Grover

thanks for the post

I totally agree with this. And also how many say spirituality is incompatible with religion! Hogwash! There are many scientists, past and present, who are spiritual believers. I have bookshelves full of spiritual books written by scientists. Not everything can be explained by science as we understand it currently.

I think you made a typo ^

i can but it hurts a bit

i can also kiss my toes by bending my foot up, its guaranteed to freak out the Thais.

A couple of my favorites, harry potter and computer, have already been mentioned. When speaking Thai, I like pronouncing these words in the most ridiculous thai accent as I can get away with. I will also raise my eyebrows on the final syllable for added emphasis, all with while keeping a serious expression on my face.

try it, its fun. however, I did get blamed by my gf at the time for sounding too "low class"

Australia apparently equals : o-tai-lia, with some funny sounding short vowels and tones.

try this with a prim and proper Thai lady, make them repeat: "I like to eat peanuts"

always brings a smile to my face, often they dont know why

nice link chownah, it is a great resource.

Here is a funny sutta, start from the beginning, "Conversations with the Gods"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn....html#bigbrahma

I dont read the suttas regularily, but find the long and middle discourses the most readable. I also find the monastic handbook by Thanissaro Bhikkhu a good read.

thanks guys,

I might try badminton instead.

Hi Guys

Not sure anyone know this? Can woman stay in the temple for few days to pray?

example man can actually go to the temple and stay for few days to a mth for praying. can woman do that?

Cheers

Women will also go when they have finished or have been finished with in a relationship, and in most of those cases they also cut off their hair, so er indors tells me,.

ur gonna get him worried now,

a possibility yes.

people often go to the temple when they are suffering.

Which temple did you have in mind? Temples that run meditation courses (such as Wat Suan Mokh in Chaiya, Surat Thani) allow people stay when the course is not on. Check out Sabaijai's list in the Buddhism forum about Wats offering meditation

Hi sbk

sorry for not being detail. what i meant can thai woman go to the temple and stay for few days to do prayers?

why im asking this question is that my gf just went to temple to pray for 3 days. she told me that she is staying there.

is it true? the temple is at maesai area.

Its quite common for Thai women to take a few days off and practice Buddhism in the temple. Not all temples have the appropriate "facilities" for women (eg sleeping areas), but its a good sign for a temple if there are nuns (mai-chees) living there, as it usually indicates that the temple is a good "practicing temple" . Dont know why, but at least thats what I have noticed.

Its true that residents at the temple cant eat food after noon, so she will probably be hungry and most likely bored out of her brain because there is not a lot of activities to do, so why not make a visit to the temple and tempt her with some food, you can have a chance to practice Buddhism if you want or at least learn something about the monastic lifestyle.

^ I believe ive misread the first paragraph of your post response, so pls ignore it.

as to finding links for what the buddha might ever have said about dreaming, i believe you will find that most such writings of anything of that sort are more often interpretations & reiterations and commentary and even comments on commentary than they might be actual, original quotes.

I'd have to agree with you there, but the same can be said about this form of dream yoga you speak of, that is it never came from the Buddha himself but was an addon - with arguable relevance to the actual Buddhas teachings.

From the Index at access to insight just three links to dreaming, none to lucid dreaming

as "lucid dreaming" is a western term, searching for that in eastern texts might not prove positive results. however, according to the all-knowing wikipedia, "as early as the eighth century, tibetan buddhists were practicing a form of yoga supposed to maintain full waking consciousness while in the dream state." and so this is nothing new to buddhism.

Well, Tibetian monks may have diligently been involved in basket weaving in the early 8th century, but that does not automatically make basket weaving a practice of Buddhism.

oh, and i love this one on sexual misconduct:

Intentionally causing oneself to emit semen, or getting someone else to cause one to emit semen — except during a dream — is a saṅghādisesa offense.

so apparently if yer gonna enjoy sex without being offensive you better learn lucid dreaming.

Thats just it, lucid dreaming is too much fun. Monks would be sleeping all day, getting their rocks off in lucid dream adventures, probably not learning a great deal from it all enlightenment would probably take a back seat.

Im a big fan of castaneda and the toltec teachings which you referred to in one of your earlier posts, I think its a valid path to the top but quite different to the straight and direct, and middle path of Buddhism.

