Treating everyone as a Buddha

[skydog]

So Ive heard tales of zen masters who would always see their students buddhas in disguise playing a game. Which helped that to become a reality. How would viewing everyone in the world this way be?

 

Also Ive been thinking/writing about beliefs but realising when you call someone something in an argument even if it just once and you slip something out you can affirm that reality in someone, and it doesnt need to be a thing you say sometimes by ignoring them or a facial expression, groan or even patronisingly helping/giving to them can affirm beliefs that they are/are not a certain way.

 

Clarity has mentioned that it is one step better to not judge or condemn people at all, however I might be ignorant but this seems to be too far of a step.

 

An example from my own life is that a few years ago I would be more aggressive (from fear) of other people, so I might stare at them or ignore eye contact, etc now I usually keep a very gentle loving eye contact and even if I have my hood on people normally smile whereas before I just assumed that people judge people on stupid things. Anyways enough of talking of myself and progress.

 

I still do this, I still let insults fly when angry occassionally and still try to help or give to people unconscious of the fact I am reaffirming they are/are not a certain way. Thoughts, opinions?

[konchog uma]

good reminders, thanks

[hydrogen]

Yep. ating everyone as a Buddha is one of the way to reach enlightment.

 

If you believe yourself is a buddha, then everyone else must be buddha as well. So you're living in a place of buddha in training. Otherwise you're either a buddha who has condemned into hell or you're not a buddha at all.

[idiot_stimpy]

 

"Clarity has mentioned that it is one step better to not judge or condemn people at all, however I might be ignorant but this seems to be too far of a step."

 

Because any judging is reinforcing the duality that something is better or worse than something else.

 

Good and bad - desire for that which is good and aversion, avoid that which is bad, is one of the roots of suffering.

Edited January 16, 2013 by idiot_stimpy

[skydog]

Thanks good clarifications

 

Further thoughts.

 

If one has been cultivating likely and perfectly normally as they have to live in the world they may have in defence of being nobody developed beliefs of themselves as at least a bit more spiritually advanced therefore making others unspiritual or unenlightened. The belief that I live in a world of buddhas, everyone I know is a buddha is massively relaxing and makes on feel extremely relaxed, effortless and at ease and helps to create that reality whereas before one may have an idea that I must unconsciously change everyone or something.

 

If this was the case that viewing everyone as a buddha will help to create that reality then the beliefs one has are also a kind behaviour and virtous, so examing beliefs are kind and virtous.

 

Also thinking one looks a certain way etc means they are not enlightened means one is judging oneself exactly the same way.

 

Perhaps it is dualistic to believe everyone is a buddha but this helps to see things in a more balanced way eg the zero point instead of everyone is not a buddha. Believing the opposite could be of use?

 

Also if someone asks you for spiritual help or something and you talk to them as if you are enlightened and they arent instead of playing their little game that they think they arent a buddha and reminding them of what they already know.

 

Sure there was more ah well...

 

ok i can see this has possible implications in healing too if you are trying to heal a person you have called sick you are on one level creating the reality that they need healing and are sick.

 

If you call someone words like sensitive, shy, horrible, overthinking etc instead of confident, relaxed, carefree, kind etc this may affect the reality in the same way as when other people do it to you, someone calling a shy person confident can drastically change their confidence..

 

That is enough mind entertainment for me for now. Goodnight

 

BUT wait BEING A BUDDHA IS BAD..

Edited January 17, 2013 by sinansencer

[Vmarco]

One thing I learned is that later on in your cultivation, you will see "God" inside of everyone. So I believe it is literally seen. Like they see the primordial awareness inside of everyone because they cultivated to such a level.

If during your cultivation, you see the belief of "god" in everyone, such is a great hint that your cultivation is mired in mud. Nevertheless, keep in mind that a muddied diamond has not lost its luster. Mud is merely the ignorance of clinging to beliefs for one's identity.

 

Seeing the Buddha (that is, the diamond) in people is much different than seeing a belief. I observe the Buddha in everyone I meet,...I also observe the beliefs that they obscure themselves with. Sometimes I bring attention to those beliefs,...and sometimes, when on-line, people get very upset if their beliefs are mentioned, for they believe that they are their beliefs.

