Genuine students required?

lobster

Progress takes many forms. In order to start engaging with the 'spiritual' life, we have to start living it. We have to find impetus for that initial step. We have to have confidence that the way we have found is suitable. We read, study and question. We start to practice; to taste. We may seek companionship and a teacher for inspiration and advice.
We are now enabling the influence of the teaching. By retaining commonsense and personal integrity, we can continue with the resources available to us. The idea of spirituality or its inappropriate connotations may eventually leave. Cultural or superstitious vestiges may be recocognised, tolerated or dropped.
Power based or hypocrisy based aspects may entangle with us, if we ourselves are prey to such tendencies. We are fragile and easily effected by our own and others arising flaws. These imperfections are not authentic, however real in appearance but learned and indulged. We can choose to overcome and ignore non ethical behaviours. If teachers have negative traits they may become acceptable to some. Bad behaviour is sometimes labeled dzogchen, zen or crazy wisdom, when it is clearly masking rather than unmasking. We can choose our own interpretation or enable the hypocrisy. It is as always, the integrity of all seekers to choose the genuine, to resonate and exemplify. Most of us will find inspired, genuine, helpful trail blazers. These are our three jewels, that will empower the middle way.

Be a genuine student and your purity will protect you.

genkaku

@Lobster -- Trying to round up spiritual endeavor is like herding cats -- it's bound to be disappointing. Notions of purity arouse impurities; notions of joy ignite sorrows; notions of perfection nourish imperfections.

Rather than wasting time in this way, I think it is better to make whatever choice seems sensible in the sure and certain knowledge that it's a human endeavor and therefore bound to be a sometimes wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride. Perhaps the keys to the kingdom lie not so much in praise and blame as they do in the willingness to make a choice and then ... see it all the way through. No more pussyfooting. No more 'truth,' no more 'falsehood' ... just see it all the way through.

lobster

cats and lobsters are easily herded, you just need the right fish . . .
as for seeing it through, apart from becoming a Buddha this year (new year resolution) I ain't goin' anywhere . . . :clap:

andyrobyn

Often is a matter of keep on keeping on ... the cushion ( so to speak ) ... off to week's retreat for me now.

sharonsaw

we just need to walk the talk... there is no point to gain scriptural knowledge but not putting it into practice. It is like knowing how the medication works when you are sick but not consuming it. No matter how good the medication is, it cannot help you if you don't take it. If we have a genuinely good and sincere motivation for our Dharma practice, we will definitely reap results.