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A quote about taking text literally vs. meditation

HubrisHubris
edited November 2011 in Buddhism Basics
People who are attached to sutras and a scriptural teaching of words can lack faith in the living, mysterious experience of meditation that leads to a sudden insight. They are usually too caught up in the expedient means of words and speech, attached to the stubborn habit of distinguishing between "true" and "not true." Believing only what is written in holy texts, they are conceptually mesmerized by the treasures of others, instead of digging inside to discover the priceless gems of their own, lying deep within. —So Sahn

Comments

  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    even if you discover the priceless gems. meditation can also become an escapism from facing everything with an open mind and heart.

    read buddhist sutra > meditate > engage with world

    actually i have met many people who engage with the world who are very fufilled and whole beings.

    you don't need a scripture or meditation to tell you the power of a smile.

    what use is all this theory and meditation if we cannot be happy in our ordinary lives with our ordinary suffering? what use is it all if we cannot love those who are next to us?

    the striving and grasping. always on scripture or technique. how long will we go until we realize that everything is okay?
  • HubrisHubris
    @Taiyaki, just to make it clear, I did not write that. I found it on Facebook under Tricycle's page, which I subscribe to.

    Honestly this quote was meant for folks like @MindGate who questions things he reads vs. things he hears on this forum. I am not saying this is right nor wrong, it was just food for thought.
  • taiyakitaiyaki Veteran
    yeah just my reaction towards the quote! don't mean to offend~~

    i totally agree with the quote btw. a good reminder. thanks for posting!!
  • possibilitiespossibilities PNW, WA State Veteran
    edited November 2011
    I agree with the quote as well and often find it frustrating when people need quotes to state the obvious.
    I am new to the "scriptures" of Buddhism, in fact have barely read any at all since they are so stilted/drawn out.... but I am heavily drawn to the spirit of Buddhism, because it simply gives credence to what I have believed and how I have lived all along.
    Beyond that, it helps me find more clarity and ways to deepen this approach. All this has to come from conviction, not from reading someone else's thoughts.

    I like the observation that by dissecting the written word, people can miss the big picture :-)
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