Buddha Boy In Nepal

[Xoggababe]

Buddhism says.... ' hel_l ' and ' Heaven ' are in oneself -- if you are unhappy you are in hel_l an if you are happy, you are in heaven.

The desire is the biggest issue for people, a tiny piece of string can cause you suffering..!!! If you can learn to let go it is the way to go, it is the way to be free from the pain and suffering.

I can say it but I'm struggling of doing it

[nokia]

Buddhism says.... ' hel_l ' and ' Heaven ' are in oneself -- if you are unhappy you are in hel_l an if you are happy, you are in heaven.

The desire is the biggest issue for people, a tiny piece of string can cause you suffering..!!! If you can learn to let go it is the way to go, it is the way to be free from the pain and suffering.

I can say it but I'm struggling of doing it

Also, illusions, defilements, impurities, earthly passions, or simply desires. A generic term for all the workings of life that cause one psychological and physical suffering and impede the quest for enlightenment, including desires and illusions in the general sense. Earthly desires are also referred to as fetters or bonds (Skt samyojana or bandhana ), because they bind people to the realm of delusion and suffering.

From The Soka Gakkai Dictionary of Buddhism

The goal of Theravada Buddhism is practically unattainable. Theravada Buddhism focused primarily on meditation and concentration, the eighth of the Eightfold Noble Path; as a result, it centered on a monastic life and an extreme expenditure of time in meditating. This left little room for the bulk of humanity to join in, so a new schism erupted within the ranks of Buddhism in the first century AD, one that would attempt to reformulate the teachings of Buddha to accomodate a greater number of people. They called their new Buddhism, the "Greater Vehicle" (literally, "The Greater Ox-Cart") or Mahayana, since it could accomodate more people and more believers from all walks of life. They distinguished themselves from mainstream Theravada Buddhism by contemptuously referring to Theravada as Hinayana, or "The Lesser Vehicle." In order to make Buddhism a more esoteric religion, the Mahayanists invented two grades of Buddhist attainment below becoming a Buddha. While the Buddha was the highest goal, one could become a pratyeka-buddha , that is, one who has awakened to the truth but keeps it secret. Below the pratyeka-buddha is the arhant , or "worthy," who has learned the truth from others and has realized it as truth. Mahayana Buddhism establishes the arhant as the goal for all believers. The believer hears the truth, comes to realize it as truth, and then passes into Nirvana . This doctrine of arhanthood is the basis for calling Mahayan the "Greater Vehicle," for it is meant to include everyone.

Vijnanavada, or "Doctrine of Consciousness." Each of these schools believed that all of physical reality was an illusion. The only thing that existed was Void or Emptiness. The Vijnavadans believed that everything we perceived was self-generated and that all our perceptions were caused by previous perceptions in an elaborate chain of causation. This would explain why our perceptions tend to be uniform throughout our lives and why we tend to share our perceptions with others. But, in the end, it's all illusion. The world needs to be rejected as a world of illusion.

The Tantric Buddhists, on the other hand, developed a different methodology from this insight that the world is unreal. Just because the physical world doesn't exist doesn't mean that one should reject it. On the one hand, if the physical world doesn't exist, that means that one cannot commit right or wrong. As a way of proving that one is enlightened, all sorts of forbidden acts should be engaged in: fornication, thieving, eating dung, and so forth. A similar movement occurred in England in the seventeenth century. A group of radical Protestants, called the "Ranters," took the Protestant notion of divine election to its farthest extreme. If one is saved and one knows it, that means that one can't sin no matter what one does. In fact, committing all sorts of heinous acts can serve to demonstrate one's salvation. So the ranters would fornicate in the streets and curse and do all sorts of obnoxious things in order to demonstrate their salvation. One form of Tantric Buddhism was similar to this.

--

As human beans, it's easier said than done. We can let go of one string(desire) but there will be other stronger hidden strings pulling you elsewhere. Happiness is purely a state of mind, can you really attain your own heaven on Earth where desires, sicknesses & pain reside? When we are sick or in pain, dont we all desire for medicine/healing. Isnt that a desire too?

