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is it true

TheJourneyTheJourney
edited September 2010 in Buddhism Basics
Is it true that the buddha is within all of us or at least the purpose of it will be actualized for everyone when it is their time?

Comments

  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    That's an idea that's predominate in Mahayana, but not so much Theravada (e.g., see Freedom From Buddha Nature).
  • JaliJali
    edited September 2010
    I'm just a newb here *gives grains of salt*, but I'm fond of the idea that there is potential Buddha-nature in everyone. Whether or not you can - or even want to - actualize it is something different. There's a lot of people who are attached to their attachments.

    Best saying ever - "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him". A person's Buddha-nature will never be found externally.

    Jali
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Jason wrote: »
    That's an idea that's predominate in Mahayana, but not so much Theravada (e.g., see Freedom From Buddha Nature).

    I got a ways into it and had to stop reading.

    Was the buddha enlightened for the sake of our enlightenment or simply to be enlightened?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    I got a ways into it and had to stop reading.

    Was the buddha enlightened for the sake of our enlightenment or simply to be enlightened?

    Both.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Do we have unlimited time to achieve buddhahood?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    Do we have unlimited time to achieve buddhahood?

    Well, we have until we die. Not sure about after that, though.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Jason wrote: »
    Well, we have until we die. Not sure about after that, though.

    Can you know the truth and not be a buddha?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    Can you know the truth and not be a buddha?

    That depends on what you mean by 'truth' and 'buddha.' Care to elaborate?
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Jason wrote: »
    That depends on what you mean by 'truth' and 'buddha.' Care to elaborate?

    truth meaning the nature of reality and buddha meaning one who has actualized his ideal reality

    also is it inevitable that we will be awoken?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    truth meaning the nature of reality and buddha meaning one who has actualized his ideal reality

    I suppose that'll depend on who you ask. Some may say yes, and say that they're called arahants. Others may say no, and claim that the 'cessation' of the that arahant isn't the same as the omniscience of a buddha. I have my own opinions about this, but I try to avoid these kinds of inter-school debates in general.
    also is it inevitable that we will be awoken?

    That'll also depend on who you ask. Some will say yes, and others will say that's not a question the Buddha ever answered. For example, form the essay I linked to earlier:
    A brahman once asked the Buddha, "Will all the world reach release [Awakening], or half the world, or a third?" But the Buddha didn't answer. Ven. Ananda, concerned that the brahman might misconstrue the Buddha's silence, took the man aside and gave him an analogy: Imagine a fortress with a single gate. A wise gatekeeper would walk around the fortress and not see an opening in the wall big enough for even a cat to slip through. Because he's wise, he would realize that his knowledge didn't tell him how many people would come into the fortress, but it did tell him that whoever came into the fortress would have to come in through the gate. In the same way, the Buddha didn't focus on how many people would reach Awakening but he did know that anyone who reached Awakening would have to follow the path he had found: abandoning the five hindrances, establishing the four frames of reference, and developing the seven factors for Awakening.

    What's striking about the Buddha's knowledge is the implied "if": If people want to gain Awakening they will have to follow this path, but the choice as to whether they want Awakening is theirs. The Buddha's knowledge of the future didn't mean that the future was preordained, for people are free to choose. They can take up a particular course of action and stick with it, or not, as they see fit.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Jason wrote: »
    I suppose that'll depend on who you ask. Some may say yes, and say that they're called arahants. Others may say no, and claim that the 'cessation' of the that arahant isn't the same as the omniscience of a buddha. I have my own opinions about this, but I try to avoid these kinds of inter-school debates in general.

    And there's no rush to figure all this out?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    And there's no rush to figure all this out?

    Well, the Buddha does suggest that we have a sense of urgency when it comes to the practice since death can come at any time.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    Jason wrote: »
    Well, the Buddha does suggest that we have a sense of urgency when it comes to the practice because death can come at any time.

    what is it?
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    is the environment simply there to keep us on our quest or should we ignore our surroundings?

    I'm not quite sure what you mean, but it's way past my bedtime, so perhaps we can continue this discussion tomorrow.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    what is it?

    ?
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    is the proper path in asking the question or getting the question answered?
  • JaliJali
    edited September 2010
    I would say that worrying about 'getting an answer' implies an attachment to that answer, and that attachment could pose problems in the discovering.

    By all means, ask the question - but don't let the question control you.

    Jali
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    is the proper path in asking the question or getting the question answered?
    The proper path consists of asking the proper questions in the first place.....
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    so in regards to my last question, ask the right questions because they need to be asked in your path, not because you consider the right questions to be higher truths than the answers.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2010
    pretty much, yeah. ;)
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    edited September 2010
    TheJourney wrote: »
    so in regards to my last question, ask the right questions because they need to be asked in your path, not because you consider the right questions to be higher truths than the answers.

    And one of those questions could be... "What am I"?
  • thickpaperthickpaper Veteran
    edited September 2010
    LesC wrote: »
    And one of those questions could be... "What am I"?

    Are you animal, mineral, vegetable or emptiness?

    :p
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited September 2010
    LesC wrote: »
    And one of those questions could be... "What am I"?

    I think I just answered this in another thread. By "I" are we not referring to all of existence, as the truth is found within all of existence. At least once we are awoken to our buddha nature it refers to all of existence, and this is how the buddha becomes aware of the workings of karma and things of that nature.
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