🧡 If you find benefit in my videos, consider supporting the channel by joining us on Patreon and get fun extras like exclusive videos, ad-free audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: www.patreon.com/dougsseculardharma 🙂 📙 You can find my book here: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
This teaching is incredibly relevant today with so many yearning for social media attention, internet fame, to be influencers and whatnot. So grateful as always for you and the knowledge and wisdom you share 💚
It has been my observation of humans, that no matter what community you find yourself in, there will always be someone who has to feel superior to others. Who cannot just be. But must boast of their "I'm better than you" because... attitude. From simple hobby groups, to professional artisans, to simple cooks, to gardeners, to whatever endeavor a human chooses, there will always be someone who can (or thinks they can) do something better than you do. Once I accepted this truth, and let it go, I moved forward in my practice.
Thank you Doug for this very timely reminder. It is ironic how somebody that is so opposed to fame end up being one of the most famous persons in the known history of humanity. This reminds me of the famous Tibetan yogi Milarepa that early on in his practice understood this danger and spent most of his life in very remote and isolated caves high up in the Himalayan mountains rather than mingling with the rest of the population or staying in a monetary. Even after having obtained complete enlightenment he continued to stay away from society but graciously received anyone that managed to find their way up to one of his cave dwellings. I urge anyone interested in how a truly genuine practitioner of the Buddha dharma dedicated his life to his practice and did mingle with society as little as possible to read the life story of the 11:th century sage Milarepa. No doubt the example of the Buddha had made a very strong impression on him.
Another great video Doug. It’s sometimes easy for us to forget that even those who achieve ‘enlightenment’ can still be tempted . How many times do we see great teachers and gurus fall into this . As humans we are all lured by such things . As a Secular Buddhist I don’t believe in a physical tempting entity but I do find it helpful to use the phrase ‘ I see you Mara’ whenever I realize when I am being tempted by such things.
@@cariyaputta I should have put “quotes” around the word tempted . For me the religious term carry’s a lot of spiritual baggage . Perhaps another way to say that would be ‘distracted’ or ‘mentally lured away’. Once again as a secularist I can often use religious terminology but my meanings for the terms could mean something slightly different . My apologies for any confusion and by ‘lured away’ I don’t mean from ‘the path’ I mean from the current stream of thought or the peace you are currently in .
Thank you again, Doug. This seems like it should be a video for Twitter owners to watch. Fame is quite a corrupting burden. Thank you for spreading peace and teaching methods for tranquility. We live in a moment where fame is extremely possible with a blink of an eye, in a moment that "viral trends" are seemingly aspirational. The depth with which you sustain your arguments sometimes appear easy, but thank you for the hard work and exploration and the philosophical rigor to explain the Dharma as layman as possible. It is good to know that your flame for curiosity survives despite the immensurable difficulty you endured recently. No fire is as strong as the one within, our will to improve. I hope to support you someday, when that opportunity arises. Thank you all who can support. Stay well philosophical companions!
Hi Doug, I have one question There are two meanings of being omniscient: 1. The one who knows everything without any exception. 2. The one who knows everything that can be known. What cannot be known can never be known by any means. Which kind of omniscience is applied to the Buddha?
Thanks for that, I don't see the distinction between 1 and 2. I also did a past video on the Buddha's supposed omniscience: th-cam.com/video/XbmBzuoR8jM/w-d-xo.html
Lord wasn't keen to teach because he thought that the teaching of non self would be difficult to comprehend. Lord Buddha had complete understanding of the illusionary delusional world, the world was an object of meditation for him and not to get involved in. Fame or defame is a conditional feature to practice equanimity (upekha).
