathless and unborn. 2.
I will awaken to the no-boundary nature of all things. 3.  I will
actualize the great peace of nirvana. 4.  I will remain in the awareness
that all thigns speak of
liberation.
5.  I will dwel in the realization that all things are clear, open,
and spacious.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
sutrasalon-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Good Friends:

The Way of the Scholar Sage is open to and accessible for any
follower of the Buddhadharma, regardless of specific school
affiliation.  In my ongoing study of the Dharma, one of the aspects
of the Dharma that is common to all schools is a strong foundation in
ethics; this manifests primarily in the precepts.

At the core of the precepts are the Five Precepts (the Panchasila).
Various Dharma traditions have elaborated on these, added to them,
expanded them.  But they all share these core precepts.  I comprehend
the precepts as having Five levels, or ways of looking at them.  I
thought I would share them:

From The Perspective Of Restraint:

1.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from harming living
beings.
2.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from taking what is
not given.
3.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from sexual
misconduct.
4.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from deceptive speech.
5.  I undertake the rule of training to refrain from intoxicants.

From The Perspective Of The Path:

1.  I undertake the rule of training to live in the sacred web of
life.
2.  I undertake the rule of training to respect other people's things.
3.  I undertake the rule of training to use sexuality in a sacred
manner.
4.  I undertake the rule of training to speak truthfully.
5.  I undertake the rule of training to remain focused and clear.

From The Perspective Of Cultivation

1.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable love:  May all beings
be well and happy.
2.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable gratitude:  May i
awaken to all that has been done for me, given to me.
3.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable sympathetic joy:  May
good fortune fill all the days of all the lives of all sentient
existence.
4.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable compassion:  May all
beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
5.  I undertake the cultivation of immeasurable equanimity:  May all
sentient existence dwell forever in the limitless realm of the
everpresent peaceful heart and serene mind.

From The Perspective Of Vow

1.  Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them all.
2.  The hindrances are inexhaustible, I vow to extinguish them all.
3.  The teachings are innumerable, I vow to learn them all.
4.  The way of the Bodhisattva is unattainable, I vow to attain it.
5.  The way of the Buddha is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it.

From The Ultimate Perspective

1.  I will always reside in the presence of the deathless and unborn.
2.  I will awaken to the no-boundary nature of all things.
3.  I will actualize the great peace of nirvana.
4.  I will remain in the awareness that all thigns speak of
liberation.
5.  I will dwel in the realization that all things are clear, open,
and spacious.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

For anyone who is interested, a new article has been put up in my
article index called "What is the Buddha Dharma?" It is a discussion
based upon several well-known discourses in the Pali Canon including
the Buddha's advice to the Kalamas, the parable of the raft, the
parable of the poison arrow, and a few other old Buddhist chestnuts.
Though it is based on the Nikayas, I believe the attitudes and
approaches taught should carry over into the Buddhist tradition as a
whole. The link is
http://campross.crosswinds.net/Ryuei/BuddhaDharma.html



Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei



dskfsdlfhsdkfhkdshfksdjhfksdhfksjdkfaksdhfkjfhksdfhkdshfksdhfksdhfksdh
fk

Dear Jim & fellow Sutra Salon participants,

Thank you for this wonderful posting.  It seems to me that this is a
very good omen for the growth of the Way of the Scholar-Sage.  I look
forward to future reports from the scholarly front lines of Abhidharma
investigation.

Yours in Tayu (Truth)
Rob

Rob Schmidt
Tayu Meditation Center


-----Original Message-----
From: dharmajim [mailto:jimfw@...]
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 3:22 PM
To: sutrasalon@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [sutrasalon] An Apology For Abhidharma


Good Friends:

The Buddhist Canon is divided into three sections.  The first is the
Discourses, or Sutras.  For many years, decades, the Sutras have
proven a source of nourishment for me and contemplatively reading the
Discourses is part of my daily practice, out of which emerged The Way
of the Scholar Sage.

The second section is the Vinaya, the rules of conduct for a
Buddhist, particularly for a monastic.  As a former monastic i have
familiarity with these.  Though i personally have not found the
Vinaya as nourishing as the Discourses, i have still found much of
value therein.

