--- carlos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi,I just read this:
> Irrigators regulate the rivers; fletchers straighten
> the arrow
> shaft; carpenters shape the wood; the wise control
> themselves.
> Dhammapada
>
> It says "the wise control themselves" meaning there
> is a difference
> between a fool controlling himself and a wise doing
> the same.
>
> It is my understanding that until one experiences
> what one is, one
> is a fool, if that fool is Buddhist, he/she is
> trying to control
> himself/herself and his/her mind to certain patterns
> that could help
> to obtain that experience.
> It does not mean that after the experience, one is
> wise but at least
> one knows how one is and how the mind operates, so
> he/she knows
> what is going after, while the one without the
> experience doesn't.
It is not necessary for one to wait for the
breakthrough experience before one can engage in
controlling him/herself. The Buddha laid out carefully
designed paths for all sentient beings to follow. In a
nutshell, these are:
1. Outer path, or the path of no learning
2. Inner path, or the path of learning
3. Core path, or the path of no more learning
The outer path was offered by the Buddha to the
householders, to lay people who are steeped in the
workaday activities. The Buddha advised that these
people can still apply the practice of controlling
themselves, thus joining the ranks of the wise ones
who control themselves.
In case you're wondering what is the outer path of no
learning comprised of, I'll just briefly explain here.
Buddhist practice is based on the concept of
perfections, or paramitas (sometimes referred to as
virtues). The first three virtues were taught by the
Buddha in order to help sentient beings generate the
desire for treading the Buddhadharma path. These outer
path virtues are: generosity, discipline, and
patience.
The Buddha first spoke of those three, as they are the
easiest to practice. The reason they are the easiest
is because there is really nothing to learn about
those -- everyone already spontaneously knows how to
be generous, how to be disciplined, and how to be
patient. There is no big mystery to it. The issue is
only how to orientate people so that they embrace
these virtues wholeheartedly and practice them by
controlling their unwholesome impulses.
Once a person realizes how vitally important
generosity is for the progress on the Buddhist path,
that person will hopefully resist the base urge for
selfishness, and will offer him/herself to others.
Same is with discipline and patience. These things are
extremely beneficial for the practice, and once
sentient beings realize this, they are well on the way
of controlling themselves. Although they are, at that
point, ways off being able to experience their true
nature (that only happens once they perfect the inner
path of learning), such beings are nevertheless
treading the path of the wise ones.
Alex
=====
No karma was produced during the composition of this letter
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