Answerer

I will be careful not to step on the skin that I had thrown, hehe.

[ November 09, 2002: Message edited by: Answerer ]</p>

gwh00

The path to enlightenment begins with the inquiry into the nature of one’s suffering. That simple act of questioning one’s existence , when undertaken with courage, strength and perseverance, is all that is necessary to uncover the Buddha mind.

Gary

Seraphim

By peeramid
"Do we become enlightened by trying to go somewhere?"

My reply : How do you start a journey? By thinking about it first before anything else. Getting somewhere and thinking about getting somewhere is just two process at the beginning and the end of each other. You start by thinking about going somewhere, you get into a vehicle (your body) and drive there. Along the way, you will see various idiots and smart-asses (pardon my french) trying to reach their own destinations and when you reach your destination, you will reach your goal.

"Well, I guess I'm answering my own question from two posts ago. Buddhism isn't just about enlightenment but also about reducing/understanding suffering. If nothing else, the philosophy might be worth keeping or incorporating with some other belief or philosophy. "

My reply : Buddhism is flexible but it is depend solely on what other philosophy you are incorporate it in OR the person's intention for doing so. If a person simply consider himself Buddhist, YET he does everything opposite of what a Buddhist could do (some of them including non-violence, restriction on Sex, don't drink etc), then I'm doubt he could achieve anything a Buddhist could achieve.

By Hugo Holbling :
"Okay. Suppose, then, that he refused, having no interest in convincing anyone: would you conclude that he isn't enlightened at all? "

My reply : The question will be ... if he is enlightened yet do not tell what is enlightement is, could that have any effect on him? Others may call him a fraud, a stingy or ignorant, but in the end, he is unaffected by words.
BTW, Gautama Buddha NEVER said what (state of) Enlightement was like to his followers.

By Answerer:
"No one can gain enlightenment without a proper understanding of suffering, its origins and the means to end them. "

My reply : Nicely Put.

By gwh00 :
"The path to enlightenment begins with the inquiry into the nature of one’s suffering. That simple act of questioning one’s existence , when undertaken with courage, strength and perseverance, is all that is necessary to uncover the Buddha mind."

My reply : Nicely put as well.

andy_d

&lt;Warning: On-topic post&gt;

An enlightened mind state is often described as being timeless. If there isn't held to be any seperation between an event and everything else, then there can't really be time as we know it.

Time doesn't really work unless you have discrete phenomenon, IMO.

Academic anyway, since none of us are enlightened so we don't really know what we're talking about...

gwh00

In my view the enlightened or awakened mind is aware of the source of being which is timeless, non-dual and void of form and is also aware of that which arises within that source which creates the apparent or illusory universe of space, time and physical being or matter. The enlightened mind is awakened to the whole. The unenlightened mind is only aware of manifest reality and does not recognize the singularity from which it arises.

That source is always with us just behind the matrix of the known which we fearfully cling to and can be accessed by simply inquiring into the nature of consciousness. Inquiry is rooted in stillness and ultimately dissolves the division of the observer and the observed. Once that bubble bursts, awareness unites with and is seated in that source.

Enlightenment is and always has been in the palm of your hand.

[ December 03, 2002: Message edited by: gwh00 ]</p>