Buddhism And The Kiss Principle

[Xangsamhua]

Well, we had our discussion on Buddhism and Free Will and found ourselves ranging over the universe thinking about duality and monism, the self, ego, thought, being, nihilism and the karmic imprints (or not) of animals, etc. It all became pretty "heady" and I'm not sure if we explored the issues to the nth without reaching anywhere or just painted ourselves into corners. Perhaps I should just speak for myself.

On reflection, though, it seems to me that the attraction of Buddhism is, at heart, its simplicity and pragmatism. I suggest that people who find in Buddhism what they've been seeking have been looking for something that makes sense in a fairly self-evident way and that provides a practical pathway to peace of mind and a clearer vision of how life should be lived.

I don't think Mr and Mrs Average are wringing their hands over whether Being is one or manifold, whether there is ultimately a Self that is more than the sum of its parts or vice-versa, or even if there if there is an Uncaused Cause from which all phenomena and natural laws are derived. (Perhaps they are concerned about the latter and might turn away from Buddhism as a result.)

Some of us may be interested in mind-stretching theories on the ultimate questions, but we should be careful that these issues don't dominate a forum in which people who are new to Buddhism may feel alienated.

I suggest we keep in mind the KISS principle ("Keep it short and simple", or "Keep it simple, Stupid!"). In keeping with this principle, I'd like to suggest a broad outline of what I think a user-friendly Buddhism might be.

Buddhism is a philosophy that:

1. Focuses on the comprehensible. It does not depend on grasping obscure and counter-intuitive propositions.

2. Has a focus on the personal, and therefore the self. Whether absolute Self is an illusion or otherwise, most people have a sense of personal self that can't

be easily dismissed. One's self can be altruistic, of course.

3. Is comprehensible and person-focused; therefore it is a practical pathway towards managing suffering and attaining peace of mind.

4. Contains some beliefs that cannot be validated outside personal experience and, hence, do not have to be accepted as dogma.

5. Has a body of scripture (the Pali Canon) that contains a variety of genres, some of which are universal teaching, some culturally and historically embedded and some that project a pre-scientific worldview.

6. Does not require the abandonment of one's heritage religion or culture. Fusion or combination of beliefs is acceptable if it helps a person to manage suffering, attain peace of mind and cope with uncertainty.

7. In summary, Buddhism is a practice, or method, that is informed by certain beliefs about the nature of beings and their relationship to other beings, past, present and future. As he taught a method and a mindset to frame and support it, the analogy of the Buddha as a doctor is an apt one.

Edited October 9, 2010 by Xangsamhua

[fabianfred]

If you really want to pare it down to the quick.... here goes.

Practice is the heart...not study...when you know how to practice just do it...and throw away the books.

Vipassana meditation (mindfulness) is THE fast track (or maybe only track) to reaching Stream-entry...and thence Nirvana.

Simply noteing...... everything...all the time....as often as you remember to....is the way.....with or without sitting or walking sessions.

Keep that up and you will eventually get there..... in this very life!!!

[rockyysdt]

If you really want to pare it down to the quick.... here goes.

Practice is the heart...not study...when you know how to practice just do it...and throw away the books.

I find that study or reading helps to inspire until a certain momentum, brought about by regular practice, takes a hold.

Vipassana meditation (mindfulness) is THE fast track (or maybe only track) to reaching Stream-entry...and thence Nirvana.

Simply noting...... everything...all the time....as often as you remember to....is the way.....with or without sitting or walking sessions.

Keep that up and you will eventually get there..... in this very life!!!

For me, the sitting meditation allows mindfulness of breath but also brings about a certain level of tranquility and poise which assists with my wakeful mindfulness.

[christiaan]

Kiss.

For the seekers; Realise when you find what you are seeking for you could maybe have found your egocentering activity with it.

If someone not likes to be heady act, work out of the wisdom about compassion and love, that came to awareness by Buddha, be humble and gratefull to everybody and when there is time left, study and do some 'excersises' to develope your autonomous inner spiritual being.