The third section has eluded me for many years.  The third section of
the canon is the Abhidharma.  The import of Abhidharma was not clear
to me.  It seemed so relentlessly abstract.  Not that i'm opposed to
abstraction.  As a graduate student i spent many satisfying hours
contemplating axiomatics.  But the connection between Abhidharma and
the rest of the teachings was never clear to me.

Recently a participant on the Tricycle Forums began posting from the
Abhidharmakosha, by Vasubandhu.  To my surprise i found it
illuminating and clear.  Sensing this as a signal, i ordered the
Dhammasangani, the first book of the Pali Abhidhamma.  Reading the
Dhammasangani and studying the Abhidharmakosha, my view of Abhidharma
has shifted.  I find the Dhammasangani very clear and i there is even
a kind of beauty to it; like the beauty of mathematics, or a complex
piece of music.

My sense is that Abhidhamma is an approach to the Dharma which seeks
to unpack in a systematic fashion what has only been stated in
passing, or in general, in the Discourses.  For example, the Buddha
often speaks of Interdependent Transformation (aka Dependent
Origination), but this view is presented in various configurations,
scattered throughout the Discourses.  In Abhdidharma the meaning of
this view is systematically unpacked, followed out; and this process
allows one's understanding to deepen and grow.

I mention this because in the manual i wrote, "The Way of the Scholar
Sage", i criticze Abhidharma.  I now consider that criticism
misguided.  Perhaps i will re-write the section, or maybe just add a
comment showing how and why i have changed my view.

There is one other point i want to mention.  In the past i had read
introductory manuals to Abhidharma, particularly the one by Bhikkhu
Bodhi.  Bhikkhu Bodhi states that the purpose of Abhidharma was to
illuminate the fundamental factors of existence which exist on their
own terms, from their own side, and are self-sufficient.  I had heard
this from others as well.  I regarded this view is in conflict with
the Buddha's teaching on Interdependent Transformation
(pratityasamutpada); and i still do.

What i have discovered in reading Abhidharma, such as the
Dhammasangani, is that these works do not actually say that, do not
actually make that claim for substantiality.  Discovering this
removed a major hindrance i had towards Abhidharma.  In other words,
i now regard Bhikkhu Bodhi's statement about the purpose of
Abhidharma as an interpretation of these works.  It is, no doubt, a
traditional interpretation (because Bhikkhu Bodhi's would be
disinclined to put forward his own interpretation), but it is
nevertheless one that i do not find supported by the actual works.

This helps me to understand why the Mahayana Discourses, particularly
the Perfection of Wisdom, hammer home so persistently the idea of non-
substantiality.  It has always interested me that the Perfection of
Wisdom doesn't just come out and dismiss Abhidharma.  What i now
incline towards is an interpretation which would perceive the
Perfection of Wisdom as arguing against a particular school of
Abhidharma interpretation, rather than an argument against Abhidharma
itself.

I must admit that this feels expanding to me, like a whole new Dharma
realm is opening up.  It's sort of like living in a mansion and
discovering there is a whole wing one didn't even know about.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim



To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
sutrasalon-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



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http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--- In sutrasalon@y..., Sozan Schellin <sozan@e...> wrote:
>

To Sozan:

Thanks, that was beautiful.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

The Buddhist Canon is divided into three sections.  The first is the
Discourses, or Sutras.  For many years, decades, the Sutras have
proven a source of nourishment for me and contemplatively reading the
Discourses is part of my daily practice, out of which emerged The Way
of the Scholar Sage.

The second section is the Vinaya, the rules of conduct for a
Buddhist, particularly for a monastic.  As a former monastic i have
familiarity with these.  Though i personally have not found the
Vinaya as nourishing as the Discourses, i have still found much of
value therein.

The third section has eluded me for many years.  The third section of
the canon is the Abhidharma.  The import of Abhidharma was not clear
to me.  It seemed so relentlessly abstract.  Not that i'm opposed to
abstraction.  As a graduate student i spent many satisfying hours
contemplating axiomatics.  But the connection between Abhidharma and
the rest of the teachings was never clear to me.

Recently a participant on the Tricycle Forums began posting from the
Abhidharmakosha, by Vasubandhu.  To my surprise i found it
illuminating and clear.  Sensing this as a signal, i ordered the
Dhammasangani, the first book of the Pali Abhidhamma.  Reading the
Dhammasangani and studying the Abhidharmakosha, my view of Abhidharma
has shifted.  I find the Dhammasangani very clear and i there is even
a kind of beauty to it; like the beauty of mathematics, or a complex
piece of music.

