Clearing the blockage and keeping it simple......
Alex
UK Veteran
I sometimes get bogged down and disheartened with the depth of doctrine that I find in Buddhism and think I’m not a very good or studious Buddhist. But then I came across the following passage and it helped me and comforted me that maybe doctrine really wasn’t the way and scholars have sometimes got in between the Buddha and the followers ;-
“Some scholars have made the Buddha’s teachings complicated and difficult to understand. But the Buddha said things very simply and did not get caught up in words. So if a teaching is too complicated, it’s not the sound of the Buddha. If what you’re hearing is too loud, too noisy, or convoluted, it’s not the voice of the Buddha” (Thich Nhat Hanh).
I love this and hope it helps someone else who gets frustrated or ‘blocked’, like I do
🙏
Comments
So true @Alex - this practice is actually very simple. Not easy though.....but simple.
TNH is a great teacher in that he can put things in "plain speak" for those of us who aren't as..... studious as others (not having a dig).
For me personally, I just don't have the time to pore over Sutras and learn Pali or Sanskrit - I'm a mother of 4, work full time and need to take care of my health (chronic degenerative illness). I'm slightly envious of those who have the time to dedicate to studying and philosophising over the Dharma. But at the end of the day, I'm a laywoman who finds adhering to the Eightfold Noble Truth, remembering the 4 Noble Truths exist, and regular meditation more than enough to practise. Maybe when the kids are grown and I'm retired I can become more "serious" about it.
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Welcome Alex
Be kind.
I dunz Buddhism!
I confess to almighty God
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have greatly sinned
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
through my fault, through my fault,
through my most grievous fault...
Oh hang on..... wrong doctrine! Thank goodness for that! Off the hook! (That's a huge guilt-trippin' hang-over from my 'Catholic' days!)
...Because the only person you're accountable to, is yourself. Nobody compels you to do anything or be anything other than the 'Self' you can be.
Sure, you have to do your best.
But if 'your best' consists of studying the 4NT, the 8FP and the 5 precepts, plus tucking a few, really good, noteworthy Suttas under your belt (I have, by the way, just described my own personal practice) then be diligent in that, as far as you are able, through Right Effort.
The 4 the 8 and the 5 are a sturdy foundation, and well worth examining, scrutinising and dissecting, and these will have enough material to last you a lifetime of study, contemplation and practice, just in themselves.
Ask the most noteworthy scholar, the most diligent reader, and the most studious follower, whether they truly live by the 4, the 8 and the 5, all day every day, and sure as eggs is ex, they'll admit they don't.
So it comes down to this, just this:
It ain't what you know, it's what you Do.
Nike. Buddhism.
Just Do It.
Bravo @federica
Exactly so.
Start from where you are, who you are, what you have. Karma.
Now don't try and impress and be like our Heavenly Mother/Father figurines ...
That is the dark side of dharma. Polished yogis, meditating maniacs, sutra fanatics etc.
Be Real. Be True. Be Buddha.
Be the authentic potential of yourself. Moment by moment.
IZ PLAN!
Bonus track
@federica I think our practices are similar, Thank you for responding to my post, I warmly appreciate it👍
@lobster to ‘be kind’, I’d probably add ‘be grateful’ 🙏 I’m not new here as such (thank you - albeit I’m fairly new, a few months back, just a change of profile photo to actual me. I had a break, as life had got on top of me a little and I just needed to get some stuff in proper perspective)
@Kundo thanks for your response. For me, regardless of available time, I don’t see Sanskrit and Pali study as being necessary, or even what the Buddha intended, simplicity is my path. The further from the path, the more tangled the undergrowth 🙏
@Alex
Those of us born in the West have been conditioned/trained from a young age, to use our intellect to solve all of life's problems...and more often than not we take this overloaded conditioning with us when we are introduced to Buddhism...Some find the Dharma tough going because of its simplicity...(but as @lobster already mentioned... Being kind is as difficult as one's ego chooses to make it
)
When the intellect ventures into where it does not belong...It becomes lost in its own confusion
In other words, the intellect is a useful tool, but not the be all and end all when it comes to understanding the Dharma... The over use of one's intellect can cloud/block our intuition ....experiential understanding...
And as my friend's Dharma teacher once said "Beware of unhappy Buddhists...They are not really practicing ...just being intellectual"
I've found the more I practice the less I take (my) life seriously...
Bit complicated ... but still kinda simple enough ...
In rasayana and lobster lore we coagulate and dissolve, moult in fact when blocked or encrusted ...
Another symbol for this yin/yangry is the unfolding fist to palm of Shaolin Dharma.
In other words, 'Form is emptied and Emptiness forms' 😶⚪️⚫️🌙
I have found that the more I try to "figure out" Buddhist teachings with my mind, the less I understand them.
But by DOING the meditation and other practices, gradually things start to dawn on you. Without the effort of intellectually trying to figure it out.
More than that, what I THOUGHT I understood after 5 years developed into a deeper understanding after 10 years ... after 15 years ... approaching my 20th "anniversary" and I know that any intellectual positions I have will probably - SHOULD probably - change as my ability to tune in and be aware gets better.
Buddhism is about Being .. not about Thinking.
So if you don't understand something cognitively, don't sweat it. Accept what you SEE from your own observation and awareness, and leave the other on the "maybe" shelf. Understand and accept that at this time our "sight" is flawed and we will not see clearly, and will not find answers. It isn't about answers.
@FoibleFull that’s such a helpful answer. Thanks for sharing your insight, it’s what makes this forum really special 🙂
Dhamma is all about open up to reality and the truth. Sometimes it can be extremely hard to accept, and we cling to stories and concepts. Buddhism is about opening up and seeing it with clarity, without sinking into the shit and a negative spiral. But instead, you are above all the concepts and stories, as with the lotus flower. No mud no lotus flower. This practice take years and maybe many lifetimes to learn, so be patient, one step at the time