--- In [email protected], kahtychen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > To consider drug addiction, cannibalism, and meditating on a scale of > "better and worse" attachments is to fail to use the foundations of Buddhism > for the purposes of attaining a purity of awakeness. In terms of dukkha, NO > attachment is "better" than another. > > Attachment is a state of unawake, unaware service of desires (tanha, or > thirst). "Desires are numberless. I vow to put an end to them." > > However, to evaluate cannibalism or drug addiction or meditation within the > terms of right thought, right understanding and right action seems like > right effort to me. (Note: in the eightfold path there is no division called > "right judgement".) > > I find it crucial to be very mindful of the terms we employ to make > evaluations, discernments or even such judgments as "better" and "worse". If > we are not so mindful, we just use the dharma as dogma to justify our own > illusions of betterness. > > As far as comparing amplitudes of attachment, in terms of their usefulness > in following the eight-fold path (or middle way) and getting off the bus of > illusion and suffering: > > - Addiction is a paralyzing amplitude of attachment, utterly > disallowing presentness and self-awareness (addiction to anything, including > sitting, puts one in a state of serving desire, which kills the potential > for mindful presence). > - Healthy attachments are a foundation of a functional society > (eschewing attachment entirely is the domain of the socially maladjusted who > have no concerns for right understanding, action or mindfulness). > - One's relationship to their attachments is not a static location. It > is a dynamic process. Being attached to non-attachment is a spartan > vomitorium. Think outside the duality of "attached" or "non- attached". The > interesting moments are the moments in motion. The awakeness, the being > present is not found by parking in "non-attachment", it is found in all > those moments when attachment is noticed, when desires are recognized, when > the nature of self is presently revealed and acknowledged during the course > of being human. > > > Regards, > Kahty > > -- > A long time ago > I went on a journey > Right to the corner > Of the eastern ocean. > The road there > Was long and winding, > And stormy waves > Barred my path. > What made me > Go this way? > > T'ao Chi'ien (372-427 AD) > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >
Very Wisely put Kahty. ( It's hard to spell your name right on purpose! :) ) I simply think that practicing Buddhism is not something that should interfere with common sense. Until I have reason to believe otherwise, I am going to keep away from cannabalism and addictive drugs... There is simply no reason being a Buddhist should change that. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