My sense is that Abhidhamma is an approach to the Dharma which seeks
to unpack in a systematic fashion what has only been stated in
passing, or in general, in the Discourses.  For example, the Buddha
often speaks of Interdependent Transformation (aka Dependent
Origination), but this view is presented in various configurations,
scattered throughout the Discourses.  In Abhdidharma the meaning of
this view is systematically unpacked, followed out; and this process
allows one's understanding to deepen and grow.

I mention this because in the manual i wrote, "The Way of the Scholar
Sage", i criticze Abhidharma.  I now consider that criticism
misguided.  Perhaps i will re-write the section, or maybe just add a
comment showing how and why i have changed my view.

There is one other point i want to mention.  In the past i had read
introductory manuals to Abhidharma, particularly the one by Bhikkhu
Bodhi.  Bhikkhu Bodhi states that the purpose of Abhidharma was to
illuminate the fundamental factors of existence which exist on their
own terms, from their own side, and are self-sufficient.  I had heard
this from others as well.  I regarded this view is in conflict with
the Buddha's teaching on Interdependent Transformation
(pratityasamutpada); and i still do.

What i have discovered in reading Abhidharma, such as the
Dhammasangani, is that these works do not actually say that, do not
actually make that claim for substantiality.  Discovering this
removed a major hindrance i had towards Abhidharma.  In other words,
i now regard Bhikkhu Bodhi's statement about the purpose of
Abhidharma as an interpretation of these works.  It is, no doubt, a
traditional interpretation (because Bhikkhu Bodhi's would be
disinclined to put forward his own interpretation), but it is
nevertheless one that i do not find supported by the actual works.

This helps me to understand why the Mahayana Discourses, particularly
the Perfection of Wisdom, hammer home so persistently the idea of non-
substantiality.  It has always interested me that the Perfection of
Wisdom doesn't just come out and dismiss Abhidharma.  What i now
incline towards is an interpretation which would perceive the
Perfection of Wisdom as arguing against a particular school of
Abhidharma interpretation, rather than an argument against Abhidharma
itself.

I must admit that this feels expanding to me, like a whole new Dharma
realm is opening up.  It's sort of like living in a mansion and
discovering there is a whole wing one didn't even know about.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

The East Bay Sutra Salon will meet Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 P.M.
Note the time change.  As usual, it will be at Terry Stein's home.
If you are going to the Sutra Salon for the first time, you can
contact Terry for directions at 510-836-6050 or email at
tsstein@...

The San Francisco Sutra Salon will meet Friday, April 26, at 7:30
P.M.  As usual it will be at the home of Karl Young and Sue
Friedland.  If you are going to the S.F. Sutra Salon for the first
time, you can contact Karl or sue for directions at 415-750-9463.

Both Salons will be discussin the Connected Discourses, Sections 47
through 51, pages 1627 through 1749 of Volume 2.

If you are coming for the first time, don't worry about the reading.
Just show up.  The group is informal and I think you will enjoy your
visit.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

The East Bay Sutra Salon will meet Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 P.M.
Note the time change.  As usual, it will be at Terry Stein's home.
If you are going to the Sutra Salon for the first time, you can
contact Terry for directions at 510-836-6050 or email at
tsstein@...

The San Francisco Sutra Salon will meet Friday, April 26, at 7:30
P.M.  As usual it will be at the home of Karl Young and Sue
Friedland.  If you are going to the S.F. Sutra Salon for the first
time, you can contact Karl or sue for directions at 415-750-9463.

Both Salons will be discussin the Connected Discourses, Sections 47
through 51, pages 1627 through 1749 of Volume 2.

If you are coming for the first time, don't worry about the reading.
Just show up.  The group is informal and I think you will enjoy your
visit.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Oh dear... Nothing happens for months and
then I commit to a Saturday thing, and your
class is right in the middle of what I
committed to. Plus, I'll be in Austin, TX
from end of May until July 5.

Jim,

Almost makes me wish I lived in the Bay area!  The course description is
warming.  Have you thought about taping the lectures?

What's happening with your housing?

