enligthenment all around you just need to know where to look?

[mewtwo]

so basicaly this is part philosophy i follow and part question. always look around you for enlightened beings cause you never know the person serving youu food at your local mcdonalds might be an enlightened master and you dont even know it. So basicaly if i am correct in my thinking one can become enlightened and be the part time worker flunky at mcdonalds but all they know is how to serve you food at mcdonalds. they dont know buddhism from taoism. is my philosophy correct what do you all think?

[goldisheavy]

so basicaly this is part philosophy i follow and part question. always look around you for enlightened beings cause you never know the person serving youu food at your local mcdonalds might be an enlightened master and you dont even know it. So basicaly if i am correct in my thinking one can become enlightened and be the part time worker flunky at mcdonalds but all they know is how to serve you food at mcdonalds. they dont know buddhism from taoism. is my philosophy correct what do you all think?

 

It doesn't mean everyone with a humble occupation is enlightened, but I believe you are absolutely right in that anyone anywhere can be enlightened in many important ways, even if not completely, and it's a good idea to put aside prejudices when seeking wisdom. So if you think all wise people have beards, or if you think all wise people shave their heads just like monks do, this can severely and unnecessarily limit your vision.

 

So I agree with you and your stated philosophy is also my own as well.

[InfinityTruth]

so basicaly this is part philosophy i follow and part question. always look around you for enlightened beings cause you never know the person serving youu food at your local mcdonalds might be an enlightened master and you dont even know it. So basicaly if i am correct in my thinking one can becmoe enlightened and be the part time worker flunky at mcdonalds but all they know is how to serve you food at mcdonalds. they dont know buddhism from taoism. is my philosophy correct what do you all think?

 

 

I'm not quite sure what enlightenment is, but you can learn something from literally anywhere including burger shops. I was listening to prank calls on the net (something I thought was totally unproductive) and what I learned is that divorce is illegal in the philipines. Lol, that taught me that you can learn something from literally anyone and anywhere.

[C T]

For one whose senses have been purified, then whatever filters thru those senses would also be purified. This is why some people can see the good in manure, while some others can only smell the filth. This applies to all things and circumstances. Its for this reason that many who come into contact with genuine enlightened beings report that they feel total acceptance, as if they are being cradled in the presence of pure radiance.

[doc benway]

so basicaly this is part philosophy i follow and part question. always look around you for enlightened beings cause you never know the person serving youu food at your local mcdonalds might be an enlightened master and you dont even know it. So basicaly if i am correct in my thinking one can become enlightened and be the part time worker flunky at mcdonalds but all they know is how to serve you food at mcdonalds. they dont know buddhism from taoism. is my philosophy correct what do you all think?

I think you are absolutely correct. Daoist writings say nothing if not that the sage is simple, ordinary, and unconcerned with status and station. Enlightenment is not about being in a position that is approved by or admired by society. It is not about monetary success. I also think it's possible that your awakening can result from interacting with someone at McDonald's who causes something in you to stir, to wake up. And that person may have no idea what they did to cause that in you and it may be completely unintentional and they might not be a master of anything. Furthermore, one does not need to be a master of any particular discipline (Daoism, Buddhism,...) to be fully awakened (enlightened). At least, that's my opinion.

[Otis]

I've received some great words of wisdom from crazy homeless people.

[thelerner]

I might add

while most people aren't enlightened all the time

Some people are enlightened some of the time.

A short blast,

on experiencing something awesome

or even in the face of tragedy

 

 

 

I hope most people get that wordless experience

at least once in their lives.

 

 

I'll add, my concept of 'enlightenment' tends to be at a lower easier point then most. My view is of its more accessible level is a relaxed happy flowing, no conflicts inside, and those external seen through a very wide perspective.

Edited May 23, 2011 by thelerner

[goldisheavy]

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately. I'm not so sure enlightenment is everywhere even if you did know how to look for it. You might find people further along the path of cultivation but true Enlightenment (as in the Big E like the Buddha got), no, I'm rather thinking it's extraordinarily rare and exceedingly hard to come by.

 

One thing I've noticed about everyone on this board. We've all got notions. GoldisHeavy's got notions. Steve F has notions. CowTao has notions. I've got notions, etc, etc, etc. Every one of us no matter how profound or revelatory our experiences may be still end up having notions.