I wouldnt mind having a hit when I move up in about November, and am wondering if its worth bringing my raquet or not.

cheers.

From the Index at access to insight just three links to dreaming, none to lucid dreaming

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, five great dreams appeared to him. Which five?

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this great earth was his great bed. The Himalayas, king of mountains, was his pillow. His left hand rested in the eastern sea, his right hand in the western sea, and both feet in the southern sea. When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this was the first great dream that appeared to him.

"Furthermore, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, a woody vine growing out of his navel stood reaching to the sky. When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this was the second great dream that appeared to him.

"Furthermore, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, white worms with black heads crawling up from his feet covered him as far as his knees. When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this was the third great dream that appeared to him.

"Furthermore, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, four different-colored birds coming from the four directions fell at his feet and turned entirely white. When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this was the fourth great dream that appeared to him.

"Furthermore, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, he walked back & forth on top of a giant mountain of excrement but was not soiled by the excrement. When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, this was the fifth great dream that appeared to him.

"Now, when the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, and this great earth was his great bed, the Himalayas, king of mountains, was his pillow, his left hand rested in the eastern sea, his right hand in the western sea, and both feet in the southern sea: this first great dream appeared to let him know that he would awaken to the unexcelled right self-awakening.

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, and a woody vine growing out of his navel stood reaching to the sky: this second great dream appeared to let him know that when he had awakened to the noble eightfold path, he would proclaim it well as far as there are human & celestial beings.

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, and white worms with black heads crawling up from his feet covered him as far as his knees: this third great dream appeared to let him know that many white-clothed householders would go for life-long refuge to the Tathagata.

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, and four different-colored birds coming from the four directions fell at his feet and turned entirely white: this fourth great dream appeared to let him know that people from the four castes — priests, noble-warriors, merchants, and laborers — having gone forth from the home life into homelessness in the Dhamma & Vinaya taught by the Tathagata, would realize unexcelled release.

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, and he walked back & forth on top of a giant mountain of excrement but was not soiled by the excrement: this fifth great dream appeared to let him know that the Tathagata would receive gifts of robes, alms food, lodgings, & medicinal requisites to cure the sick, but he would use them unattached to them, uninfatuated, guiltless, seeing the drawbacks [of attachment to them], and discerning the escape from them.

"When the Tathagata — worthy & rightly self-awakened — was still just an unawakened bodhisatta, these five great dreams appeared to him."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an...an.html#dreams5

dream interpretation is a form of wrong livelihood (for monks) http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn...html#livelihood

Nothing about Lucid Dreaming

Im quite enjoying it all

She's giving you the green light to pump her rotten.

Then she'll demand money not to tell your wife.

Getting your wife to join in usually stops this predicament.

Paul Theroux wrote an excellent story along these lines.

first chapter sounds good

if it turns out this nanny is a nutter, let her go as you don't want your impressionable 1 year old child picking up weirdo vibes from her....

Just ask her, or have your wife ask.

yes, there seems no obvious answer to your question, so go ahead and ask her in an appropriate manner.

and dont forget to give us the answer to the riddle

"ถ้ากิ๊กคิดจะมีแฟนเป็นตัวเป็นตน"

That's an interesting phrase "เป็นตัวเป็นตน". It means "[ADV] tangibly; apparently; evidently; vividly; clearly; visibly". Lexitron also shows synonyms as "ปรากฏชัด, เป็นหลักฐาน, เป็นที่เปิดเผย".

Does this mean, "If it is clear that your kik has found herself (himself) a real boyfriend,"; the implication being that the kik did not tell you her(him)self?

the exact meaning is subtle, I cant pick it up, im sure a native speaker would know exactly.

I have taken the meaning of เป็นตัวเป็นตน along the lines of: "to become known", "to be revealed"

The phrase therefore saying "If it becomes know that your kik has found herself (himself) a real boyfriend," or

"If it is revealed that the kik has found herself (himself) a real boyfriend,"

So yes, I think it can imply a surreptitiousness on the part of the kik, the knowledge coming from other sources.

But not sure on this one.

Thanks for the input DH and Meadish, its a word I have been trying to understand for a while without success, there is really no word in English to describe this type of relationship.