At 04:20 PM 4/2/02 +0000, you wrote:
>Good Friends:
>
>This is to notify those interested that beginning in June of this
>year I will be holding a Course In the Four Immeasurables.  The Four
>Immeasurables are Love, Compassion, Sympathy, and Equanimity.  I
>refer to them as "heart wisdom"; because we know they are present
>when we experience them in the "heart center".
>
>The Four Immeasurables are a widespread practice and view, present in
>all three forms of the Dharma; the Southern, Northern and Eastern.  I
>think of them as the compassion function of the Dharma.  The wisdom
>function of the Dharma has to do with comprehending Dependent
>Origination, Emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, the Path, and related
>understandings.  Both the Wisdom and Compassion functions need to be
>understood for one to have a balanced practice.
>
>The Course consists of two aspects.  The first aspect is a series of
>contemplations.  These contemplations are simple and are designed to
>awaken one to a sense of what the Buddhist tradition means by Love,
>Compassion, Sympathy, and Equanimity.  The second part will be a
>series of lectures based on the Discourses that specficially deal
>with the Four Immeasurables.
>
>The Course will meet on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and
>will continue for a full year.  (Following the Course in the Four
>Immeasurables will be a year spent on the generation of
>Bodhichitta.)  This will be for three Saturdays each month.  Usually
>this will be the first three Saturdays, but there may be some
>variations.  The cost of the Course is $50/month.
>
>If you have any questions regarding the Course in the Four
>Immeasurables, please feel free to contact me.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Dharmajim
>
>
>
>To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>sutrasalon-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
>
>
>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>

Good Friends:

My speaking schedule at the Hartford Street Zen Center for the coming
year is not in the Files Section of Sutra Salon.  I am not quite sure
how this works, but I think you have to come to the Sutra Salon site
in order to access the Files section.

I won't be speaking in April, but will be speaking in May, and every
month thereafter in 2002.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

This is to notify those interested that beginning in June of this
year I will be holding a Course In the Four Immeasurables.  The Four
Immeasurables are Love, Compassion, Sympathy, and Equanimity.  I
refer to them as "heart wisdom"; because we know they are present
when we experience them in the "heart center".

The Four Immeasurables are a widespread practice and view, present in
all three forms of the Dharma; the Southern, Northern and Eastern.  I
think of them as the compassion function of the Dharma.  The wisdom
function of the Dharma has to do with comprehending Dependent
Origination, Emptiness, the Four Noble Truths, the Path, and related
understandings.  Both the Wisdom and Compassion functions need to be
understood for one to have a balanced practice.

The Course consists of two aspects.  The first aspect is a series of
contemplations.  These contemplations are simple and are designed to
awaken one to a sense of what the Buddhist tradition means by Love,
Compassion, Sympathy, and Equanimity.  The second part will be a
series of lectures based on the Discourses that specficially deal
with the Four Immeasurables.

The Course will meet on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and
will continue for a full year.  (Following the Course in the Four
Immeasurables will be a year spent on the generation of
Bodhichitta.)  This will be for three Saturdays each month.  Usually
this will be the first three Saturdays, but there may be some
variations.  The cost of the Course is $50/month.

If you have any questions regarding the Course in the Four
Immeasurables, please feel free to contact me.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

In a message dated 3/31/02 6:33:30 PM, jimfw@... writes:

<< Recently i have come across two introductions to Buddhism that
completely dispense with the "vehicle" model in their descriptions of
the Dharma.  Both of them are well-written.  One is by Gethin and the
other is by Donald Mitchell (I am about to move and i think i have
packed the Gethin away, hence the absence of a title).  The Donald
Mitchell work is titled "Buddhism; Introducing the Buddhist
Experience".  >>

The Rupert Gethin book is called "Foundations of Buddhism." I would also
highly recommend those two books. They are listed at the top of the
bibliography section in my article "Overview of Buddhism" though in fact, I
read them both after I wrote the article. That article is at Ryuei.net and if
you order those books from amazon through the links in that article, some of
the money will go to support Don Ross's internet clearing house of Buddhism -
lotussutra.net (of which Ryuei.net is an outbranch).

I also agree that the Three Yana approach is very sectarian. I like Gethin's
idea that there is a Northern, Southern, Eastern, and now Western forms of
Buddhism.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Good Friends:

For a long time now i have felt that the three-vehicle (Hinayana,
Mahayana, and Vajrayana) model for the various schools of Buddhism is
inadequate.  Basically, i consider it a sectarian teaching, a thinly
disguised way to advocate for the superiority of the Vajrayana.

