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Some Questions...
Well, here goes...
Firstly, What exactly IS a Buddha, or for that matter, any Arahat??? Well, is it just a state of mental being they experience??? Or is it something else?? Is it something like magical?? We know they won't make mistakes(in this sense)... So, is that no-mistake-making capability voluntary or involuntary??? That is, if they are about to do something wrong, or if they know they will be wrong if they do such an action, is it voluntarily that they will stop themselves, or is it like they won't have any knowledge of themselves and "automatically" they won't do wrong??? That is, what exactly is the difference between me and an enlightened being(still in human form)?? Is it just that mind-setting, or something more mystical than that?
And secondly, we know that a Buddha is not led by any teaching... The same is said by Jains for Jinas or whatever they call them... So when both start off at the same point, how is it that they end up in different places??? And which can I take to be the "real enlightened master"?
Love And Light,
Nidish
Firstly, What exactly IS a Buddha, or for that matter, any Arahat??? Well, is it just a state of mental being they experience??? Or is it something else?? Is it something like magical?? We know they won't make mistakes(in this sense)... So, is that no-mistake-making capability voluntary or involuntary??? That is, if they are about to do something wrong, or if they know they will be wrong if they do such an action, is it voluntarily that they will stop themselves, or is it like they won't have any knowledge of themselves and "automatically" they won't do wrong??? That is, what exactly is the difference between me and an enlightened being(still in human form)?? Is it just that mind-setting, or something more mystical than that?
And secondly, we know that a Buddha is not led by any teaching... The same is said by Jains for Jinas or whatever they call them... So when both start off at the same point, how is it that they end up in different places??? And which can I take to be the "real enlightened master"?
Love And Light,
Nidish
0
Comments
Whatever they do is what they do. The evaluation of whether it is 'right' or 'wrong' is your evaluation, not theirs.
A Buddha is not led by teaching because he has already been led by teaching, and now no longer needs teaching.
What's your point in this?
Always ask yourself, before posing cryptic questions of this nature, what the answers will do to enhance and uphold your Mindful and skilful practice.
So that's what I'm asking you.
Metta,
Nidish
Hyper-analysis causes paralysis.
By all means question the things that come to you, but don't be anxious.
Do they sit well with you?
Adopt them.
Do they not sit well with you?
leave them be.
Do they continue to perplex you?
Leave them aside for the time being.
In time, they may be answered, in time, they may never be answered.
In my experience, it is this third category of questioning that is usually mind-bending and vexatious one. This is the one that makes us falter, stumble, be diverted and distracted and lose sight of what we are truly meant to be doing.
The category of imponderables is our biggest hurdle.
Your questions come from this category.
My advice to you right now, is to not focus on what the Buddha is, or had to do.
My advice is to Study the Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold path and the Five precepts.
Therein lie all the answers you need, and all the guidance you require.
You need to drop these questions, because there are no immediate answers that would help you put your best foot forward.
Follow the path he has given you; don't think about waling the same one he did.
Sincerely.
In the same way, trying to get an intellectual handle on Buddhism can have its limited uses (it's inspiring, perhaps), but it remains limited and second-hand. Buddhism is not a second-hand business. And it is not limited to intellectual or emotional understandings. Instead, like playing the piano, all of us have to sit down and put our fingers on the keys ... actually do something that will prove in experience what others say with their mouths or type on the internet.
Are you any different from a Buddha? Nope. But saying so is not enough. It is only enough when you are who you truly are ... a Buddha, no big deal. Still, it is likely to require some practice -- some actual-factual DOING -- in order to realize or actualize your true nature. If the intellect can't grab it and the emotions fall short, what actually works? Nothing sexy, nothing mystical, nothing holy ... just, WHAT WORKS?
The practices of Buddhism such as meditation and others are simply suggested ways of experiencing WHAT WORKS. Those practices require patience and courage and doubt -- determination and constancy. How do you know they'll actually work? The honest answer is, you don't ... it's a crapshoot. But since all the other ways you have tried to assure some peace have not proved effective ... well, why not give it a whirl?
Take your time. Don't try to be a wise man before you know what wisdom consists of. Be gentle but firm. Just vow to find out what works and then ... practice the piano.
Best wishes.
You are experiencing emotional tension because you are unsure of the definition of a buddha. When traveling between states there is always confusion.
@Genkaku Nice example there..
And guys, can you tell me how YOU deal with it when these questions prop up?
Metta,
Nidish
Your questions are all ultimately about the buddha, a man who may or may not have existed, and about the nature of enlightenment, which may be mystical or mundane or something in between. Personally, I don't see such issues as relevant to my practice:)
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Compare all you like ... it's like tires trying to gain traction on ice: The important part is what you are willing to DO to find out if something is true ... and then be on your way.
Or if they do, I dismiss them as a distraction.
The point may come at a future time when they become an appropriate focus. Until them, they're wasting my time. Why bother, what's the point?
Everything will have aspects which will leave them open to question.
if you don't intend following them (and I personally would advise against the 'mix 'n' match, pick 'n' choose course of action) then there's little point in your comparing them.
Focus on that which you wish to achieve.
You have enough on your plate to begin with, without incorporating other conundrums to deal with....
It just struck me that federica was giving a method perhaps different branches. My method is formless meditation. I have found it a great resource in my life. The idea of formless meditation is to work with a light touch and let things be as they are and see the spacious of things as you let go outward. The inbreath signifies that you don't have to do anything and you totally let your awareness go naturally. Then return to the practice of the outbreath noticing that thinking is thinking.
Outside of meditation theres the squeeze but at least you have a glimpse of calm sitting through what comes up. And an openness and freshness you align to. By letting your consciousness diffuse and not fixate, a creative response naturally bubbles up. These qualities of mind are named as clear, luminous, and unimpeded. The heart sutra points to this truth and it is known as the prajna paramita.