The Three Jewels are the heart of Buddhism. The three are the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. They are the foundation and core of the Buddhist religion. When one becomes a Buddhist one takes refuge in the Three Jewels. So what are they and what do
Read more…On December 8 we celebrate the anniversary of the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha. Let us reflect a little upon this.
Siddhartha Gotama was somebody who threw himself into things. In his early life he evidently was a sensitive lad given to reflect
Read more…There is a wonderful text that records the saying of the Desert Fathers or Abba. The Abba were hermits who lived in the desert of North Africa in the early Christian period. The stories are of a similar genre to the Buddhist stories of enlightenment
Read more…Religion as a Vehicle
The Sanskrit word yana means vehicle. Buddhism is broadly divided into yanas. A yana may encompass a variety of denominations, orders or sects. Different yanas are characterised by some common broad orientation, so the term can
On peut considérer que la psychologie bouddhiste constitue un remède contre l’addiction et l’obsession. L’addiction est officiellement définie comme un mode de comportement compulsif entraînant des symptômes déplaisants, si on est privé de sa dose.
Read more…Who Loves Dies Well
Buddhism is often called a way of life. However, it can also be called a way of death. Many of the Buddhists I have met in Japan would regard it this way. The “great moment” is what really matters. All the rest is preparation, rea
Read more…EGO OBSESSION
Buddhist psychology can be seen as a cure for addiction or obsession. Addiction is officially defined as a compulsive behaviour pattern in which one develops unpleasant symptoms if one does not get one’s fix. There are, however, any num
Read more…Meditation is a natural expression of spiritual liberation. When we are swimming in grace, the heart lifts and sings. In following the Dharma one is filled with joy and gratitude that Buddha’s appear in the world. The traditional way to express this
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Alternating Ages of Greed and Hate: A Little Bit of Buddhist Psychology
In Buddhist psychology we talk of delusion having a double valency. It either turns to greed or to hate. Greed is attractive and acquisitive. Hate is repulsive and rejecting.
The
Read more…We call her Queen Vaidehi. Actually we do not know her name. At the time, twenty-five centuries ago, the word vaidehi probably meant a consort of the king, but she is now established as Queen Vaidehi. She was the mother of Ajatashattru. Ajatashattru
Read more…Mental disquiet affects us all. It is, in fact, the greatest cause of human suffering. Of course, we do not think we are so disturbed -- after all, we are lucid, coherent, not raving. True; but we are deceiving ourselves by clinging to these sources
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Nir-vana means “no wind”
Here’s a poem…
Awful wind,
east, west,
north, south,
my little raft,
on rock,
is in time’s mouth.
Where flee?
How fight?
What pray? What tell?
Your dreadful whine!
I hide my lie
in hell.
Conceit to be,
to dine, to feast,
des
Faith is a quality, like courage or generosity. It is not the same as belief which is a matter of conviction about certain matters. Belief can be a support to faith, though belief is always vulnerable since it depends upon conditions in a way that fa
Read more…Shoko-bo Bencho (1162-1238) was a, perhaps the, leading disciple of Honen Shonin (1133-1212), the principal propagator of Pureland Buddhism in Japan. Nowadays it is common to give this honour to Shinran (1173-1263), but in the important contemporary
Read more…Dharmavidya David Brazier à écrit en anglais le 26 avril 2018 (traduit par Annette et Vajrapala):
LE PLUS ANCIEN DUALISME
Il existe une idée, courante dans les milieux bouddhistes contemporains, selon laquelle, à moins de croire en la bonté humaine
Read more…vertaling van Dharmavidya David Brazier z'n talk van 26 april 2018
HET OUDSTE DUALISME
Er is een gebruikelijk idee in hedendaagse boeddhistische kringen, dat tenzij we geloven in fundamentele menselijke goedheid, alles verloren is. Ik dacht dat z
Read more…In principle, there are two routes by which one can participate in enlightenment. One is the method of one's own effort. The other is the road of faith. Effort is hard work. It involves becoming highly alert, 24/7, keeping innumerable precepts, renou
Read more…VERTALING VAN DE TEKST VAN DHARMAVIDYA
Dit is een van de meest voorkomende versies van de Vajrasattva Dharani. Het is de versie die wordt gebruikt in het liederenboek van de Amida school ...
Om Vajrasattva samaya, manu palaya,
Vajrasattva teno patit
