Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path

[Kevin Benbow]

Something else dawned on me about the precepts and the eightfold path that I wanted to run by you all.

It occurred to me that we can fall into very strong delusion if we don't heed Suzuki Roshi's teaching that "We can use a little work."

If I think that I no longer need work, then I am completely and thoroughly deluded and in danger of harming me and those around me.

In my profession, psychotherapy, it is important to be mindful that all of us are capable of unethical practice. For example, sexual contact between therapist and client, or client's immediate family members, is never OK even if all are consenting adults. The rationale is that the therapist is exploiting the client for their own benefit. Most of the time when this happens the therapist will try to defend themselves by saying "But we are in love." That may be true, but it is also delusion for a therapist to think like this. We are encouraged to know that all of us will have clients we are attracted to, and, to act out on these feelings damages the client and has the same consequences as rape according to research.

This leads me to the hazing behavior that happens at some monasteries. This sounds inconsistent with the path to me, but then again, I am an outsider looking in.

Gassho

klb

sat today.

[Kyōsen]

I agree and I think it's important that we keep in mind that we're not exactly Buddhas yet so we are still under the influence of ignorance, craving, and aversion. Our minds like to trick us into believing we have all (or most) of the answers and that we're seeing things clearly all the time - I think this is why it's important for us to have "Dharma Friends" and a reliable teacher who can help us to see where we're faltering, what we're not seeing clearly. Otherwise we end up believing the stories we tell ourselves.

When we really want something, we can find all kinds of ways to justify why we should get what we desire. Sometimes there are no lengths we'll go to in order to give ourselves permission to go for what we think we really want. This isn't to say all desires are bad - the desire to plant trees for the environment or support our families or donate to causes we believe in are all good desires. I'm not sure how clear it is in the Mahayana teachings but in the Therevada teachings there is a distinction made between different kinds of craving: tanha and chanda.

Ajahn Jayasaro: "In fact, the Buddha spoke of two kinds of desire: desire that arises from ignorance and delusion, which is called tanha, craving, and desire that arises from wisdom and intelligence, which is called kusala-chanda, or dhamma-chanda, or most simply chanda. Chanda has a range of meanings, but in this case I’m using it to mean wise and intelligent desire and motivation, which the Buddha stressed as being absolutely fundamental to any progress on the eightfold path."

Source

I think that many people can confuse the two and that may be how we end up with highly-respected Dharma teachers being caught in scandals perhaps. There could be a sense on their part that they are somehow acting in the best interests of whoever their actions bring harm to. That it can happen to even experienced Dharma practitioners should encourage us to be vigilant and to seek the insight and counsel of our peers. This can be intimidating, especially if we don't want our peers to think less of us for having certain thoughts or feelings, and maybe we sometimes want to keep these things to ourselves. Having compassion means we have to be courageous and to skillfully speak the truth when it matters most, and I think that in certain settings it's important to understand that keeping up a good reputation while wanting to avoid a bad reputation is a motivation that can get in the way of our practice, and is a self-harming desire.

Of course as a professional it is important to keep up certain appearances in certain contexts, otherwise potential clients or customers or patients will not have faith in our ability to perform to the best of our abilities and their trust is an important part of their own experience. But outside of the professional settings, we need to be honest with ourselves and our teacher and/or a trusted Dharma friend in order to help us get out of our own heads. At least that's what I think.

Gassho
Sen
Sat|LAH

[Risho]

*** I meant to post this much earlier - but I posted in the wrong thread - that's what I get for multi-tasking lol ***

Jundo's Buddha Basics hands down is some of the best content I've gone through for.. well Buddha Basics. lol I mean that in comparison to any media (book or otherwise) anywhere. If you haven't gone through them, it's very good practice; I still love reviewing these from time to time, because I always forget the basics. always gotta practice. it always comes back to basics. hahaha

I'm sure others have feedback too, but I think 1 or 2 a week and sitting after each one is a good cadence. I know the gut reaction, for me at least, is to consume as much content as possible and zoom through these. But slow down; take your time; really taste these teachings - as everyone has said (and I'm just parroting), make sure that sitting practice is consistent - it always comes back to sitting. If you aren't sitting and practicing you might as well be watching YouTube cat videos; although there's nothing wrong with that - but you know what I mean. lol

Gassho

Rish
-stlah

[Kevin Benbow]

Thanks Risho.

