WHAT IS THE 'PURPOSE' OF BEING A BUDDHIST?
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I'm just wondering why do people take up Buddhism as a religion? Technically speaking, the 'real' objective of a 'true blue' Buddhist is to renounce Samsara and seek liberation from it (attaining Nibbana). In another words, a Buddhist seek to BECOME a Buddha. How many Buddhists are actually pursuing this goal? And if you are not, then why are you a Buddhist? More importantly, if you are a true seeker of Truth, what SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE can get you there? Out of the 84,000 dharma doors, are there any CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS on how we can do this?
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How many Buddhists are actually pursuing this goal?
As we all know, it is very few. Most are just "believers", not practitioners. Such a pity. It is like entering a treasure cave but leaving it without getting anything out of it.
It is a one in a billion gazillion lifetimes opportunity to get liberated out of this madness, this beginningless cycle of suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, association with the unbeloved, separation from the loved, not getting what is wanted, etc.
Most people are however so blind as to give up that opportunity... -
More importantly, if you are a true seeker of Truth, what SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE can get you there? Out of the 84,000 dharma doors, are there any CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS on how we can do this?
For me personally I practice:
1) contemplation on anatta (bahiya sutta), contemplation on emptiness (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html), contemplation on dependent origination (specifically: the four lines as quoted in http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html), contemplation on impermanence2) anapanasati (anapanasati sutta)
3) four foundations of mindfulness (satipatthana sutta)
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i intend to follow the pure land path and is currently attending this course
http://sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/473176
cheers~
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
How many Buddhists are actually pursuing this goal?
As we all know, it is very few. Most are just "believers", not practitioners. Such a pity. It is like entering a treasure cave but leaving it without getting anything out of it.
It is a one in a billion gazillion lifetimes opportunity to get liberated out of this madness, this beginningless cycle of suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair, association with the unbeloved, separation from the loved, not getting what is wanted, etc.
Most people are however so blind as to give up that opportunity...really well said.. couldn't agree more
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my purpose... get out of suffering and help others if possible
Uphold the precepts, read as many suttas / dharma texts as i can, nianfo, practise generosity (布施), develop immeasurable mind bit by bit
it's hard to say a specific technique... although some people like zen, pureland or etc etc but i personally feel that while having a specific technique is good, try to learn more is better as it complements your understanding.
Overall, i think it become Noble Eightfold Path... road to cessation of suffering
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I have always enjoyed the way Dalai Lama and Tibetians Buddhists who describe themselves as 'Buddhist practitioners'. As opposed to '佛教信徒' used by Chinese. It's not a good and bad thing, but it does suggest a differing mindset.
As to why there are less 'practicing' Buddhists as opposed to Buddhist believers, I have to say that a lot of it is has to do with the way Buddhist practices, rituals and even courses are being conducted today.
How many Buddhists who frequent temples understand the true 'mission' of the Buddhists? If they have such good Karma to chance upon it, how many knows how to concretely do something to acheive it? And I guess we Buddhists need to be a little more concrete about things ya? Just follow the Eight Noble Paths and you'll get there? Is it me or is the definition of the paths incredibly general and vague?
I guess if we want to revive Buddhism in the 21st century beyond sonething that is mere superstition and ritualist belief, there needs to be more structure, logic and rigour in our education of Buddhism.
The stages of enlightenment is profound and that raises alot of doubts and misinformation. So I urge experienced and realised practitioners to step forward in this Dharma ending age : to create a clear and logical structure for the understanding of the core teaching of the Buddha.
Yes, the true Dharma is profound and lies beyond mere concepts and it is said that even the Budhha was worried about teaching it initially. But if we think the gift of Dharma to be the most precious activity one can do, then we need to create better 'boats' for people to get to the shore.
We need to get over cultural baggages and revive Buddhism for the modern man.
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Most people are not interested in spiritual development. Even if it presented to them.... they will not be interested....