Recently i have come across two introductions to Buddhism that
completely dispense with the "vehicle" model in their descriptions of
the Dharma.  Both of them are well-written.  One is by Gethin and the
other is by Donald Mitchell (I am about to move and i think i have
packed the Gethin away, hence the absence of a title).  The Donald
Mitchell work is titled "Buddhism; Introducing the Buddhist
Experience".

Basically, these two authors look at Buddhism as having three major
traditions rooted in three textual traditions.  One is Southern
Buddhism (based on the Pali Canon), another is Eastern Buddhism
(based on the Chinese Canon), and the third is Northern Buddhism
(based on the Tibetan Canon).  Each of these Canons has distinct
characteristics which in turn inform all the traditions that have
these textual foundations.

The Chinese Canon is the most extensive; including the Agamas, the
Mahayana Discourses, such as Perfection of Wisdom, the Lotus Sutra,
etc, and some basic Tantric texts as well.  In the Abhidharma section
the Chinese Canon relies in the Sarvastivada Abhidharma.

The Pali Canon is rooted in the Theravada Discourses.  The Pali Canon
does not contain any Perfection of Wisdom, no Lotus Sutra, or any
other Mahayana Discourses.  In the Abhidharma section the Pali Canon
relies on the Theravada Abhidhamma.

The differences in the Abhidharma sections of these two canons has
important implications for how the two traditions view the path, and
how they interpret psychological states, as well as causation.  So
even though one might think that Abhidharma is abstract (which it
is), it is not remote but exerts a strong influence throughout.

The Tibetan Canon lacks the Nikayas/Agamas, or the Discourses of the
Buddha that we have been reading for two years now.  The Tibetan
Canon starts with the Perfection of Wisdom.  This helps to understand
why the Perfection of Wisdom is valued so highly in Tibet.  In the
absence of the Agama/Nikaya layer of Discourses, the Perfection of
Wisdom becomes central.  In addition, the Tibetan Canon (in both
versions, Nyingma and Gelug) contains a very large collection of
Tantra (naturally).  From this perspective, the Chinese and Pali
Canons are more like each other, and the Tibetan Canon is more unique
than the other two.  In terms of Abhidharma, the Tibetan Canon, like
the Chinese, relies on Sarvastivada Abhidharma.

To return to the point about vehicles; i find it easier, and less
contentious, to speak about Southern, Northern, and Eastern
Buddhism.  It is more descriptive and less doctrinally loaded.  And,
it seems to me, more accurate than the three-vehicle model.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

In a message dated 3/29/02 7:04:44 AM, jimfw@... writes:

<< The 37 Factors (Requisites/Foundations) are interesting.  They strike
me as representative of a particular point of view as to how to
practice the Dharma.  I think this becomes clear when one notices
what is left out of the 37 Factors.  For example, the Four
Immeasurables are not included.  I think this is the most striking
absence.>>

I agree, that is rather odd. It would seem that the early tradition did not
view them as necessary to attain enlightenment. But as you mentioned in the
last study meeting, there are indications in the canon that the Buddha
himself regarded them as important.


  <<Also absent is insight into emptiness, which in some
Buddhist traditions is considered essential.>>

This doesn't surprise me since we are not dealing with a Mahayana text.

<<Finally, i do not find an explicit reference to Dependent Origination or
the comprehension of causation; though i guess that would be included in the
second of
the Four Noble Truths.  Still, its absence in an explicit form is
interesting to me because of the strong references in the Canon to
the intimate connection between comprehending causation and
liberation.>>

That is interesting, esp. since the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are
included - and those are subjects for meditation also.

In this regard, it is interesting that in the Lotus Sutra the Four Noble
Truths are said to be the specific practice for the Shravakas
(Hearer-Disciples) whereas the Twelve-fold Chain of Dependent Origination is
taught for the sake of the Pratyekabuddhas. Prateykabuddhas always seem to be
put on a higher level than the Shravakas since they realize the truth for
themselves without a teacher (though they do not teach anyone else either).
It is as though, Dependent Origination is something that only a more advanced
practitioner can realize or contemplate, whereas the Shravakas can attain
enlightenment through simply contemplating the Five Aggregates (which is more
or less what the Four Foundations of Mindfulness focus on).

