Category: Comparative Theology 比较灵学
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Does the Buddha Possess all 32 Mahāpurisa Marks
Historical Origins and Symbolism of the 32 Signs of a Great Man Origins in Early Buddhism The “32 marks of a Great Man” (mahāpurisa-lakkhaṇa) appear in late Buddhist texts as special bodily signs indicating an individual’s destiny as either a universal king (cakravartin) or a Buddha. The most famous source is the Lakkhaṇa Sutta (Dīgha…
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From Lineage to Liberation: The Buddha’s Expansion of Spiritual Nobility for All Beings
From Lineage to Liberation Gautama Buddha’s Inclusive Vision of Spiritual Nobility In ancient India, the Brahmin class preserved a deeply entrenched belief: that spiritual worth and ritual purity were inherited by birth. Sacred authority, according to this worldview, was passed down through bloodlines—one was either born into the sacred or forever outside its reach. In…
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Looking Beyond the Bread and Butter: Why We Miss the Bigger Picture of UAPs
(May 5, 2025) A recent congressional briefing on Capitol Hill presented startling information about a legacy alien crash retrieval program and additional evidence related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), formerly known as UFOs. This briefing, attended by government officials, contained potentially groundbreaking revelations about technologies and phenomena that challenge our understanding of the universe. Yet,…
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Dying with Dignity: A Buddhist Alternative to MAID
A Spiritual Guide to the Noble Practice of Gradual Withdrawal from Food and Liquids in Accordance with the Dhamma Introduction This guide is intended for spiritual practitioners and caregivers supporting seniors or the terminally ill. It outlines a sacred and ethically sound practice of gradual withdrawal from food and liquids—a vow sometimes referred to as…
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Silencing the Hunger: Awakening from the Dream of Pleasure
Consider this. There exists a force—subtle yet profoundly potent—that quietly shapes your thoughts, distorts your desires, hijacks your ambitions, and commands your attention, often without your awareness. It presents itself as pleasure, yet it enslaves the will. It is a force that has undermined empires, ruined the lives of great individuals, and left countless others…
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The Philosophy of Dream and Waking States: An Exploration of Reality and Illusion
Introduction Throughout the history of philosophical thought, the boundary between dream states and waking states has been subject to profound inquiry. Philosophers across diverse traditions grapple with whether waking life and dreams are distinct realities or fundamentally the same—each transient, elusive, and mental in nature. This essay provides an expanded exploration of these perspectives through…
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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Enlightenment and Illusion
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, presented in Book VII of his influential work “The Republic,” offers one of the most profound examinations of knowledge, perception, and the human condition. Employing a vivid and symbolic narrative, Plato explores profound questions about reality, ignorance, enlightenment, and the nature of philosophical education. The allegory unfolds in a dark…
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The Gnostic Path to Awakening and Liberation
Gnosticism presents a radical view of existence, offering an interesting and often unsettling vision of reality. According to Gnostic philosophy, the material world we inhabit became a trap for the soul. Central to Gnostic cosmology is a false God known as the Demiurge. This being, along with his agents called Archons, is responsible for maintaining…
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The Tripartite Tractate – A Valentinian Gnostic Text of the Nag Hammadi Library
Introduction The Tripartite Tractate is one of the most profound and structured Gnostic texts discovered within the Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of early Christian and Gnostic writings unearthed in Egypt in 1945. This Valentinian Gnostic work provides a systematic theological exposition, presenting a structured vision of the divine, the fall of the cosmos, and…
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The Interplay of Consciousness and Reality: A Buddhist Perspective on the Universal Hologram
Have you ever considered that reality might not be as solid and unchanging as it seems? Imagine reality as a universal hologram, a vibrant and dynamic energetic field continuously influenced by your mental phenomena—thoughts, emotions, and intentions. Modern scientific disciplines, including quantum physics and neuroscience, increasingly support this profound perspective, suggesting that each emotional and…
Gautama Dhamma 