Do You Need To Almost Live A Life Alone To Be Really Buddhist.

[Galong]

But there are I believe 6 different paths, the path of Knowledge, path of Service and so on. Perhaps different personalities need different approaches?

Are you sure the meditation courses are not needed. Is it not the case that you cannot let go of a thought if you don't know what you are thinking?

Hi Awakened,

Following 'paths' leads to incorrect views. If you have no personal identity, how could following guidelines bring you to a deeper understanding of the meaning of it all?

At the higher levels of Buddhism (I'm not saying that Thai Buddhism isn't worthwhile or real), your goal is to see things for the way they are and following the Eightfold path is tossed aside as it interferes with true understanding. Your goal is to empty your mind, not add tasks to it. (I'm using words like you and your just to follow conventional English language practices )

Meditation: A Zen master walks into a room and sees a monk meditating. The master grabs a tile and starts rubbing it vigorously on the floor. This awakens the meditating monk, who then says, "what are you doing?" The master replies, "I'm making a mirror from this tile." The monk says, "you can't make a mirror from a tile." To which the master replies, "you can't become a Buddha by meditating." The monk never meditated again.

Once you understand that you are merely part of the whole and not a separate entity and that your personal identity is a mirage built by socio-cultural influences, you can relax and just live... problem solved.

If following paths makes you feel good, that's great! There's certainly nothing wrong with doing something that makes you feel good and perhaps gives you a desire to help others.

I'm just approaching this from the source material not Buddhism as commonly practiced... that's all.

[camerata]

I believe Awakened said somewhere that he is not a Buddhist, so the paths he is following probably aren't Buddhist ones.

However, if one's source material is the Pali Canon, the Eightfold Path is the one to follow to nibbana. Ultimately, one has to let go of everything, of course, but the Eightfold Path is the training that transforms the mind and enables it to see things as they really are. That's how the Theravada tradition sees it, anyway.

[Yamantaka]

I don't think that's such a good analogy, I might be mildly annoyed but I know the flowers in the park don't belong to me, that there are many more in the park, and there'll be another crop of flowers next year.

My apologies, Brucenk, I didn't enclose the analogy in quotes. The next time I meet with the Buddha that taught me that, I'll be sure to let him know his analogy wasn't useful.

I expect if a smelly drunk comes stumbling along and stomps right on my car, or worse my daughter, then I'll experience the nature of attachment, anybody would. I guess then the sign of non-attachment is resolving the situation skillfully without being overcome by anger or making the situation worse.

Maybe feeling the need to resolve the situation at all is the same attachment.

[rockyysdt]

Meditation: A Zen master walks into a room and sees a monk meditating. The master grabs a tile and starts rubbing it vigorously on the floor. This awakens the meditating monk, who then says, "what are you doing?" The master replies, "I'm making a mirror from this tile." The monk says, "you can't make a mirror from a tile." To which the master replies, "you can't become a Buddha by meditating." The monk never meditated again.

Once you understand that you are merely part of the whole and not a separate entity and that your personal identity is a mirage built by socio-cultural influences, you can relax and just live... problem solved.

Hi galong.

I thought understanding "that you are merely part of the whole and not a separate entity and that your personal identity is a mirage built by socio-cultural influences" is just a belief, unless directly experienced.

One way of directly experiencing it is through meditative practice.

Of course there are other methods but these may not bear fruit even after 1,000 lifetimes.

That's why I'm surprised to read the tile rubbing event.

The landscape is littered with beliefs resulting in many following religions and systems with no direct knowledge of whether their pursuit is real or not, until they run out of time (they die).

Unless directly experienced, it must remain as only possible.

Any benefits aquired through belief are a mirage as such benefits can also be aquired through other systems and beliefs.

In other words, test your theory through practice leading to direct experience.

Only announce as fact once first hand knowledge has been made.

All other pursuits should focus on the practice.

Details of end knowledge should come from within.

Anything short of this is expressing belief.

This is my belief.

Edited July 24, 2008 by rockyysdt

[Brucenkhamen]

Maybe feeling the need to resolve the situation at all is the same attachment.

I don't think so, an enlightened person still needs to resolve situations each day, his facial hair grows he resolves it by shaving, his bowels are full he resolves it by going to the toilet, I'm sure the Buddha you met could back me up on this.

I think the difference is when a situation arises that isn't so clear cut and could give rise to an emotional attachment, (such as someone stomping over your flower, car, or daughter), one can resolve it appropriately with the same level of non attachment as the beard and the full bowel.