Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Superficiality

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.

pommesetoranges

Comments

  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran

    How do we overcome the facade of cleverness, superficial knowledge, behaviour based dharma and empty dukkha?

    Borrow a sense of humor?

    ThailandTom
  • 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

    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.

    Kundo
  • Learn to judge the right time, the right place, when it's appropriate.

    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 . . .

  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran

    Buddhadragonlobsterperson
  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    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!"

    anatamanNevermindHamsakaperson
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran

    If you have any knowledge of Steven Fry, that could be seen as even funnier...

  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran

    Let's not kid ourselves, alien probity is serious... seriously fun! :)

  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran
    edited April 2014

    @lobster said:
    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.

    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 . . .

    BuddhadragonKundo
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran

    My favourite Mr Cushion so far @lobster‌ ^^^

  • @karasti said:
    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!"

    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

    anataman
  • wangchueywangchuey Veteran
    edited April 2014

    I wonder if @Lobster is in the cushion printing business lol

    lobster
  • BuddhadragonBuddhadragon Ehipassiko & Carpe Diem Samsara Veteran
    edited April 2014

    @lobster said:
    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.

    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

    anataman
Sign In or Register to comment.