It seems to me that the "kik" relationship needs a certain amount of emotional control/restraint/maturity and a surprising lack of commitment, which makes me wonder, how prevalent and successful are these "kik" relationships

When I fall asleep on the sofa my nanny has a habit of touching my head and then walking off when I wake up. This is a very personal touch. It's a bit creepy so I was wondering whether anyone else out there has a similar experience.

Apart from that she is very good at her job of taking care of my 1 year old.

that sounds very weird. tell us more about her

maybe she is doing some voodoo

ok I did a translation of the "10 characteristics of a gig" from the wikipedia link of DH, its a very rough translation, some parts are missing, maybe someone with better Thai than me can correct it.

หนึ่ง ห้ามหึงหวง

1. They shouldnt be jealous

สอง มีอะไรกันได้ แต่ไม่ใช่ของกันและกัน

2. They can do anything together (eg including sex) but do not belong to each other

สาม ไม่มีสิทธิเรียกร้องมากเกินเหตุ

3. They should not be overly demanding without a good reason

สี่ ห้ามใช้กิ๊กร่วมกันกับเพื่อน

4. You cant take a gig out together with your friends

ห้า กิ๊กอาจเปลี่ยนสถานะได้ และห้ามเศร้า

5. A gig can change the status of the relationship anytime (eg ending it), if so, dont be sad.

หก ถ้ากิ๊กคิดจะมีแฟนเป็นตัวเป็นตน โดยไม่ใช่เราห้ามฟูมฟาย ต้องยอมรับด้วยความยินดี และค่อยตกลงกันทีหลังว่า จะกิ๊กกันต่อไปหรือไม่

6. If your gig gets a boy/girl friend, you should accept this and be happy for them, (even if you wont be their gig anymore??)

เจ็ด ไม่จำเป็นต้องเทคแคร์กันเกินเหตุ เพราะเป็นแค่กิ๊ก

7. ?

แปด กิ๊กไม่ได้จำกัดจำนวน เป็นอินฟินิตี้ ไม่จำกัดเพศ วัย และ สถานภาพ ถ้าไม่กลัวตาย เพราะเอดส์

8. ? something about AIDS

เก้า กิ๊กสำคัญรองจากแฟน

9. A gig is less important than a friend

สิบ กิ๊กยังไงก็เป็นกิ๊ก ต้องเจียมตัว

10. Finally... anyway... a gig should be humble and modest.

In Buddhism it is generally considered bad taste to gloat about "spiritual attainments", or any words/thinking along the lines of "im better than you because im more spiritual than you", as it is essentially in opposition.

I thot meditation is about letting go!

So I don't understand "The very high levels of concentration and mindfulness needed to break through to the higher levels of consciousness."

Sounds like the opposite of letting go!

Anyway what is this enlightenment? Anyone has experienced this before?

And if you did? Did you put in a lot of hardwork to be enlightened or did you let go?

Have a read of the story of the Buddhas enlightenment, he was quite determined and focused on his goal. And, he did let go, as a monk when he gave up worldly things and finally when he "gave up his life" in a do or die meditation marathon.

I have never heard any account of any profound spiritual insights/awakening from lucid dreamers, they just seem to engage in sensual delights of one kind or another. And as far as I know, lucid dreaming is not mentioned in the Pali Buddhist scriptures.

Before Buddha was enlightened he was determined and focused but after he was enlightened how determined and focus was he?

Does that mean the unenlightened are determined and focused and the enlightened are carefree and happy?

"I have never heard any account of any profound spiritual insights/awakening from lucid dreamers, they just seem to engage in sensual delights of one kind or another."

I am not sure what your definition of lucid dreamers are but you seem to equate lucid dreamers with sensual delights.

"lucid dreaming is not mentioned in the Pali Buddhist scriptures." I am not mentioned in the Pali Buddhist scriptures - as far as I know - but does that mean I do not exist?

Giving up worldly things is great, but so is giving up dogma and rigid thinking!

Off course I could be wrong!

Lastly, isn't life just a dream?

PS what is wrong with sensual delights? I love chocolate ice cream with whip cream and chopped nuts, do I have to give that up?

excellent questions but I think it will be better if you try and answer them for yourself

^ well, when I say "educating the masses" im not talking about telling them what to do, who to vote for, etc, but to raise their political awareness.