rikpa

Just casting about for good book recommendations. This is not a question of favorite Suttas, but more a modern take on the Dhamma, as it is mutating its way out of Asia.

The two favorites that come to the top of my mind are:

1. Buddhism Without Beliefs -- Stephen Batchelor

A controversial book, but a great revisiting of the essence of the Dhamma. Praised as the best book on Buddhism in the 20th century by Prof. Richard Hayes.

2. Land of No Buddha -- Richard Hayes

My favorite Dharmacharya -- Prof. Hayes ("the Buddhist Mencken" as I like to call him) elucidates many aspects of the Dhamma without making it look like he is. He was a professor of Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongolian, and Pali at McGill, University, and is an active practitioner of the Dhamma (for those not familiar with him--so not merely a dry academic; also he is also an editor of the "Journal of Buddhist Ethics").

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

All the best,

E.

H Flint,

Yes, there is a real dichotomy here. On one hand you had the corrupt monasticism that bled the country and corrupted both the religion and politics simultaneously, and on the other you have truly great and accomplished sages in spades, compared to other places.

I have no allegiance to any outward tradition, and yet have spent most of my time in the Tibetan vein of study. It is a clash of contrasts. The dark Dharmapalas and a land of sorcery somehow managed to co-exist with the pure, undiluted Dharma.

A healthy skepticism is warranted, I think (and this goes as much for the Theravada and Zen, IMO, and neither fare any better than the Tibetans from what I've seen).

Don Lopez's book "Prisoners of Shangri-la" is a good read (I imagine you must have read it), and a necessary one for Tibetologists. I was also introduced to Waddell's nasty treatment of the system early on, which was very beneficial (to remind me to remain skeptical), even if it is wildly biased throughout.

And yet I have seen so many instances of the sort of karuna that the Dalai Lama displayed towards my friend. So much so that it is unremarkable, except that it is so remarkable.

Perhaps this sums up institutional Buddhism in general, no matter the school. The Dhamma is pure and unstained, as always, and seems to consistently produce the genuine article, but the outer institutions leave much to be desired.

All the best,

E.

After spending 2 months in Khampa, and Amdo, I have little regard for monks anymore, they really do just behave like medieval monks in Europe, living off the hard work of others and getting fat...

It would be so great to be able to diagree with you, but the fact is that Tibet was one of the most corrupt places in the world. I can't stand the mealy-mouthed Western ideals that have taken hold wrt to this so-called Shangri-la. It is positively sickening in the USA, for example.

And yet, I have a little story. My friend William, (who I strangely bumped into on the subway this morning, an alumn of Gaskin's "Farm" and a former editor of "High Times" of all publications!), had an unusual experience. His former wife was dying of cancer. They both attended a medical conference (she was an MD) at which the Dalai Lama was present. She, as a physician asked a question from the floor, and was answered by the Dalai Lama, relating to death. He answered her gladly. But that was not the end of it.

After the session, they were outside and saw the Dalai Lama's car leaving, and she knocked on the window. He not only recalled her question, but after a brief conversation, invited them to be treated by his own doctor!

Which they did after a flight to Dharamsala and after a private audience with HH Dalai Lama. There was nothing anyone could do to save her. She died soon after, but the compassion that radiated from the Dalai Lama can never be forgotten. They were not photo-ops; they were simple human beings in pain. And (pardon me) Avalokiteshvara took them in and gave everything he could.

The Dalai Lama has *earned* the role of Avalokiteshvara, IMO. That simple, unpublicized act has resulted in William now working with Robert Thurman on a biography of the Dalai Lama. His entire life is spent honoring this Bodhisattva.

What more is there to say than this is the embodiment of Avalokitheshvara?

I remain in awe at such a simple, costless act of compassion that has transformed so many, lives, including my own.

What is the fifth school of Tibetan Buddhism? I was always under the impression it was four, the Geluk, the Kagyus, the Sakyas, and the Nyingmas.

Whoops my mistake the four main Tibetan Schools.

Must have been great to meet the Ganden Tripa. I've never met him but I saw his throne in the original Ganden monestry and was blessed with his hat.

Ha! I was wondering if you were adding in the Bon-pos or splitting the the Kagyu school with the Drikung Kagyus.

All the best,

E.

Can anyone enlighten me as to the Tibetan government as it was pre-1959?

The Dalai Lamas were temporal leaders of Tibet who came to power during the 17th Century (CE) with the support of the Mongols. Although widely revered as incarnations of the Buddha of Compassion Avalovakiteshvara, the Dalai Lamas do not head the school of Tibetan Buddhism to which they belong namely the Gelug Tradition (There are 5 main schools within Tibet). That post belongs to the Ganden Tripa although the Dalai Lamas are usually influential in choosing the Ganden Tripa.

The Dalai Lama pre 1959 was in effect an absolute ruler of the country of Tibet. He generally administered the country through the Tibetan parliament or Kashag. Which to my knowledge was generally picked from the most senior monks and members of Tibetan lay society by none democratic means. Tibetan society as a whole up until 1959 was administered along feudal lines with an Aristocracy at the upper end and serfs down at the bottom.

When no Dalai Lama was available or when the Dalai Lamas were too young to rule power was generally in the hands of a Regent, who was normally a Lama Monk.

What is the fifth school of Tibetan Buddhism? I was always under the impression it was four, the Geluk, the Kagyus, the Sakyas, and the Nyingmas.

