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Ref the Bhumissparsha mudra.... There are some words of Marco Pallis on the presence of grace in Buddhism. Pallis says that the function of grace is to condition our homecoming to the very center from start to finish. It is the very attraction of the center itself.......which provides the...

As I understand it the Buddhist path is one that leads to the experience of awakening. Faith, as far as Buddhism is concerned, is that such an awakening leads to "the end of suffering", and such was experienced by Siddhartha, the Buddha of our own time. So this holy life.......does not have...

One word often used to speak of the Dharma is ehipassiko (Pali) which means "come and see (for oneself)". Seeing for myself, I note that the biggest division of the Buddhist Faith in the world is Pure Land Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism has much to do with Amida, often thought of as "him...

Nick, Tricky is one word! For me it is more to do with acceptance and surrender than seeking to accelerate anything. "What we have to be is what we are", as one once said. Seattlegal, thanks for the links. I do have a lot of Theravada texts, hard copies and on kindle, and still browse. But...

Just to say that for me Nirvana/Enlightenment is a reality to be realised, not attained. It is a given, gift. As a Pure Land Buddhist I hear deeply the words of Shinran.... "My eyes being hindered by blind passions, I cannot perceive the light that grasps me; Yet the great compassion...

Hi Nick and NJ, on the blance between self and others, here is a link to a worthwhile essay by the Theravada Bhikkhu Nyanaponika Thera. Protection Through Satipatthana

As I understand it, Nirvana is the total eradication of greed, hatred and delusion. Which as far as Buddhism is concerned, is related to the anatta (not-self) teaching, "without understanding which, the whole of Buddhism becomes largely unintelligible." So greed in all its dimensions -...

It was VERY easy to miss amid the verbiage......:) Yes, I think "being-in-relation" is good. Merton spoke of the "self known only to God", which he elsewhere identified with the true self. I may be wrong but I understand him as saying that such a self is unknown to us also, this because he...

Well, I might well have been over wordy, but that was exactly where I WAS trying to start. :)

Many thanks for all the responses.........I must be away for a few days. :)

Perhaps to clarify..... Who would seek to distinguish between a Person and the empirical ego? Is there a difference? Are Individualism and Personalism one and the same? What do we actually mean when God is spoken of as personal? etc etc etc.

radarmark, Could you read through my OP again and try to take in the words "Often a contrast is drawn" and further on "supposed". Also, that the only idea I actually supported was that of Merton's in the quote I gave. Other than that I offered no concepts, either small or large. I asked...

Often a contrast is drawn between the "western" approach to God as a Person and the "eastern" impersonal/non-theistic approach. Thus a lot of Western religion centres around the relationship between our own "persons" and the Person of God, while the Eastern appears to concentrate more on being...

I would see it as focusing on the word of their one God. Which in consequence leads to the confusion between word as text and the Living Word. Following on, true "dharma" can only come by grace via the Living Word.

Good. Yes, thanks. I suppose the difference between looking in from the outside and being on the inside.

I just happen to be reading an historical round up of the so called "eastern" philosophies, and it would seem to be the case that "Hinduism" is more a blanket word to cover a whole host of various movements and ways. Of which one would now be that which Aupmanyav identifies with. It all seems...

I think that being accepted just as you are CAN be the catalyst of genuine transformation. Possibly, then, one can be part of the reconciliation of ALL things?

Maybe that relates to the experience coming first rather than working from conclusions. Anyway, yes, I often find myself reading Merton's words and find something new each time.

Thomas, well thanks for your thanks, but really, thank Merton, the words are his. As for me, more often than not I barely have the intuition to recognise just what to take seriously and what not. But thanks all the same.

Hi again, relevant to all this are some words - quite a lot of words actually - once again from Thomas Merton in his book of essays, "Raids on the Unspeakable"...... ......the deeper question is the nature of reality itself. Inexorable consistency. Is reality the same as consistency...