[sabaijai]

'Practice' versus 'study': they both have the same goal. Most of Thailand's greatest monks are/were very well versed in Pali texts. Dhamma analysis is a form of practice, and can yield the same results as so-called 'practice', ie meditation -- and often much quicker in fact. The correct apprehension of dhamma might accomplish more in two minutes than 20 years of meditation.

But just reading scripture or books about dhamma is not dhamma study. What's in the books has to be seen in the flesh, so to speak.

[fabianfred]

A monk (or any Buddhist) has three duties...... to study, practice and teach the Dhamma.

If we just study and then teach we are not gaining personal experience and verifying if what we have studied is true or not. Then we might teach or pass-on rubbish.

Wisdom does not come from study, but reflection and experience.

[sabaijai]

Fabianfred, agreed, although 'rubbish' is a bit strong. Likewise meditation without study (and that includes 'noting') is 'rubbish,' in that context. More gently, it's like walking in an immense forest without knowing where the paths are.

[christiaan]

Beside acting out of compassion and love study is the most important thing to do. You can di without being attached to duties. Experience in compassionate and loving action , study and reflection are all of same importance.

[Brucenkhamen]

I agree with your sentiments but I think they need to be looked sat a different way. I's not a matter of keeping simple that which is complicated, it's a matter of realising that the complication is not real and creates much of the problem Buddhism is trying to solve.

We usually come to Buddhism with the idea that there must be more to life than this, over time if we practice correctly we start to realise that there isn't more to life than this, there's actually less.

It's on the conceptual level where our clinging, greed, aversion, and delusion is being created. The desire to extract some kind of security and fulfilment out of our experience creates much of our suffering.

It's not just about intellectualism, educated or intellectual people will do it with profound theories and concepts wheras unintellectual and uneducated people will do it with beliefs, superstitions, rites and rituals.

So to me the KISS principle in Buddhism is about fully embracing the simplicity of our experience, and finding liberation in that. Using the conceptual level where necessary but not putting our security into it and developing it into something that separates us from the simplicity of our experience.

[christiaan]

Brucenkhamen:

We usually come to Buddhism with the idea that there must be more to life than this, over time if we practice correctly we start to realise that there isn't more to life than this, there's actually less.

Christiaan:

Well, that is very interesting: Why do people usually come to Buddhism? A nice subject for another topic. The fact is that all the consequences of 'the coming to Buddhism' are related to this 'why' and since the 'why' 's are different to any individual the consequences are different. I would say a lot of people come to Buddhism - when they have the free choice - and that is not the case for the majority of the Thais - because they cannot find their self in the modern material world, and with this I mean they come to Buddhism when they have the feeling that modern material world is not contributing to their desire for a meaningfull life.

Life is complicated, experience is complicated, study is complicated, enlightning is complicated, all Pali texts are complicated (just look at the english wikipedia. org/wiki/Palit) - it is even complicated they still use Pali texts, and it is even complicated when people tell the complicated things are very simple.

So Kiss: Maybe people come to Buddhism hoping this will make life less complicated? Just detach and be enlighted.

[sabaijai]

I agree with your sentiments but I think they need to be looked sat a different way. I's not a matter of keeping simple that which is complicated, it's a matter of realising that the complication is not real and creates much of the problem Buddhism is trying to solve.

We usually come to Buddhism with the idea that there must be more to life than this, over time if we practice correctly we start to realise that there isn't more to life than this, there's actually less.

It's on the conceptual level where our clinging, greed, aversion, and delusion is being created. The desire to extract some kind of security and fulfilment out of our experience creates much of our suffering.

It's not just about intellectualism, educated or intellectual people will do it with profound theories and concepts wheras unintellectual and uneducated people will do it with beliefs, superstitions, rites and rituals.

So to me the KISS principle in Buddhism is about fully embracing the simplicity of our experience, and finding liberation in that. Using the conceptual level where necessary but not putting our security into it and developing it into something that separates us from the simplicity of our experience.

Well said.