Buddhism and Hinduism

Buddhism and Hinduism Questions for In the Buddha’s Words From the Human Condition chapter 1. Is the nature of the “human condition” described here more comparable to Epicureanism or Stoicism? 2. What are the “two darts” which are experienced by the “uninstructed worldling”? (31) Is the “instructed noble disciple” also struck by a “second dart”? (31) Should such a disciple be “detached” solely from “painful feelings,” or from “pleasing feelings” as well? (32) 3. When the “uninstructed worldling” is struck by a “painful feeling,” where does he/she typically seek delight? (31) When “aging and death roll in,” (28) what should one do, according to this text? 4. On page 37, under the “Grass and Sticks” subheading, it is written that “Suppose, monks, a man would cut up whatever grass, sticks, branches, and foliage… and saying for each one, “This is my mother, this is my mother’s mother.” The sequence of that man’s mothers and grandmothers would not come to an end, yet the grass, sticks, branches and foliage … would be used up and exhausted. For what reason? Because, monks, this samsara is without discoverable beginning.” If you were to compare this quote with the concept of the “Immovable Mover” (remember Aristotle’s concept) or of the competing concept of the “Infinite Regress,” which of these two concepts is more closely aligned to this Buddhist “Grass and Sticks” argument? 5. How do you reconcile the following: on one hand, Buddhist ethics says that one should respect ones mother and father (for example, see counterexample of “bad monk” on page 29)? Yet on the other hand, one should ideally become “dispassionate” towards the “formations” (37) to “mothers, grandmothers etc.?” 6. According to Buddhism, is there ultimately a “self” behind all of these “feelings, perceptions etc.?” (40) From Mastering the Mind chapter 1. In the section on “The Hindrances to Mental Development,” it is noted that sometimes “those texts that have been recited over a long period do not recur to the mind.” What is the origin of this problem? (272) (Compare with later Sufis.) 2. The “refinement of the mind” (273) is compared to a goldsmith cleaning out the impurities of jewelry. According to this text, can a mind be improved immediately or is it a process that takes time? 3. What is meant by the crushing of “mind with mind”? (277) Compare this with the turning of the arrows of Mara into flowers by the Buddha, which we saw in the documentary? 4. Ultimately, is it enough to embrace your own thoughts, becoming absorbed by them? Or are you supposed to analyze your thoughts, both the wholesome and unwholesome thoughts alike? (think of the “carcass of the dog around the neck” image) (276) 5. What is the message behind the “simile of the saw”? (278-279) (Compare with later Sermon on the Mount in the Christian tradition.)