For me, my life is very busy and stressful... so if any time i can find time to meditate it is a godsend.
After having insights of no-self... when i sit down to meditate.... the happiness/bliss is such a stark constrast from other events/experiences that moments of meditation is so precious.
Too bad, most people prefer to live in shit.
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Originally posted by simpo_:
Most people are not interested in spiritual development. Even if it presented to them.... they will not be interested....
For me, my life is very busy and stressful... so if any time i can find time to meditate it is a godsend.
After having insights of no-self... when i sit down to meditate.... the happiness/bliss is such a stark constrast from other events/experiences that moments of meditation is so precious.
Too bad, most people prefer to live in shit.
Haha... concur with you
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Lemme thrown in my two cents here:
Recently I've come across articles about how a portion of society (article was focused on the US) is so poor that they essentially have too little energy ( they term it "cognitive bandwidth") to get themselves to change their situation. There's apparently a book out about this as well, here's a link to those interested: http://www.amazon.com/Scarcity-Having-Little-Means-Much/dp/0805092641 .
I'm wondering if this is applicable to what most people are expriencing: They either have this idea, or they truly have no more mental energy left to actually practice to get enlightened, what with this crazy hectic pace of life in the developed world.
It isn't helping that few people even know what enlightenment means or what it's not, or that all enlightened and unenlightened monks aren't allowed to tell people they are enlightened so everyone's just making guesses about what enlightened people are like.
In this world where Google is working to give you your search results before you even finish typing so that you can optimize your ability to get instant gratification to soothe your tired mind from overworking everyday, I'm afraid taking time to actually practice something that's quite vaguely described and definitely hard to quantify to the common person might be just a tad too much. How do you completely let go when you don't even see anything else to grab onto? We might require some super self-help author to help us here. Maybe the four-hour workweek guy. Imagine that: The four-hour nirvana!
Why else is the prosperity gospel so popular? Believe in a big kind person in heaven and you can have riches in this very life. Wow. And for those who don't believe that, just have so much faith that your deity of choice will come and bring you up there when your current life ends. Or accrue so much merit that in your next life you can strive for enlightenment easier.Then you can really practise.
What if... that's exactly what you said in your past life?
P.S. On the topic of having realised practitioners helping out, perhaps internet forums and facebook groups will have to do for now. Although I was thinking of suggesting this to my buddhism organisation (I'm sure there will be some adequately realized people when your group is 3000 strong) how we are actuall going to get a support group up and going just boggles my mind.
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@Jui
By the way, which Buddhist organization do you belong to that is 3000 strong?
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Buddhist fellowship. Although, you'd never guess there's so many members if you visit their dhamma talks...
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Look like the organization is very active with plenty of activities going on. Just curious, with so many members, the group still do not have sufficient fund to build their own temple?
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I'm not privy to the state of their finances, but they did manage to buy a small place in the east to serve as another dhamma centre. As for having a building to themselves, that might be a bit tough.
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Yup, I think that being a buddhist purpose is to help ourselves and others to get out of suffering....meditation do help to calm the mind and recharge it for daily hectic lives...well since many of us are followers of buddha(s), and we don't have alot of time to meditate due to our mundane tasks of the civilized world, we still seek happiness and buddhahood too!
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I believe in Buddha teaching but find it hard to practise due to my mind being corrupted by the kaleidoscopic world.:(
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Originally posted by homer28:
I believe in Buddha teaching but find it hard to practise due to my mind being corrupted by the kaleidoscopic world.:(
Buddha's teachings are for corrupted mind, not for uncorrupted minds. It is because of the corruptions of mental defilements (passion, aggression and delusion) that the Buddha has taught us a way to find freedom.
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Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
Buddha's teachings are for corrupted mind, not for uncorrupted minds. It is because of the corruptions of mental defilements (passion, aggression and delusion) that the Buddha has taught us a way to find freedom.
agree!
for those who find it hard to practice though, do consider the pureland teachings :)
Namo Amituofo!
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