Fame, in my perception, has to be the worst Dukkha. Like flies are drawn to rotting stench (Ajahn Chah) they think what smells the worst is the very best. Yes the Kilesas and proliferation diverting energy from the deathless to Samsara. Thanks Doug 🙏🏼
The Buddha rejecting fame seems like a really complicated ordeal, especially for mahayana traditions. One thing that texts always stress is the Buddha and the bodhisattvas being these infinitely compassionate and generous beings who's main purpose is the liberation of all sentient beings. That goal in itself seems to require fame and recognition. But even the early texts present a theme that sort of presents the Buddha as someone who sought fame in a certain way. The pali Canon itself is a library of texts that are filled with discourses, teachings, sayings, debates, etc. That the Buddha engaged in, in many different locations over the course of decades. If guatama didn't want to be famous, he had a funny way of avoiding it. He could have just sat in silence and obscurity at the bodhi tree if he wanted. I think most people would agree that in order to benefit people you need to establish notoriety simply so you can reach people and appear credible to them. Not to mention that he had to be seen as a credible person to ensure the sustenance of his sangha, as they relied on alms from the locals. But at the same time he teaches that this pursuit is an obstacle.
May I ask your opinion on certain aspects of buddhism? It's about the erection of gargantuous statues of the buddha and similarly of stupas, construction of similarly sized lavish temples, meditation, preaching halls, very often with enormous statues of the buddha inside and holding elaborate charity fund-raising ceremonies engaged by certain practitioners of buddhism. Are these "rituals" really compatible with the true teachings of the buddha? I ask this because I see the relevance of it since you are speaking how the buddha preferred to shun fame
The Enlightened One soars far beyond hope and fear. Real dharma practice is free from the eight worldly concerns of gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, and fame and disgrace.
Enjoying the Dharma when one has perfect achievement of it (Enlightenment) is the absolute greatest pleasure and human bliss. Attaining perfect Dharma in this life is pretty much being in Heaven on Earth, sharing perfect Dharma however is a complete uphill battle and you really gotta struggle to bring the understanding to others. Not to mention that some people simply do not want and will not want perfect Dharma. It is what it is.
@@kitkat6959 It's tuff for a lay person to acclimate to seeking perfect, authentic Dharma when they don't want to, even a Boddhisatva couldn't help with that. It's much more easier to enjoy perfect Dharma than it is to share it.
I am sorry to say but I am a Christian I just wanted to see what Buddhism is but I am not choosing it because I seen what God can do I am who I am hope you don’t judge me 😕
Buddhism and Jainism are almost same except that their number of heavens and hells differ from each other, Jain believe in eternal soul, Buddhism doesn't and Jain enlightenment is going to the highest heaven whereas Buddhist enlightenment is going beyond all the heavens.
🧡 If you find benefit in my videos, consider supporting the channel by joining us on Patreon and get fun extras like exclusive videos, ad-free audio-only versions, and extensive show notes: www.patreon.com/dougsseculardharma 🙂
📙 You can find my book here: books2read.com/buddhisthandbook
This teaching is incredibly relevant today with so many yearning for social media attention, internet fame, to be influencers and whatnot. So grateful as always for you and the knowledge and wisdom you share 💚
Yes, social media only amplifies the problem ...! 🙏
If the word "great" can be used for anyone then its for Buddha.
🙏😊
It has been my observation of humans, that no matter what community you find yourself in, there will always be someone who has to feel superior to others. Who cannot just be. But must boast of their "I'm better than you" because... attitude.
From simple hobby groups, to professional artisans, to simple cooks, to gardeners, to whatever endeavor a human chooses, there will always be someone who can (or thinks they can) do something better than you do.
Once I accepted this truth, and let it go, I moved forward in my practice.
Yes, well said! There is no end to worldly aims.
Thank you Doug for this very timely reminder. It is ironic how somebody that is so opposed to fame end up being one of the most famous persons in the known history of humanity. This reminds me of the famous Tibetan yogi Milarepa that early on in his practice understood this danger and spent most of his life in very remote and isolated caves high up in the Himalayan mountains rather than mingling with the rest of the population or staying in a monetary. Even after having obtained complete enlightenment he continued to stay away from society but graciously received anyone that managed to find their way up to one of his cave dwellings.
I urge anyone interested in how a truly genuine practitioner of the Buddha dharma dedicated his life to his practice and did mingle with society as little as possible to read the life story of the 11:th century sage Milarepa. No doubt the example of the Buddha had made a very strong impression on him.
