Why are we bewildered?

Dennis1

The mind is complex and compulsive. Our presence is alternately dark and radiant. We aspire to a better condition for ourselves and others but we often act confused and contrary to our purpose. In "The Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism" under the doctrines of Samsara and Nirvana there is an excellent elucidation of these bewildering conditions.
I have mentioned them but no one has picked up on that thread. So, Why are we bewildered? Why do we not achieve our heart's desire and remain true to our ideals?

Jeffrey

Because we think we have to do something other than what we are doing. We are ok. We should forgive ourselves and others for not being what we wish and just be easy going. Streaming my thoughts ha.

lobster

Bewilderment is a stage or 'station' on the Sufi path. The closest equivalent might be Zen sickness. This is where arisings of realisation are raw, bewildering and immature or premature. They do not have a context or stable nature.

However . . . you are asking more about glamour, confusion, befuddlement, entrapment by our hindrances? That is the nature of our 'self' to a lesser or greater degree. The Buddhist path is about becoming aware of these beguiling bewilderments. They are the nonsense of the self. The mind chatter, insecurities, arisings . . .

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
The Wizard of Oz

MaryAnne

I may be temporarily confused about temporary situations or circumstances...but eventually I figure things out. I may be wrong, I may be right, I may have to admit that I just don't 'know' something.... but i don't think I am at this stage of my life really "bewildered" about anything. ::: shrugs:::

Well, except people sometimes; There are genuinely bewildering people in this world that I run into from time to time. Not many, but here and there, now and again.

Dennis1

MaryAnne said:

I may be temporarily confused about temporary situations or circumstances...but eventually I figure things out. I may be wrong, I may be right, I may have to admit that I just don't 'know' something.... but i
don't think I am at this stage of my life really "bewildered" about anything. ::: shrugs:::

Well, except people sometimes; There are genuinely bewildering people in this world that I run into from time to time. Not many, but here and there, now and again.

Well, Are you a unity of presence with all of life or are you a separate unique being?
That is the nature of bewilderment. Also do you carry on imaginary conversations or thought processes with yourself so you can get a look at yourself from a not self viewpoint. That is also the nature of bewilderment. Bewilderment stems from the decision to be a separate entity-the decision to be and is said to be the cause of Samsara. Thank you for your viewpoint. I didn't really mean confused-it seems you have that pretty much under your control. That's great. Fortune to you and your activities. Best, Dennis

MaryAnne

I don't know if we are using the same definition of Bewilderment... Let's pull out our trusty (varied) English dictionaries....

be·wil·der·ment
n.
1. The condition of being confused or disoriented.
2. A situation of perplexity or confusion; a tangle: a bewilderment of lies and half-truths.

Here's another;

BEWILDERMENT

1: the quality or state of being bewildered
2 : a bewildering tangle or confusion

The last time I was feeling a sense of bewilderment, was last January (2013) when I woke up one morning and was experiencing the extreme, acute symptom of vertigo.
I could not sit up, could not stand, walk or focus on anything with my eyes. My mind was fine, except for the total sense of bewilderment, and wondering if I had had a stroke in my sleep.
Both that sense of bewilderment and the vertigo was a temporary situation. Impermanent. Although the vertigo took a few days to completely pass, my bewilderment was over about 3 hrs after awakening, (no pun intended), when the doctors told me to relax, that it wasn't a stroke.

As for "Bewilderment stems from the decision to be a separate entity-the decision to be and is said to be the cause of Samsara." There was no choice on my part to be bewildered or have vertigo. Or are you going off into some sort of spiritually-warm and fuzzy esoteric train of thought?

I am not sure what sort of bewilderment you are talking about when you say "the nature of bewilderment" is some sort of connection to the presence of life or a separate unity ?? Can you explain?


Edited to add: @Dennis1 never mind. I re-read the OP and I have my answer... sorry for the disruption. Carry on.

pegembara

"Monks, I will teach you craving: the ensnarer that has flowed along, spread out, and caught hold, with which this world is smothered & enveloped like a tangled skein, a knotted ball of string, like matted rushes and reeds, and does not go beyond transmigration, beyond the planes of deprivation, woe, & bad destinations.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.199.than.html

Dennis1

pegembara said:

"Monks, I will teach you craving: the ensnarer that has flowed along, spread out, and caught hold, with which this world is smothered & enveloped like a tangled skein, a knotted ball of string, like matted rushes and reeds, and does not go beyond transmigration, beyond the planes of deprivation, woe, & bad destinations.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.199.than.html

Hi Peg: That is a mighty fine quote. I am still filled with it. Yes that is bewilderment
in 108 forms. Thank you

Straight_Man

Questions to the OP-- does thinking about it make it worse for you? Or do you think past the worsening?

Dennis1

When I first read the doctrines of Samsara and Nirvana and got th the 3 ignorances that cause bewilderment the 3rd ignorance "we create the imaginary in order to have an external view of self", it blew me away. Now, every time I reread the doctrines I am amazed that they are not with me all of the time. I keep them close however and my bewilderment has steadily decreased over the years. So, when I contemplate the lack of inherent being I experience awareness without an object. So that is better, definitely not worse. It is a constant reminder that a Bodhi's efforts are not useless.

footiam

Dennis1 said:

The mind is complex and compulsive. Our presence is alternately dark and radiant. We aspire to a better condition for ourselves and others but we often act confused and contrary to our purpose. In "The Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism" under the doctrines of Samsara and Nirvana there is an excellent elucidation of these bewildering conditions.
I have mentioned them but no one has picked up on that thread. So, Why are we bewildered? Why do we not achieve our heart's desire and remain true to our ideals?

We are bewildered because we do not understand. We do not understand because we are not focussed, at least not on the right thing. Take for instance, if we have an injured leg and we focussed on healing the hand, we will be bewildered why the medicine we administer does not work.