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This forum is bothering me.
comicallyinsane
Veteran
Sorry to say but this forum is starting to get a bad vibe. I find myself not wanting to post more and more. When I came on here it was a great place for information. It still is a good source of info but it seems the same few people keep going at it and I find myself not even bothering to read the posts. It seems that sometimes a lot of members are just trying to prove who is right.
0
Comments
I myself feel that the teachings the Buddha gave are very important. Many monks had to memorize these very words (thousands of millions of words in fact) just so that we today can have them to study. I take it upon myself to share these words with those that have not yet had to chance to read them. Whenever I feel I have a relevant sutta to any given subject I like to include it, such as:
"'Stress should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play should be known. The diversity in stress should be known. The result of stress should be known. The cessation of stress should be known. The path of practice for the cessation of stress should be known.' Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
"Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful; association with what is not loved is stressful, separation from what is loved is stressful, not getting what is wanted is stressful. In short, the five clinging-aggregates are stressful.
"And what is the cause by which stress comes into play? Craving is the cause by which stress comes into play.
"And what is the diversity in stress? There is major stress & minor, slowly fading & quickly fading. This is called the diversity in stress.
"And what is the result of stress? There are some cases in which a person overcome with pain, his mind exhausted, grieves, mourns, laments, beats his breast, & becomes bewildered. Or one overcome with pain, his mind exhausted, comes to search outside, 'Who knows a way or two to stop this pain?' I tell you, monks, that stress results either in bewilderment or in search. This is called the result of stress.
"And what is the cessation of stress? From the cessation of craving is the cessation of stress; and just this noble eightfold path -- right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration -- is the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress.
"Now when a disciple of the noble ones discerns stress in this way, the cause by which stress comes into play in this way, the diversity of stress in this way, the result of stress in this way, the cessation of stress in this way, & the path of practice leading to the cessation of stress in this way, then he discerns this penetrative holy life as the cessation of stress.
"'Stress should be known. The cause by which stress comes into play... The diversity in stress... The result of stress... The cessation of stress... The path of practice for the cessation of stress should be known.' Thus it has been said, and in reference to this was it said."
~ Section of the Nibbedhika Sutta Anguttara Nikaya VI.63
Others have their own insights and opinions that they wish to share, or maybe they just need to sort these things out. A debate here, an arguement there may happen once in a while, but that doesn't take away from what can be learnt here. I believe that everyone here has good intentions. 'Right' and 'wrong' do not apply in the ultimate sense. The Noble teaching of the Buddha is a Middle Path(Majjhima Patipada) because it avoids all extremes and slices through all conventions.
Elohim's, Simon's and more recently Palzang's posts I find particularly useful as I would have no idea which sutta to read to get answers to some of the more common newbie questions that arise.
As Brian said, this happens in all types of forums and all it takes is for a few more people to join up to help address the balance.
I still find this forum far friendlier than e-Sangha though. I'm too scared to post anything on there for fear of having my head bitten off. Plus the inter-tradition flaming leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Hooray for newbuddhist.com I say !!
I am new here, but I have found each post to be helpful, I don't see any oneupmanship at all. I have found it to be a wonderful place to ask questions without being made to feel inferior or stupid - and everyone who has responded to my questions has done so with grace.
I am so sorry that you feel this way - is there an example you could use of forum members trying to prove each other wrong? Perhaps if it is looked at again, with a different mind set, it might not appear that way at all?
Anyway, I hope you'r e not planning on leaving?
I have found some replies to members queries most valuable to my understanding. Not everything
posted is of interest to me, however it has been worth scanning members replies for those items and answers that speak to me.
I especially enjoy your summations and quotes . I read buddhist teachings every morning.
I have not stumbled across anything as thorough as what you have been quoting from.
Would you share your favorite sources?
I am new here to. And I do understand that some of the post here do not always agree. But that is what I love about New Buddhist.com. They give me alot of things to condemplate. To me there is no true right or wrong. Only views that others have. Elohim, Simons and Even you Comic have always made me think and look at what I am doing. And for that I am eternally grateful. For without all of your views, How can we truly find the middle path? And understand What The Buddha was trying to teach?
Sorry, Comic.
-bf
I am sorry that you feel like that. I like reading all the different posts. Since I consider myself a newcomer to Buddhism, I find most of them very imformative. I also enjoy reading your posts; when I am in a bad mood, I find that reading one of your posts help me put things into perspective and just laugh off my crappy mood. I find your posts imformative as well.
Adiana :usflag:
I get many from hard copies of suttas I have at home, as well as online sutta references such as:
http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/index.html (Metta Net Tipitaka) and http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/index.html (Access to Insight Sutta Pitaka) and http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/ebidx.htm (Various Suttas, talks, and essays) and http://www4.bayarea.net/~mtlee/ (Mahayana Buddhist Sutras in English).
Happy hunting!
Thinking and challenging are what brought us here in the first place. Asking questions, as I hear you say quite often, is a good thing. If we do not question the validity or Dharma of what we hear how are we to really get to the heart of it? Taking the time to think deeply about the answers we give and to read deeply the posts and answers of others is a huge part of the practice. Buddhism is an internal search for the Buddha nature in all of us. What we do here is simply to turn the wheel and help each other find the path. May you find peace in this and all things.
^gassho^ :bowdown: