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Showing posts from October, 2022

How the Digital Revolution is Shaping the Practice of Buddhism Today

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Buddhism, one of the world’s oldest spiritual traditions, emphasizes mindfulness, compassion, and the pursuit of enlightenment. As technology rapidly transforms human societies, it is essential to explore how these advancements intersect with Buddhist principles. This article delves into the relationship between Buddhism and technology, examining both the benefits and challenges that arise from their convergence. Historical Context Historically, Buddhism has shown a remarkable ability to adapt to various cultural and technological changes. From the oral transmission of teachings to the written scriptures on palm leaves and, later, printed books, Buddhism has continuously embraced new methods to disseminate its wisdom. Today, the digital age presents a new frontier for the spread and practice of Buddhism. Technology Enhancing Buddhist Practice Digital Dharma The internet has become a powerful tool for spreading Buddhist teachings globally. Websites, blogs, online courses, and social med

How to control diet according to Buddhism

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We know that almost every house in today's world is full of people suffering from various diseases. Some suffer from some non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. Some become sick due to malnutrition. Some suffer from mental illness. Having too many people in such a situation is really a tragedy experienced by today's society. According to Buddhism, illness is suffering. It confirms that a large number of the total population is suffering from pathological suffering. Therefore, it is the responsibility of various parties in society to find the causes and solutions to these illnesses, malnutrition and mental disorders. Religion also has the ability to find reasons and solutions for these. As Lord Buddha pointed out, for a good human life, every creature should have good food. In short, food is the basic thing that helps the survival of all animal species. At present, although human society eats various types of food for its survival

According to Buddhism, the shape of a beautiful girl

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  It is mentioned in the Buddhist commentaries that the selection of a young woman by beauty took place even today as well as during the Buddha's time. The chosen young woman, Kalyaniya, was presented with a royal position in the beauty of the city and made her a common property of the royal princes and nobles. It is also clear from the image that the poor person has been made such a common object as one of the tactics to prevent the struggle and riots to win her over among the royal princes and elites. It seems that some of the factors that were considered in the selection of beauties in Buddha's day are followed in the same way in the selection of beauty queens today. The commentary mentions six body defects that should not be possessed by a beautiful woman. Body defects that a beauty should not have 1. Should not be too tall  2. Should not be too short 3. Should not be too thin  4. Should not be too fat.  5. Should not be too black  6. Should not be too white  Being free fro

The secret of beauty according to Buddhism

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In today's era, it is a common thing to see various techniques and related medical methods to shape the body, and in comparison, ointments, creams, liquids, dyes etc. are endlessly connected to the body. It is needless to say that the expectation of everything is to show beauty to the society. Lord Buddha has preached about it in sutras. People are born differently. After questioning the Suba Manavaka Buddha about it, the Buddha preached, "Kammassaka manava satta kammayoni, kamma bandhu kamma patisarana kammam santhe vibhajati yadidang hinappanitathayani." Through the Chulla Kamma Vibhanga Sutra, it is explained to a good human being that human beings and animals have made their karma their own. Through Karma, beings are divided into high and low. It is needless to say that the merits and demerits of karma determine everything of the being. The story of the pig mouth ghost is very important for that. Although the body is golden, the face is ugly like that of a pig. In the

Parent-child relationship according to Buddhism

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Children are the most precious resource of lay people. When asked what is the treasure of people, Lord Buddha said that the greatest treasure of people is children (Putthathathumanussanang). Every mother and father work hard for their children. Lord Buddha declared the service of parents thus. "Brothers, parents are very helpful, guiding, nurturing and introducing this world to children. In the Anguttara Sect, Subrahma Sutra, there are three words that express the responsibility of parents: Apadaka, Posaka, Imasalokassa Dassetaro. By paying attention to this, it is possible to explain how much service parents do for their children. Apadaka means developing the child's physical and mental capacity. The commentators interpret this word and state that it means apadaka to guide the children in the right way. (Apadakathianupalaka) The basic knowledge necessary for the child's survival is provided here. In infancy, the child is unaware of the danger around him. His parents suppo

Buddhist advice for good physical health

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  The Buddha, through his sermons on various occasions, pointed out the importance of building a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, among all the benefits in the world, Buddhism considers health as the greatest benefit. The Buddha has stated in the Maha Assapura Sutra of the Majjima sect. "A certain man is afflicted with an infirmity, the sufferings arising from it, he swallows hard, he has no appetite for food, and the strength of his body is not strong, so he has such an idea. , I am very ill, I do not like rice, I have lost strength in my body, it is me, now I have got rid of the disease, I like rice, I have strength in my body, he is happy because of that."Comes to happiness” Here the Buddha has stated the inconveniences that a person has to suffer due to illness and the benefits that can be obtained by getting rid of it. What is true health has been preached by the Buddha with reference to the Magandi Sutra. One day the Buddha met Magandiya Bamuna and said, "Arogya Param

