There is no self - article from Tricycle Magazine

[doc benway]

Its one of the Four Thoughts that turn the mind to dharma and as such is an antidote to complacency. Meditation on this is part of the ordinary preliminaries.

 

"First the precious human birth is hard to obtain and easily lost. At this time I must strive to make this meaningful."

Again, it's not the human birth that is the antidote, but rather the meditation on it.

The recognition, appreciation, devotion, and so forth.

The human birth provides the opportunity, the condition if you will.

But something has to be done with that to generate the antidote.

There are many precious human births that are wasted and lead in the opposite direction.

It is what we do with the birth that counts.

That's sort of the point I'm trying to make and it's somewhat semantic so take it as you wish.

[Apech]

Again, it's not the human birth that is the antidote, but rather the meditation on it.

The recognition, appreciation, devotion, and so forth.

The human birth provides the opportunity, the condition if you will.

But something has to be done with that to generate the antidote.

There are many precious human births that are wasted and lead in the opposite direction.

It is what we do with the birth that counts.

That's sort of the point I'm trying to make and it's somewhat semantic so take it as you wish.

 

 

LOL ...well I meant what I meant and you meant what you meant. Jolly good thing to.

[Simple_Jack]

And yes, at a fundamental level, there is much that is mysterious and abstruse about the Buddhadharma (to me, at least).

There must be if it is attempting to reflect reality.

 

Lol, you were the guy that used to quote Zen on the ordinariness and simplicity of the Buddha's realization as conveyed in such lines as "chop wood, carry water."

 

The clearer the answers, the farther we get from the truth in some ways...

I think it is often the paradoxes and questions that defy direct answers that teach us the most.

 

It may be that Buddha was silent at times in order to require us to investigate certain things for ourselves rather than always relying on answers received from others - even Buddhas.

Questions are generally more useful than answers when it comes to our own spiritual growth.

 

The purpose of Dharma is to put an end to ignorance.

[doc benway]

Lol, you were the guy that used to quote Zen on the ordinariness and simplicity of the Buddha's realization as conveyed in such lines as "chop wood, carry water."

Nothing could be simpler or more ordinary…

 

 

 

The purpose of Dharma is to put an end to ignorance.

Agreed

[Simple_Jack]

The purpose of Dharma is to put an end to ignorance.

 

Not to romanticize that very ignorance.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic.

...

[GrandmasterP]

I'm just ignorant.

 

:-)

Edited April 2, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Apech]

I'm just ignorant.

 

:-)

 

Nobody's arguing

[GrandmasterP]

One strives to facilitate consensus.

 

:-)

Edited April 2, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[doc benway]

I'm definitely an ignorant romantic… no argument from me.

[Apech]

I'm definitely an ignorant romantic… no argument from me.

 

 

Nice to be romantic.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

"Being in, being not, being not nothing, nothing in nothing, sensing non-sensing.

Its being in non-being, nothingness in non-nothingness.

It is sense in non-sense, emptiness is where it is.

 

Where sense is, there is sense, emptiness is where it is.

 

Where there is no sense of rightness, there the sense is emptiness."

 

Tripitaka having conclusively explained the matter thusly, I was disappointed to find further posts where clarity had already been established.

 

How gratified I was to find it had all degenerated into good natured banter!

 

I'll be in trouble with the Mods one day...

...

Edited April 3, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[GrandmasterP]

 

Not to romanticize that very ignorance.

Nor foster judgementalism either.

Now we can all maybe go and 'wash our bowls'.

 

 

:-)

Edited April 3, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Simple_Jack]

Nor foster judgementalism either.

 

You are free to remain ignorant.

[idiot_stimpy]

You are free to remain ignorant.

 

I'm just an idiot

[Apech]

I'm just an idiot

 

 

Ah! but have you immersed yourself in the teachings to become a complete idiot?

[GrandmasterP]

That'll always be the dream here.

No goal, no gain.

There's nowhere near enough 'holy fools' in the world.

Yet.

Edited April 4, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Gerard]

"When Vacchagotta the wanderer asked him point-blank whether or not there is a self, the Buddha remained silent, which means that the question has no helpful answer.

 

Is there an option for I don't like this?

 

How easy is to keep quoting old, ancient words rather than trying to find the answer by using personal effort via concentration and a dedicated effort. Buddha said this, Buddha said that...stop reading and practice.

 

Hint: How would you locate a shifting star in this location? That location is the YOU as a complex compound, what you have within plus all the realms of existence

Edited April 11, 2014 by Gerard

[deci belle]

Buddha advises all the monks to avoid getting involved in questions such as “What am I?” “Do I exist?” “Do I not exist?” because they lead to answers like “I have a self” and “I have no self,” both of which are a “thicket of views, a writhing of views, a contortion of views” that get in the way of awakening

 

Ahahahahahhahaahhahahhahaa!!!