 

The truth is this,...people are not their belief. God is a belief,...let it go,...you'll never see one's Unborn Awareness through such ignorance.

[Tibetan_Ice]

Vmarco said:

If during your cultivation, you see the belief of "god" in everyone, such is a great hint that your cultivation is mired in mud. Nevertheless, keep in mind that a muddied diamond has not lost its luster. Mud is merely the ignorance of clinging to beliefs for one's identity.

 

Seeing the Buddha (that is, the diamond) in people is much different than seeing a belief. I observe the Buddha in everyone I meet,...I also observe the beliefs that they obscure themselves with. Sometimes I bring attention to those beliefs,...and sometimes, when on-line, people get very upset if their beliefs are mentioned, for they believe that they are their beliefs.

 

The truth is this,...people are not their belief. God is a belief,...let it go,...you'll never see one's Unborn Awareness through such ignorance.

Hi Vmarco

Malikshreds is right. You do see "God" in everyone, in everything, in the grass, the trees, everywhere.

 

I know. I've experienced it. And yes, it is actually "seen" through the physical eyes.

 

How you reduce "seeing God" to the belief that you are seeing God is beyond me.

 

When the conceptual mind is stopped there is no access to beliefs. The luminosity of Clear Light comes out for display. You too would think that you see God in everything, in everyone, had you ever experienced it.

 

The term "God" is as much of a belief as the term "the diamond". To say one is a belief and the other is real is just plain ignorant, narrow minded and biased.

 

If you see "God" in your practices, that is great! You are doing things right.

 

TI

[Vmarco]

Yeah that's why I pararenthesized God as in not the God, the separate being, but rather God as another name for the Tao, Primodial Awareness, Buddha, ect.

 

If you were to look up the definition of "god" it has no commonality to the Tao, Tathagata, or Unborn Awareness.

 

God (god), n.,

1. A being (condition) conceived as the omnipotent (condition), omniscient (condition) originator and ruler (condition) of the universe (condition), the principal object (condition) of faith and worship (conditions) in monotheistic religions (conditions).

2. The force (condition), effect (condition), or a manifestation or aspect (conditions) of this being (condition).

3. A being of supernatural powers (condition) or attributes (conditions), believed in and worshiped (conditions) by a people, especially a male deity thought to control some part of nature or reality (conditions).

4. An image of a supernatural being; an idol (conditions).

5. One that is worshiped, idealized, or followed (conditioned).

6. A very handsome man (condition).

7. A powerful ruler or despot (conditions).

8. Used to express disappointment, disbelief, frustration, annoyance (conditions).

 

For a Buddhist view of god, try:

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/beyond-belief02.pdf

[Cheshire Cat]

So Ive heard tales of zen masters who would always see their students buddhas in disguise playing a game. Which helped that to become a reality. How would viewing everyone in the world this way be?

 

There's a similar thing in Christianity as well

 

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

 

Just religious stuff in my opinion.

[GrandmasterP]

Treat folk as you'd want them to treat you and most people reciprocate.

The ones who don't are ersholes and that's their problem not yours.

[三江源]

Treat folk as you'd want them to treat you and most people reciprocate.

The ones who don't are ersholes and that's their problem not yours.

I just dont think that Buddha believed that those unable to reciprocate were ersholes.... call me old fashioned but I just dont see it that way..

I think those that are unable to reciprocate are more in need. What do we do then? Tricky.

 

Imagine if we all on the board treated each other as if we were Buddha.. Maybe we would be negatively activated by Buddha's decisions and comments, too, just because we are prone to activation..

[GrandmasterP]

Well we'll never know about Buddha but I'd like to think that the lad could be a bit short with jobsworths.

Sometimes it's necessary to be a bit blunt with some folk, if only for their own good.

By and large on here I reckon bums are a pretty nice and tolerant bunch.

We all of us have off days, pobody's nerfect.

Edited January 17, 2013 by GrandmasterP

[Vmarco]

Treat folk as you'd want them to treat you and most people reciprocate.

The ones who don't are ersholes and that's their problem not yours.

