Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ncar!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!sun13!dynamic.princeton.edu From: rks@dynamic.princeton.edu (Ramesh Sitaraman) Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern Subject: Re: On Omens Message-ID: <7063@rossignol.Princeton.EDU> Date: 20 Feb 91 03:37:02 GMT References: Sender: news@sun13.scri.fsu.edu Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Princeton University Lines: 31 Approved: mayne@nu.cs.fsu.edu In article kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans) writes: >The omens that occurred before Shakyamuni Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra >were: > 1) after preaching the Sutra of Infinite Meaning, the assembly > 2) Shakyamuni enters profound meditation, > 3) four kinds of exquisite flowers rain from heaven, > 4) the earth trembles in 6 different ways, > >What other sutra has these kinds of omens? (hint: none) Far from wanting to comment adversely on any other persons beliefs.... I personally dont think much of omens and magic. I think an important aspect (or interpretation if you may) of Hindu-Buddhism is to empahsise that enlightenment and nirvana are nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing supernatural. Nothing miraculous. A radical change in the way one percieves things perhaps but in nothing else. It is unfortunate that some see Buddha as a doer of superhuman miracles with supernatural powers. I like to believe that he was a suffering human being like you and me who sought his way to the ultimate truth. Ramesh -- ARPA: rks@cs.princeton.edu | SPRINT:(609) 683 1979 (Home) |**** WATCH THIS SPACE !!! ***** (609) 258 1794 (Off) | |