"share the experience"

genkaku

"Share the experience" is a phrase that is often used with a straight face.

If I had to guess, I think I'd say that part of what propels a Buddhist practice is the sense of loneliness that comes with the empirical understanding that experience cannot be shared. Yes, I know there are talk festivals where people are encouraged to "share their experience," but this is just talking the talk. If you visit the Grand Canyon and I have never been, I may enjoy your descriptions and reactions to an awe-inspiring place, but this is pleasant social interaction -- not "sharing the experience."

My Zen teacher once said to me, "If you have not tasted tea and I try to describe it to you, what will you know? But if you take one sip, then we both know what tea tastes like."

The earnestness with which people can utter "share the experience" strikes me as diverting ... and a strange habit to get into.

Just noodling here. What do you think of "sharing the experience?"

ownerof1000oddsocks

It helps if everyone involved is on the same page.

Vastmind

"My Zen teacher once said to me, "If you have not tasted tea and I try to describe it to you, what will you know? But if you take one sip, then we both know what tea tastes like."

I agree with your teacher.

"The earnestness with which people can utter "share the experience" strikes me as diverting ... "

It diverts what? where?

"Just noodling here. What do you think of "sharing the experience?""

What are we sharing? The tea? The experience of drinking it?
Or the descriptions of it?

BhanteLucky

genkaku said:

Just noodling here. What do you think of "sharing the experience?"

While it may just be nice polite conversation to share the experience, and not really communicating anything, sometimes Buddhism goes too far the other way, into what is called Mushroom Dharma.
Growing meditators in the dark, feeding them on poo.
In Mushroom Dharma, meditation experiences are seen as something private and secret, not to be talked about. Almost shameful in fact. The only person you should describe the experiences to are your teacher, who will caution you not to talk about it to others openly.
Rapture states and lovely experiences are seen as annoying side-effects of the meditative path, which can easily lead people astray if they focus on them, or if they give them importance by talking about them. So keeping them secret is better.

So "sharing the experience" can be a useful counter to this.

person

Since individual experience is at the heart of Buddhist practice I think sharing the experience is important to ensure that one is on the correct path and not veering off into lala land.

I take your main point though that our practice and our minds are ultimately our own and no one can give us enlightenment, its something we each have to see for ourselves.