Out of billions of jelly beans, over the course of several millennia of human history, how many is said to attain the highest goal on Earth? Probably less than a handful. Maybe more when we move to Mars & Venus...

[sabaijai]

Can't help but mention the big-eyed beans from Venus here ...

BEBFV lyrics

[Little Mouse!]

Nokia quote: As human beans, it's easier said than done. We can let go of one string(desire) but there will be other stronger hidden strings pulling you elsewhere. Happiness is purely a state of mind, can you really attain your own heaven on Earth where desires, sicknesses & pain reside? When we are sick or in pain, dont we all desire for medicine/healing. Isnt that a desire too?

Desire is actually from your heart or your soul but illness relates to your body and health, therefore, we don't desire for medicines but your body does

Your heart or soule is unhealthy when it is filled up with desires and medicines cannot cure it

[nokia]

Desire is actually from your heart or your soul but illness relates to your body and health, therefore, we don't desire for medicines but your body does

Your heart or soule is unhealthy when it is filled up with desires and medicines cannot cure it

You have a point. i think you are saying that we need medicine, rather than we desire medicine.

But most desires come because the heart/soul is trying to satisfy the flesh/body/senses.

Imagine if sex is painful instead of being enjoyable, the human race would probably die out long ago. Who doesnt like to look at pretty things(humans & objects), hear sweet nothings, smell an exotic perfume, or eat/drink their fav stuff? Who likes the new alcohol-free beer? Without the five senses, the heart/soul would be more objective, easier to overcome desires to enter nirvana, but humans beans are not born that way.

When are we going to move to Mars & Venus??? maybe there are some big eyed beans over there pursuing nibbana?

[Little Mouse!]

Desire is actually from your heart or your soul but illness relates to your body and health, therefore, we don't desire for medicines but your body does

Your heart or soule is unhealthy when it is filled up with desires and medicines cannot cure it

You have a point. i think you are saying that we need medicine, rather than we desire medicine.

But most desires come because the heart/soul is trying to satisfy the flesh/body/senses.

Imagine if sex is painful instead of being enjoyable, the human race would probably die out long ago. Who doesnt like to look at pretty things(humans & objects), hear sweet nothings, smell an exotic perfume, or eat/drink their fav stuff? Who likes the new alcohol-free beer? Without the five senses, the heart/soul would be more objective, easier to overcome desires to enter nirvana, but humans beans are not born that way.

When are we going to move to Mars & Venus??? maybe there are some big eyed beans over there pursuing nibbana?

Yes, if sex were painful you wouldn't see the human race today. Of couse sex is enjoyble for human beans to keep the populations of the earth going, it is natural!!! That what we were made for. But the human beans like us are suffering through the process. We suffer from birth til we die unless if you can do what Buddha did.

I am not an expert in Buddhism but surely am one of those who wants to be free from the pain in our soul.

Giving is a good way to learn to let go off things, but you have to do it purely from you heart not like... you give something to someone but you feel that you shouldn't give it away. THAT WON'T WORK!!!

Forgiving is another good way to let go and again it has got to come out from your heart not pretending to forgive. People only know that you forgive them from what you act outside but YOU are the only one that knows if you really forgive someone.

I don't think Mars and Vinus can help you from having an unhealthy soul. Because then once you are in Mars or Vinus, you may want to come back to the earth to see you family, friends etc... Now have we gone back to our desires?.... I think so !!!

It is not that easy to study all this. I'm not yet there myself!!!! But will keep trying

[sabaijai]

'Buddha Boy' Bomjon found in Bara jungle

By Shankar Acharya & Upendra Lamichhane, Kantipur Online, Dec 25, 2006

NIJGADH, BARA (Nepal) -- Ram Bahadur Bomjon, popularly known as the Buddha Boy, who had disappeared from the jungle of Ratanpuri in Bara district, nine months ago, has reappeared nearby the area.

