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skillfulmean.bsky.social
@skillfulmean.bsky.social
46 followers 0 following 38 posts
harsh criticism and sarcasm from in and around buddhist traditions. updated intermittently by @r0landa.bsky.social
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skillfulmean.bsky.social
Nature and the Environment in Early Buddhism - Shravasti Dammika
November 6, 2025 at 1:48 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
I made him sound like a baptist preacher in this
November 1, 2025 at 8:33 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
October 24, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
Those having faith in formless God
do not worship statues of Stone.
The grinding stone in their houses
is better than the stone*

*[as it feeds people]

From the Bheem-Ambedkar-Shatakam.

www.sanskrit.nic.in/DigitalBook/...

CC: @skillfulmean.bsky.social
October 5, 2025 at 10:12 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Saṅkhitta Sutta (AN 8:70)
Then a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "It would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone in seclusion: heedful, ardent, & resolute" "But it is in just this way that some worthless men make a request but then, having been told the Dhamma, think they should tag along right behind me."
September 9, 2025 at 11:38 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Bhikkhu Ñāṇananda describing the means by which Dabba Mallaputta, arhat, performed his duty of allocating lodgings to visiting monks

seeingthroughthenet.net/wp-content/u...
He acquitted himself well in the perfomance of both these duties. Particularly in regard to the duty of allocating lodgings to visiting monks, it is said that he was so efficient as to do it according to their dispositions and predelictions. He saw to it that visiting monks who devoted themselves to the preservation of discourses (suttantika) lodged together with the wish: 'Let them spend the night reciting the discourses.' When monks expert in discipline arrived, he made them lodge together thinking : 'Let them spend the night discussing points of discipline.' When preachers of Dhamma came, he gave them lodgings at one spot with the wish : 'Let them pass the night in Dhamma discussions! When garrulous monks given to frivolous talk, those who had gone forth to fatten their bodies, came visiting, he made them lodge together with the thought: 'Let them waste the night in their accustomed frivolties.'
August 9, 2025 at 4:52 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
www.dhammatalks.org/books/Desire...
To think of "skillful" and "unskillful" desires is dualistic and judgmental. You don't want non-dualistic mechanics working on your car, or non-dualistic surgeons operating on your brain. You want people who can tell what's skillful from what's not. If you really value your happiness, you'll demand the same discernment in the person most responsible for it: yourself. It's too goal-oriented. Just accept things as they are in the present. Every desire tells you that things in the present are limited and lacking. You either accept the desire or accept the lack. To accept both at once is to deny that either has any real truth. To try to dwell peacefully in the tension between the two-in a "path of no craving" to be rid of either-is what the Buddha called limited equanimity, and what one Thai forest master called the equanimity of a coW.
July 1, 2025 at 6:09 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
tendaiaustralia.com/text-1/
於是。愚中極愚。狂中極狂。塵禿有情。底下最澄。上違於諸佛。中背於皇法。下闕於孝禮。 Consequently, I, Saicho, who am the most foolish of fools; the most deranged of the deranged; a nothing [lit. speck of dirt] among the bald-headed ones; and the lowest of the low: upwardly disregard all the Buddhas; middlingly disobey the Emperor's laws; and downwardly lack filial respect [for my parents].
June 25, 2025 at 9:28 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Bodhicaryâvatāra, Santideva, trans. Crosby and Skilton, p93 57 Aside from the delicate lotus, born in muck, opening up in the rays of a cloudless sun, what is the pleasure in a cage of crap for a mind addicted to filth? 58 If you do not want to touch something such as soil because it is smeared with excrement, how can you long to touch the body which excreted it? 59 If you have no passion for what is foul, why do you embrace another, born in a field of filth, seeded by filth, nourished by filth? 60 Is it that you do not like a dirty worm born in filth because it's only tiny? It must be that you desire a body, likewise born in filth, because it is formed from such a large amount! 61 Not only are you not disgusted at your own foulness, you glutton for crap, you yearn for other vats of filth!
June 10, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
"People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way.--
To explain this Dharma to Westerners is difficult, because no matter what Westerners talk about, it always concerns love and desire. This is especially true of followers of certain religions who say, "God loves me, and I love God." ..."
The Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the Way." To explain this Dharma to Westerners is difficult, because no matter what Westerners talk about, it always concerns love and desire. This is especially true of followers of certain religions who say, "God loves me, and I love God." They love God, just as men and women love one another. In fact, some nuns even say that they marry God. They simply have no understanding of the Way. What people harbor in their minds is love and desire. Everything they do involves love and desire. If you cultivate the Way, but do not understand it, then on the one hand you cultivate, but on the other hand you lose your cultivation. You're advised not to hold onto any love and desire, but your love and desire keep on increasing!
May 29, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
Buddhist Supersessionism:
According to Master Hsuan Hua, when Buddhism was first introduced to China, a challenge was set: Buddhist and Daoist texts were set alight, and the true sect's books would survive.

