IOW, you don't know.
You're just hurt & lashing out.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Anyone seeking enlightenment?
- Thread starter Geoff-Allen
- Start date
You're just hurt & lashing out.
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
Wow. Such fantasy and projection. I did not think you had it in you.
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
Remember...you're the one who is upset with me.
I'm just sit'n here wondering...why is he carping about my post?
Let's not derail the thread.
If pursue it you must, do it by PM.
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
steveb1
Member
I believe that spiritual, Buddhistic, mystical Enlightenment is part of human potential, as a kind of birthright.
I'm a convert to Buddhism. Buddhism teaches that human beings can become Enlightened. Mahayana Buddhism teaches that we can not only be enlightened on earth as arhats (as in Theravada Buddhism), but can become Bodhisattvas. In fact, the Bodhisattva is Mahayana's central figure and aspiration.
In my particular school, Jodo Shinshu/Shin Buddhism, it is taught that our aspiration to Buddhahood/Bodhisattvahood is fulfilled in the Pure Land by Amitabha Buddha.
The Pure Land is a "locale" where Amitabha's providential grace sparks or vivifies our formerly dormant Buddha Nature and we ourselves become Buddhas and then proceed to act as Buddhas in a multitude of worlds.
Unlike other Buddhist schools, Shin relies utterly and completely on Amitabha's providential activity for our redemption (from the samsaric realm and our own spiritual ignorance).
Unlike other Buddhist schools, therefore, Shin eschews all meditative methods as expressive of doubtful self-effort.
Because Shin adherents rely only on Amitabha's "Other Power" they realize that for them no practice can lead to Enlightenment.
Shin does not deny that some people can attain Enlightenment by the "difficult path" of self-effort, meditation, contemplation, spiritual exercises and other practices. However, Shin claims - in fulfillment of Shakyamuni Buddha's prediction - that we are now living in the "mappo" age of Dharma Decline, in which it is nearly impossible to reach Enlightenment by self-effort. Hence Shin's complete reliance on Amitabha's sheer grace alone.
In this way, Shin proposes the simple but pertinent question:
"Why take the difficult path of self-effort, when Amitabha Buddha has provided the easy path of Other Power?"
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
A few more thoughts -
"If we demand enlightenment, it hides. All that we can do is make ourselves enlightenment-prone. We learn to treasure the possibility of awakening in all moments and circumstances. We learn to simplify and cultivate the receptivity of heart that can be touched by profound understanding. We learn to listen deeply and discover stillness amid the movement in our world."
Christina Feldman
From this huge site - many topics -
Quotes on enlightenment
Enjoy!
"If we demand enlightenment, it hides. All that we can do is make ourselves enlightenment-prone. We learn to treasure the possibility of awakening in all moments and circumstances. We learn to simplify and cultivate the receptivity of heart that can be touched by profound understanding. We learn to listen deeply and discover stillness amid the movement in our world."
Christina Feldman
From this huge site - many topics -
Quotes on enlightenment
Enjoy!
Geoff-Allen
Resident megalomaniac
Zen stories to tell your neighbours -
Nothing captures our attention quite like a good story. Long before there was television, movies, radio, and even books, people told stories as a way to entertain and educate. Storytelling was as important to prehistoric cave-dwellers eating antelope around a fire as it is to corporate executives doing lunch. It's in our human blood. We love the development of plot and character, the climax, the resolution, the vicarious thrill of living and learning through tales of others sufferings and triumphs. All of literature and media is but an extension of the more basic urge to tell a good story. The advantage of storytelling, though, is that you do it in person - right there, right in front of people, so you get to see, hear, and feel their reactions. Unlike books and television, storytelling is much more interactive and personal. You don't do it alone, unless you're quite psychotic.... but that's another story.
