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BN: Yes. However, in Buddhism even this deep consciousness is conditional. There is no self of any kind. I know in Tibetan Buddhism there is this distinction between seeing the characteristics of conditions-objects and the characteristic of the deep self.
theravada MZC: As you know, Vedanta teaches that if you go deeply into that awareness, that consciousness, you may spontaneously fall into the Self and that's all that is. All is arising as a modification of this Consciousness.
I include non human beings in this such as animals. Lately I've become interested in groups, which try to protect animals, such as PETA. I wanted to know what was the philosophical principle behind PETA. I was surprised to find it's not based on religion. They are following the utilitarian philosophers of the 17th century, such as John Stewart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. You know: animals have feelings and we don't want to upset that. Animals have a capacity for suffering, and we should act in the interests of every being. There's an author, Peter Singer, who writes about this in Anthem of Animal Liberation. In Buddhism, the non-harming of beings is in our philosophy.
Does the Seller Reside in Thailand? The seller of authentic Thai amulets is almost certainly still living in Thailand. You can almost immediately weed out anyone not physically residing in Thailand at the present moment. If your amulets aren't shipped from Thailand there is an even better chance you are not getting genuine articles.
Why do they do that? What is the meaning of this worship? Well, the Buddha isn't a god. He isn't even present in this world anymore. After his Parinirvana, he passed from the cycle of death and rebirth. He doesn't exist anymore like us. He can't influence this world, at least directly. That is exactly what these worshipers believed.
MZC: I saw in your schedule that you have talks and question and answer times. What are talks that you have been giving, and what are some of the questions being asked? Do you feel the retreatants have the chance to get past the academic and ask the questions they really want to ask?
As his business trousers looked loose enough, I asked Harvey to remove his shoes and jacket only. As he looked a little puzzled, I told him that he will not even have a crease in his pants. And not only will he feel relaxed, but also energized and ready for the rest of the day.