 

It's worse than that. You must have notions to have any kind of experience.

 

Yet the one thing I wonder most about is something that came to mind after reading from Master Nan's Working Toward Enlightenment...eventually everything has to be given up. Everything. Including notions.

 

This is absolutely false. If any of these famous masters showed up on this forum, signed up and started posting, you can bet your right hand that you'd describe all of them as having notions. No doubt about it.

 

If so, why then do you think some of these folks had no notions? It's thanks to you buying into the myth and suspending your critical thinking. If you read the Pali Canon seriously, for example, you can see Buddha having countless notions post-enlightenment. You can even see how Buddha screwed up a few times and did something bad or intolerant. It doesn't mean we should discard everything he said. It just means we should keep our head where it belongs -- on our shoulders. Or as the Zen masters like to say, don't put another head on top of your head.

 

Drop the double standard and the bias.

[Mandrake]

This is absolutely false. If any of these famous masters showed up on this forum, signed up and started posting, you can bet your right hand that you'd describe all of them as having notions. No doubt about it.

 

If so, why then do you think some of these folks had no notions? It's thanks to you buying into the myth and suspending your critical thinking. If you read the Pali Canon seriously, for example, you can see Buddha having countless notions post-enlightenment. You can even see how Buddha screwed up a few times and did something bad or intolerant. It doesn't mean we should discard everything he said. It just means we should keep our head where it belongs -- on our shoulders. Or as the Zen masters like to say, don't put another head on top of your head.

 

Drop the double standard and the bias.

 

I'm surprised you didn't ask for the precise quote. As is often the case, the context where it is spoken in this case is everything. Your detour into the pali canon convinces me that you utterly don't comprehend the original quote at all - due to misunderstanding, ignorance or whatever; if you did, this pali/Zen rant would have been unnecessary.

 

 

Mandrake

[manitou]

For one whose senses have been purified, then whatever filters thru those senses would also be purified. This is why some people can see the good in manure, while some others can only smell the filth. This applies to all things and circumstances. Its for this reason that many who come into contact with genuine enlightened beings report that they feel total acceptance, as if they are being cradled in the presence of pure radiance.

 

 

And I would add that I think the filters filter from the Inside to the Outside, as opposed to the other way around. We are the Manifester.

By the way, did anyone hear Obama's speech in Dublin today? (Actually, he says he's spelling his name O'Bama now). He said the following very enlightened thing:

 

"The irresistable impulse to love will always seek the higher way".

 

 

Enlightenment. I think maybe the nazarene said it best. Something about having no thought for the morrow, for it will take care of itself. Something about the feeding of the birds in the field; if they are fed, so much more are we. I truly have come to the conclusion that that would be the end result; to trust the universe to such an extent that we have no concern for our wellbeing, it will be supplied. To be in the here and now every moment, just Knowing that everything is as it should be.

 

The other side of the coin is, what of people living in squalor? Or born into extreme poverty, living in sandy huts in a sandy country with a mean dictator? I don't know how this 'don't worry about the morrow' thing would work. This bothers me alot, because I think the more adept we become, the more our social conscience develops because of our awareness of the Oneness. My head seems to be stuck in the sand here...unless one wants to throw reincarnation into the mix, and just assume that I too have had my time living in a little mud hut and feeling hunger daily.

Edited May 23, 2011 by manitou

[suninmyeyes]

I might add

while most people aren't enlightened all the time

Some people are enlightened some of the time.

A short blast,

on experiencing something awesome

or even in the face of tragedy

 

 

 

I hope most people get that wordless experience

at least once in their lives.

 

 

I'll add, my concept of 'enlightenment' tends to be at a lower easier point then most. My view is of its more accessible level is a relaxed happy flowing, no conflicts inside, and those external seen through a very wide perspective.

This is nice.

[doc benway]

I've received some great words of wisdom from crazy homeless people.

How about politicians?

Sad, isn't it?

[goldisheavy]

I'm surprised you didn't ask for the precise quote. As is often the case, the context where it is spoken in this case is everything. Your detour into the pali canon convinces me that you utterly don't comprehend the original quote at all - due to misunderstanding, ignorance or whatever; if you did, this pali/Zen rant would have been unnecessary.

 

 

Mandrake

 

True believer?

[goldisheavy]

How about politicians?

Sad, isn't it?

 

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

--Benjamin Franklin