This is a great suggestion.

<Gassho>

klb

sat today

[Rich]

If you want to live in the past or future, if you don’t make an effort to wake up from your dreams and stories then you are living with desire. The desire to be other than here and now.

Sat/lah


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[Risho]

Rich

You always say so much with so little words

gassho

Rish
-stlah

[Kevin Benbow]

Sen, thanks for your insight above. I had not even considered the desire to do good. That's an interesting piece of the Buddhism puzzle for sure.

Hmm. .

Gassho

Klb

Sat today

[Rich]

Rich

You always say so much with so little words

gassho

Rish
-stlah

[emoji120]
Thanks


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[Kevin Benbow]

Rich, help me understand what you mean here. It is possible to fall into the intellectual trap if Buddhism and get sucked right out of the present moment.

I wish to understand, but balance that understanding with practice so as to get at the heart if the matter. Since my recent involvement in Treeleaf my practice has been more consistent than ever because you all are a ready resource to encourage me.

So, I respectfully ask for clarification.

Gassho

Klb

Sat today.

[Jundo]

Jundo's Buddha Basics hands down is some of the best content I've gone through for.. well Buddha Basics. lol

Well, they are a very simple and basic introduction to bottomless topics that take a lifetime(s?). But thank you.

... It is possible to fall into the intellectual trap if Buddhism and get sucked right out of the present moment.

This "be in the present moment" thing gets overplayed in modern Buddhism and "mindfulness" too. l sometimes say that, more than being "in the moment," is to be radically allowing each moment to be that moment (even the moments of being "sucked right out.") lt is not that "being in the moment" is a bad thing at all, but that it need not be every ... or even most ... moments. Every moment is perfectly just that moment, and it is impossible for us really to be "outside" any moment when we just let it be that moment of life.

More here, if you have a few moments.

Being mindful of 'mindful'

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?7910-Being-mindful-of-mindful

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kevin Benbow]

Jundo, thanks so much for clarifying this. The link you posted makes a lot of sense. It really isn't practical to "be mindful" every moment of the day. I find that mindfulness can help me get through mountains of paperwork, but "being one" with doing the paperwork and just letting it be a sh*t load of paperwork is more helpful still.

Gassho.

Klb

Sat today

[Rich]

Every moment is perfectly just that moment, and it is impossible for us really to be "outside" any moment when we just let it be that moment of life.


Gassho, J

STLah

Beautiful!


Moment to moment
Joyous beauty opening
THIS the lotus world

From my haiku collection at

https://Www.instagram.com/notmovingmind/

Sat/lah


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[Washin]

Beautiful!


Moment to moment
Joyous beauty opening
THIS the lotus world

From my haiku collection at

https://Www.instagram.com/notmovingmind/

Sat/lah


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[Onka]

Jundo said
'This "be in the present moment" thing gets overplayed in modern Buddhism and "mindfulness" too. l sometimes say that, more than being "in the moment," is to be radically allowing each moment to be that moment (even the moments of being "sucked right out.") [emoji14] lt is not that "being in the moment" is a bad thing at all, but that it need not be every ... or even most ... moments. Every moment is perfectly just that moment, and it is impossible for us really to be "outside" any moment when we just let it be that moment of life.'

Perfect! Gassho
Anna
st


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[Risho]

exactly right; there is nowhere else to be; to be lost in thought or to stifle thought to “ be constantly mindful” is attachment to one or the other; the same as zazen; it’s not thinking, it’s not not thinking, it’s non-thinking; beyond the dichotomy; this idea of “mindful” is bs imho hahaha

gassho

rish
-st