Hubris from Revelation: the Social Engineering of Ultimate Truths [Monday, Period 2]

[atreideslioness]

When the students arrived in the Danger Shop today, they would find the desks abandoned in favor of large meditation garden, Ghanima already sitting in an ānāpānasati stance with her eyes closed, a stack of handouts beside her.

"Good morning, class," she said, blue-on-blue eyes flickering open as the last person took a seat. "Please make yourselves comfortable. Today we study Buddhism."

"Buddhism, as traditionally conceived, is a path of salvation attained through insight into the ultimate nature of reality. It encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha, who lived in and around the Indian sub-continent. Adherents recognize the Buddha as an awakened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end suffering, achieve nirvana, and escape what is seen as a cycle of suffering and rebirth. However, Buddhist schools disagree over the historical teachings of the Buddha, and on the importance and canonicity of various scriptures," she said, standing to pass out the handouts.

"Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada, "The School of the Elders", and Mahayana, "The Great Vehicle". Theravada, the oldest surviving, has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, whilst Mahayana, which is found throughout East Asia, includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tendai and Shinnyo-en . In some classifications, a third branch, Vajrayana, is recognized, although many see this as an offshoot of the Mahayana. Other movements have appeared in recent times, sometimes classified as Buddhist modernism."

"While Buddhism remains most popular within Asia, both branches are now found throughout the world. Various sources put the number of Buddhists in the world at between 230 million and 500 million. As the foundation of all Buddhist practice is ethical conduct and altruism, the appeal is not limited to the countries where it started," she explained. "Further practices can vary widely, but may include renunciation, meditation, the cultivation of mindfulness and wisdom, the study of scriptures, physical exercises, devotion and ceremonies, or the invocation of bodhisattvas."


[OCD Up!]

Comments

Sign-In

[atreideslioness]

In an enlightened fashion.

Re: Sign-In

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah Levine

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Look around, take notes, pass notes, draw dirty pictures in the sand....

Re: During the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah was taking notes. Of course.

Re: During the Lecture

[see-beyond.livejournal.com]

Jonas, again, continued to be surprised the diversity and just the vast numbers of ideals and beliefs that people outside the Community practiced. Jonas recalled having to remember a lot when he was in the Community, while he was studying to become the Receiver of Memory but it paled in comparison to religion.

The main branches of religions had several branches of their own and Jonas rubbed his temple slowly while scribbling down words he didn't understand that detailed concepts he didn't comprehend.

Re: During the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

For all the time she spent at the beach, you'd think Tahiri would look better adjusted to the sand, but . . . no.

If she looked more than a little interested in the concept of ending a cycle of suffering and rebirth, well. She was doubly interested, even if she didn't realize it.

Re: During the Lecture

[bitten_notshy]

Jack absently sketched in the sand with his left hand in between taking notes with his right.

They were not dirty sketches, thank you very much.

Re: During the Lecture

[trigons_child]

Raven...really did not want to be there, but she'd promised Aphrodite she wouldn't hide.

She was, however, avoiding eye contact with anyone, especially anyone she thought might've been ensnared by her wayward empathy. Meaning Jono. Her heart ached, but she kept her shields up strong, blocking any emotion from getting in or getting out. She was null, virtually invisible emotionally.

Re: During the Lecture

[furnaceface]

Jono was attempting to write notes today, but his head was all over the place, and he couldn't quite focus. Very, very little made sense today.

His notes got about as far as 'Buddhism is,' and then tapered off. He'd look it up in the library on Friday, maybe. Right now, he just had to rest his elbows on his knees, his forehead in his hands, and try to sort out the contents of his head while zoning out on the lecture.

Re: During the Lecture

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena knelt down, respectfully, and wished they had a garden like this here. She might be able to meditate properly in one of these.

Re: During the Lecture

[iamnotallgirl]

Jill took copious notes, but she was pretty sure she was spelling things horribly wrong, and a couple of words were just the first few letters followed by a question mark, so they were ultimately of minimal academic value. But she tried!

Discussion One: Karma, Rebirth, and Saṃsāra

[atreideslioness]

"Today we are going to talk about the concepts of karma, rebirth, and the cycle of Saṃsāra," Ghanima continued. "Do you believe in rebirth or karma? Why or why not? If you are not currently a believer, can you see where such concepts would seem appealing?"

Re: Discussion One: Karma, Rebirth, and Saṃsāra

[momslilassassin]

The anniversary of Mara's death was heavy in Ben's mind today, and he focused on the idea of karma.

"'Intention (cetana), monks, is karma, I say. Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind'," he read aloud. "That's a very Jedi thought. Intention is everything. If you strike out in anger and fear, it taints you, and sometimes permanently."

Discussion Two: The Four Noble Truths

[atreideslioness]

"The Four Noble Truths is one of the most fundamental Buddhist teachings. In broad terms, these truths relate to suffering, or dukkha, its nature, its origin, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation. The Four Noble Truths appear many times, throughout the most ancient Buddhist texts, the Pali Canon," Ghanima said, turning to write on the board.

1. Life as we know it ultimately is or leads to suffering/uneasiness (dukkha) in one way or another.
2. Suffering is caused by craving or attachments to worldly pleasures of all kinds. This is often expressed as a deluded clinging to a certain sense of existence, to selfhood, or to the things or phenomena that we consider the cause of happiness or unhappiness.
3. Suffering ends when craving ends, when one is freed from desire. This is achieved by eliminating all delusion, thereby reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment (bodhi);
4. Reaching this liberated state is achieved by following the path laid out by the Buddha.

"Do you agree with these truths? If not, what four would you substitute, and why?"

Re: Discussion Two: The Four Noble Truths

[weetuskenraider]

"All life is suffering," Tahiri said in a voice that was low, strained, and not quite like her own. "Life is separation from the gods, and pain itself as such."

Okay, so far, so creepy.

Re: Discussion Two: The Four Noble Truths

[trigons_child]

"Desire does indeed lead to suffering," Raven said faintly, only half-aware she'd spoken aloud. "Not just for yourself, but for others."

Re: Discussion Two: The Four Noble Truths

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena was frowning slightly, and shaking her head.

"It's too pat," she said. "'I won't desire anything, ever, so I'll be enlightened.' That only means you can decide to punish yourself for feeling anything at all, for daring to want. Emotions are bad; feel nothing and be perfectly enlightened. And hollow."

Her tone was slightly vehement, near the end. Which had little to do with the lesson and more with people she knew who took the concepts a touch too far.

Re: Discussion Two: The Four Noble Truths

[iamnotallgirl]

Jill frowned and said, "But if you reject all desire because you want to become enlightened, aren't you still desiring enlightenment? I mean, it's still desire, right?"

Talk to the TAs

[atreideslioness]

Once they tag in.

Re: Talk to the TAs

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

Chuck was there and was tired from all the rough sex he had with modded!Sam over the weekend hoping Sam was writing down all the big words in the lecture because he sure as hell wasn't.

Re: Talk to the TAs

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah was here, paying attention to everything going on around her.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's around, before and after class.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

Sorry for the lame/later-than-usual class. I am way-sick, poke me via email or gchat if you need me and I'm just not answering. Tag to each other in the discussion threads, and feel free to make it messy.

Re: OOC

[vanillajello]

Kate's still a cat while I make an attempt at studying hard, so unsurprisingly she won't be showing up for class.

Re: OOC

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

*snugs* Something is going around there seem ot be a lot of us sick right now.

*makes you some lavender tea and gibes an extra blanket.*