That's an excellent question. Why practice and how does that benefit me? There is a Buddhist saying to the effect that the elephant does not tread along the rabbit's path. The elephants lack the ability to hide inside the rabbit's hole. Naturaly, rabbits hold that because of that inability, and because of the elephants' demonstrated inability to gracefully track down the rabitts' paths, elephants are big fat losers.
The reason I practice is because I am naturally drawn to it. Same as I am naturally drawn to playing the guitar. Or, same as I'm naturally drawn to women with busty figure. Ever since I was very young I've discovered that I like playing guitar and I like busty women and I like practising Buddhism. It's just in my bloodsteam. I realize this means nothing to someone who is not naturally drawn to such a thing. Same as watching football on TV means nothing to me, although I have friends who are, from a very young age, naturally drawn to that. But, because watching Superbowl is not in my bloodstream, I never ever practice it. Why waste time? As with anything we do while being naturally drawn to it, the benefits are immeasurable. My Buddhist practice benefits me in the sense that I immensely enjoy doing it. It makes me happy, simple as that. Need I say more? --- ventouxboy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Your explanation of Buddhism was an eye opener. > To boil it down > to the focus on basic human existance leaves me a > little cold > though. While I undestand the anecdote, the guy on > the hill was were > he was(if he had been thinking about a lost dog, he > wouldn't of been > there), my question is Is that it? Is that all we do > with our gift? > Just sit there and waste oxygen? Certainly, > according to Zen, > nothing more is required. The issue boils to the following: As you probably already know, there are people who suffer from an eye catharact. If we hold up a blank piece of paper in front of them and ask them what do they see, such people may tell us that they see a piece of paper with some black lines on it. That perception is refuted and invalidated by the non-faulty perception. Common consensus (meaning, people with non-faulty perception) refutes the black lines (as reported appearing on the blank piece of paper). Similar to this, a phenomenon that appears to the untutored perception (read: to the regular folks) gets interpreted in a certain way. That way falls within the confines of what's known as 'common consensus'. Typicaly, a phenomenon will get interpreted as 'really existing' (for example, I may interpret a perceived blank piece of paper in front of me as really existing, meaning I may perceive it as being separate from everything else, as possessing its own unique identity, as being substantial). Then, I may light a match and burn that same piece of paper, and then conclude that this piece of paper has now truly ceased to exist. However, that same phenomenon, when presented to the Buddha, will get interpreted totally differently by him. In a nutshell, the Buddha will flatly reject my interpretation, and will promptly inform me that I am merely imagining things (same as we would inform the persons who suffer from an eye catharact disease that they are merely imagining the black lines). Now, same as the persons with an eye catharact are not in the position to falsify our contention that there are no black lines on the paper, common folks' perception is not qualified to refute the vision of the Fully Enlightened One. We're just not qualified to make any judgment on the Buddha's vision. We cannot ever refute him. So when you interpret proper Zen attitude as merely wasting oxygen, you are passing judgment on something you are not qualified, at this point, to comment on. There is much, much more there than meets your eye. Just because you may not be capable right now of envisioning it, doesn't mean it's not there. > Alex, from what I've read so far, your > knowledge of Buddhism > far exceeds mine. But my concept of Zen is based on > living a > spiritual life on the physical plane. Take the > concepts inherent to > Zen, gain understanding from them, but return to the > world to do > some good. I guess that's not mandatory, but I > choose to pass along > kindness and understanding(read empathy) with no > judgement, > expectation, or strings attached. Here is what Chandrakirti had to say on this topic: "Victorious Lord, as long as worldly beings have not gone to supreme peace, As long as space itself does not disintegrate, What entry into supreme peace could be for you, Whom Wisdom has brought forth, Compassion nursed? All those who feed on noxious food (the world obscured by ignorance) You make your dearest friends, with love more anguished than A mother feels whose dearest child has swallowed poisoned food, And thus you do not pass, Supreme Protector, into peace." (Madhyamakavatara) As you can see, the fundamental principle, the real seed of Buddhahood, is love, compassion. Everything an enlightened protector ever does is governed by compassion stronger, more anguished than even mother's love for her dying child. Once you see the true nature of phenomena, you cannot help but love the whole world dearly. And it is then impossible for you to settle into final peace, knowing that the beings are choking on the noxious food of ignorance. However, that does not automatically mean that you turn into a rabid do-gooder, a frothing-at-the-mouth activist, an 'engaged Buddhist' (as some of the North American Mickey Mouse Buddhist practices proclaim). Enlightened Buddhist practice goes beyond the concept of merchandise, it transcends the concept of a bargain. Most activities in the workaday life of a regular Joe can be divided into 3 categories: 1. making money 2. saving money 3. networking so that the chances of making/saving money are maximized Buddhist practice does not fit into any of the above 3 categories, and as such is viewed as being socially subversive. It doesn't keep the economy going, it doesn't strenghten the consumer confidence, it does not serve to spread democracy. > So my question to you then is my original one, > Why practice? How > does this benefit you? Guy In the light of the above, my answer is: there is no greater happiness than being in the position to practice compassion. Alex ===== No karma was produced during the composition of this letter __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? It is easier than you think. 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