The 17-year old teenager Bomjon, who had been "meditating without any food or water" in the jungles of Ratanpuri village in the district had disappeared under unknown circumstances in March this year and was found in the jungles near Pathlaiya-Nijgadh road section of the Mahendra Highway on Sunday.

Local villagers who had been out hunting found Bomjon in dense forest located 5 km west of the highway yesterday night.

Bomjon appeared before the media and local villagers this afternoon in the same place.

His disappearance got widespread national and international coverage after news reports about his sudden abandonment of the meditation site at Charkose Jhadi of Ratanpur area in the district, where he had reportedly been meditating without food and water for ten months, were made public.

Bomjon had a sharp sword with him when the media reached the site.

When asked why a person in search of peace carried a sword, Bomjon replied that he had taken it for his "own protection."

The young man claimed he had still not eaten anything except herbal medicines during his meditation period.

Bomjan also said that henceforth he would meditate near the historical Halkhoriya pond, some five kilometers west of the place where he used to meditate before his disappearance.

Following the information that he had been spotted, a large number of people, including his family members and security personnel have arrived at the place to see him. The hunters who first spotted the Buddha boy are Rajendra Kunwar, Ram Krishna Moktan, Jaya Bahadur Kunwar and Bal Krishna Ale, of Dumarwana.

Son of an ordinary farmer in Ratanpur village of Bara district, Bomjon, his supporters and followers claim, had meditated without eating and drinking for months.

The Buddha boy has said that he does not want his new meditation site to be noisy and has said that his followers be allowed to see him only from a distance of some 10 meters. When asked what should be done with the donations that his followers and visitors would make, he urged to do anything with the donations, but keep from engaging in business or misuse.

The story of his meditation resembled an episode in the life of Gautam Buddha, who found enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago after 49 days. Coincidentally, Buddha was born only 257 km (160 miles) from Bara in 540BC.

Interestingly, Bomjon's mother's name, too, is Maya Devi- the name of Buddha's mother.

[Harmony]

The Lord Buddha Dharma has another 2400 + years left, why may another come so early ?

[sabaijai]

Nepal 'Buddha Boy' returns to jungle

by Sam Taylor Sam Taylor Sat Nov 22, 4:31 am ET

KATHMANDU (AFP) – A young man believed by followers to be a reincarnation of Buddha has returned to Nepal's jungles to meditate alone, police said Saturday, as scholars cast doubt on his supporters' claims.

Known as the "Buddha Boy," Ram Bahadur Bomjam, 18, became famous in 2005 after supporters said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.

"Bomjam went back into the jungle late Friday and all the devotees have left," police officer Gobinda Kushwaha told AFP from Neejgad, a town in Bara District, 60 kilometres (37.5 miles) south of Kathmandu.

The "Buddha Boy" reappeared earlier this month after supporters said in March 2007 that he was going to meditate for three years in an underground bunker, although he was spotted on two occasions.

For the last 10 days, he has been blessing thousands of devotees who came daily to the site in dense jungle close to Neejgad.

The president of the Nepal Buddhist Council said claims by his supporters that he was a reincarnation of Siddartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, were not credible.

"We do not believe he is Buddha. He does not have Buddha's qualities," said Mahiswor Raj Bajracharya, president of the Nepal Buddhist Council, a centre for Buddhist study and research in Kathmandu.

"He may have achieved great heights in meditation, but that alone does not make him a Buddha. A Buddha needs life experience, a young man who has not seen the world at all cannot be a Buddha," said Bajracharya.

Despite being officially secular under the new Maoist government, Nepal -- where around 80 per cent of people are Hindu and 11 per cent are Buddhist -- remains a deeply spiritual place.

"This is a country where people worship idols and stones, and everyone educated or not believes in the supernatural," the Buddhist scholar said.

Some 7,000 people gathered Friday to hear the youth speak.

"Materialism has brought forth fear, worry and disputes and has created war in this country. One should follow religion and philosophy for inner happiness," Bomjam told the crowds in a 15-minute address.