The Daoist books were destroyed, and the daoist masters lost their ability to do miracles.
The Buddhadharma was transmitted to China during the Han Dynasty (206 b.c. A.d. 220). During that era, Taoism also flourished. When Buddhism came to China, the Taoist masters became jealous. They held an audience with the emperor and told him, "Buddhism is a false faith. It is a barbarian religion; it's not Chinese. Therefore, you should not permit it to spread through China. You should abolish Buddhism!" they urged. "If you will not abolish it, then you should at least hold a contest." What were the rules of the contest? The Taoists suggested that the emperor put the Buddha's sutras together in a pile with the Taoists' texts and then set fire to them. Whichever books burned belonged to the false religion, and the texts that survived the flames would be recognized as the true ones. The Taoist leader Chu Shanxin and five hundred other Taoist masters put the Taoist texts together with the Buddhist sutras and then prayed to the Venerable Great Master Lao Zi, "Divine Lord, O Virtuous One of the Way! You must grant us a magical response to ensure that our texts will not burn and that the Buddhist sutras will go up in flames!" Many of the Taoist masters present had spiritual powers. Some could soar through the clouds and ride the fog. Others could sail through the heavens and hide in the earth. Some could vanish into thin air. You might see one in front of you, but suddenly he would disappear! There were Taoists who had the power to do almost anything. Some of them could make a quick escape by disappearing. They had used the charms and spells of the Taoist religion to gain a considerable number of spiritual powers. When the fire was lit, guess what happened? Not only did the Buddhist sutras not burn, they emitted light instead! The relics (sharira) of the Buddha also emitted a five-colored light that flared into space as bright as the sun, shining over the entire world. As soon as the Taoist texts were set on fire, they burned to ashes and were gone. Those who had been able to soar through the clouds couldn't do it anymore; they had lost their spiritual powers. Those who had been able to sail to the heavens could no longer manage it. Those who had been able to hide in the earth could no longer hide in the earth. Those who had been able to vanish couldn't vanish. The spells they mumbled no longer worked. There was no response. The Taoist texts burned to a crisp, and the Taoist masters Chu Shanxin and Fei Zhengqing died of rage right then and there! Witnessing the death of their leaders, two or three hundred Taoists shaved their heads and became Buddhist monks on the spot. So, the first time Taoism and Buddhism held a Dharma-contest, the Taoists lost.
May 28, 2025 at 9:34 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
bhikku, to me you are like an unladen donkey standing by a door-post or a dustbin or a drain
skillfulmean.bsky.social skillfulmean.bsky.social @skillfulmean.bsky.social · Mar 5
Middle Length Discourses, Ñāṇamoli and Bodhi, p433.
13. “Then, Evil One, the M›ra DÒsı took possession of those brahmin householders, telling them: ‘Come now, abuse, revile, scold, and harass the virtuous bhikkhus of good character; then perhaps, when they are abused, reviled, scolded, and harassed by you, some change will come about in their minds whereby the M›ra DÒsı may find an opportunity.’ Then, when the M›ra DÒsı had taken possession of the brahmin householders, they abused, reviled, scolded, and harassed the virtuous bhikkhus of good character thus:523 ‘These bald-pated recluses, these swarthy menial offspring of the Kinsman’s feet,524 claim: “We are meditators, we are meditators!” and with shoulders drooping, heads down and all limp, they meditate, premeditate, outmeditate, and mismeditate.525 Just as an owl on a branch waiting for a mouse meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a jackal on a river-bank waiting for fish meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a cat, waiting for a mouse by an alley or drain or rubbish bin, meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a donkey unladen, standing by a door-post or a dustbin or a drain, meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, so too, these bald-pated recluses, these swarthy menial offspring of the Kinsman’s feet, claim: “We are meditators, we are meditators!” and with shoulders drooping, heads down and all limp, they meditate, premeditate, out-meditate, and mismeditate.’ Now, Evil One, on that occasion most of those human beings, when they died, reappeared on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. [335]
April 19, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Reposted
srav.bsky.social
buddhism has this but it's mostly people who want to justify anti-natalism and drug use
February 11, 2025 at 7:42 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Middle Length Discourses, Ñāṇamoli and Bodhi, p433.
13. “Then, Evil One, the M›ra DÒsı took possession of those brahmin householders, telling them: ‘Come now, abuse, revile, scold, and harass the virtuous bhikkhus of good character; then perhaps, when they are abused, reviled, scolded, and harassed by you, some change will come about in their minds whereby the M›ra DÒsı may find an opportunity.’ Then, when the M›ra DÒsı had taken possession of the brahmin householders, they abused, reviled, scolded, and harassed the virtuous bhikkhus of good character thus:523 ‘These bald-pated recluses, these swarthy menial offspring of the Kinsman’s feet,524 claim: “We are meditators, we are meditators!” and with shoulders drooping, heads down and all limp, they meditate, premeditate, outmeditate, and mismeditate.525 Just as an owl on a branch waiting for a mouse meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a jackal on a river-bank waiting for fish meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a cat, waiting for a mouse by an alley or drain or rubbish bin, meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, or just as a donkey unladen, standing by a door-post or a dustbin or a drain, meditates, premeditates, out-meditates, and mismeditates, so too, these bald-pated recluses, these swarthy menial offspring of the Kinsman’s feet, claim: “We are meditators, we are meditators!” and with shoulders drooping, heads down and all limp, they meditate, premeditate, out-meditate, and mismeditate.’ Now, Evil One, on that occasion most of those human beings, when they died, reappeared on the dissolution of the body, after death, in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, even in hell. [335]
March 5, 2025 at 12:44 AM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
Master Hsuan Hua criticises the hippies

