Superficiality
lobster
Crusty Veteran
As someone who has a talking meditation cushion, believes that a Buddha theme park is a good idea and has not read a dharma book in years, I know a thing or three about superficiality. Serious dharma students are easy to spot, they are joining or in the sangha, know dogma and sutra and are not swayed by the superficial.
Most of us are aware of how the outer is an expression of the inner. So of course does every salesman, con artist, Mara the Magnificent and the confused dharma clowns we often are ourselves.
How do we overcome the facade of cleverness, superficial knowledge, behaviour based dharma and empty dukkha?
For me it is to practice wrong speech that is rightable, being kind without due care, attention and hypocrisy and of course to sit on that cushion whatever the consequences.
Comments
Borrow a sense of humor?
Learn to judge the right time, the right place, when it's appropriate, and when your comments will just be seen as smartass and crass.
Some folks just don't have those brakes functioning.
And smartass responses to this comment will prove that.
This is one of the major problems with superficial assesment. Our judgement is filtered through our realization or lack, our experience, our authority, hormonal disposition, mental health, emotional stability, social role, personal assesment etc etc . . . In other words judgement.
I would suggest that everyone on this forum that I have come across is trying to help themselves and others. Everyone. That is my judgement.
How I respond to individuals, the group and the situation may appear [insert assesment]. However just as I am doing my unskilful best, so are others. Somehow I have to listen to the intention, the perspective and angle they are expressing. Then I respond. Communication of key principals; 'right time, the right place, when it's appropriate' as @federica mentions is not a trivial matter . . .
meanwhile a general purpose reminder for those on the fast raft to the far shore . . .
Well, I'm embarrassed to say that, I had to look up with "probity" means because the only thing I could see was an alien with a probe saying "probity, probity!"
If you have any knowledge of Steven Fry, that could be seen as even funnier...
Let's not kid ourselves, alien probity is serious... seriously fun!
How do you spot "serious Dharma students" @lobster? Can they be measured by the amount of sutras they can quote, or by the attitude displayed when interacting in the site?
A certain dose of humour or superficiality is not bad for a serious Dharma student...
@dharmamom, I would suggest the transmission of values takes precedence. Too many sutra bashers and dharma thumpers are stifling of the genuine 'joy of dharma'. They fulfil a function of transmitting, reminding us and extolling the values. So in a sense they are serious but often dogmatic.
Wisdom, I would suggest is the implementation of dharma in a way appropriate for maximum nutrition. We can all read books, listen to talks but what will impact on us and allow digestion? This is the role of wisdom. Nobody can make us fruitfully sit on Mr Cushion until we are ready . . .
Core values of the realised are independent of the vehicle. In other words, they are the transmission, despite the vehicle of dharma and independent of it. It is why the transmission of values can be found in all mystic paths but these same values can be induced in others without any direct reference to dharma. For example if you are kind, this is a teaching. If you say I am kind because it results in good karma or baby Jesus will smile . . . you are missing the value and merely displaying lesser wheel dharma . . .
As for humour. I am assured by Mr Cushion it is a serious business . . .
My favourite Mr Cushion so far @lobster ^^^
Pah! Steven Fry has forgotten more words than most of us know. A smart cookie. I used to follow him on twitter before not using twitter anymore. He is a master wordsmith . . . and I had to look up probity too . . . Might be time to return to Twitter for a while . . .
Glad the cushion went down well; Sam Eagle from the Muppets. The muppets I believe started on Sesame Street, a comedic and educational combination.
'Who Am I' from Puppetji
I wonder if @Lobster is in the cushion printing business lol
This thread is a bit related to the one on how important you consider your education, it seems to me.
There is the knowledge that really teaches, that really makes the written word digestible to you when you read it, and there is as you call it the "sutra basher / dharma thumper" knowledge that leaves the reader totally emaciated and empty. It does not communicate.
Some people quote a thousand sutras and are so serious about it that, as you say, they "stifle the genuine joy of dharma" out of the reader. Then, all of sudden you come across this one-paragraph comment that gives you an Aha moment and puts all the Dharma pieces into place. The difference between intellectualising your knowledge and internalising it from your guts, I suppose.
P.S.: I love Stephen Fry