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The Open Buddhist University

buddhistuniversity.net

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Re: The Open Buddhist University

#111

Post by kunley »

As a person practicing Buddhism of a particular school since 18 years, I feel the need to add 2 cents here:

As reading books on Buddhism is for sure beneficial, there is no way to really enter the methods just by using books; one becomes a buddhist by meeting a teacher and following his instructions. At that step books are immensely helpful. Especially if they are the books specialized on particular lineage of methods and teachings.

On the other hand, by reading books alone, like: for years, one can rather become a buddhologist, not a buddhist. That's the statistics, although everything is an illusion, so everything is possible ;)

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#112

Post by mdhen »

esbeeb wrote: post #54
logicchains wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't sound like a very Buddhist thing to say? I thought Buddhists were supposed to be about "no ego", not "don't listen to this guy because I'm more senior/got more titles than him".

Who's decision was it to call the website a "university"? Was that my decision, or his? The decision to call it a "university" is what makes me want to clarify what peer-perceived credentials he might have to that extent. If you were considering enrolling in a university, would you look into the reputation of that university? I'll bet you would. You'd want to know what it's reputation is like. Well, I'm offering insi…

You should probably try out some other religion, because Buddhism isn't working out for you

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#113

Post by sh4rks »

srge wrote: post #93
tasuki wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd expect a buddhist teacher to be a lot more chill. You took issue with him calling himself a "dean" while he only called himself a librarian. The website is called a "university" but obviously he's not pretending to be a real credentialed university, it's just a cute website title. Here you had a good chance to reflect and backtrack. But no, he's quite a junior monk to be running his own website. Well, I'm not eve…

I agree with you. He seems so full of hate and preconceptions that it almost sounds like a troll. Also who calls himself a monk and spends time on social media? Not that it’s supposed to be forbidden but social media is basically the death of attention…

What's the problem with a monk sharing wisdom on social media? Somebody has to spread the word.

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#114

Post by throwawaylolx »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #99
esbeeb wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Khemarato Bhikkhu (Chief Librarian) ...well then, it would make more sense to me, that he call his collection of very likeable, commendable Dhamma resources a "library", rather than a "university".

It’s just a title to a web page meant to be interesting. Regardless, he didn’t represent himself as a teacher. He didn’t teach. He represented himself as a curator of a webpage, and the tittle of the page I don’t think it meant to be misleading just compelling. It’s a bit of a stretch to take it any other way, and a shifting of the goal posts. I think if you agree he didn’t do as you said he did, it isn’t self dimini…

>It’s just a title to a web page meant to be interesting

It's called clickbait and it's widely acknowledge to be a dishonest method of promotion.

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#115

Post by [deleted] »

tasuki wrote: post #86
esbeeb wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who's decision was it to call the website a "university"? Was that my decision, or his? The decision to call it a "university" is what makes me want to clarify what peer-perceived credentials he might have to that extent. If you were considering enrolling in a university, would you look into the reputation of that university? I'll bet you would. You'd want to know what it's reputation is like. Well, I'm offering insi…

I'd expect a buddhist teacher to be a lot more chill. You took issue with him calling himself a "dean" while he only called himself a librarian. The website is called a "university" but obviously he's not pretending to be a real credentialed university, it's just a cute website title. Here you had a good chance to reflect and backtrack. But no, he's quite a junior monk to be running his own website. Well, I'm not eve…

[deleted]

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#116

Post by laratied »

r_singh wrote: post #52

I’ve learnt that every religion is a framework (school of philosophy) and even as an atheist I have benefitted from learning some mental models a few religions offer. I would never brand myself or be a part of the cult though (claiming that one is better than the other or that everything said is holy). Even though one of things religions are good at is to also be to give people a sense of belonging to a community wit…

I received a blessing from his holiness the Dalai Lama in the mid 90s when I paid $80 a ticket with 2000 other fools to listen to an hour long, nearly incoherent speech about being nice to people.

$160,000 in revenue for an hour of work for the pious Dalai Lama.

It really was a blessing though to realize in that movement what complete fools and suckers we are for authority in this area.

There is really nothing more than one Linji Yixuan/Rinzai Gigen quote to read and "learn".

"There is no Dharma outside the heart, nor anything to find inside. So what are you looking for?"

Of course, that doesn't really work when trying to build your Buddhist brand and get bunch of "followers".

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#117

Post by FollowingTheDao »

koonsolo wrote: post #107
esbeeb wrote: post #38

Actual Buddhist monk here (Ajahn Subharo), in the Theravada Thai forest lineage. Khemarato Bhikkhu - who is much more junior a monk than me, and is not formally any sort of Ajahn (teacher) yet - and myself both have Computer Science degrees, which are rare things for Buddhist monks to have. So take his authority to run a "university" with a huge grain of salt. He would get roundly mocked in subtle ways by senior Budd…

> He would get roundly mocked in subtle ways by senior Buddhist monks I only know a bit about buddhism, but mocking people doesn't sound like 'senior' behaviour to me. Mocking people is very immature. I cannot imagine that someone like Thich Nhat Hanh would mock anyone.

[flagged]

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#118

Post by FollowingTheDao »

tasuki wrote: post #86
esbeeb wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who's decision was it to call the website a "university"? Was that my decision, or his? The decision to call it a "university" is what makes me want to clarify what peer-perceived credentials he might have to that extent. If you were considering enrolling in a university, would you look into the reputation of that university? I'll bet you would. You'd want to know what it's reputation is like. Well, I'm offering insi…

I'd expect a buddhist teacher to be a lot more chill. You took issue with him calling himself a "dean" while he only called himself a librarian. The website is called a "university" but obviously he's not pretending to be a real credentialed university, it's just a cute website title. Here you had a good chance to reflect and backtrack. But no, he's quite a junior monk to be running his own website. Well, I'm not eve…

> I'd expect a buddhist teacher to be a lot more chill.

The perception that monks can never exhibit emotion or should always be relaxed is a purely American idea and a stereotype.

https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?artic...

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#119

Post by specialist »

tasuki wrote: post #86
esbeeb wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who's decision was it to call the website a "university"? Was that my decision, or his? The decision to call it a "university" is what makes me want to clarify what peer-perceived credentials he might have to that extent. If you were considering enrolling in a university, would you look into the reputation of that university? I'll bet you would. You'd want to know what it's reputation is like. Well, I'm offering insi…

I'd expect a buddhist teacher to be a lot more chill. You took issue with him calling himself a "dean" while he only called himself a librarian. The website is called a "university" but obviously he's not pretending to be a real credentialed university, it's just a cute website title. Here you had a good chance to reflect and backtrack. But no, he's quite a junior monk to be running his own website. Well, I'm not eve…

"If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him."

Probably every culture has something to say about pretentiousness, false prophets, stolen valor, etc.

I think this is just a case of friendly fire.

u/esbeeb got fluffed up, commented in public, and is now in a public food fight.

Better would have been to keep this private. Now his best PR/diplomatic move would be to say he'll confer with the "chief librarian" offline and he's sorry for all the fuss.

We've all been there.

PS- Yes, I know, this koan is most often interpreted to mean one should tackle one's own preconceptions. I'm making a point. Before getting dramatic, first get curious.

Re: The Open Buddhist University

#120

Post by [deleted] »

lxm wrote: post #21
jmfldn wrote: post #7

Thank you for this resource. I am a software engineer and Buddhism-curious, but I've never taken the plunge into full on practice. I think I would like to though. Over many years of reading about Buddhism, contemplating the teachings and listening to various teachers, my conviction is growing.

"All of Buddhism is a footnote to zazen". (Kodo Sawaki)

[deleted]
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