 

Whenever I see that "golden rule" I think of Elizabeth Bathory, the mass murderer Justinian, or George W Bush. Would I want them to treat me like they do themselves? Not!

[GrandmasterP]

They were posibly quite kind to themselves. Most psychopaths are charming albeit very self centred (both those are classical symptoms).

Lizzy Bathory was a right flirt by all accounts.

[三江源]

They were posibly quite kind to themselves. Most psychopaths are charming albeit very self centred (both those are classical symptoms).

Lizzy Bathory was a right flirt by all accounts.

by 'kind' you'd be meaning heavily armoured to the extent of being crushed under the weight of dysfunction and delusion

 

 

( not to be nitpciky but it aint 'classical' you actually mean 'classic'.. just think .. are there any 'classical cars' or is any Cliff Richard song 'classical cliff..' )

[GrandmasterP]

Yep, you're right there Cat, my bad... not classical but classic as in prototypical.

Psychos can be charming (but never turn your back on one).

Edited January 17, 2013 by GrandmasterP

[skydog]

Ok there is probably value here but the thread affirmations for other people seems to suggest focusing on a person or calling a person is a buddha is likely to trigger their experiences of not being buddhalike...i dunno..lol

[JustARandomPanda]

Clarity has mentioned that it is one step better to not judge or condemn people at all, however I might be ignorant but this seems to be too far of a step.

 

 

Clarity is right in this. He's talking about Acceptance (Neutrality) the way Nature Accepts...not the way humans do or don't. The more you can open up to acceptance the way nature is the closer to realizing the Tao you are.

 

Example (from a story I read a month ago):

 

A householder and 2 monks were walking down a road with shovels to do some chores and came upon a dead body lying by the side of the road. One monk stopped and said they should bury the body and began to dig in the dirt and the householder joined in. The second monk continued walking onward.

 

Later the householder asked another spiritual teacher why the second monk had not immediately joined helping in burying the body. The spiritual master said, "The first monk acted compassionately. The second monk was liberated."

 

Nature accepts even things humans deem unjust or not compassionate.

[skydog]

I am quite idealistic, so I contemplated dwelling in reality which was closer to tao than before then I realised illusions and idealism was also a part of tao...and now I am describing tao getting away from tao.

 

Tao

[RiverSnake]

When you experience the reality of every person being a Buddha then it will be appropriate to treat them as such. If you treat someone as a Buddha and have not yet experienced that level of truth.....i think that is stupid and unnecessary. Until as an individual you come into that level of experience I think mutual-respect and kindness is a good overall policy.

 

Contriving supposed truths before you have yet to experience them is IMO silly and a waste of time....better to live by experience....there are some nasty Buddhas out there.

 

-My 2 cents, peace

[Birch]

"Contriving supposed truths before you have yet to experience them is IMO silly and a waste of time"

 

And isn't it just that - the supposed truths- that get exhorted upon others by people with no experience of them themselves?

 

Ack. I think it can go beyond silly and time-wasting.

 

Anyway, very well said Old Green.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Do not concern yourself with expressing praise or contempt; do not concern yourself with feeling honor toward others or expecting feelings of honor from others. Instead, treat all others as life, alive, persons, and with the potential; the potential to become as buddhas/gods/great beings..... in each and every one of us, man, beast, or material.

[deci belle]

I have never heard an instance where a buddha or enlightened being treated any body like a buddha. Buddhas treat buddhas like a drunken drunk treats his fellow drunken drunk— they spit and cuss and laugh like only drunks can …either that or one gets left for dead in the street..

 

How could an ignoramus possibly know what like a buddha is? That's within the province of seeing your nature. When you see your buddha-nature, you don't have to act like.

 

The whole like a buddha premise is some kinda socialist bullshit shit.

 

God damn you people are so full of it.

 

Know yourself. I DARE you.

[skydog]

You know when people get aggressive about spirituality, it seems like the most ridiculous thing ever lol

[skydog]

Also its kind of funny when people completely misinterpret what you say and then attack you for their misinterpretation whilst claiming they are holier than thou and superior and at the same time spiritual while you were just pondering things....