"Today's hippies want to turn the times around. Brandishing "Confucius Says" yet at the same time—guess what?—they smoke opium and marijuana... as if those do not injure or wound their bodies."
www.cttbusa.org/esscommentar...

@skillfulmean.bsky.social
However, currently there is a group of individuals in the United States who misunderstand filiality. What is that about? Raving China's "Confucius Says": "Our bodies—and hair and skin—we received from our parents, and must not presume to injure or wound them: This is the beginning of filial piety," a bunch of hippies crop up who do not cut their hair or wash their faces—that would amount to "injuring the hair" and "wounding the skin"—you see. That thinking is wide of the mark. To "not presume to injure or wound them" does not equate to not cutting one's hair or washing one's face. It is telling you not to bring damage to them. Haircuts are part of the times. [Since] The going trends call for haircuts, [then] one should go with the trends. Today's hippies want to turn the times around. Brandishing "Confucius Says" yet at the same time—guess what?—they smoke opium and marijuana, and take LSD as if those do not injure or wound their bodies. Those things kill off who-knows-how-many body cells, ruin their health, and practically run their bodies down. They chalk it up to "filiality," and meanwhile, their parents are the furthest thing from their minds—consigned to oblivion. Ask them who their parents are and they draw a blank—and they are supposedly observing Chinese filiality. That is a complete mix-up. This erroneous thinking needs to be completely corrected. From refusing to cut their hair to engaging their bodies in shady dealings, even robberies and vices—where do you suppose they will end up? If one day they should get gunned down, that would truly be unfilial. Once they get into illegal dealings or robberies, they will either end up killing some policemen or getting killed by the police. Now, is that "to not presume to injure or wound them—the beginning of filial piety"? What a mistake.
February 19, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Reposted
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Yunqi Zhuhong on the Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci
November 10, 2023 at 2:00 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/skil...
edwardw2.bsky.social Edward w @edwardw2.bsky.social · Dec 16
A Christian attempts to prove the superiority of Christianity over Pure Land Buddhism christianapologeticsalliance.com/2013/11/22/p...
The following are examples of the parallels I’ve found between Pure Land Buddhism and Christianity and how Christianity stands superior in comparison: 1.Amithaba Buddha as a shadow of Christ. Amithaba is not a historical figure, but Christ is and He in reality provides the much longed for salvation that was revealed to these people through the Amithaba figure. 2. Sukhavati as a shadow of the true heaven. 3. The historical reality of Christ as opposed to the myth of the Amithaba Buddha. The great number of manuscript evidence for the Gospels coupled with the external evidence through the Talmud and the writings of Jewish historian Josephus and Roman historians Tacitus, Thallus, and Seutonius give strong proof for the reality of Jesus, his miracles, his death, and resurrection. Amithaba is not supported by such historically reliable evidences. 4. Double imputation in Christ vs transfer of merit of Amithaba to the devotee. In Christ, our sins are dealt with and His merit is transferred to us. In Amithaba, the sins are not dealt with; there is simply a transfer of merit so that the good merits outweigh the bad ones and the believer in Amithaba enters the pureland of bliss after his death. 5. The name of Jesus vs the name of Amitaba. The name of Christ is the highest given to man. There is authority in the name of Jesus. All prayers are made in the name of Jesus because it is only through Him that we can appraoch God. No vain repetition or chanting of the name of Christ is encouraged or taught in Christianity. Chanting the name of Amitaba in Pure land is one of the ways of attaining salvation. This recitation of the name of Buddha Amithaba is called nembutsu. Saying “Namu Amida Butsu” with conviction certifies that one attains birth in the Pure Land. 6. Justice. Justice is not served in Pureland, whereas Christ takes up the punishment and justice is obtained. One good deed cannot cancel a bad deed. 7. Faith as persuation based on evidence(objective and subjective) vs blind faith in Amitabha. Amitabha has not demonstrated his love in a verifiable manner. Christ, on the other hand, demonstrated his love in a historical verifiable manner so that even after 2000 years we are able to historically and archeologically demostrate what Christ said and did. 8. The Bible vs the Pure Land Sutras. The Bible has the greatest number of manuscript evidence, and its historical reliability has been established. It is not so with the Pure Land Sutras. 9. Assurance of salvation vs wishful thinking of nembutsu. The historically reliable Christ gives personal evidence to the individual by granting him a clean conscience, freedom from sins, peace of mind, and His presence through the Holy Spirit who will always be with the believer and guide him in the right path. 10.Personal relationship with Jesus vs Personal relationship with Amithaba. The great historical evidences for the resurrection and the appearances of Jesus to Paul and a group of five hundred after the resurrection (the veracity of which was sealed by the blood of the martyred eyewitnesses) give sufficient proof to the reality of Jesus and the resurrection. Personal experience adds to this list of proofs. These justify a personal relationship with Jesus. The life of Amithaba is not historically verifiable and lacks credibility. Any belief in it is just blind faith which is not based on evidence.
December 16, 2024 at 2:44 PM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
Master Hsuan Hua criticises Daoist neidan practises

