Rael Buddhism

Reflections on Ethical Life and Purification of Conducts by Buddha that lead to Heavenly Birth, Linked Discourse 55.7 So I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was wandering in the land of the Kosalans together with a Sangha, a community of monks, when he arrived at a village of the Kosalan brahmins named Bamboo Gate. The brahmins and householders of Bamboo Gate heard: “It seems the ascetic Gotama—a Sakyan, gone forth from a Sakyan family—has arrived at Bamboo Gate, together with a large Sangha of monks. He has this good reputation: ‘ There is the Blessed One, Who has broken the bonds, A fully transformed awakened Buddha, Who fully understood behaviors and living according to the knowledge, Who has become good, Knower of the worlds, Supreme guide for those who wish to train, Teacher of gods and humans, Awakened, Blessed.’ He has realized with his own insight this world—with its gods, Maras or Devils, and Brahmas, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—and he...

Buddha and Sariputta: Defining the Path to Stream-Entry | Linked Discourse 55.5 Then Sariputta went up to the Buddha, bowed, and sat down to one side.  The Buddha said to him: “Sariputta, they speak of a ‘factor of stream-entry’. What is a factor of stream-entry?” Sariputta replied: “Sir, the factors of stream-entry are associating with true persons, listening to the true teaching, focus attention of mind (while listening to true dhamma), and practicing in line with the teaching.” Buddha agreed to Sariputta: “Good, good, Sariputta! For the factors of stream-entry are associating with true persons, listening to the true teaching, focus attention of mind (while listening to true dhamma), and practicing in line with the teaching. Then, Buddha said: Sariputta, they speak of ‘the stream’. What is the stream?” Sariputta answered: “Sir, the stream is simply this noble eightfold path, that is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right lifestyle, right effort, right mindf...

Final Teachings of Buddha to Dying Disciples: A Lesson in Confidence and Detachment | Linked Discourse 55.3 At one time the Buddha was staying near Rajagaha, in the Bamboo Grove, the squirrels’ feeding ground. Now at that time the lay follower Dighavu was sick, suffering, gravely ill.  Then, he addressed his father, the householder Jotika, “Please, householder, go to the Buddha, and in my name bow with your head to his feet.  Say to him: ‘Sir, the lay follower Dighavu is sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows with his head to your feet.’  And then say: ‘Sir, please visit him at his home out of sympathy.’” “Yes, dear,” replied Jotika.  He did as Dighavu asked and went to meet Buddha.  The Buddha consented with silence after Jotika speak to him. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, went to the home of the lay follower Dighavu, sat down on the seat spread out, and said to him:  “I hope you’re keeping well, Dighavu; I ...

At Savatthi. There the Buddha said: “Monks, suppose a wheel-turning monarch were to rule as sovereign lord over these four continents. And when his body breaks up, after death, he’s reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm, in the company of the gods of the thirty-three, Tavatimsa. There, he entertains himself in the Garden of Delight, escorted by a band of nymphs, and supplied and provided with the five kinds of heavenly sensual stimulation. Still, as he’s lacking four qualities, he’s not exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. He’s not exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. Now, suppose a noble disciple wears rags and feeds on scraps of almsfood. Still, as they have four qualities of noble disciples, they’re exempt from hell, the animal realm, or the ghost realm. They’re exempt from places of loss, bad places, the underworld. What four qualities? It’s when a noble disciple has unshakable confidence in the Buddha:  ‘In this way, the Blessed One, Wh...

Middle Length Discourse 11 - Lion Roar Short Version So I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the monks, “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” they replied.  The Buddha said this: ‘Only here is there a true ascetic, here a second ascetic, here a third ascetic, and here a fourth ascetic. Other religions are empty of ascetics.’ This, monks, is how you should rightly sound your lion’s roar. It’s possible that wanderers of other religions might say: ‘But what is the source of the venerables’ certainty and forcefulness that they say this?’  You should say to them: ‘There are four things explained by the Blessed One, who knows and sees, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.  Seeing these things in ourselves we say that:  “Only here is there a true ascetic, here a second ascetic, here a third ascetic, and here a fourth ascetic. Other religions are empty of ascetics.” ...

