Sutta is awesome

[raushan]

I have started reading sutta recently. There are so many small but useful things that are written there. Small details like how to conduct day to day life. It's a great read.

[Matthew]

Raushan,

They are a very rich source. Sometimes repetitive, as they are written versions of what was an oral history, and repetition helps memorise.

In particular the Majjhíma Níkãya "middle length discourses" of the Buddha I find are very digestible and often filled with interesting stories and allegory. They make great subject matter for a discussion and I used to run a study group where we would read one of these suttas weekly, then meet and share what we had learned from it. That's something that could work here on the forum if anyone wanted to - most of the texts are available from access to insight.org so free to read.

[raushan]

Thanks, Matthew for letting me know. I will try that here probably.

[raushan]

I will start the sutta discussion here. May be every Sunday. Anyone can start a new thread. Or sometimes it can be dhamma talk instead of sutta.

[Middleway]

I look forward to the discussion. Just recently finished listening to the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah. Those dharma talks are simply brilliant and were timely with all the geopolitical turmoil goings on. They helped me keep my balance and sanity.

I would highly recommend those talks to the sangha. They are titled:

“The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah - Audiobook“

In the Dhamma,

Middleway

[raushan]

Hi All,

I am sorry for not replying n timely manner. I will start is it as soon as I will be able to.

[raushan]

I look forward to the discussion. Just recently finished listening to the collected teachings of Ajahn Chah. Those dharma talks are simply brilliant and were timely with all the geopolitical turmoil goings on. They helped me keep my balance and sanity.

I would highly recommend those talks to the sangha. They are titled:

“The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah - Audiobook“

In the Dhamma,

Middleway

I find all the Dhamma Talks by Ajahn Chah really insightful. Thanks for sharing it. Do you happen to read any books by old zen masters like books by Dogen, suzuki, Hakuin Ekaku? Do you recommend any?

[Middleway]

No, did not read much on Zen Buddhist teachings.

[Dhamma]

No, did not read much on Zen Buddhist teachings.

Zen is unique, and mysterious. Its simplicity is mindblowing, and its koans are full of paradoxes. Dogen is the father of Zen Buddhism, I believe. Everything goes back to him, more or less.  Zen has a specific aesthetic by way of decoration/gardens, etc. that is perfectly in tune with its most profound teachings ...(or not-so-perfect)

Brad Warner has a lot of Zen Buddhist videos on Youtube. He knows quite a bit on this particular school as a lay person.

Zen  = Japanese Zen
Chan = Chinese Zen
Seon = Korean Zen


Peace and enlightenment.

[Middleway]

Alright, you piqued my interest my friend. I have just downloaded "manual of Zen Buddhism" by D.T. Suzuki. I will read it and see how it goes. Thanks!

[raushan]

Thanks for the info Dhamma.

[Dhamma]

You both are very welcome.

Brad Warner calls himself a Zen monk now.  I didn't know that.

Shohaku Okumura is a fabulous Zen teacher/monk. 

I think one of the hallmarks of Zen is the ability to show us how to live fully in the present. That's all you really have, as the future and past are not real. They also have this idea that enlightenment was always there - right in front of you, in fact - but you've always failed to see it.

The koans are great, too. All these paradoxes about ultimate truth. Mysterious, but ultimately true.

All Buddhist schools have their gems for sure.

Peace and enlightenment.

[dharma bum]

I like the Zen guys for their sense of humour. Not taking yourself too seriously seems like a very good idea to me. The theravadists can sometimes seem humourless.

[Matthew]

Zen  = Japanese Zen
Chan = Chinese Zen

Nah.

Zen = Zen (Japanese, established 13th century originating from China, via Vietnam)

Chan = Chan (Chinese, established 6th century)

Zen is simply the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character for Chan which means "meditation". Zen came to be 7 centuries after Chan, so to call Chan "Chinese Zen" is completely missing the mark.

Chan is the Chinese transliteration of Jhana.