"There are religions whose members eat mucus. They say that they are "smelting the cinnabar." They also eat tears and ear wax thinking that these filthy substances are precious jewels. Isn't that pitiful?"

archive.org/details/Amit...
There are religions whose members eat mucus. They say that they are "smelting the cinnabar." They also eat tears and ear wax thinking that these filthy substances are precious jewels. Isn't that pitiful?
November 26, 2024 at 7:53 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
out-of-character to post about Metta but whatever it's the weekend
suttacentral.net/iti27/en/suj...
The Buddha spoke this matter. On this it is said: “A mindful one who develops limitless love weakens the fetters, seeing the ending of attachments. Loving just one creature with a hateless heart makes you a good person. Sympathetic for all creatures, a noble one creates abundant merit. The royal potentates conquered this land and traveled around sponsoring sacrifices—horse sacrifice, human sacrifice, the sacrifices of the ‘casting of the yoke-pin’, the ‘royal soma drinking’, and the ‘unimpeded’. These are not worth a sixteenth part of the mind developed with love, as starlight cannot rival the moon. Don’t kill or cause others to kill, don’t conquer or encourage others to conquer, with love for all living creatures—you’ll have no enmity for anyone.”
October 26, 2024 at 7:52 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
from red pine’s road to heaven
Chi-ch'eng said monks who lived in temples had an easy life. They received 50 to 60 RMB (about ten dollars) per month for their personal needs. He laughed and said Yung-ming had been trying to get him to move back down to Big Goose Pagoda. He said he didn't like the flatlands and had no intention of trading the mountains for money. He said, "I didn't become a monk for money or a soft life. I had another purpose. Ever since I was a child, hardships haven't bothered me. I was born to suffer. Monks nowadays aren't the same as before. Those two monks who moved to the back side of Chiawutai won't last one winter. Just because you're a monk doesn't mean you're a buddha. A lot of monks have to wait in line behind a lot of ordinary people for enlightenment. Of course, I shouldn't say this."
October 24, 2024 at 4:57 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
Sengrui on Kumarajiva
October 14, 2024 at 7:23 PM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
October 2, 2024 at 12:41 AM
Reposted
edwardw2.bsky.social
"he will have his body turned upside down, and molten copper will be poured into his excrement orifice which will then permeate the organs of his body including the large and small intestines and burn them."
October 1, 2024 at 7:14 AM
skillfulmean.bsky.social
youtu.be/ZPr9xjkJL5s?...
Still from YT video titled “Talk by Paul Groner at Stanford University.” The captions read “but what strikes me about Japanese Buddhism is Japanese were not sure what Buddhism was,”
September 24, 2024 at 12:30 AM