Personality cults and fundamentalism

[Jikyo]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Anyway, take great care and please, try to listen to these distant voices trying to reach your original face through the thick veil of certainty.

A bit of poetry, a walk in the woods, playing with children...

Simply beautiful, Taigu. Thank you. And thank you to everyone for this great teaching and opportunity to practice.

Gassho, Jean

[JamesVB]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

September 25, 2009
Tricycle's Daily Dharma

Improving Upon Silence

The most important step in developing skillful speech is to think before speaking (or writing). This is called mindfulness of speech. Few things can improve the nature of our relationships as much as the development of skillful speech. Silence offers us, and those around us, the spaciousness we need to speak more skillfully.. When we speak with greater skill, our true self—our compassionate, loving self—emerges with gentle ease. So before you speak, stop, breathe, and consider if what you are about to say will improve upon the silence.

- Allan Lokos, from “Skillful Speech,” Tricycle, Winter 2008

Other than this, I got nothin'

[Taigu]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

By the way, Kevin why don't you start a rakusu? I really mean it, if you have some time to loose just go and read the posts about sewing

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1968&p=28273#p28273

take care,
gassho


Taigu

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

I wrote a little about cults here. http://progressivebuddhism.blogspot.com ... dhism.html

I very much appreciate the quotation you gave:

“Be a light unto yourself, betake yourselves to no external refuge. Hold fast to the Truth. Look not for refuge to anyone but yourselves.”

I think the whole idea of "protectors", such as Dorje Shugden, or Mahakala, or whatever, is a very dangerous path to go down - and is so often fatal for the weak-minded. And who, today, is not weak-minded?

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Hi Kevin Solway,
I just watched your videos and read most of the comments here. A little overwhelming. I was wondering if you would be willing to just put down all of your opinions and join in a future discussion here that relates you in a more personal way to Buddhist thinking. For me it has always been my neurotic thinking and delusion which has gotten in the way of world peace.

I don't think it's possible for a person to put-down all the opinions that they have fought long and hard to attain. But I can certainly put aside my opinions of the Dalai Lama to talk about other things. What did you have in mind? I'm happy to discuss anything to do with Buddhism, or how I relate to it.

[Taigu]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

I don't think it's possible for a person to put-down all the opinions that they have fought long and hard to attain

Hi Kevin,

That's precisely what the practice of sitting is about, and Buddhism. How can you relate to Buddhism if you are not prepared to put down opinions?
The idea of protectors is indeed a very dangerous path if ypou take it litteraly, in an exoteric way. Of course, once you sit, you come appreciate the quality of some metaphors... And sometimes people invent some fancy protectors: twenty years of hard work, great experience of what is true...Very dangerous too for they speak in the name of a self which has not been worked on.

Please, don't worry that much about the people being weak-minded, do the homework and look at the confusion we all share.

And thank you for your voice today, it sounds gentle and opened.

gassho

Taigu

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

I don't think it's possible for a person to put-down all the opinions that they have fought long and hard to attain

That's precisely what the practice of sitting is about, and Buddhism.

Taigu, you are assuming that all opinions are mistaken. But if all opinions are mistaken then your opinion that all opinions are mistaken is itself mistaken. So there's an obvious problem with that approach.

In fact, not all opinions are mistaken.

How can you relate to Buddhism if you are not prepared to put down opinions?

The only opinions that need to be put down are wrong opinions, such as your opinion about my opinions.

And thank you for your voice today, it sounds gentle and opened.

You'll find that I'm always gentle and open, but sometimes appear in my Mahakala aspect. :-)

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

I have to laugh when I hear the Dalai Lama say that he is against Shugden worship because it is a kind of spirit worship.

And yet he says that Dorje Shugden has shortened his life, and is responsible for schisms. Ha!

I really think he hasn't a clue. If his own life has been shortened it is because of his own failings, and nobody else. And if there are schisms, then the reasons are many and varied, and delusion plays a big part.

Look down at your own feet.

[Taigu]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

hi Kevin,

There is an obvious problem, if you alllow me to express it, in toying with the language and twisting words in a witty way in order to make a point, this is plain rhetoric.

