Reletivley new to eastern philosophy and buddhism and quite like concept however im struggling to get my head around the fact that one may achieve enlightenment and achieve/enter nirvana, but doesnt that give connotations of a higher concious, omnipotent being to judge who achieves this? Thanks
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Confused
- Thread starter Sjn444
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No. Does it require a higher being to judge when one has fallen in love?
Could you elaborate please??
As far as I understand, nirvana is a state of being where one attains clear perception of dependent origination and the essential non-I-ness of this subjective consciousness being experienced here and now. Suppose you are at the top of Mount Everest and everything is clouded by fog. Suddenly the fog lifts and you see the immense majestic silvery snow-decked landscape lying below you lit up with the full moon. Once you see this, you can't unsee it, nor do you need somebody else to give you a certificate that you have seen how our planet looks from the top of the world.
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
That's because Buddhism isn't ideological.
Think of it as a "raft" in practical terms by which Buddhism serves a purpose during this lifetime.
I never really thought of it like that
Tanha--fiery craving (like a junkie)
Upadana--clinging, attachment (fire clings to its fuel as it burns)
Nibbana--"blowing out" (the fire of addiction)
Thanks for your input, learning everyday!
YmirGF
Bodhisattva in Recovery
What a lovely description. Reminds me of what an old friend said about me to a lovely lady many years ago. He said, "Paul is sitting at the top of the mountain." I just sort of blushed, but didn't say anything. Years later though, I did use that idea and it became the working title for my autobiography, "Views from the Mountaintop".
Now, I have no idea if I am "enlightened" or not, as I've never stopped learning and trying to relate my views to others. It's a hit and miss thingy, really. To be honest, I don't really believe in the concept of enlightenment any more as there doesn't seem to be any end to learning and growth.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Kamma, how, and what one practices not a being or external force.
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Intention, how, and what one practices not a being or external force.
Kamma is also action.
Edit: Better one
What, what are you saying?
Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
The nun at my local temple and I were talking about this the yesterday actually. The sutta link you posted are the results of cessation of kamma (bad kamma or bad actions that contribute to it one and the same). So if we penetrate the senses or however phrased, the nun was pretty simple, or stop bad deeds, we dont add to bad kamma. Thereby cessation of it.
No sutta contradicts the other.
Suffering is caused by ignorance about the nature of reality. Nirvana is the state where there remains no ignorance about the nature of reality. Thus there is no more suffering. That's the idea.
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Your intentional actions by your conscious mind inform your unconscious mind as to what thought patterns your intentions follow, and reinforces those patterns into habits that will become the default when you are not consciously mindful. If you sow skillful habits by acting skillfully when you are mindful, then you will reap skillful habits that become skillful actions that will carry you through when you are not mindful. Likewise, if you sow unskillful or hateful habits when you are mindful, you will eventually reap unskillful actions when you are not mindful, and will do something you might regret. (Karma bites you in the butt.)
Here is a popular western maxim from the 19th Century that reflects this:
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
Compare to Dhammapada 1:1-2
1. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with an impure mind a person speaks or acts suffering follows him like the wheel that follows the foot of the ox.
2. Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought. If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.
So, you identify your unskillful habits, bring them into consciousness, and develop a path of practice to end the bad habit/karma and replace it with a skillful habit/karma. (You "confess" all of your bad karma and "hide" all of your good karma.)
Simsapa sutta:
"Therefore, monks, your task is to learn: 'This is Suffering, this is the Arising of Suffering, this is the Cessation of Suffering, this is the Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering.' That is your task."
From your second link:
"What, monks, is old kamma?
"The eye [ear, nose tongue, body (touch), mind],[1] monks, is to be regarded as old kamma, brought into existence and created by volition,[2] forming a basis for feeling.[3] This, monks, is called 'old kamma.'
"And what, monks, is new kamma?
"The action[4] one performs now by body, speech and mind. This monks, is called 'new kamma.'
"When, monks, by ceasing actions of body, speech and mind, one touches liberation,[5] this, monks, is called 'the ceasing of kamma.'