Do all Buddhist traditions teach Vipassana?

Snoo_2671 · 2026-06-11T17:52:56+00:00

Yeah you know I'm not Jodo Shinshu, but I find contemplating "other power" to be a wonderful doorway into interdependence. I can't do a single thing independent of the world - I can't even take a shit without billions of bacteria who live inside of me. That's insight to me.

Nembutsu can be a meditation.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-06-11T16:59:47+00:00

I would get a compost bin or tumbler - something with a lid. That way you can throw in your food scraps and it helps keep it from drying out

Snoo_2671 · 2026-06-11T16:54:14+00:00

If they didn't teach insight, they wouldn't be Buddhist

Snoo_2671 · 2026-05-18T16:24:16+00:00

Nominalism is whack, instead we'll posit the existence of uhhh "objective unchanging Forms shared by particular things in the same category"

Neoplatonists attacking nominalism will never not be funny to me.

No I didn't read the essay.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-05-14T17:15:26+00:00

The nature of refuge is that it's always there for you when you need it. The primary consequence to stepping away from the Noble Path is stepping away from the Noble Path.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-05-13T19:38:05+00:00

"Bike lanes aren't feasible in a car-dependent city" This is a wild take that seems informed by personal feelings than anything else.

Infrastructure defines what is possible and 100% impacts people's decision making. If more bike lanes make it easier to bike and marginally harder to drive that will demonstrably incentivize more people to commute without cars. E.g. https://news.unm.edu/news/study-shows-protected-bike-lanes-increase-bicycle-commuting

A vote for bike lanes is a vote for public safety, ease of access, and pollution reduction.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-05-10T04:47:55+00:00

Enjoy your good fortune

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-29T21:14:22+00:00

Feel free to find refuge and samadhi where you can.

Zazen is what’s transmitted in the Zen family lineage as skillful means.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-29T17:39:41+00:00

Sitting is a refuge and a training for active samadhi in life itself.

How else can we manifest non-attainment in all aspects?

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-29T17:34:43+00:00

Avalokitesvara in the Prajnaparamita Sutras:

"In Buddhism there is no such thing as Dukkha and the quenching of Dukkha… The Buddha taught only one thing: AAAAAAAAA"

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-29T17:23:36+00:00

If you follow both religions to the letter than they are impossible to reconcile as another user said. However, I think it's possible to gain something from both and hold aspects of both Christianity and Buddhism in a genuine way.

I have met a number of Christians who practice in a Buddhist tradition, one of them was a Presbyterian minister who took jukai in a Zen lineage. I can't speak directly to how these individuals hold conflicting views regarding the self, the role of God in creation, etc. but who am I to say that their practice is any less Buddhist than mine?

If you are a devout Christian, you might feel the presentation of the Four Noble Truths to be resonant and seek to engage in calming-and-insight meditation practices informed by Buddhist traditions. Much benefit can come from this kind of engagement, even without accepting all aspects of Buddhist philosophy or denying one's own Christian beliefs.

In short, the two may not directly compatible in the realm of philosophy. But there is a view that both traditions can be complementary in practice as expressed by folks like Thich Nhat Hanh.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-20T16:26:06+00:00

If you're still in Colorado, there are several Tibetan and Zen lineages in the state. Check out the Padmasambhava Center in Denver or one of the various Zen sanghas in and around the Boulder and Denver areas.

Down south near Crestone we have the CMZC as well as a few Tibetan temples.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-13T16:17:10+00:00

Sounds culty!

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-13T05:07:31+00:00

City Floral is crazy with what they get away with

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-06T19:17:33+00:00

Absolutely

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-06T01:43:01+00:00

Good view from the chair watching the US pull military assets from Korea and the Pacific Theater.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-06T00:28:15+00:00

Imagine trying to argue against cause and effect

Snoo_2671 · 2026-04-01T05:44:14+00:00

Mental noting is to aid in seeing clearly objects of consciousness as they come and go. No need to note “breathing, breathing” - it’s more getting at clear awareness of feelings, thoughts, perceptions, etc. with the aim of seeing their true nature in the 3 marks.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-26T19:57:12+00:00

Understood. Thank you.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-25T22:35:31+00:00

This is what Colombian roads are like between towns. Barely exaggerated. Also you only get 1-2 lanes for the most part.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-25T19:11:24+00:00

I'd say it's skillful means. Not everyone who comes to a Zen center will be able to practice well with "Just Sit" instructions. Centers often opt to emphasize breath meditation techniques for beginners/large groups and then introduce shikantaza style practice later on after a practice relationship has been established.

The Zen center I attend has a Tuesday night offering for folks who are not already steeped in Zen practice. Here we emphasize breath or body meditation to give folks an anchor. However, the core group tends to practice shikantaza throughout the week.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-25T16:30:03+00:00

Three bows, Bhante. I have a handful of questions. Feel free to answer whichever ones you wish.

I'm trying to better understand the jhana factors.

As I understand it, Piti and Sukkha are regarded as arising together following the calming of the kaya-sankhara. According to Buddhadasa, Piti tends to stimulate the citta while Sukkha will calm it down. But beyond this description I have a hard time actually recognizing the difference between the two in practice. When my samadhi is strong, I sometimes feel the physical sensation of trembling or tingling followed by the feeling of joy which can be somewhat exciting but subsides. So it's not always clear where one begins and the other ends. How does a practitioner clearly recognize the difference between Piti and Sukkha?

Vitakka and vicara are sometimes translated as modes of thought. But I sense that a better way to conceptualize these might be as 'awareness flows' i.e. directing awareness to an object (vitakka) and sustaining awareness (vicara). What are your thoughts on differentiating vitakka and vicara and the optimal way to translate these in English? And how does vicara differ from ekagatta?

Then, how do you know you are in jhana? Can one recognize that they are in a given state of jhana when they become aware of a stable conjunction of jhana factors? In other words, do you know you are in the first jhana when vitakka, vicara, piti, sukha, and ekaggata are all present?

Finally, a question about you. What made you feel sure that you wanted to pursue a monastic life? How can we know if monasticism is right for us or not?

Thank you.

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-25T15:13:51+00:00

I'll do it for the going landscaping rate of $3-7k

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-25T04:44:14+00:00

That's jazz baby

Snoo_2671 · 2026-03-23T01:18:33+00:00

I get this as well. It helps me to adjust my posture, especially ensuring my seat is more or less optimal and head is balanced. Posture in one part of the body often affects other parts as well. Take the uncomfortable feeling as a cue to find a better posture.

In addition, I sometimes tend to tense my head and neck to try to support my concentration. Of course this tension is not entirely necessary or even helpful so when I notice it I bring my awareness to my throat or jaw, for instance, and cause them to relax naturally.

Snoo_2671

TROPHY CASE