Comments on: Putting Yogacara Buddhism into Practice http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:44:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: wolfram http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4589 wolfram Sat, 11 Sep 2010 23:07:06 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4589 i loved "living yogacara"! i think it's a very practical book on a school that whose doctrines and practices are so often presented as an esoteric, highly theoretical subject in western buddhist circles. i loved “living yogacara”! i think it’s a very practical book on a school that whose doctrines and practices are so often presented as an esoteric, highly theoretical subject in western buddhist circles.

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4565 Doug Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:20:21 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4565 Hello Professor, and thanks for chiming in. This is indeed a very important point, and I wish I had remembered it at the time. Jokei, according to Ford's excellent biography, writes on this subject at length, and even uses it as one of the primary criticisms of the new Kamakura-era Pure Land schools (e.g. one cannot escape their bad karma even with the nembutsu, though Amida's Vow will be fulfilled in the long-run when one's bad karma is exhausted). It's a pretty important point not to be forgotten, and it certainly is reflected in Rev. Tagawa's writings too. :) Hello Professor, and thanks for chiming in. This is indeed a very important point, and I wish I had remembered it at the time. Jokei, according to Ford’s excellent biography, writes on this subject at length, and even uses it as one of the primary criticisms of the new Kamakura-era Pure Land schools (e.g. one cannot escape their bad karma even with the nembutsu, though Amida’s Vow will be fulfilled in the long-run when one’s bad karma is exhausted). It’s a pretty important point not to be forgotten, and it certainly is reflected in Rev. Tagawa’s writings too. :)

]]> By: Charles Muller http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4564 Charles Muller Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:01:54 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4564 Hi Doug, I would add to your gleanings on Hosso practice, that although not specifically set aside in _Living Yogacara_ itself in a separate chapter on "practice," if one reads between the lines, there is a message that pervades throughout the book to the effect that the practice of the Yogacarin is the conducting of one's life with a sharp and profound awareness of the inexorability of the law of individuated cause-and-effect. -- There is no way that I will escape the future effects of any small word, deed, or thought that I engage in. This of course works in both positive and negative ways, as it means that every little bit of good we do is going to generate an effect, as well as every little good of bad. Ven. Tagawa likes to point out the fact that most of us think that what happens within the privacy of our own thoughts, escaping the notice of others, also escapes the law of cause and effect. The Yogacaras tell us that this is not so. If we live our lives according to this kind of principle, it is "skillful." If we don't, it is "unskillful." Best, Charles Hi Doug,

I would add to your gleanings on Hosso practice, that although not specifically set aside in _Living Yogacara_ itself in a separate chapter on “practice,” if one reads between the lines, there is a message that pervades throughout the book to the effect that the practice of the Yogacarin is the conducting of one’s life with a sharp and profound awareness of the inexorability of the law of individuated cause-and-effect. — There is no way that I will escape the future effects of any small word, deed, or thought that I engage in. This of course works in both positive and negative ways, as it means that every little bit of good we do is going to generate an effect, as well as every little good of bad.

Ven. Tagawa likes to point out the fact that most of us think that what happens within the privacy of our own thoughts, escaping the notice of others, also escapes the law of cause and effect. The Yogacaras tell us that this is not so. If we live our lives according to this kind of principle, it is “skillful.” If we don’t, it is “unskillful.”

Best,

Charles

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4562 Doug Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:32:10 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4562 Hi Guys: <strong>Johnl</strong>: There are exceptions to the rule. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists do not recite the Heart Sutra. I've known people to study it, but not as part of the liturgy. <strong>John</strong>: Glad to help, though I fear I'll get something wrong on this post. I hope others will delve into this more with first-hand examples and Japanese sources. Hi Guys:

Johnl: There are exceptions to the rule. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists do not recite the Heart Sutra. I’ve known people to study it, but not as part of the liturgy.

John: Glad to help, though I fear I’ll get something wrong on this post. I hope others will delve into this more with first-hand examples and Japanese sources.

]]> By: John http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4561 John Sun, 05 Sep 2010 13:17:33 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4561 Wonderful! I have always been curious about Yogacara Mind-Only doctrine and it was interesting to see how it can be incorporated in daily practice. Cheers, John Wonderful! I have always been curious about Yogacara Mind-Only doctrine and it was interesting to see how it can be incorporated in daily practice.

Cheers,
John

]]> By: johnl http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2010/09/05/yogacara-buddhism-in-practice/#comment-4558 johnl Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:37:09 +0000 http://japanlifeandreligion.com/?p=8843#comment-4558 I like to recite the Heart Sutra either before or after meditation. It's part of the Koyasan Shingon gongyo. When I go to the (Rinzai-style zazen) meditation sessions at a nearby Tendai temple, we also recite the Heart Sutra after doing the meditation. So I would say that this sutra is a good place to start for almost any Buddhist path. (The Lotus Sutra would be similarly focused on, depending on the tradition.) I started off in a Lotus Sutra tradition and learned about the Heart Sutra later. Now I often repeat both the HS and the Jigage from the LS. I like to recite the Heart Sutra either before or after meditation. It’s part of the Koyasan Shingon gongyo. When I go to the (Rinzai-style zazen) meditation sessions at a nearby Tendai temple, we also recite the Heart Sutra after doing the meditation. So I would say that this sutra is a good place to start for almost any Buddhist path. (The Lotus Sutra would be similarly focused on, depending on the tradition.) I started off in a Lotus Sutra tradition and learned about the Heart Sutra later. Now I often repeat both the HS and the Jigage from the LS.

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