AYP in financial distress, starts charging for "Plus" lessons.

[Seeker of Wisdom]

[...]Like Buddha said, holding opinions on anything is the greatest source of suffering.  His genius was to show that time, space, self, existence itself are just nothing more than ...opinions.

You may find this interesting then (from DN 1):

 

In the fourth case, owing to what, with reference to what, are some honorable recluses and brahmins endless equivocators, resorting to evasive statements and to endless equivocation?

 

"Herein, bhikkhus, a certain recluse or a brahmin is dull and stupid. Due to his dullness and stupidity, when he is questioned about this or that point, he resorts to evasive statements and to endless equivocation: 'If you ask me whether there is a world beyond — if I thought there is another world, I would declare that there is. But I do not take it thus, nor do I take it in that way, nor do I take it in some other way. I do not say that it is not, nor do I say that is neither this nor that.'

You are right that all views are pointers, not the thing itself. However, different views have different effects. Some fingers point to the moon, some don't; and while none are themselves the moon, if you ask someone to point to the moon and they point at a dog, they aren't helping you much. They are pointing in the wrong place.

 

From a Buddhist perspective, views of self are antithetical to awakening - this is itself a definite statement, "looking at things without imputing 'me' or 'mine' (apart from conventional usage, of course) is more reflective of the true nature of things than imputing views of 'me' and 'mine' and thus is a better bet for awakening". Dividing views into skilful and unskilful, and acting on that insight, is an important part of the practice.

 

Letting go of attachment to views does NOT mean that everything is just an opinion and all fingers point to the moon equally well. It means you recognise that all views are pointers at something, that no view is itself 'the answer' - while still acknowledging that different views do lead to different places.

 

Basically, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[Nikolai1]

Hi Seeker,

 

Letting go of attachment to views does NOT mean that everything is just an opinion and all fingers point to the moon equally well. It means you recognise that all views are pointers at something, that no view is itself 'the answer' - while still acknowledging that different views do lead to different places.

I couldn't agree more! One of the hardest thiing to get people to understand is that seeing the equivalence of all views does not mean that we are no longer safe to cross the road!  It is literally impossible to get people to understand that you can hold a view, say in the reality of the car, and see its emptiness simultaneously.

 

Another good way of putting it is that there is no view that is universally true. We can therefore adopt views and drop them as the situation requires.  This ability is basically skilful living.  Unskilful living is subtly holding opinions as 'rules for living', and applying them inappropriately.

 

So when we win £1000 we are free to feel happy at the real money, and enjoy how we spend it.  If we lose £1000 pounds we are free to see that the moment is already ancient history, or we are free to feel happiness for the person who found our £1000 and so on...

 

Karl's whole worldview is about the independent reality of things.  Obviously this is the default view of mankind, and this is why Buddha placed particular emphasis on the teaching that things don't have independent existence.  But neither view should be subscribed to as a fixed rule.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Nikolai1

[Seeker of Wisdom]

[...]I couldn't agree more! One of the hardest thiing to get people to understand is that seeing the equivalence of all views[...]

You misunderstand. I said that different views have different levels of accuracy and lead to different results, which is surely the opposite of saying that they're all equal. There are correct views and there are incorrect views.

[Nikolai1]

Yes I know, but the correctness of a view may last a split second! There is no correct view that is universally correct, whatever happens.

[Karl]

 

Karl's whole worldview is about the independent reality of things. Obviously this is the default view of mankind, and this is why Buddha placed particular emphasis on the teaching that things don't have independent existence. But neither view should be subscribed to as a fixed rule.

It isn't the default view you are very much mistaken. Their default view is whatever the state tells them is the view that they should adopt. An animal has the same 'default' view as those people. An animal does not question because it lacks reasoning. The people don't question it because they have given up all critical thinking skills and handed their lives over to Governments.

 

You have begun to develop the capacity for critical thinking, but have veered off into wonderland looking for out world adventure. This is the trap for those smart enough to figure out something isn't quite right with the world. Unfortunately you are now facing 180 degrees to a threat you haven't yet begun to perceive, but at least you are up and looking. The rest of the people haven't even realised they are asleep.

 

"...the other life is lived in computers where you go by the name of ......."

Edited August 20, 2015 by Karl

[MooNiNite]

 

 TDB or AYP?

 

I've never visited the former but the latter shows me a single banner between tabs and breadcrumbs, with content in rotation. I don't use AdBlock but I am a forum sponsor.

 

I ment ttb. Either way this website doesnt charge members. It also doesnt push books on the people