People joined a six-kilometre (3.75-mile) queue to be blessed, a wait that 43-year-old farmer Singha Bahadur Tamang said was worthwhile.

"This is a miracle and he is the reincarnation of Lord Buddha himself," said Tamang, who traveled eight hours by bus to hear Bomjam speak.

"I've been here for the last 10 days and the feeling is amazing. I really feel at peace here," he said.

The head of the committee that organises events around Bomjam insists he survives without food and water.

"We have never seen him eat or drink and we believe he's a god in human form," said Bed Bahadur Thing, president of the Buddha Jungle Meditation Conservation and Prosperity Committee.

At the height of Bomjam's fame, a French TV crew filmed the youth eating fruit and an AFP correspondent caught him napping.

On Friday, visitors to the jungle site put money into collection boxes, though Thing declined to say how much had been collected.

"Many people say we're just doing this for the money, but we have expenses for volunteers, food, security and maintenance," he said.

"After he has gone back into the jungle, we will make our accounts public."

[sabaijai]

Local Buddhists react to 18 year-old prophet

By Kelly McKinnon

The 18-year-old reappearance of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, a boy who many believe is the reincarnation of Buddha, has had a huge effect on Buddhist and non-Buddhist community in Nepal, but does not have as much significance to local followers.

Kelsang Yongdzin, an ordained nun at the Lamrim Buddhist Centre in Belleville, says there are many lineages of Buddhism and what happens in one may not have an equal impact in another.

“I’m not sure what lineage this boy is of,” says Yongdzin. “It would be like if someone in the Roman Catholic tradition was viewed as a saint, but that wouldn’t necessarily impact the Protestants.”

The centre is a place where people in the Belleville area can practise Kuluta Buddhism.

According to Yongdzin, Buddha is not necessarily one specific person.

“The term Buddha means ‘enlightened one’, and everyone in the Buddhist tradition, depending on the lineage is working towards becoming enlightened.”

Because there are actually many Buddhas, Yongdzin is unsure which Buddha Bamjan is supposed to be a reincarnation of, but still thinks the boy’s story is interesting even though he may not have a direct impact on her tradition.

Bamjan re-emerged from a jungle in Nepal on Nov. 10 near the town of Nijgadh. Bamjan is said to have spent over a year in the jungle in deep meditation.

Since his reappearance, thousands of Bamjan’s followers have travelled from all over to see him and receive his blessing.

Reports say the boy blessed his followers with a tap on the head, which is considered to be the touch of the divine. He is said to have long hair but appears to be in good health despite spending so much time in the jungle.

The Rajdhani newspaper reports that Bamjan spoke to his followers about peace and ending discrimination and will soon return to the jungle to continue his meditation.

Reports say that there has been no formal declaration by Buddhist authorities, and that priests have been divided on whether Bamjan is the reincarnation of Buddha.

“He could be a Buddha. He’s showing us how to become enlightened, but certainly in previous lives, he has been a very proficient meditator,” says Yongdzin.

Bamjan first gained global attention in 2005 when he allegedly spent three months without eating and moving under a Pipal Tree.

Bamjan’s meditation under this specific type of tree is significant in Buddhist beliefs. The original Pipal tree is known as the tree of enlightenment or the sacred tree.

“The training in Buddhism is through meditation. You can go through levels of tranquil abiding where it is very focused meditation and you can get to a point where you actually don’t require any food or water,” says Yongdzin.

According to Yongdzin, there are stories of monks who would go into caves and meditate for thousands of years.

“It’s [commonly] known [that someone is] able to go into a state of meditative equipoise where you don’t require food or drink. It requires you to be a very advanced meditator but it is not unknown,” says Yongdzin.

Bamjan had been reported to have been in meditation on and off since 2005. It is believed that Bamjan disappeared over a year ago so he could have undisturbed meditation in the forests.

According to reports, Bamjan spoke to his followers for a few hours every day during the week of Nov. 10 week before returning to the jungle to meditate.

