"if you cannot find it within, you will never find it without"

zenmyste

Our sangha teacher said this to us. He has given us a little assesment: his words were "'put down your books, stop searching outside the self.stop asking others questions and start asking yourself the questions. Go home and just sit and listen for if you cannot find it within you'll never find it without"

Any thoughts guys? Do you agree? Do you know what he means etc etc...

Cheers x

Jeffrey

Its not my place to question another's sangha teacher, but I don't agree to put down books or stop answering/asking questions. You'd have to ask him what he means by self. Is there a boundary to the self? Is there a self 'in here' and books 'out there'?

Maybe he is trying to shake you up so you slug off the fog of set ways. And find the world anew? Let the world die and then see what happens?

Yishai

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." -Buddha

It helps to know what he was talking about. Was he talking about reaching enlightenment? Or was he talking about day-to-day self-concerns? We need, at the very least, a basic understanding of the Dhamma to begin our journey toward enlightenment. Why not know the features of the path before you walk it?

As far as self-concerns go, it does help to search for those answers within yourself. Like the quote above, we will not find peace out in the world. We must find it within ourselves. However, the Dhamma comes from outside, as well as inside.

Sounds like your sangha teacher is trying to cut through laziness or stagnation in those that read and study but never practice. Asking questions, reading books, and such are all well and good. You can do all that, but you won't get very far without practicing what you learn. You must put the method into effect.

Theswingisyellow

To me the Buddha was a scientist of the mind who used this body and mind as an instrument for discovering the truth. So it is this ground that your practice will be tested and refined. It doesn't hurt though, to have the wisdom from the many others who have tread this very path. I do like your teachers advice to start asking yourself the questions, good advice indeed.
All the best to your practice,
Todd

aMatt

You're cheating. Go sit.

taiyaki

it's important not to just eat off another's plate.

what you realize yourself will transform you.
what you read will only stay as information, unless you allow it to transform you.

if you sat next to a buddha, he couldn't give you "enlightenment". he could give you a method or help you with a question. but the buddha would say, go sit and meditate.

taiyaki

anyone who gives you a belief system should never be trusted. even if it is the buddha. you must always doubt until you find
out if such truth is true and finally you must doubt the doubt as all things must be negated to come to truth.

liberation means total liberation. unconditional liberation.
think about that. it's not what you just thought about and it is what you thought about.

zenmyste

it's important not to just eat off another's plate.

what you realize yourself will transform you.
what you read will only stay as information, unless you allow it to transform you.

if you sat next to a buddha, he couldn't give you "enlightenment". he could give you a method or help you with a question. but the buddha would say, go sit and meditate.

Makes complete sense thanks.

Paradox

Reading the Lonley Planet Guide to Fiji is not the same as actually going to Fiji. Reading the book will allow you to plan your trip better and have a better understanding of things when you get there, but if you want to know what Fiji is really about, you have to go there yourself.

The map is not the territory, the fingers are not the moon etc etc