This web site is a collection of stories from the Orient, mostly Zen and Taoist tales. Why am I suggesting that you tell these stories to your neighbors? Is it because these are among the oldest stories in human history and have withstood the test of time? Is it because Zen and Taoism are ancient religions offering profound insights into human nature, the cosmos, and spirituality?... Maybe. Or maybe it's just because they are fun to tell. Without a doubt, these stories capture all sorts of truths about life and death. But they are also witty, entertaining, humorous, and at times puzzling, even mind-bending. And they are not just the secret lessons of monks sequestered away in mountain monasteries. The ancient teachers intended these stories to be used by everyone, everywhere. On the train to work, during dinner at a restaurant, leaning over the backyard fence as you talk to your neighbor - all of these situations and more lend themselves to these stories. Once you read and learn a few of them, you will see opportunities to tell them popping up everywhere with your family, friends, and coworkers. Think of these tales as conversation pieces, as handy tools that you can lift out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think, and laugh about the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call Life.
To help you with your storytelling, I've done a little bit of background work for you. I've collected many people's reactions to these stories. These people include students from the psychology classes I teach, my friends and relatives, and cybernauts who have visited this site. As you will see, people interpret each story in very different ways. That's what makes them so interesting. You may have heard some of these tales before and believe you know what they "mean." But if you read these people's reactions - or tell the stories to your neighbors and hear their reactions - I think you'll be amazed at how these tales strike a different chord in everyone. The stories have many meanings.Talking about those meanings with your friends and family can be a truly educational experience.
So read on. Pick out the stories that sound interesting. Read this hypertext book from "cover" to "cover," or at random, or use the links at the bottom of each story to connect to other stories with similar themes. There's no right or wrong way to do this. Pick the method that works best for you. And perhaps, like the old man at the top of the precipice, you will see something surprising.
Zen Stories to tell Your Neighbors
All the best!
Nothing captures our attention quite like a good story. Long before there was television, movies, radio, and even books, people told stories as a way to entertain and educate. Storytelling was as important to prehistoric cave-dwellers eating antelope around a fire as it is to corporate executives doing lunch. It's in our human blood. We love the development of plot and character, the climax, the resolution, the vicarious thrill of living and learning through tales of others sufferings and triumphs. All of literature and media is but an extension of the more basic urge to tell a good story. The advantage of storytelling, though, is that you do it in person - right there, right in front of people, so you get to see, hear, and feel their reactions. Unlike books and television, storytelling is much more interactive and personal. You don't do it alone, unless you're quite psychotic.... but that's another story.
This web site is a collection of stories from the Orient, mostly Zen and Taoist tales. Why am I suggesting that you tell these stories to your neighbors? Is it because these are among the oldest stories in human history and have withstood the test of time? Is it because Zen and Taoism are ancient religions offering profound insights into human nature, the cosmos, and spirituality?... Maybe. Or maybe it's just because they are fun to tell. Without a doubt, these stories capture all sorts of truths about life and death. But they are also witty, entertaining, humorous, and at times puzzling, even mind-bending. And they are not just the secret lessons of monks sequestered away in mountain monasteries. The ancient teachers intended these stories to be used by everyone, everywhere. On the train to work, during dinner at a restaurant, leaning over the backyard fence as you talk to your neighbor - all of these situations and more lend themselves to these stories. Once you read and learn a few of them, you will see opportunities to tell them popping up everywhere with your family, friends, and coworkers. Think of these tales as conversation pieces, as handy tools that you can lift out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think, and laugh about the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call Life.
To help you with your storytelling, I've done a little bit of background work for you. I've collected many people's reactions to these stories. These people include students from the psychology classes I teach, my friends and relatives, and cybernauts who have visited this site. As you will see, people interpret each story in very different ways. That's what makes them so interesting. You may have heard some of these tales before and believe you know what they "mean." But if you read these people's reactions - or tell the stories to your neighbors and hear their reactions - I think you'll be amazed at how these tales strike a different chord in everyone. The stories have many meanings.Talking about those meanings with your friends and family can be a truly educational experience.
So read on. Pick out the stories that sound interesting. Read this hypertext book from "cover" to "cover," or at random, or use the links at the bottom of each story to connect to other stories with similar themes. There's no right or wrong way to do this. Pick the method that works best for you. And perhaps, like the old man at the top of the precipice, you will see something surprising.
Zen Stories to tell Your Neighbors
All the best!