Advayavada Study Plan - week 23

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personlized and firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

This week's ASP subject is the Fourth Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) disposition, frame of mind or attitude to carry out our intention.

Next week's ASP subject is the Fifth Step on the Noble Eighfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) implementation or realization of our intention.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down next week's subject (e.g. 'put into practice') in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>

Fw: Living Yogacara: An Introduction to Consciousness-only Buddhism, by Tagawa Shun'ei

_Living Yogacara: An Introduction to Consciousness-only Buddhism_, by Tagawa Shun'ei. Translated with an Introduction by A. Charles Muller. Boston: Wisdom Publications. Paper, 151 pp. ISBN10:0-86171-589-6. US $18.95

From the back cover:

Yogacara is an influential school of Buddhist philosophy and psychology that stems from the early Indian Mahayana Buddhist tradition. The Yogacara view is based on the fundamental truth that there is nothing in the realm of human experience that is not interpreted by and dependent upon the mind.

Yogacara Buddhism was unable to sustain the same level of popularity as other Buddhist schools in India, Tibet, and East Asia, but its teachings on the nature of consciousness profoundly impacted the successive developments of Buddhism. Yogacara served as the basis for the development of the doctrines of karma and liberation in many other schools.

In this refreshingly accessible study, Tagawa Shun'ei makes sense of Yogacara's subtleties and complexities with insight and clarity. He shows us that Yogacara masters comprehend and express everyday experiences that we all take for granted, yet struggle to explain. Eloquent and approachable, Living Yogacara deepens the reader's understanding of the development of Buddhism's interpretation of the human psyche.

Tagawa Shun'ei is the abbot of the Hosso Temple of Kofukuji in Japan's Nara Prefecture.

Charles Muller specializes in East Asian Buddhism, working primarily in the areas of Korean Buddhism and East Asian Yogacara. He presently teaches at the University of Tokyo.

[Note: This is a translation of the Japanese book _Hajimete no yuishiki_, which was reviewed on H-Buddhism in 2005 here:
<http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=10143>]

Fwd without diacritics by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 22

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

The Noble Eightfold Path in Advayavada Buddhism is fully personlized and firmly based on what we increasingly know about ourselves and our world.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

Last week's ASP subject was the Third Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) enunciation, definition or explanation of our intention.

This week's subject is therefore the Fourth Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) disposition, frame of mind or attitude to carry out our intention

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (e.g. 'my frame of mind!') in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>

Embracing Physicalism in Buddhism (Siderits)

http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/excerpts5.htm#siderits

IHEU Media Zero to Media Hero [abridged]

IHEU has received a great deal of interest in its first ever free webinar / telesummit for humanist leaders. Humanist leaders from almost twenty nations have already signed up to learn how the media works. and how they can work the media. Register now!

Media Zero to Media Hero:

A publicity workshop for humanist leaders

Organized by the International Humanist and Ethical Union

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 from 1 pm to 2 pm EDT

Other time zones
<http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?day=27&month=5&year=2009&hour=13&min=0&sec=0&p1=179>

If you have not already reserved your place at this event, we urge you to do so now. Places are limited and advance registration is required. To register now go to http://tinyurl.com/IHEUmedia

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Fw: Meditation class tonight [Budsoc Oxford]

Dear Budsoccers,

It's that time of the week again! Our weekly meditation class is tonight (Tuesday 19th May) at 8pm. The place, as usual, is the JCR Annex of Oriel College. For those who don't know where Oriel is, you can see the attached image or use the usual googlemaps link.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=oriel+college&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=12.4489,24.916992&ie=UTF8&ll=51.768902,-1.254158&spn=0.101768,0.194664&z=12&iwloc=A

Our teacher Jas first explains the meditation method, then we have half an hour of meditation, then tea and biscuits together with the opportunity to discuss your practise privately with the teacher. The lessons are free, and you can start at any point in the course. Also please feel free to bring anyone you want along as a guest - and of course, you don't need to be an Oxford student to attend. Please bring a cushion or cushions to sit and if you want tea, please bring a mug.

Mettafully,

Henry and the Budsoc Committee

Nagarjuna's MMK chapter 17

New web page:
http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/mmk17.htm
Best wishes,
John.

Advayavada Study Plan - week 21

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

Last week's ASP subject was the Second Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) determination in view of our personal situation at this time.

This week's subject is therefore the Third Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) enunciation, definition or explanation of our intention.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (put plan into words!) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm#plan>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 20

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

Last week's ASP subject was the First Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) insight into the circumstances of our own life at the present moment.

This week's subject is therefore the Second Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) determination in view of our personal situation at this time.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the family, group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (make a plan!) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 19

Friends,

We handled the preliminary subjects these past weeks and this week's ASP subject is again the First Step on the Noble Eightfold Path: our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension of or insight into our own life at the present moment in time - in other words, what is, honestly, my personal situation at this time?

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing over time.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new impetus.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health, relationships, work, study, and our place and responsibilities in the group, sangha, society at large, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (What is my situation?) in your pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>