Recent Posts

1

The Dharma Express / Re: The most funny part of enlightenment is. It's not needed, after all.

« Last post by santamonicacj on Today at 06:22:53 pm »

I'be got a question that's somewhat along the same lines. Is the saying, "First there is a mountain, then no mountain, then there is" a Zen saying? I think it's a line from a song by Donovan Leach, but it might have a Zen origin.

Anybody know?   

2

Introductions / Hello from Bob

« Last post by Monkey Mind on Today at 05:32:58 pm »

Welcome to FreeSangha, Bob!

3

Theravada / Is Hedonism Happiness?

« Last post by samahita on Today at 04:18:49 pm »

Friends:

How does Sense-Desire Muddle the Mind?


 
A Brahmin Priest once asked the Blessed Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause of being unable to remember something
that has been memorized over a long period & also that which has not been?
Brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset, and dominated by sense-desire,
and one does not understand any safe escape from this arisen sense-desire,
in that moment, one neither sees nor understands, what is advantageous,
neither for oneself, nor for others, nor for both...
On such occasions, even texts, that have been long memorized, cannot be
recalled by mind. Why is this neglect so? Imagine a bucket of water mixed
with dyes or paints: Yellow, blue, and crimson red. If a man with good eyes
were to inspect the reflection of his own face in it, he would neither see nor
recognize his own face! So too, brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset,
and dominated by sense-desire, on that occasion those texts, that have been
long memorized does not recur to the mind, not to speak of those texts,
events and things, that have not been memorized at all…
 


More on the folly vanity of desire for simple Sense Pleasure (Hedonism):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Why_Not.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Craving_is_Pain.htm 
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.1-2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Charcoal_Pit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4c.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Catastrophic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_is_Disadvantageous.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
 

Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights...

Blissful is being without passions in this world,
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires!
Udana II, 1
 

 
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:121-2] section 46: The Links. 55: To Sangarava...
 



Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Sense pleasure cannot ever give lasting Happiness!

Is Hedonism Happiness?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm

4

Computers & Technology / Re: U Pc (usb stick Pc) ice cream sandwich US $74

« Last post by dhammaseeker51 on Today at 12:14:23 pm »

Transient are all (integrated electronic) component things...
 

with Metta

5

Computers & Technology / U Pc (usb stick Pc) ice cream sandwich US $74

« Last post by daimond on Today at 09:52:56 am »

 CNXSoft has stumbled across a USB-
shaped mini-PC
featuring Android 4.0 and an
AllWinner A10 SoC clocked at 1.5 GHz.
The device, called the Rikomagic
MK802, also includes a mini-HDMI jack
to output 1080p video to an HDTV, a
microSD slot for adding up to 32 GB
of storage, a microUSB port for power
and a USB 2.0 Host port.
"Connect a wireless mouse and
keyboard to the device, the power
supply, and an HDMI cable to your TV,
and you’ve got yourself a cheap PC
running Android 4.0. Since this is
based on AllWinner A10, you could
also insert a microSD card with
Ubuntu, Debian or your other favorite
Linux distribution and have yourself a
Linux PC," CNXSoft reports.
The actual size of the mini-Pc is 8.8 x
3.5 x 1.2 centimeters, and it weighs
200g. Other specs include a Mali 400
GPU, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of internal
storage, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi connectivity,
and support for wireless peripherals.
The power input is 5V/2A.
The device can be purchased on
Aliexpress for 74 USD which includes
shipping.
The mini PC arrives before FXI Tech's
Cotton Candy which is expected to
ship sometime this month. This USB
stick-shaped mini PC is a bit pricier, as
it includes an actual HDMI connector
so that users can plug it directly into
an HDTV without the need for a cable.
The device will also feature a Samsung
Exynos 4210 dual-core ARM Cortex-
A9 SoC clocked at 1.2 GHz, a quad-
core 200 MHz Mali 400MP GPU, and 1
GB of RAM.
"The Cotton Candy is a USB stick sized
compute device allows users a single,
secure point of access to all personal
cloud services and apps through their
favorite operating system, while
delivering a consistent experience on
any screen," reads the product
description. "The device will serve as a
companion to smartphones, tablets,
and notebook PC and Macs, as well
add smart capabilities to existing
displays, TVs, set top boxes and other
media that supports USB mass
storage."
Additional tech specs include a
microSD card slot for adding up to 64
GB of storage, a micro USB port for
connecting peripherals, a USB 2.0
male form factor for power and
connection to devices that supports
USB mass storage, 802.11 b/g/n and
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connectivity. The
PC-on-a-stick can run Android 4.0 or
the latest Ubuntu, and will support
Windows 8 when it arrives later this
year. Users can even plug this device
into their current PC and boot up into
the installed OS.
Cotton Candy will be priced under $
200 when it finally arrives on the
market. Earlier this week the company
said that development units have
been delayed due to hardware
modifications and extended software
testing. "Scandanavian pre-orders
start shipping this month, with the
balance of the pre-orders shipping
throughout the Summer," FXI said in a
blog. "At this time, pre-orders are
closed as we have gone beyond our
expected volume of orders."

 http://m.tomshardware.com/news/Cotton-Candy-Rikomagic-MK802-Ubuntu-Android-ARM,15699.html



the fact the price Rikomagic MK802 true US $74 But not include shiping price, use wireless keyboard, wireless mouse 2.4; or fly mouse.

