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First steps to enlightenment
Source: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/index.html
So I was searching around on AccessToInsight and read that there is a prescribed way to enlightenment. Meaning, a general path from start to finish. "The Dhamma, the truth taught by the Buddha, is uncovered gradually through sustained practice. The Buddha made clear many times that Awakening does not occur like a bolt out of the blue to the untrained and unprepared mind. Rather, it culminates a long journey of many stages."
I read that the first step is generosity, or dana. As per my reading, generosity and giving helps weaken attachment and purify the mind. It also helps gain merit which is beneficial. Thus, giving is a good first step to get one started on their path.
After this, attainment of virtue is next. Virtue is typically seen as adhering to the precepts (no harming other beings, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no intoxicants) and living a moral/righteous lifestyle.
Just something interesting I read. There's more to it, but what are your guys' thoughts?
So I was searching around on AccessToInsight and read that there is a prescribed way to enlightenment. Meaning, a general path from start to finish. "The Dhamma, the truth taught by the Buddha, is uncovered gradually through sustained practice. The Buddha made clear many times that Awakening does not occur like a bolt out of the blue to the untrained and unprepared mind. Rather, it culminates a long journey of many stages."
I read that the first step is generosity, or dana. As per my reading, generosity and giving helps weaken attachment and purify the mind. It also helps gain merit which is beneficial. Thus, giving is a good first step to get one started on their path.
After this, attainment of virtue is next. Virtue is typically seen as adhering to the precepts (no harming other beings, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no intoxicants) and living a moral/righteous lifestyle.
Just something interesting I read. There's more to it, but what are your guys' thoughts?
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Comments
everything is done on the path, so that when the time is right everything is dropped.
the gradual path leads to the sudden path.
the sudden path leads to the gradual path.
Do you mean to avoid create craving toward this in order to avoid making our life more difficult that it need to be?
Do you mean it in this way:
"Forget about the diploma, just focus on this homework and what you can do right now?"
which is the way i find to be the most helpful way to look at this.. here is Ajahn Chah answer to this question (at 3 minutes 18 seconds):
Those who long for "enlightenment" are often the first to think they are not enlightened. This means they know what they are not. But if you know you are not enlightened, then that means you know what enlightenment is (it is something you are convinced you lack) ... either that or you are willing to take someone else's word for what it is. Taking someone else's word for enlightenment could hardly qualify as enlightenment so ... either you know what it is (something you insist you lack) or you are blowing imaginative smoke.
I mean none of this as a criticism .... just as something to think about.
In nine years of fairly intensive training in Zen Buddhism -- I wasn't terribly good at it. I just kept plugging along. During that time, if I heard "enlightenment" or the precepts mentioned more than ten times in a formal setting, I would be surprised. And looking back 30 years later, I feel a certain gratitude: In practice, the precepts come to life naturally and common-sensically. It has nothing to do with being good or virtuous -- it's just how things work when things work well. And I have a feeling that whatever enlightenment may be (and I'll leave that to others), it too is what just works best when things are working well. Bright light is just bright light. Dark shadows are just dark shadows. Bright and dark work pretty well, I think.
Obviously, this is all just my take.
That stone's always been there, but you just haven't singled it out - but when you stub your toe - you know it.
Generally the Buddhism we see is the gradual vision of Buddhism. Be it the path towards Arhatship or the Bhumi path of the Bodhisattva.
Even the Tantric traditions of Vajrayana are gradual though one takes a fake it till you make it approach.
In Dzogchen the knowledge of the natural state is pointed out directly and one does practices to cultivate and integrate such state. Thus this is where it starts as sudden and then gradual. Sudden because the natural state isn't created but actually found and realized through pointing out instructions by a Dzogchen master/teacher.
But even so there is a gradual deepening and integrating, etc.
Even in Zen depending on what school we look at there is a sudden and gradual approach. One may find the ox or mind through satori but needs to gradually cultivate the ox until both the man and ox are gone, thus coming to nirvana. Or one may cultivate other conditions so that they may have a sudden glimpse of reality as it is.
It is always a gradual process because everything is dependent upon conditions. Lalala
(Sorry if this post is not terribly eloquent. I'm in a bit of a hurry.)