Best Of
Re: Knowledge of the absolute
@Jeroen said:
What do you think, can we know that something is eternal?
I'm in the camp of those that say we should trust our experience, whatever others say. Going by an experience now more than a decade ago, I'd tentatively say yes. I wrote about that experience here: https://tatfoundation.org/forum2021-05.htm#4 ("Becoming Conscious of Awareness").
However, these days I don't put much stock into such experiences (or even questions), nor chase them (maybe because I don't have any 
. These days I think that a good measure of spiritual maturity (and any experiences experienced) is just a person's daily functioning and level of positive qualities. Going by this measure, as you know, I could definitely improve!
marcitko
Re: Righteousness
There is probably some appropriate way to speak up towards those using the pedestrian path. I can't speak for everyone, but for me a scolding, moralistic tone likely would get rejected by my brain. I'm thinking a more measured, but still forceful tone might be better received?
Some people will be eternally recalcitrant, but I think most people care about how other perceive them. Just the act of speaking up is probably doing as much as you might reasonably do that could have an impact, aside from some deeply involved community activism to get better enforcement.
person
Re: Righteousness
@SuraShine said:
Cyclists on the road are my bugbear. I feel like you as I have had cyclists damage my car in transit for shits and giggles. Sharing the road with them is a massive teaching moment for me. I'm down to muttering to myself and catching myself mid-act and feeling regret. But somedays I don't want to regret it to be honest.
It’s interesting as I’ve never had a problem with cyclists on the road. But I know a lot of people do.
I just don’t want to see them on the footpath
Bunks
Re: The words of enlightened masters
Intellectual study of scriptures or enlightened masters can be very useful, though it can cause some problems as in making someone think that they actually obtained some understanding. In reality, it is very superficial...
Direct experience is something which goes beyond this. Enlightened masters are humans like us after all.. though in some aspects they have pointed out the path in a manner which can be useful if aprehended carefully.
For example, Chogyam Trungpa's work and early study helped me to begin my path but, I knew when to drop him and avoid falling into devotion / parrot mentality. Like a kid learning geography without actually experiencing it or engaging with the subject, simply assuming the memorization and following the teacher's authority is enough.
Recognising a good teacher is hard. But it does help a lot when you find one Just like a good friendship!
Kotishka
The words of enlightened masters
Yesterday I was revisiting the quotes of U. G. Krishnamurti that I had saved in the “no Buddhist quotes” thread, and I came across this one…
“Courage is to brush aside everything that man has experienced and felt before you. You are the only one, greater than all those things. Everything is finished, the whole tradition is finished, however sacred and holy it may be -- then only can you be yourself -- that is individuality. For the first time you become an individual. As long as you depend upon somebody, some authority, you are not an individual.”
— U. G. Krishnamurti
And it occurred to me that over the last ten years, from roughly the time when I started my current spiritual adventure until now, I have been conditioning myself with the words of enlightened beings in the hope of making progress on the path. Now I have arrived at the point where I ask myself, does it actually make sense to do that?
The other day I asked on another forum, “what is the purpose of studying sutras?” The answer I got was, “it supports one’s right view”. But it also turns you into not much more than a parrot, someone who has adopted a thin veneer of someone else’s opinions.
At some point you have to stop, you have to digest these words of others and throw away the dead remains, and come back to yourself. It took U. G. forty-nine years to come to the end of his search and to rediscover his natural state.
Jeroen
Re: Righteousness
This is slightly off the righteousness path ....but...
I think...
If a path is signed as a no/cycle path then cyclists should simply stay off it.
If a path is signed as a mixed usage path then both pedestrians and cyclists using it should be attentive to the speed and distancing safety needs of the other.
No walking or riding side by side when that action forces others in any direction to give way for anyone's safety.
When Path users meet they should attempt to stay to the same side of the path that the local car drivers have to.
No wearing of headphones or earbuds by a cyclist or pedestrian when it prevents them from being aware of another's approach.
If you have to use your phone, step off the path.
and I've probably broken every one of these courtesy or sanity path suggestions
how
Re: Righteousness
I drive, walk, cycle & e-bike with varying degrees of awareness.
The sense of autonomy we assign for ourselves in whatever mode of travel we utilize, often seems to be an adversarial interaction waiting to happen.
What clearer litmus test of a practice's effectiveness can be found than in how we can potentially carry the grace of our meditations' stillness into activity and back...or not?
Sometimes yelling is appropriate....but that messaging can often get misread when the speaker acts like a cat that's just been waiting to pounce on the next mouse that appears.
how
Mindfulness practice
Had a quiet day at home yesterday so I challenged myself to sit and meditate for 5 minutes every thirty minutes.
It went quite well. Became more difficult as the day went on, reaching the point that I could barely focus by about 8pm.
It did make me think more about what I was doing between sessions to ensure I was able to settle quickly each time I sat.
I’ll try it again today but just do five minutes each hour as I have to work.
What do others do to maintain mindfulness throughout the day?
Bunks
Re: Righteousness
Round here, there are not many cycling-lanes. Where there are, I cycle on these lanes. Where there aren't any, I cycle rather slowly on the footpath and never hit anyone. I'm afraid to cycle on the street, it seems far too dangerous. So to confuse matters further, you might look at cyclists on the footpath as choosing the safer option and extend your compassion to them. The cyclist and e-scooter that hit you were most probably reckless - but with that attitude driving on the street they might be severely injured or dead. Just my perspective.
It seems to me that what is required is a good network of "medium speed" lanes for bicyles/scooters/rollerblades/etc.
marcitko
Re: Righteousness
There is no doubt an appropriate and skillful use of righteousness. In my opinion righteousness requires some level of moral certainty and I think there is an over abundance of people with certainty of their position in the world today, and thus an over abundance of righteous people, all with different points of view. Are they all righteous? How can we live together in a diverse world with everyone claiming the moral high ground?
I don't know that I'm right, I'm probably wrong about something, or at least it takes all sorts of people with differing dispositions and interests to make the world work. I'm someone who cares primarily about truth and balance, those require a decent amount of epistemic humility, which kind of runs counter to the moral certainty clarity required to be righteous.
person