Yes, that wouldn't surprise me! Thanks freetibet. 🙏
Another great video Doug. It’s sometimes easy for us to forget that even those who achieve ‘enlightenment’ can still be tempted . How many times do we see great teachers and gurus fall into this . As humans we are all lured by such things . As a Secular Buddhist I don’t believe in a physical tempting entity but I do find it helpful to use the phrase ‘ I see you Mara’ whenever I realize when I am being tempted by such things.
What did you mean by tempted?
@@cariyaputta I should have put “quotes” around the word tempted . For me the religious term carry’s a lot of spiritual baggage . Perhaps another way to say that would be ‘distracted’ or ‘mentally lured away’. Once again as a secularist I can often use religious terminology but my meanings for the terms could mean something slightly different . My apologies for any confusion and by ‘lured away’ I don’t mean from ‘the path’ I mean from the current stream of thought or the peace you are currently in .
Sure, we are tempted by the anticipation of pleasant sensations, for example.
Teaching without the “bells and whistles”. Well done 🙂🙏🏼
🙏😊
Thank you again, Doug. This seems like it should be a video for Twitter owners to watch. Fame is quite a corrupting burden. Thank you for spreading peace and teaching methods for tranquility. We live in a moment where fame is extremely possible with a blink of an eye, in a moment that "viral trends" are seemingly aspirational. The depth with which you sustain your arguments sometimes appear easy, but thank you for the hard work and exploration and the philosophical rigor to explain the Dharma as layman as possible. It is good to know that your flame for curiosity survives despite the immensurable difficulty you endured recently. No fire is as strong as the one within, our will to improve. I hope to support you someday, when that opportunity arises. Thank you all who can support. Stay well philosophical companions!
My pleasure! 😊
This came at just the right time for me. Thanks, Doug :)
My pleasure, gscrean!
same here, I am going to make presentation next week and alas this teaching would make me more modest while speaking about my achievenments
thank you
You're welcome!
In my 20's I was guilty of wishing to be famous,
but today, in my 50's, I relish my reclusive lifestyle.
🙏😊
Hi Doug, I have one question
There are two meanings of being omniscient:
1. The one who knows everything without any exception.
2. The one who knows everything that can be known. What cannot be known can never be known by any means.
Which kind of omniscience is applied to the Buddha?
Thanks for that, I don't see the distinction between 1 and 2. I also did a past video on the Buddha's supposed omniscience: th-cam.com/video/XbmBzuoR8jM/w-d-xo.html
Thanks Doug!
My pleasure!
Thank You Doug!! Sadhu!!
My pleasure! 🙏
Lord wasn't keen to teach because he thought that the teaching of non self would be difficult to comprehend. Lord Buddha had complete understanding of the illusionary delusional world, the world was an object of meditation for him and not to get involved in.
Fame or defame is a conditional feature to practice equanimity (upekha).
🙏😊
@@DougsDharma till his very last breath Lord continuously helped people to practice & realise Dhamma
Fame, in my perception, has to be the worst Dukkha. Like flies are drawn to rotting stench (Ajahn Chah) they think what smells the worst is the very best. Yes the Kilesas and proliferation diverting energy from the deathless to Samsara. Thanks Doug 🙏🏼
🙏😊
Thank you 🙏
My pleasure!
Thank you!
My pleasure!
Great video
Thanks for the visit!
Very important and very good. Thank you Doug
Glad it was helpful!
The Buddha rejecting fame seems like a really complicated ordeal, especially for mahayana traditions. One thing that texts always stress is the Buddha and the bodhisattvas being these infinitely compassionate and generous beings who's main purpose is the liberation of all sentient beings. That goal in itself seems to require fame and recognition.
But even the early texts present a theme that sort of presents the Buddha as someone who sought fame in a certain way. The pali Canon itself is a library of texts that are filled with discourses, teachings, sayings, debates, etc. That the Buddha engaged in, in many different locations over the course of decades. If guatama didn't want to be famous, he had a funny way of avoiding it. He could have just sat in silence and obscurity at the bodhi tree if he wanted.