And yes, the head of the Geluk-pa school is Ganden Tri Rinpoche, though of course like all Tibetan roles this is by appointment and political, even if it is largely meritocratic (and not based on the tulku system). The 100th Ganden Tripa is amazing, and does embody all of the qualities of the most erudite of Geluk-pas, which is saying a lot. As an aside, I had the blind luck to help as an escort on his visit to NYC in Sept. '99 to the World Trade Center, two years to the day before they fell. What strangeness, but a blessing to be in his presence.

All the best,

E.

If you've never practiced before, it's probably a good idea to find an experienced teacher. Here in Thailand there are so many good ones, each with their own approach but also with many aspects in common. If you're in Bangok, I highly recommend attending a few discussion groups with Ajahn Sujin, as I mentioned in an earlier post. She's not everyone's cup of tea but I can just about guarantee that even if you decide you're not the abhidhamma type (they focus almost entirely on abhidhamma, ie, Buddhist psychology/philisophy/metaphysics), what little you do get from the discussions will be valuable grist for the mill -- perhaps for many years to come. She has a very rare talent for cutting direct to the heart of the matter. It's a very direct, but also very steep, approach. Most Westerners who get into Buddhism think that meditation is the end-all, be-all of it. Ajahn Sujin presents a very good antidote to that kind of thinking ... but go and see for yourself, wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.

A little late to the game here. I'm just a student of this stuff, so don't know if I have anything to offer, but.. did have the good fortune to have some really good teachers. Yes, I agree Khun Sujin is a really great teacher of Abhidhamma, and as you say, it’s also not everyone’s cup of tea.

Honestly, I would never have been prepared for Khun Sujin’s stuff without getting a really good grounding in the basic theory from Zen and Tibetan teachers first. The Abhidhamma is really heavy, and presupposes a fair amount of theoretical knowledge and a willingness to learn at least the Pali terms for things.

There is also great basic teaching on meditation at Wat Mahatat, in “Section 5”. This is quite well regarded, and I found the teachers there extremely knowledgeable and compelling. This is where the main focus is on the vipassana (insight) style of meditation, which includes mediation on the breath, walking meditation, and even eating meditation. Also, Ajahn Chah’s monastery very highly regarded, as is Buddhadasa Bikkhu’s monestary in Surat Thani.

I also agree that meditation is not the be-all and end-all, even though I think it is very important, and probably necessary for anyone who can't easily and spontaneously quiet the mind and enter deep concentration at will.

When you see, just see. When you hear, just hear. When you smell, just smell. When you touch, just touch. When you know, just know.

Much easier said than done. But it's when you become aware of what the brain does with hearing, smelling, touching, etc, that you at last understand the thorough conditioning your mind has undergone -- the social and genetic indoctrination -- and find a new way of moving from this moment to the next. That's where the real practice begins, with the seeing of your condition.

Vipassana is so effective that some Buddhists maintain that it's sufficient to accomplish everything Buddhism can accomplish. However the more orthodox view says that the ongoing development of wisdom is best supported by those two other pillars of action, morality and concentration/tranquility.

In other words you need to act like a good person even if it's not really your nature, and you need to work on one-pointedness so that you have the stamina to penetrate to nama/rupa (mind/form).

Just to add to this, the analysis of name and form is one of several tools available to insight meditators. In the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha outlined a number of prescriptive ways to go about meditation, including observing the duration of the breath, etc. The Four Frames of Reference therein refer to observing the condition of the body, the feelings, the mind, and mental qualities. It involves first setting the stage for meditation (a quiet spot, away from the madding crowds), thus creating the appropriate conditions for insight; and then employing one or any number of practices to deepen that insight. Eventually the application of mindfulness is said to help bring the mind to a very sharp focus, and brings a very clear, unwavering comprehension of the object of observation. This implies very strong and bright degree of concentration, unhindered by distracting emotions like mental dullness or agitation.

This brief text contains the essence of all meditation systems ranging from Theravada, to Zen, and to Tibetan Buddhism.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html

I apologise for the length of this post. Really it's a vast topic and one that Buddhists debate endlessly. I'm sure other practitioners here will have shorter, snappier answers!

Great stuff, sabaijai!

What is sadder is to know that the Theravada might well soon die, as there are no new sources of inspiration, and it is not taking seed in the West--the only place it could survive.

In Thailand maybe, what about India though? There's been a huge movement of lower caste people to Buddhism in recent years.

Yes, Ambedkar's revolution has been the only source of the Dhamma in over a thousand years in its country of origin, though if you think about it, it is not so likely it will percolate up the social scale and become mainstream. Buddhism is almost a reactionary movement, as it it the only thing the lowest caste has to hang their hat on, namely, the Buddha's rejection of caste or varna.

I read S. Dhammika's critique and felt it to be spot-on. I recall the day whe I first came to Thailand to Study Abhidhamma with Khun Sujin and was "young, dumb, and full of idealism" about the Dhamma in a place where it's been for such a long time.

Those illusions were destroyed after not-so-long there.

Thankfully.

It is sad to see such a beautiful system corrupted, but that is par for the course in the Kali Yuga, no?

Tibetan Buddhism is just as corrupt, though thankfully much of the transmission outside of Tibet is beginning to shed a lot of the ridiculousness that accrued to the Vajrayana over time.

What is sadder is to know that the Theravada might well soon die, as there are no new sources of inspiration, and it is not taking seed in the West--the only place it could survive.

Hi Sabaijaii,

Thanks for posting about Nina.

She was one of the influences I had to study Abhidhama. Her "Abhidhamma in Daily Life" is a fantastic text and a great intro to Theravada Abhidhamma.

It led to my studying for some time with Khun Sujun a few years ago. Wonderful opportunity!

All the best.