[fabianfred]

One can go into deep states of meditation and exist for long periods without any sustenance, and there should be others who will protect the meditator from being touched as this can be dangerous.

This is concentration meditation....not vipassana .....it is not the way to nirvana

this type of meditation was known and practised before the Buddha's time.....

when the buddha went in search of the truth and escape from suffering he studied under two of the most prominent teachers and quickly learned all they had to teach...but found it did not achieve his aim

escape from the world about you in this way is like an ostrich putting its head in the sand....sometime it has to look up, and the danger is still there.... only vipassana can lead to the deathless state... and only a Buddha can rediscover the lost dhamma and the Four Noble Truths when they are forgotten.....

achieving enlightenment by ones practise means one has done what the Buddha wanted, used his methods to achieve Nirvana, but that does not mean we become a Buddha or achieve Buddahood. we achieve Nirvana but that doesn't mean we become a Buddha...a quite different kettle of fish.

[fabianfred]

The Lord Buddha Dharma has another 2400 + years left, why may another come so early ?

never will two buddhas exist at the same time ....they are so rare that even in this auspicious aeon with five Buddhas, they are spread out through the aeon, with many millions of years between them....

[fabianfred]

The goal of Theravada Buddhism is practically unattainable. Theravada Buddhism focused primarily on meditation and concentration, the eighth of the Eightfold Noble Path; as a result, it centered on a monastic life and an extreme expenditure of time in meditating. This left little room for the bulk of humanity to join in, so a new schism erupted within the ranks of Buddhism in the first century AD, one that would attempt to reformulate the teachings of Buddha to accomodate a greater number of people. They called their new Buddhism, the "Greater Vehicle" (literally, "The Greater Ox-Cart") or Mahayana, since it could accomodate more people and more believers from all walks of life. They distinguished themselves from mainstream Theravada Buddhism by contemptuously referring to Theravada as Hinayana, or "The Lesser Vehicle." In order to make Buddhism a more esoteric religion, the Mahayanists invented two grades of Buddhist attainment below becoming a Buddha. While the Buddha was the highest goal, one could become a pratyeka-buddha , that is, one who has awakened to the truth but keeps it secret. Below the pratyeka-buddha is the arhant , or "worthy," who has learned the truth from others and has realized it as truth. Mahayana Buddhism establishes the arhant as the goal for all believers. The believer hears the truth, comes to realize it as truth, and then passes into Nirvana . This doctrine of arhanthood is the basis for calling Mahayan the "Greater Vehicle," for it is meant to include everyone.

actually the Mahayana "great raft" ...is supposed to be the Boddhisatva ideal, where one forgoes Nirvana oneself and attempts to help a great number of beings achieve liberation, and so cross over the river on the big raft...whereas Hinayana is the 'little raft'.....just saving oneself .....like an Arahant does. Some declare this selfish, but, like a man drowning...he needs to save himself before helping another struggling in the water.

The Theravada method of mindfulness is not for monks only.... a common misunderstanding, even amongst Thai lay people, but for all. And it is to be practised at all times, not just in formal sessions of sitting or walking meditation.

[sabaijai]

From a Discover Channel documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKbtl574REE...feature=related

[Xangsamhua]

Very interesting. He seems to have learnt some yogic techniques from a Tibetan school (one that doesn't "expose much", according to one of his previous teachers, i.e. the techniques are secret). And it seems he has developed these techniques to a remarkably advanced level, especially in view of his age.

In another Youtube video he invokes the "Trinity God" to change the hearts and minds of men. A few sentences further on he speaks of the three poisons - greed, anger and delusion, so he seems to incorporate both Hindu and Buddhist views. This seemed a little strange to me.

Thai colleagues from Isaan tell me that thudong monks with these powers of meditative concentration (without taking food and water) are doing the same here in Thailand, but they don't advertise themselves and discourage others from doing so. In the Buddha Boy's case - just a young lad - he seems to be managed by his family.