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei



nnvcxnmncxmnbcmnbxcvnbmxvcnbmvcxnbmvcxnbmbnmcxvxvcmnb

Good Friends:

Rounding out the 7 Verses On The Path, i attempted to distill my
understanding of ultimacy from a Buddhist perspective as follows:

7 Verses On Ultimate Nature

1.  Ultimate nature is constant and changing.

2.  It has three aspects:

2.1  the everywhere,
2.2  the everywhen, and
2.3  the everything.

3.  It is completely present.

4.  Since it is completely present all phenomena exhibit it.

     It is visual; but not only visual.
     It is sonic, but not only sonic.
     It is taste, but not only taste.
     It is smell, but not only smell.
     It is felt, but not only felt.
     It is mental, but not only mental.
     Etc.

5.  Perceive that which is present in all things and liberation
manifests.

6.  At that time, everything expands into the everywhere and the
everywhen.

7.  This is great peace.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

--- In sutrasalon@y..., sryuei@a... wrote:
> Also, for anyone who is interested, some of my commentaries on the
Pali Canon have finally been put on Ryuei.net. Others will follow in
the future. Of particular interest may be the article on the 37
requisites of enlightenment which is actually a commentary on the
Mahasatipathana Sutta of the Dighna Nikaya - The Greater Sutta on the
Four Foundations of Mindfulness.
>
> Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
> Ryuei

To Ryuei:

Thanks for the reference.  Very nice material.

The 37 Factors (Requisites/Foundations) are interesting.  They strike
me as representative of a particular point of view as to how to
practice the Dharma.  I think this becomes clear when one notices
what is left out of the 37 Factors.  For example, the Four
Immeasurables are not included.  I think this is the most striking
absence.  Also absent is insight into emptiness, which in some
Buddhist traditions is considered essential.  Finally, i do not find
an explicit reference to Dependent Origination or the comprehension
of causation; though i guess that would be included in the second of
the Four Noble Truths.  Still, its absence in an explicit form is
interesting to me because of the strong references in the Canon to
the intimate connection between comprehending causation and
liberation.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

Most of the reading we are doing now, in the concluding sections of
the Connected Discourses, consists of elaborations of the meaning of
"path".  At the last meetings I passed out "7 Verses On The Path",
and a number of people said they liked it.  The "7 Verses" is my
attempt to distill the meaning of path in a Buddhist context.  For
those who were unable to attend the last meeting, I thought I would
post it here:

7 Verses On The Path

1.  That which clouds the presence of ultimate nature is ignorance.

2.  That which disperses that which clouds the presence of ultimate
nature is wisdom.

3.  The movement from ignorance to wisdom is the path.

4.  Though ultimate nature is always present, awareness of this
always present ultimate nature is not always present.

5.  Awareness of ultimate nature has degrees.

6.  Every living being has the capacity to be aware of ultimate
nature to some degree.

7.  Awareness of ultimate nature is great peace.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Hello Sutra Saloners--

I'd like to add two more very fine resources to studying the Satipatthana
Sutta (both the versions in the Majjhima Nikaya, the Digha Nikaya, and the
shorter versions in the Satipatthanasamyutta). They are:

U Silananda: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Wisdom Pub)

Soma Thera: The Way of Mindfulness (BPS)--this can be found online at:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/misc/wayof.html

The Soma Thera is particularly interesting in that it contains translations
of portions of the original commentary; the commentaries to most of the
Nikayas haven't yet been translated into English.

The U Silananda seems to be quite solidly based on those early commentaries
as well--I note quite a lot of overlap between the U Silananda and the Soma
Thera.

I've found both of these works to be invaluable in helping me in my own
practice (Vipassana).

Best wishes to all--
Scott Foglesong
scottlf@...

Dear Jim (and friends in sutra study),

Thank you for this helpful message.  I appreciate this useful
clarification of context, and the suggestion for further reading.

All the best,
Rob Schmidt

-----Original Message-----
From: dharmajim [mailto:jimfw@...]
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2002 8:07 AM
To: sutrasalon@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [sutrasalon] A Resource for the Four Foundations of Mindfulness


Good Friends:

Currently we are reading from the Connected Discourses the Section on
the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.  The Sutra Salons have a wide
variety of practitioners, including Zen, Dzog Chen, Dominican, Fourth
Way, Nichiren, and Vipassana.  Most of these traditions do not
practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.  For this reason i
suspect that this Section of the Discourses may be a bit obscure.

