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Anything good?

driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
edited January 2012 in Meditation
Is there anything positive or useful about greed, hate, and ignorance or delusions?

Comments

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    yes they can be transformed to buddha qualites: sensitivity, clarity, and openness.
  • IktomiIktomi
    They're essential qualities for a good Hollywood blockbuster.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    yes they can be transformed to buddha qualites: sensitivity, clarity, and openness.
    i see what you mean but just to be clear:
    they are not really transformed.

    the absence of delusion is clarity.

    for example:
    How will you feel like if you don't have the emotional reaction of hate in regard to whatever situation that you use to have that reaction?

    let say i get mad and angry when my wife say or do something in a specific way when we have a discussion, Which turn discussions into unpleasant fights.
    what will happen if this negative emotional reaction doesn't show up in my belly anymore?
    I'd just happily continue the conversation.


    I think a good thing that can come out of these things is the opportunity to learn about how our mind function, and eventually realize what/who we truly are.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    They're essential qualities for a good Hollywood blockbuster.


    :lol:

    On the nail!
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    What about greed. Greed is sometimes good in the eye of the public. Can someone get greedy with insight for example? In other words, wouldn't it be ok to want to have unlimited insight?
  • shanyinshanyin Novice Yogin Sault Ontario Veteran
    edited January 2012
    buddhism teaches non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion, non-ignorance.

    Insight meditation roots those negative qualities out through insight meditation.
  • shanyinshanyin Novice Yogin Sault Ontario Veteran
    That's all I can say on that, I would suggest finding a teacher with your question.
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    Thank you for your comments.

    I had wondered about this a long time ago. I realize we want to root out greed, hatred, and delusions, but couldn't we use them to help us in the process? Couldn't I hate these defilements for example? What are your thoughts?
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    edited January 2012
    Thank you for your comments.

    I had wondered about this a long time ago. I realize we want to root out greed, hatred, and delusions, but couldn't we use them to help us in the process? Couldn't I hate these defilements for example? What are your thoughts?
    you need peace and equanimity toward formations in order to unroot the defilements.

    if you hate, you'll probably just end up hating yourself for having those feelings...


    as long as you hate, you are in the "story" world.
  • shanyinshanyin Novice Yogin Sault Ontario Veteran
    Haha my grammer was pretty bad there.

    My only thought is that hatred is considered unwholesome. The eightfold path is avoiding extremes (which is what it sounds like) abstaining from unwholesome karma. Intentionally hating something (a part of yourself?) seems like an extreme to be avoided.

    Alot of the time I just want to say to some people here to find a teacher.

  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    I just had a thought. They are rooted out but can still be used when needed to help other beings. Could this be possible?
  • IktomiIktomi
    What about greed. Greed is sometimes good in the eye of the public. Can someone get greedy with insight for example? In other words, wouldn't it be ok to want to have unlimited insight?
    Unlimited insight, that's an interesting thought. I think it was Dogen who said that to study the self is to forget the self. Perhaps what he meant was that to study the self is to eventually get bored of the self and move on to a thousand other things.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    I just had a thought. They are rooted out but can still be used when needed to help other beings. Could this be possible?
    well

    can you feel angry at a squirrel who is eating a nut and being cute?


    you can always fake it, like Ajahn Brahm stories or even Goenka, faking being angry to get a student to understand something...
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    I wonder if its just faking it or just realizing that they are of no harm anymore.
  • patbbpatbb Veteran
    I wonder if its just faking it or just realizing that they are of no harm anymore.
    well there are both, to be able to unroot them you must realize their true nature,
    but then if you were just realizing that they are of no harm, you wouldn't bother unrooting them no?
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited January 2012
    Perhaps we have to attempt to uproot them to be able to realize their true nature which is just empty, and that which is empty cannot really be harmful no?
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran
    Is there anything positive or useful about greed, hate, and ignorance or delusions?
    No. :)

  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited January 2012
    yes they can be transformed to buddha qualites: sensitivity, clarity, and openness.
    i see what you mean but just to be clear:
    they are not really transformed.

    the absence of delusion is clarity.

    for example:
    How will you feel like if you don't have the emotional reaction of hate in regard to whatever situation that you use to have that reaction?

    let say i get mad and angry when my wife say or do something in a specific way when we have a discussion, Which turn discussions into unpleasant fights.
    what will happen if this negative emotional reaction doesn't show up in my belly anymore?
    I'd just happily continue the conversation.


    I think a good thing that can come out of these things is the opportunity to learn about how our mind function, and eventually realize what/who we truly are.
    Some sects of buddhism such as my teacher say that ultimate bodhicitta is distorted by grasping. For example I am angry? Why am I angry? Because somebody hurt me... Why that? Because I don't want to be hurt? Why? Because I want to be free from suffering? Which eventually leads to bodhicitta.... In this case also we see ignorance and ignorance is remedied by studying: 1 impermanence to overcome grasping to this life 2 suffering to overcome graspoing to pleasure 3 love to overcome grasping to peace

  • Lady_AlisonLady_Alison Veteran
    Poor squirrel's nuts
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