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Died By Bear

Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 1:11 am Post subject: Have you ever met a Bodhisattva? |
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Tell us your experiences. |
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mithridates

Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Location: President's office, Korean Space Agency
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 9:01 am Post subject: |
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At the temples they call all kinds of things 보살님, including the cats and other animals.
One example |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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No, but had a friend nick-named Bodhisattva because his brother liked the Steely Dan song. It's the only reason I know what a Bodhisattva is. |
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wylies99

Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 7:56 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, 'tis the one! |
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Died By Bear

Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the Steely Dan, I knew that was coming.
Maybe next we can quote "Siddhartha" and call ourselves German intellectuals.
Seriously, let me tell you the story of the (maybe) third one i met.
He's Cambodian, ran away to Thailand when the Khmer Rouge killed everyone in his family.
In the refugee camp he learned a new skill as a small engine mechanic. And as time passed some of his cousins came over too.
After a few months, the Kmher says, ah forget about that stuff, you can come back home now. And who would NOT want to go back home?
So he does.
All lies. They try to kill him again, kill the rest of the cousins, he runs away across the border again, gets asylum in Leverett, mass.
And that's where i became friends with him.
To this day, he is the most pious Buddhist i know. There is no pride, nor anger, there is just compassion. |
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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 12:24 am Post subject: |
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Died By Bear wrote: |
Maybe next we can quote "Siddhartha" and call ourselves German intellectuals.
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"Govinda asks the now-elderly Siddhartha to relate his wisdom and Siddhartha replies that for every true statement there is an opposite one that is also true; that language and the confines of time lead people to adhere to one fixed belief that does not account for the fullness of the truth."
Seriously though, interesting story about your friend. Just curious though, is the title of Boddhisattva one that is bestowed by others, or is it self-proclaimed? Or is it just something that you feel he is(because you do say "maybe")? |
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Died By Bear

Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 5:24 am Post subject: |
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Closest I've ever come to meeting one I guess.
There are a few types of Bodhisattvas.
There are some who want to achieve Buddhahood so they can then help others from that fullness of enlightenment.
There are some who pursue Buddhahood in the company of others.
***But the type that I consider to be of the highest level is the Bodhisattva who delays progress toward enlightenment in order to bring others along; the idea that it is better for 100 people to take one step towards enlightenment than for one person to take 100 steps. |
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atwood
Joined: 26 Dec 2009
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Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:02 pm Post subject: |
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That reminds me of someone who I met on a job many a moon ago and quickly earned the nickname the Buddha.
He was quite a character and after a somewhat troubled life ended up becoming a follower of Gurdjieff (after being involved with either Esalen or Est). Anyways, he said that through his work with Gurdjieff he had become a fully enlightened being on May 5, 19--, which was close enough to Buddha's birthday for him to be rechristened the Buddha.
He used to wave his Gurdjieff book around and refer to it the way the black dude in "Repo Man" talked about dianetics. He was basically a good guy though. |
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