andy_d

Seraphim, you seem to feel very strongly about this.

Have you taken Boddhisattva vows? If so, what else are you doing to address these issues, besides complaining on this thread?

Seraphim

Seraphim, you seem to feel very strongly about this.

Have you taken Boddhisattva vows? If so, what else are you doing to address these issues, besides complaining on this thread?

My reply : What is a Boddhisavattva vows? IF it is about saving other people and stuff, then the answer is NO.

What else should I do to address this issue? Besides trying to live my life my own ways?

andy_d

A Bodhisattva vow is a vow taken by some Buddhists.

Basically you vow (and then re-affirm to yourself several times a day) to not only be diligent in your own practice, but to help all other beings at every opportunity, and to delay your own attainment of Nirvana until such time as all other beings can attain it.

Seraphim

A Bodhisattva vow is a vow taken by some Buddhists.

Basically you vow (and then re-affirm to yourself several times a day) to not only be diligent in your own practice, but to help all other beings at every opportunity, and to delay your own attainment of Nirvana until such time as all other beings can attain it.

My reply : I think you missed understood something about Bodhisattva vows.

It is taken by a person who OBTAINED state of Nirwana, not by anyone who considered to be Buddhist.

A Buddhist is simple someone (like you and me) who is trying to find his own ways, and how is he supposed to help another IF he cannot help himself? It is like a blind man leading the blind, no?

First. lead yourself. Once your path is opened before you, you can choose whether to leave this world or stay a bit longer to help your fellow human beings. That is Bodhisattva vows.

In my case, I could be out of here in no time IF I ever became enlightned.

andy_d

Well actually many practising Buddhists DO take the vows. This is done after only a few years of practice. Obviously it's not something that your school does. Do you follow a Theraveda school of teaching?

Many teachers emphasise the inherant Buddha-nature within us. It's not about attaining some kind of characteristics that you didn't have before, it's about simply expressing your true nature. If you focus on attaining something extra, you're stuck in a dualistic viewpoint.

Of course I wholeheartedly agree that helping yourself is a great way to help others, but as soon as you begin to express your Buddha-nature, you cannot help taking direct action to help others as well. Dharma is no use without action. It just becomes a philosophical curiosity, IMO.

As for leaving if you became enlightened, I seriously doubt that. An enlightened mind would never ignore the suffering of the masses trapped in Samsara. The enlightened mind's natural compassion is the whole reason we have Buddhism. A Buddha cannot do anything except help others.

Pee Pee Poodle

[image deleted]

Hello Pee Pee Poodle,

Please refrain from posting humorous pictures in this forum UNLESS you wish to use the picture as a point of discussion. Your post would be more appropriate in the Freethought Humor forum.

Thanks in advance

Grizzly

Seraphim

Well actually many practising Buddhists DO take the vows. This is done after only a few years of practice. Obviously it's not something that your school does. Do you follow a Theraveda school of teaching?

My reply : Blind man leading the Blind ... if it not so pitiful, I could actually laugh at it.

I don't blame you or any society for these since it is true, even in my country. I noticed that most of the Buddhist societies in my country more concerned in teaching the public than trying to achieve perfection for themselves. Senior monks become an symbol of the teaching rather than a role model for others (especially the public) and the whole Buddhist Monastery looks like a miniaturized version of the Pope and the Vaticans.

Many teachers emphasise the inherant Buddha-nature within us. It's not about attaining some kind of characteristics that you didn't have before, it's about simply expressing your true nature. If you focus on attaining something extra, you're stuck in a dualistic viewpoint.

My reply : Hmph ...
(Forgive my sarcastic nature, I just can't help but to feel that way when I read the above remark).
Buddha-nature within us? TRUE Nature? Dualistic viewpoint?
You are using words that you yourself could have not proper defination of it.

What is a Buddha-nature? To love others? To care for others? Will caring for others bring your close to your goal or bring them comfort which could last only mere seconds? We could sit for days and talk about the nature of a Buddha and what is right and wrong (according to Karma), and still won't have a clear picture of what is Buddha's Nature.

True nature? The whole journey of Buddhism IS to find your true nature. Dualistic viewpoint? Clear your mind of wants and needs and nothing will make you skip off track, in that context, needing to please others because what you think is proper could consider to be a dualistic approach as well.

Of course I wholeheartedly agree that helping yourself is a great way to help others, but as soon as you begin to express your Buddha-nature, you cannot help taking direct action to help others as well. Dharma is no use without action. It just becomes a philosophical curiosity, IMO.

My reply : You not very familiar with life and people, do you? No one could walk in your shoes, nor lead you by hand throughout your life. In that sense, you cannot help others IF they themselves do not wished to be helped.

All a Buddhist could do in such situation is be an EXAMPLE which others could follow. You lead others by example, by showing others what you (and themselves) could be capable of doing by doing it yourself.
You are right about Dharma is useless without Action, but such Action must start from yourself in a proper manner.

As for leaving if you became enlightened, I seriously doubt that. An enlightened mind would never ignore the suffering of the masses trapped in Samsara. The enlightened mind's natural compassion is the whole reason we have Buddhism. A Buddha cannot do anything except help others.

My reply : An enlightened mind can't do anything but help others? He can die, can't he? :P That's doing something.

Radcliffe Emerson

All I can reply is I have a friend who grew up as an orthodox Jew. She is now atheist, but also a practicing Buddhist.
So there's my answer.

Answerer

I do agree with the above view.

andy_d

So do I. It's very important for a teacher to be an example of what they teach. Otherwise they're wasting their time.

However, anybody who is trying to achieve perfection will never do so.