Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Not To Associate With The Unwise Is Most Blissful.
Hanzze
Veteran
On the path its very important to have admiral friends to gain process, but even in daily live its good to chose his friends and companion wisely.
From the book: Mangala Sutta Uannana Ven. K. Gunaratana Thera
Not To Associate With The Unwise Is Most Blissful.
Fools or ignorant people not only injure themselves, but also those around them. If we associate with them, we are apt to follow their ways and so harm ourselves mentally as well as bodily, because all troubles or fear arise from ignorance or foolishness. Even if we do not practise their methods, the more fact of associating with them will harm our reputation; in the same way that a banana leaf is contaminated if it is used to wrap up a piece of rotten fish or meat. The leaf is dirty and smelly even after the fish or rotten meat is thrown away.
Here is a story to illustrate this:
Once, when the Bodhisat was born as a man called Akitti Pandita, the King of Devas promised to grant him any boon he asked. Akitti Pandita begged that he might never meet, see or talk with fools. The King of Devas was surprised and asked him the reason for this strange request. Replying, he explained that fools or the unwise ones i.e. people who do not understand discipline, always lead their friends to bad ways and teach them to do wrong, because they do not know the right way them selves. If discipline or good ways are spoken in their presence, they become angry, for they cannot understand, they lose their temper and quarrels arise. If discipline or good ways are spoken in their presence, they become angry, for they do not understand them. Therefore he prayed that he might never speak, meet or come in contact with fools.
There is a very good essay about good friends, teacher and "The Power of Judgment"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/power_of_judgment.html
Thought very worthy for a discussion *smile*
From the book: Mangala Sutta Uannana Ven. K. Gunaratana Thera
Not To Associate With The Unwise Is Most Blissful.
Fools or ignorant people not only injure themselves, but also those around them. If we associate with them, we are apt to follow their ways and so harm ourselves mentally as well as bodily, because all troubles or fear arise from ignorance or foolishness. Even if we do not practise their methods, the more fact of associating with them will harm our reputation; in the same way that a banana leaf is contaminated if it is used to wrap up a piece of rotten fish or meat. The leaf is dirty and smelly even after the fish or rotten meat is thrown away.
Here is a story to illustrate this:
Once, when the Bodhisat was born as a man called Akitti Pandita, the King of Devas promised to grant him any boon he asked. Akitti Pandita begged that he might never meet, see or talk with fools. The King of Devas was surprised and asked him the reason for this strange request. Replying, he explained that fools or the unwise ones i.e. people who do not understand discipline, always lead their friends to bad ways and teach them to do wrong, because they do not know the right way them selves. If discipline or good ways are spoken in their presence, they become angry, for they cannot understand, they lose their temper and quarrels arise. If discipline or good ways are spoken in their presence, they become angry, for they do not understand them. Therefore he prayed that he might never speak, meet or come in contact with fools.
There is a very good essay about good friends, teacher and "The Power of Judgment"
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/power_of_judgment.html
Thought very worthy for a discussion *smile*
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I am betting you can't - won't do that. So, before the axe falls - I am wishing you a fond adieu.
Was there anything about the forum in the OP or did you take some attachments from another place?
But back to the topic, you are right people judging others on there faults are mostly not good teacher.
*smile*
*smile*
The first truth is that you can't really trust yourself to see through your delusion on your own.When you're deluded, you don't know you're deluded. You need some trustworthy outside help to point it out to you. This is why, when the Buddha advised the Kalamas to know for themselves, one of the things he told them to know for themselves was how wise people would judge their behavior. When he advised his son, Rahula, to examine his own actions as he would his face in a mirror, he said that if Rahula saw that his actions had caused any harm, he should talk it over with a knowledgeable friend on the path. That way he could learn how to be open with others — and himself — about his mistakes, and at the same time tap into the knowledge that his friend had gained. He wouldn't have to keep reinventing the dharma wheel on his own.
So if you really want to become skillful in your thoughts, words, and deeds, you need a trustworthy friend or teacher to point out your blind spots. And because those spots are blindest around your unskillful habits, the primary duty of a trustworthy friend is to point out your faults — for only when you see your faults can you correct them; only when you correct them are you benefiting from your friend's compassion in pointing them out.
Seemingly you consider all of us "unwise" compared to you. Now wouldn't it just be blissful then to take your most learned self to another forum so that you can share your vast wealth of (other people's) knowledge with them? Somebody who truly appreciates what it is you are offering, since ostensibly we unwise folks don't?
Just a suggestion, since clearly you feel we are inferior.
"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"
Buddha replied, "Don't say that, Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life. When a monk has admirable people as friends, companions, and comrades, he can be expected to develop and pursue the noble eightfold path."
Don't think of this as an excuse to dump old friendships in place of "more spiritual" ones. Old friends can prove fertile ground for establishing an "admirable friendship", even if they have no interest in Buddhism at all.
:buck:
and i see the merit and value in such teaching.
i'm not sure it always applies. when we are well versed in the dharma and even our practice, it is paramount that we actively engage with the world. this is coming from a mahayana point of view.
the friends that i have that are not so wise teach me lessons that i cannot ever learn from others.
they teach me patience and more importantly they teach the willingness to open the heart towards them.
sure they are flawed and are ignorant, but we all are. they are a part of us.
what use is freedom for myself if i cannot help others? if i cannot be sad or happy with them? if i cannot fall and cry in misery with them?
suffering is okay. i don't mind it. to be awakened from suffering and non suffering. this gives me the strength to help everyone.
such is bliss.
i do see your point though.