Consider this... In Star Wars, the Jedi do not speak of the light side vs the dark side or even about conquering the dark side. They speak of balance in the Force. In reality, there are no sides. The "Dark Side" actually represents delusion and ignorance.
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"Dark Buddhism"
- Thread starter Lord_Vader
- Start date
Consider this... In Star Wars, the Jedi do not speak of the light side vs the dark side or even about conquering the dark side. They speak of balance in the Force. In reality, there are no sides. The "Dark Side" actually represents delusion and ignorance.
Peter Vredevold
Member
What do you mean by Dark side of Buddhism?
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
Meditating in a cupboard? 
Never quite got that idea of "dark sides", myself. Not sure there is anything to it. If there is, it sure needs to be explained better, at least to me.
"This is dukkha. This is how dukkha arises. This is how dukkha ends. This is the practice leading to the ending of dukkha."
If you don't examine your dark side/dukkha, how can you expect to intelligently resolve it?
I will take your word for it. The description does not suggest any form of darkness to me. But then again, that is somewhat expected, since I do not understand the concept.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
It doesn't make sense to me, given that the aim of Buddhist practice is to shed light.
Sometimes it seems that the distinction between "light" and "dark" traits comes from Freud and Jung and involves the degree of acceptance and pride associated with those traits.
But I am really not sure.
But I am really not sure.
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
Which is one major diffusor of the concept, and also a great example as it is unclear at best."Dark Side" reminds me of Star Wars.
The fiction just can't decide whether light and dark are unhealth extremes in need of reconciliatin or else primal forces that must fight each other to the end.
Ethics Gradient
New Member
The practice itself doesn't have a dark side. Individual practitioner and teacher have fallen short of what is generally considered to be ethical practice but that isn't a result of the teaching themselves but rather human fallibility.