Buddhist view of invisible forces and ghosts

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Life is a living matter. The life born from the combination of objects becomes an animal by long evolution. After the initiation of a mental process, it gradually becomes an "animal". After death, the animal whose mind has evolved to the required extent is reborn. Since then, the cycle of birth and death continues. Apart from the physical body of the animal that has thus entered the cycle of rebirth, the energy body within it takes shape and many things arise in that animal. These vary in density from one to the other. For example, if we go to a place where there are ten light bulbs, we see ten of our shadows. As the light of the lamps increases and decreases, the shadows increase to black. Thus the subtle bodies in our body vary in density.Along with the upadanaskandaya composition that he carried at death, a subtle body of some state also moves from this. It can be thought that only the upadanaskandaya composition of a person who has acquired the formless resources that qua

Can Buddhism cure mental illness?

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  Monks, there are two diseases, physical and mental. Among these, there are people who are healthy for a year, two, three, four, thirty, forty, fifty or even a hundred years without suffering from physical diseases. But it is difficult to find people who are not afflicted by mental illnesses even for a single moment, except the Arahats. (Anguttara Nikaya, Chatukka Nipata, Roga Sutra) There is no doctor born in the world who is as skilled as the Buddha to cure the disease of the mind. The Buddha recognized the impurities in the human mind and gave the appropriate medicine. He met Sela Bamuna and said, Bamuna, I am Sambuddha. I am also the greatest surgeon. Said at one point. (Sutta Nipata - Sela Sutra) Scholars have conducted various researches on Buddhism. But little effort has been made so far to put the way of life included in Buddhism into practical use and make human lives successful. This article tries to point out what kind of refuge can be obtained from the Buddha's time fo

Buddhist view of dreams

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  This is a Buddhist opinion about dreams. Not only humans, animals also need sleep. Even the trees sleep. Not only living beings but also non-living machines-formulas, vehicles need sleep and rest. The nature of sleep is different from each other. There are animals that sleep during the day and sleep at night and animals that sleep intermittently. One day a certain god met the Buddha and asked a question like this: “Blessed ones, there is a smouldering ember in the night where the noon burns. What is it?" The Buddha's answer to this question, which was like a riddle, was that the thoughts of the body, which are active during the day, are active at night. A person's daytime activity turns into dreams and acts at night. It is like burning in the afternoon and smoking in the night. According to Abhidharma, the doors that open to the mind of the person who has fallen asleep, the eyes, ears, nose etc. of the five senses called 'Panchadvaravajjana Sith' do not work. But

Buddhist view of death

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  Contemplating death, which we naturally inherit with birth, reduces the problems we create for ourselves in worldly life. Acting without dying is the root of many problems. Just as one's own death is frightening to everyone, even remembering the death of loved ones is deeply saddening. In the Patama Ayu Sutra, the Lord Buddha preached, monks, "People's lifespan is very short..even if one lives for a long time, he will live for a hundred years or more." It is a common experience for everyone today that time passes by at a high speed due to the busy lifestyle. A year or two or five or ten years pass by without realising it. A hundred years would not be a very long time. The Buddha preached that "man's life span is very short" to clarify this situation. Buddhism teaches four ways in which a person can die. The first of these is life. (Ayukkha) It can be defined as “natural death”. The second is the exhaustion of karmic energy. (Kammakkhaya) The third is t

Buddhist advice for the righteous life

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  As a higher minded creature, man should think and act. For that it is necessary to control the senses. In order to understand the liberation or Nirvana in the basic teachings of the Buddha, the person must first appreciate righteousness. Eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, these senses can be used for good as well as for evil. The senses are peaceful because the righteous heart is always there. The source of comfort is righteousness. By trying to make everything in the universe one's own, hatred, anger and sorrow arise in man. Life is unstable. But the development of the spiritual qualities that man acquires is permanent. "Penupamang Kaya Miman Viditwa" Even if the body is destroyed like a foam in a stream of water, the good behaviour and seven ethics that a man should adopt in his life will never be destroyed. The first stanza of the Yamaka section of the Dhamma verse emphasises that he follows him like a shadow that never leaves him (Chhayava ana paini). Lord Buddha present