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Sorry for the naive question: but why would Buddha not play these games? I can't seem to find anything insightful for the rationale.

awb 5y ago
1st sentence: > The Buddhist games list is a list of games that Gautama Buddha is reputed to have said that he would not play and that his disciples should likewise not play, because he believed them to be a 'cause for negligence'. By “cause for negligence”, I’m assuming that could mean that you might neglect your worldly / spiritual duties.
- FarhadG 5y ago
  It sounds right but I'm still dumbfounded as to why these particular games. I'd imagine games, of all sorts, could be categorized as "cause for negligence" with this rationale, no?
  - Werewolf255 5y ago
    It's a koan. The Bhudda would play all of those games, because the games themselves are not the cause for negligence, but the attachments and importance that people give the games can create a cause for negligence. Part of the lesson/joke is that he pretty much lists anything and everything that could be considered a game.
    - mynameisash 5y ago
      > It's a koan. How do you come to that conclusion? As I recall, koans are from the Chinese, Japanese, etc., schools of (Mahayana) Buddhism -- specifically zen. But the linked article specifically states that these are from early texts (which would be more aligned to Theravada/pre-split).
    - eesmith 5y ago
      Could you clarify? The game Go doesn't seem excluded. Nor tic-tac-toe. Nor card games (including poker, Dominion, and Magic: The Gathering). Am I missing something in my understanding of that list?
    - godDLL 5y ago
      It is most certainly not a koan. It is not a thing to put you in a state were you can understand a thing. It is a teaching. It actually tells you what to think, and how to get there. He talks about negligence, not attending. And then he lists a bunch of games, the last of which is "imitating deformities". That example alone should get you thinking about misusing your purpose, about using the mind to escape and not be present. Inventing dragons to fight. All that. I mean, it's all there, if you think about it for five minutes.

awb 5y ago

1st sentence: > The Buddhist games list is a list of games that Gautama Buddha is reputed to have said that he would not play and that his disciples should likewise not play, because he believed them to be a 'cause for negligence'. By “cause for negligence”, I’m assuming that could mean that you might neglect your worldly / spiritual duties.

FarhadG 5y ago
It sounds right but I'm still dumbfounded as to why these particular games. I'd imagine games, of all sorts, could be categorized as "cause for negligence" with this rationale, no?
- Werewolf255 5y ago
  It's a koan. The Bhudda would play all of those games, because the games themselves are not the cause for negligence, but the attachments and importance that people give the games can create a cause for negligence. Part of the lesson/joke is that he pretty much lists anything and everything that could be considered a game.
  - mynameisash 5y ago
    > It's a koan. How do you come to that conclusion? As I recall, koans are from the Chinese, Japanese, etc., schools of (Mahayana) Buddhism -- specifically zen. But the linked article specifically states that these are from early texts (which would be more aligned to Theravada/pre-split).
  - eesmith 5y ago
    Could you clarify? The game Go doesn't seem excluded. Nor tic-tac-toe. Nor card games (including poker, Dominion, and Magic: The Gathering). Am I missing something in my understanding of that list?
  - godDLL 5y ago
    It is most certainly not a koan. It is not a thing to put you in a state were you can understand a thing. It is a teaching. It actually tells you what to think, and how to get there. He talks about negligence, not attending. And then he lists a bunch of games, the last of which is "imitating deformities". That example alone should get you thinking about misusing your purpose, about using the mind to escape and not be present. Inventing dragons to fight. All that. I mean, it's all there, if you think about it for five minutes.