I would like to recommend as a resource, particularly for those who
have not engaged in this form of practice (like myself), Thich Nhat
Hanh's "Transformation & Healing", which is his extended commentary
on the Four Establishments (his translation) of Mindfulness.  I
particularly recommend reading his chapter on "Methods of Practice";
which includes 20 exercizes derived from these kinds of Discourses.
This gives a good feel for what the Discourses mean when they say
"contemplating the body in the body ... the mind in the mind ..."

The book is nicely rounded out with some translations as an appendix,
from the Chinese Canon.  These translations are from the Agamas, or
the Sarvastivada rescension of the Canon and expand one's
understanding of the place of these practices within a broad Buddhist
context.

A few words about the place of this practice in this broad context:
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are central to the Theravada
tradition.  That is why i am recommending that those who have not
studied in this tradition seek out some additional material to
clarify just what the Discourses are referring to.  These Discourses
are the foundation of Vipassana practice as taught by Jack Kornfield,
at Spirit Rock, and many other Dhamma teachers in the U.S.

In Chinese Buddhism the Four Foundations are known, because they are
part of the Chinese Canon, but they do not form such a central and
pivotal role in Chinese Buddhist meditation.  For example, Hsing
Yun's "Only a Great Rain" is an excellent overview of Chinese
Buddhist meditation practice.  There are some concentration practices
referred to, but not specifically the Four Foundations.  (The ones
referred to are derived from T'ien T'ai sources.)  The Four
Foundations are not unknown in Chinese Buddhism, but they tend to be
just one among a large number of practices.  The most widespread
practices in Chinese Buddhism are spacious awareness (e.g. Zen), and
chanting.  The chanting is usually the name of a Buddha or
Bodhisattva.  The most common is Amitabha, but the Buddha and Kwan
Yin are also widely used.  In Japan, chanting is by far the most
common form of meditative practice.  The two larges schools of
Japanese Buddhism are Pure Land, which chants the name of Amida, and
Nichiren, which also has a central chanting practice of "Namu Myoho
Renge Kyo"; which means, roughly, Homage to the Lotus Sutra.

In Tibetan Buddhism the Four Foundations are not practiced or known.
This is because the Tibetan Buddhist Canon does not contain any of
the Discourses that focus on this topic.  There is an important
consequence to this that one should be aware of.  When Tibetan
Buddhists use the term Vipassana, they mean something different than
when Theravadans use the same term.  For Tibetans, particularly
Gelugs, Vipassana means "Analysis", specifically analysis of tenet
systems into the nature of emptiness.  That meaning, i think one can
see, is far removed from Vipassana as insight based on the Four
Foundations of Mindfulness.

Hope this helps place the practice in context.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim



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Hi Boba,  I got your message intended for Jim.  You may want to resend.  John

  Bobaloonie@... wrote:

Hi Jim:

Thanks for sending on the information about the sutrasalon. As you say, I'm
sure it will make your job easier in terms of sending out all the notices.

As I hope you can understand, that salon still won't meet my need to discuss
various aspects of my study with you personally, and it would help me to know
how you're doing with your move to the city,, and when you think it might be
possible for me to either e-mail you some of my questions or, even better,
meet with you in person.  So do let me know. 
as I think you know, those exchanges with you are veery valuable for me in
terms of clarifying tings and, also, getting both your take and feedback.

Regards,
Bob


To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
sutrasalon-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com



Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Hi Jim:

Thanks for sending on the information about the sutrasalon. As you say, I'm
sure it will make your job easier in terms of sending out all the notices.

As I hope you can understand, that salon still won't meet my need to discuss
various aspects of my study with you personally, and it would help me to know
how you're doing with your move to the city,, and when you think it might be
possible for me to either e-mail you some of my questions or, even better,
meet with you in person.  So do let me know.
as I think you know, those exchanges with you are veery valuable for me in
terms of clarifying tings and, also, getting both your take and feedback.

