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zombiegirlbeating the drum of the lifelessin a dry wastelandVeteran
See... and that is my wonder. Do I actually believe that enlightenment could be in the cards for me? I still don't know. But I reckon it either will or won't happen and even if I strive for it, I doubt that will have any bearing on whether or not it occurs. So, sorry for belaboring the point, but apparently, we are in total agreement.
@zombiegirl your wording is fine. I was rather unskilfully bringing peoples attention back to where we are going and why. We are on a path for a variety of reasons. Some of us will become Buddhas, in this very body, in this very year [shrug]
@zombiegirl your wording is fine. I was rather unskilfully bringing peoples attention back to where we are going and why. We are on a path for a variety of reasons. Some of us will become Buddhas, in this very body, in this very year [shrug]
Failure is an option
No... we wont. That is not mere negativity.
That's what I was thinking. Aren't we thousands of years away from the appearance of Maitreya Buddha? How can there be Buddhas appearing here and there whenever they feel like it?
There were Buddhas before 'dat prince' and there were Buddhas after, and there will be Buddhas to come, this is inevitable IMO. But I still have to resign and say that the journey is the goal, each day, each moment and breath where the dhamma arises is the goal, not where we are going but where we are.
To be honest I don't spend a lot of time worrying about becoming enlightened. Perhaps it's because it's beyond my deluded mind to fully comprehend or perhaps it's because it seems like something that is a long way off from happening. Or maybe a bit of both. I tend to put more emphasis on being a kinder more forgiving person, to not be held hostage by my emotional states, to have some kind of better understanding of how existence works and where I fit in to it. Hopefully find some peace in this life and to come to terms with the fact that this life will inevitably be over one day and ditto for all the people I care about.
I believe people can and do become enlightened, but I have a hard time believing it's something that's achievable for me in this lifetime -- maybe that's just me being down on myself, but I'm pretty sure it's me being realistic. Hopefully what I do in this lifetime will perhaps make it easier to progress down this path in future ones.
The realisation of nirvana and samsara as identical, the unfoldment and experience of awakening is the goal of Buddhism. It is 'reachable' and 'attained'. Did you think you were anything less than awakable? Some do. Some don't.
Some attain, in this body, in this year, in this moment, in reality. :thumbup:
Comments
That's what I was thinking. Aren't we thousands of years away from the appearance of Maitreya Buddha? How can there be Buddhas appearing here and there whenever they feel like it?
I believe people can and do become enlightened, but I have a hard time believing it's something that's achievable for me in this lifetime -- maybe that's just me being down on myself, but I'm pretty sure it's me being realistic. Hopefully what I do in this lifetime will perhaps make it easier to progress down this path in future ones.
Some attain, in this body, in this year, in this moment, in reality. :thumbup:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sotāpanna#Rebirth
Then a few more lifetimes in the human realm and *bing*
:wave: