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Stages of the Path: The Origins of the Bodhisattva Bhumis

This is a fascinating academic talk, I highly recommend listening to the whole video, someone from dharmawheel.net was kind enough to write down and share brief notes, describing what is in the talk, the notes can be found on the link below if you want to know what is in the talk before clicking on the video.
http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=4182#

Comments

  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran
    edited December 2014

    someone who has received abhisheka, what is abhisheka? In this context its being anointed as the next king, in other words, we go here to someone at the beginning who brings forth the desire, the resolve to become a Buddha, to at the end going through stages of prince, crown prince, and designated heir, the next king, were talking in other words about Buddhahood as becoming a Dharma King.

  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    There can be only one Buddha per world.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Talking to yourself is not a good sign, you know that don't you? :D

    bookwormVastmindSarahTanataman
  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    @federica said:
    Talking to yourself is not a good sign, you know that don't you? :D

    I'll stop now.

  • SarahTSarahT Time ... space ... joy South Coast, UK Veteran

    Lovley programme on "essays" on the radio last night. About how they don't "tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em, tell 'em it, then tell 'em what you told 'em". Instead they go exploring with various potentially contradictory ideas to discover where they lead. Seems to me @bookworm may have started an essay? If so, don't stop! If you want to do it in private, that's fine but I find it's good discipline for me to expect that others will read.

    <3

  • DavidDavid A human residing in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Ancestral territory of the Erie, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Mississauga and Neutral First Nations Veteran
    edited January 2015
    One Buddha per world...

    What is a world? Is each planet a world? Each solar system perhaps? Maybe only the solar systems with life? Is each galaxy is a world? There could be an infinite amount of big bangs in the universe so maybe each expanding big bang is a world.

    In light of DO and non-separation, I surmise there is only one world and that multiple buddhas would be connected as to be the Buddha with many views.

    If we want to start separating the universe into little worlds then we may as well call each of us a world. Problem solved.
    lobstersovaanataman
  • If we want to start separating the universe into little worlds then we may as well call each of us a world. Problem solved.

    Well said that Maitreya.
    The historical study of Bhumi Buddhism development in the video seemed a perfect cure for insomnia. :p

    Any mystical or pragmatic path is like a dance. You either boogie or you stand on the sidelines debating whether the elbow being raised comes after twirling. Academics studies can be applied for their insights, which the purely academic may have no experiential insight into.

    The Bhumis, Ox herding progression, the eightfold path are engaged in. Study is always useful to the Buddhist but sometimes thinking you know everything about smiling because you have measured how far the corners of the lips are ideally raised is a sterile endeavour worthy of an ig noble prize
    http://www.theguardian.com/science/ig-nobel-prizes

    B)

    anataman
  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    we go here to someone at the beginning who brings forth the desire, the resolve to become a Buddha, to at the end going through stages of prince, crown prince, and designated heir, the next king, were talking in other words about Buddhahood as becoming a Dharma King.

  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    @bookworm said:

    we go here to someone at the beginning who brings forth the desire, the resolve to become a Buddha, to at the end going through stages of prince, crown prince, and designated heir, the next king, were talking in other words about Buddhahood as becoming a Dharma King.

    Does anyone see the symbolism here?

  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran

    I hear the academic arguments! I understand intellectually, the stages of the path.

    My understanding is that the boddhisattva knows that they have attained nirvana (be them male or female), but shut up because theres no point discussing the concepts further - because there is no point, that is the point they have come to understand; you cannot convey the non-conceptual in words! And so they learn to walk the path quietly henceforth, and do not continue to make tracks like a wild animal in the snow. You are boddhisattva because you have buddha nature.

    Maitreya will be a woman in my world system btw, I bow to her bringing the knowledge to me again!

    Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.

    which in modern western translation might be viewed as:

    Before buddhism read books, listen to teachers, meditate. After enlightenment, read books, listen to teachers, meditate

    The spiritual path is your own to tread, no matter how muddy the path, there is an end. No one will guide you better than yourself, providing you do not decide to tread the path of self-delusion; and only YOU know where you are on that fine line between moral and immoral behaviours.

    Of course women can become arhats and buddhas! But only men can be misogynists... what is the female equivalent, I wonder?

    ...\lol/...

    lobsterSarahT
  • @bookworm said:
    There can be only one Buddha per world.

    How can I put this kindly?

    Rubbish!

    You are the one Neo (aka @bookworm). Time you saved the world, instead of listening to historians, hinayanists and audio bookings.

    Time you wrote and became your own book.

    Too harsh? (Lobster fails again, talks to self and is temporarily disowned by Mr Cushion) Ah well . . . time to dance to a different kind of tuning . . .

  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran
    edited January 2015

    Majjhima nikaya sutta 115

    "He understands : 'It is impossible, it cannot happen that two Accomplished

    Ones, Fully Enlightened Ones, could arise contemporaneously in one world system
    there is no such possibility.' And he understands: 'It is possible that one
    Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One, might arise in one world-system -

    there is such a possibility.

    http://talks.dhammasukha.org/uploads/1/2/8/6/12865490/mn-115-sum03.pdf

    lobster
  • ^^^ Yeah, well if it ain't in the Bible or Koran . . . it must be true. :s

    Wait . . . I think I just became a bodhi fundamentalist - phone Home Security before I declare Dharma Kalachakra . . . :'(

    . . . and now back to today's reading and . . . it was worth a try . . . <3

  • SarahTSarahT Time ... space ... joy South Coast, UK Veteran
    edited January 2015

    Could this come down to understanding of "world-system" (individual) as opposed to what Westerners generally understand by "world" (community)?

    :grey_question:

    http://bhavanasociety.org/resource/the_buddhist_concept_of_world/ says:

    According to the Buddha, there are two worlds, the internal world and external world. Most of the time the Buddha has talked about the internal world.

    Makes sense to me that an internal world can have only one Buddha but does this entail the same in the external world?

    The same link goes on to say:

    There are many world systems. If we, as worldings, strive to contemplate on these and think over and over, as the Buddha himself said, we may become crazy.

    Definitely feeling crazy :cookie:

    lobster
  • @SarahT said:

    :grey_question:

    Indeed :)

    "He understands : 'It is impossible, it cannot happen that two Accomplished Ones, Fully Enlightened Ones, could arise contemporaneously in one world system there is no such possibility.'

    There are no 'two Buddhas' in the reaching of the far shore. Only One arrives.

    And he understands: 'It is possible that one Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One, might arise in one world-system - there is such a possibility.

    True . . . And strange as it may seem you can read all the suttras and dharma books you like and still the possibility of Buddhahood remains nowhere on the scene . . .

    Now Neo are you on the path or just living in Sutra Matrix? B)

    SarahT
  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    @lobster said:
    Now Neo are you on the path or just living in Sutra Matrix? B)

    Yes i'm inevitably on the path, lets just say I no longer have to worry about having to go through low rebirths anymore.

    lobster
  • bookwormbookworm U.S.A. Veteran

    @‌lobster

    Could be so kind as to tell me why you gave me a lol badge for my reply to your question asking me if i'm on the path?

    lobster
  • Could be so kind as to tell me why you gave me a lol badge

    No.

    That is not always my kind of kind. Sorry to be unkind, I'll allow you to read into that whatever you are kind enough to find of value . . . No value? Move on. :neutral_face:

    robotSarahT
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