[Buddha-l] Nirvana Sutra Chapter 19

[James A Stroble]

On Mon, 13 May 2013 10:55:17 +0200
Erik Hoogcarspel <jehms at xs4all.nl> wrote:

> I remember hearing at a Sankrit conference long ago a Jain defending
> self starvation with the argument that the self had died already when
> the décision was made. I suppose the same argument applies here. An
> arahat has no self, so what can be killed?
> 
> Erik
> 
> "L.S. Cousins" <selwyn at ntlworld.com> schreef:
> 
> >On 13/05/2013 08:09, Dan Lusthaus wrote:
> >> According to the mythos of the Pali texts, the Buddha himself,
> >> soon after his Awakening, considered that he had done what needed
> >> to be done, and was ready to kill himself to pass into nirvana. It
> >> was Brahma who talks him out of it, telling him that he needs to
> >> teach others. The argument is not that killing himself would be
> >> morally wrong. After all, he's just achieved Awakening -- he
> >> should know
> >right 
> >> and wrong, yes?
> >>
> >> Jatakas also extol the bodhisattvas who sacrifice their own lives, 
> >> assisted suicide if you will (the starving tigress with cubs,
> >> etc.).
> >I 
> >> could go on.
> >>
> >> You are right that the codified position eventually wraps it with
> >> the
> >
> >> notion of ahimsa, but the early Pali texts are much more
> >> complicated.
> >
> >> The Mahayana attitudes even moreso.
> >>
> >There is not even a hint of the Buddha committing suicide in the
> >story of the Request of Brahmā. He was simply considering not
> >teaching.
> >
> >Sacrifice is hardly the same thing as suicide.
> >
> >Lance

I am just glad to see that everyone is done with grading for the spring
term, and  we can turn back to questions of killing for Buddhism. I
recently came across the term "dharma thieves", which really intrigued 
me.  How does one go about stealing the teachings of the Buddha?
Especially since Brahma encouraged him to teach, and it seems copyright
hadn't been invented yet? 

-- 
Yours, 

James Andy Stroble
Leeward Community College