Regards,
Bob

Also, for anyone who is interested, some of my commentaries on the Pali Canon
have finally been put on Ryuei.net. Others will follow in the future. Of
particular interest may be the article on the 37 requisites of enlightenment
which is actually a commentary on the Mahasatipathana Sutta of the Dighna Nikaya
- The Greater Sutta on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Good Friends:

Currently we are reading from the Connected Discourses the Section on
the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.  The Sutra Salons have a wide
variety of practitioners, including Zen, Dzog Chen, Dominican, Fourth
Way, Nichiren, and Vipassana.  Most of these traditions do not
practice the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.  For this reason i
suspect that this Section of the Discourses may be a bit obscure.

I would like to recommend as a resource, particularly for those who
have not engaged in this form of practice (like myself), Thich Nhat
Hanh's "Transformation & Healing", which is his extended commentary
on the Four Establishments (his translation) of Mindfulness.  I
particularly recommend reading his chapter on "Methods of Practice";
which includes 20 exercizes derived from these kinds of Discourses.
This gives a good feel for what the Discourses mean when they say
"contemplating the body in the body ... the mind in the mind ..."

The book is nicely rounded out with some translations as an appendix,
from the Chinese Canon.  These translations are from the Agamas, or
the Sarvastivada rescension of the Canon and expand one's
understanding of the place of these practices within a broad Buddhist
context.

A few words about the place of this practice in this broad context:
The Four Foundations of Mindfulness are central to the Theravada
tradition.  That is why i am recommending that those who have not
studied in this tradition seek out some additional material to
clarify just what the Discourses are referring to.  These Discourses
are the foundation of Vipassana practice as taught by Jack Kornfield,
at Spirit Rock, and many other Dhamma teachers in the U.S.

In Chinese Buddhism the Four Foundations are known, because they are
part of the Chinese Canon, but they do not form such a central and
pivotal role in Chinese Buddhist meditation.  For example, Hsing
Yun's "Only a Great Rain" is an excellent overview of Chinese
Buddhist meditation practice.  There are some concentration practices
referred to, but not specifically the Four Foundations.  (The ones
referred to are derived from T'ien T'ai sources.)  The Four
Foundations are not unknown in Chinese Buddhism, but they tend to be
just one among a large number of practices.  The most widespread
practices in Chinese Buddhism are spacious awareness (e.g. Zen), and
chanting.  The chanting is usually the name of a Buddha or
Bodhisattva.  The most common is Amitabha, but the Buddha and Kwan
Yin are also widely used.  In Japan, chanting is by far the most
common form of meditative practice.  The two larges schools of
Japanese Buddhism are Pure Land, which chants the name of Amida, and
Nichiren, which also has a central chanting practice of "Namu Myoho
Renge Kyo"; which means, roughly, Homage to the Lotus Sutra.

In Tibetan Buddhism the Four Foundations are not practiced or known.
This is because the Tibetan Buddhist Canon does not contain any of
the Discourses that focus on this topic.  There is an important
consequence to this that one should be aware of.  When Tibetan
Buddhists use the term Vipassana, they mean something different than
when Theravadans use the same term.  For Tibetans, particularly
Gelugs, Vipassana means "Analysis", specifically analysis of tenet
systems into the nature of emptiness.  That meaning, i think one can
see, is far removed from Vipassana as insight based on the Four
Foundations of Mindfulness.

Hope this helps place the practice in context.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim

Good Friends:

Welcome to the Sutra Salon.  I have started this Yahoo Group so that
participants in the Sutra Salons would have a place to post their
questions, comments, inquiries and observations during the month of
the readings.  For example, if someone comes across a term they don't
understand, this would be the place to ask about it.  Or if a
particular Discourse seems obscure or incomprehensible, a question
here might bring forth some insightful observations (or maybe you'll
find out that everyone else feels the same way).

I also hope to use this site to post short works of my own that have
some relevance to the Sutra Salons.  As i mentioned in the invitation
note, most of my writing is done in short sections, so it will fit in
nicely with this kind of format.

Setting up this Yahoo Group makes my own job of sending out notices
much easier.  I no longer have to keep track of separate lists.  All
notices will be sent from this site; in that way each group will know
about the meetings of the others.

I look forward to many years of deepening study, practice, and the
unfolding of the heart of the Dharma in Wisdom and Compassion in
concert with my good Dharma friends.

Best wishes,

Dharmajim