6

The Dharma Express / Re: The most funny part of enlightenment is. It's not needed, after all.

« Last post by francis on Today at 01:59:00 am »

Old Zen proverb – Enlightenment and then the laundry.

How about another - Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.

One more - Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.

With metta 

7

The Dharma Express / Re: The most funny part of enlightenment is. It's not needed, after all.

« Last post by Hanzze on Today at 12:09:37 am »

63
A fool with a sense
of his foolishness
 is — at least to that extent —
wise.
But a fool who thinks
 himself wise really
deserves to be called
 a fool.

8

The Dharma Express / Re: The most funny part of enlightenment is. It's not needed, after all.

« Last post by Quiet Heart on May 21, 2012, 09:20:23 pm »

 
Yes....it was there all along.
But if you didn't look how would you have known it was already there?
It is like the story of the foolish man who while looking at the reflection of his head in a mirror accidentaly dropped the mirror.
Dropping the mirror and seeing it shatter into pieces, he assumed his head also had been shattered with the mirror when he dropped the mirror.
So he searched frantically everywhere to find a new head, but he couldn't find a new head.
Then one day he happened to pass by a pool of still water and saw his reflection in that pool of water.
He was overjoyed to see that he still had a head on his shoulders.
He always had of course, his head had always been there....it was his delusion that made him think he didn't have it anyhow.
In exactly the same way, it's a persons illusions and delusions that keep him/her from understanding that they are not already enlightened.
Those illusions and dellusions are what lead them onto a path that takes them away from enlightenment....and leads them into error.
Overcome those illusions and delusions...and that may take a lifelong practice...and you stand at the entrance to enlightenment.
Then the question you need to ask yourself is....Alright, but WHAT NOW?
 

9

Theravada / Exquisite is Equanimity!

« Last post by samahita on May 21, 2012, 05:06:39 pm »

Friends:

How to train and purify Imperturbable Equanimity!



Sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes:
May I radiate and meet only calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find
only the composure and poise of calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane
develop and encounter this serene, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left and below as
above develop and experience cool, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe always be fully aware
and deeply mindful of this steady, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe examine all details and
subtle aspects of this unstirred, placid, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe put enthusiastic effort
into their training of this solid, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country and universe find enraptured joy and
jubilant gladness in this unmovable, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe cultivate the tranquillity
of quiet, silent, stilled, and all smiling calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country and universe attain concentrated and
absorbed one-pointedness by stoic, deep, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe dwell in undisturbable
and imperturbable equanimity of unexcitable and unreactive detachment...
Yeah! Print this out, dwell in each state until pure, use ~ 25-45 minutes. 



Comment:  Imperturbable Equanimity is the 4th infinite state (Appamañña):
This gradually reduces all desire, attraction, drift, tendency, bias, preference,
favouritism, one-sided partiality and unhappiness related with all these states.
Equanimity is the proximate cause of any knowing and seeing leading to Wisdom...
Equanimity is an extremely subtle form of solid, calm and peaceful Happiness...
Equanimity purifies all other advantageous states and brings them to Perfection...
Equanimity is unresponsive indifference, unstirred, unaffected, and untroubled!!!
There is Equanimity both regarding all live beings and all dead things!
There is Equanimity both regarding all internal and all external states!
There is Equanimity both regarding all past, all present and all future events!
There is Equanimity both regarding all what is mental and all which is physical!
There is Equanimity both regarding all what is material and all which is immaterial!
There is Equanimity both regarding all formed and all formless phenomena!
Cultivating such six-fold equanimity brings this supreme state to completion.


 
Even is also: Equanimity (Upekkha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/High_and_Alert.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Divorced_Freedom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Exquisite_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upekkhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tatra_majjhattataa.htm

Have a nice & noble day!
   
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Exquisite is Equanimity!

Unshakable is Equanimity (=Upekkhã)!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm

10

The Dharma Express / Re: The most funny part of enlightenment is. It's not needed, after all.

« Last post by santamonicacj on May 21, 2012, 12:04:45 pm »

Enlightenment is retroactive. Once attained, you can retroactively see that it was there all along. 

However if unattained, one is doomed to the cycle of suffering. 

Hence the Buddha's final admonition to "work on it diligently". 

***

Or if you like you can still use the bottle of water in your hand analogy, only the cap won't come off until you're enlightened. The fact you have it in your hand does you no good until then.