Middle Length Discourses 9 Right View So, I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There Sariputta addressed the monks: “Reverends, monks!” “Reverend,” they replied. Sariputta said this: “Reverends, they speak of this thing called ‘right view’. How do you define a noble disciple who has a “right view”, whose view is correct, who has unshakable confidence in the teaching, and has come to the true teaching?” “Reverend, we would travel a long way to learn the meaning of this statement in the presence of Venerable Sariputta. May Venerable Sariputta himself please clarify the meaning of this statement. The monks will listen and remember it.” “Well then, reverends, listen and focus your mind well, I will speak.” “Yes, reverend,” they replied. Sariputta said this: “A noble disciple understands the unskillful and its root, and the skillful and its root. When they’ve done this, they’re defined as a noble disci...

Middle Discourses 8 Self-Effacement So I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Then in the late afternoon, Venerable Mahacunda came out of retreat and went to the Buddha. He bowed, sat down to one side, and said to the Buddha: “Sir, there are many different views that arise in the world connected with theories of self or with theories of the cosmos. How does a monk who is focusing on the starting point give up and let go of these views?” “Cunda, there are many different views that arise in the world connected with theories of self or with theories of the cosmos. A monk gives up and lets go of these views by truly seeing with right wisdom by tendency, by behaving as: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not my self.’  It’s possible that a certain monk, quite detached from senses delights, detached from unskillful behaviors, might enter and live in the first jhana, which has the rapture and b...

 Middle Length Discourse 7, The Simile of the Cloth So I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the Monks, “Monks!” “Venerable sir,” they replied.  The Buddha said this: “Suppose, monks, there was a cloth that was dirty and soiled. No matter what dye the dyer applied—whether blue or yellow or red or magenta—it would look poorly dyed and impure in color. Why is that? Because of the impurity of the cloth. In the same way, when the mind is corrupt, a bad destiny is to be expected.  Suppose there was a cloth that was pure and clean. No matter what dye the dyer applied—whether blue or yellow or red or magenta—it would look well dyed and pure in color. Why is that? Because of the purity of the cloth. In the same way, when the mind isn’t corrupt, a good destiny is to be expected. And what are the corruptions of the mind? Covetousness and immoral greed, ill will, anger, resentment, ...

Middle Length Discourses 6 - Wish Discourse So I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Savatthi in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied.  The Buddha said this: “Mendicants, live by the ethical precepts and the monastic code. Live restrained in the monastic code, conducting yourselves well and seeking alms in suitable places. Seeing danger in the slightest fault, keep the rules you’ve undertaken.  A mendicant might wish:  ‘May I be liked and approved by my spiritual companions, respected and admired.’ So let them fulfill their precepts, be committed to inner serenity of the heart, not neglect jhana, be endowed with insight, and frequent empty huts. A mendicant might wish:  ‘May I receive robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicines and supplies for the sick.’ So let them fulfill their precepts, be committed to inner serenity of the heart, not neglect jhana, be en...

 Middle Discourses 5 Without Defects So, I have heard.  At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There Sāriputta addressed the monks: “Reverends, monks!” “Reverend,” they replied. Sāriputta said this: “Reverends, these four people are found in the world. What four?  One person with a defect doesn’t truly understand: ‘There is a defect in me.’ But another person with a defect does truly understand: ‘There is a defect in me.’  One person without a defect doesn’t truly understand: ‘There is no defect in me.’  But another person without a defect does truly understand: ‘There is no defect in me.’  In this case, of the two persons with a defect, the one who doesn’t understand is said to be worse, while the one who does understand is better. And of the two persons without a defect, the one who doesn’t understand is said to be worse, while the one who does understand i...