I think most people would agree that in order to benefit people you need to establish notoriety simply so you can reach people and appear credible to them. Not to mention that he had to be seen as a credible person to ensure the sustenance of his sangha, as they relied on alms from the locals. But at the same time he teaches that this pursuit is an obstacle.
Right, it's kind of a paradoxical position to be in. He wanted to disseminate the dharma, but didn't want to become famous in so doing.
Buddha preached the dhamma and so he became famous not because he wanted to become famous
Fame , Money & Power are not reasons to live 😊
Thanks
🙏😊
Great video!!!
Thanks so much!
May I ask your opinion on certain aspects of buddhism? It's about the erection of gargantuous statues of the buddha and similarly of stupas, construction of similarly sized lavish temples, meditation, preaching halls, very often with enormous statues of the buddha inside and holding elaborate charity fund-raising ceremonies engaged by certain practitioners of buddhism. Are these "rituals" really compatible with the true teachings of the buddha? I ask this because I see the relevance of it since you are speaking how the buddha preferred to shun fame
Well for one answer check out my earlier video on rituals: th-cam.com/video/_MKlOZ0agQU/w-d-xo.html
I would imagine that the Buddha would have felt very vindicated in this thought had he known what the paparazzi would be like
Oh for sure! I imagine though that they wouldn't surprise him.
The Enlightened One soars far beyond hope and fear. Real dharma practice is free from the eight worldly concerns of gain and loss, pleasure and pain, praise and blame, and fame and disgrace.
🙏😊
before enlightenment chop wood, after enlightenment chop wood.
🙏😊
Are no feeling and neutral feeling the same entity?
I don't think so, neutral feeling is just the way we feel when we aren't feeling pleasure or pain, but it isn't necessarily numbness.
That dangerous "conceit" that threatens even a monk I think is also called "spiritual pride" or "the sin of hubris".
True. Bhikkhu Anālayo wrote a book on the topic recently, that I discussed in this video: th-cam.com/video/bnMip0lgLzg/w-d-xo.html
@@DougsDharma Thanks! Such a big issue. I really like how you focus on the earliest accounts rather than hagiography.
😊🙏
🙏😊🤪
Why is it that the Buddha has a preference of enjoying peaceful meditation over sharing the dharma with everyone by making use of his fame?
Enjoying the Dharma when one has perfect achievement of it (Enlightenment) is the absolute greatest pleasure and human bliss. Attaining perfect Dharma in this life is pretty much being in Heaven on Earth, sharing perfect Dharma however is a complete uphill battle and you really gotta struggle to bring the understanding to others. Not to mention that some people simply do not want and will not want perfect Dharma.
It is what it is.
that's what boddhisatvas are for
@@kitkat6959 It's tuff for a lay person to acclimate to seeking perfect, authentic Dharma when they don't want to, even a Boddhisatva couldn't help with that. It's much more easier to enjoy perfect Dharma than it is to share it.
Well jhānic meditation is continuous bliss, so it's more pleasant than talking, though the Buddha did seem to enjoy discussing the dharma too.
I am sorry to say but I am a Christian I just wanted to see what Buddhism is but I am not choosing it because I seen what God can do I am who I am hope you don’t judge me 😕
No worries! 😊
So you feel threaten by your supposedly loving God ?
is it okay for a buddist monk to use smartphone
Sure, why not? It depends what they do with it of course.
Hi
What are your thoughts on Jainism?
Buddhism and Jainism are almost same except that their number of heavens and hells differ from each other, Jain believe in eternal soul, Buddhism doesn't and Jain enlightenment is going to the highest heaven whereas Buddhist enlightenment is going beyond all the heavens.
There was no such person as buddha, your own mind is buddha. If you understand this, then his teachings were not wasted.
@Siyovaxsh En-sipad-zid-ana it's all concepts... Let's not cherry pick
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