The dropping of all views is not my opinion, it is shinjin datsu raku, body and mind dropped off, it is the teaching of Buddha, Nagarjuna, all ancestors, even the teaching of trees, birds, rain, stones, cars, plastic bags and stuff that has no Buddhism, god, demons or right and wrong to play with. It is the just sitting of our tradition where you will have difficulty to find any opinion at all. In this space, everything is accepted as it is, nothing is rejected. Your or my likes and dislikes come to nothing in that space. Views and opinions too. Gone, swept away or totally integrated, which is the same.
That's what I am pointing at and that's also why it is wise to let go of any form of hostility even in front of blind superstition. The teaching of the Buddha means to bring this mind of equanimity to the market place. And the best answer is to first look at what we can do something about: our own atttachment to views and opinions.

take care


gassho


Taigu

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

It is the just sitting of our tradition where you will have difficulty to find any opinion at all. In this space, everything is accepted as it is, nothing is rejected.

I see very clearly that what you mean by "opinions" is in fact "delusions".

And so when you say that I have "opinions" you are in fact stating your (deluded) belief that I am deluded.

But not everyone uses words in that manner, and I certainly don't.

I say that there are deluded opinions and non-deluded opinions. There are deluded views and then there is the enlightened view. That's the way I personally use language, and I while I don't expect you to follow my good example in the usage of language, it should give you a key to understanding what I'm saying.

That's what I am pointing at and that's also why it is wise to let go of any form of hostility even in front of blind superstition.

I think the hostility is a creation of your mind. In reality, I'm just speaking the truth. It sounds harsh to the ears if one is not used to hearing the truth spoken so simply and accurately.

I don't blame the Dalai Lama for anything he's doing, since he has absolutely no choice about anything he does - like a runaway train full of passengers.

[Jundo]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Kevin, you have become like a living breathing "Tolerance Koan".

You should listen a bit more to what many voices are saying to you.

Gassho, J

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Kevin, you have become like a living breathing "Tolerance Koan".

You lot are a tolerance koan for me! :-)

[Taigu]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Hi Kevin,

You sound perfectly happy about the way you convey your enlightened opinion. You seem very convinced that your eyes are open to a great many fundamental truths of which the Dalai Lama knows nothing.. What you are telling us is that you are speaking the truth. Do I understand you well?

If I do, allow me not to agree: what you put forward, your own self, and the excellent use of the language which is yours, have nothing in common with what I practice. You happily describe yourself as non-denominational Buddhist and this in itself is maybe the core of the problem, without specific guidance and help, solitary practice or plain speculation can do so much harm. Longtime study, respectable age and intellectual skills have nothing to do with the truth. The truth is not something you have opinions about or use to make opinions and judgements. This is the ABC of my tradition. The kindergarden is the best place for you, Kevin. So much more enjoyable. Children, woods, simple things...I would be very glad to meet you there. It is my favorite spot... beginners mind.

take care

gassho


Taigu

[Kevin Solway]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Do I understand you well?

No, you don't understand me well, but yes, I do speak the truth.

If I do, allow me not to agree: what you put forward, your own self, and the excellent use of the language which is yours, have nothing in common with what I practice.

That's fine. Then you must go on your own way.

But my humble suggestion is that if you're going to attempt to find faults, and to communicate those to others, you'll have to learn to do a lot better than "You are deluded".

LIke firing a shotgun in the dark, you might hit your target from time to time, but it's not to be recommended.

You happily describe yourself as non-denominational Buddhist and this in itself is maybe the core of the problem, without specific guidance and help, solitary practice or plain speculation can do so much harm.

It's good that you qualified your statement with "maybe", since this is just a bit of vague insinuating.

Non-denominational Buddhists can have denominational gurus. They can also have non-denominational gurus. And they can even have non-Buddhist gurus.

Now that's a tolerance koan.

The truth is not something you have opinions about or use to make opinions and judgements.

Here again you are using the word "opinions" to mean "delusions", so what you are really saying is "The truth is not something you have delusions about", which I think is a rather silly statement. But it's your choice, so don't let me stop you.

This is the ABC of my tradition.

I sincerely hope not!

[Rich]

Re: Personality cults and fundamentalism

Hi Kevin Solway,
I just watched your videos and read most of the comments here. A little overwhelming. I was wondering if you would be willing to just put down all of your opinions and join in a future discussion here that relates you in a more personal way to Buddhist thinking. For me it has always been my neurotic thinking and delusion which has gotten in the way of world peace.

I don't think it's possible for a person to put-down all the opinions that they have fought long and hard to attain. But I can certainly put aside my opinions of the Dalai Lama to talk about other things. What did you have in mind? I'm happy to discuss anything to do with Buddhism, or how I relate to it.

I would like to discuss my practice and maybe you can share a little about your practice. I do have opinions, ideas, thoughts and feelings about the Dalai Lama and rebirth and the myriad other things but they are not essential to my practice of just sitting, just letting them go in my everyday life. So in this very moment I am not dependent on them nor feel a need to defend them. I'm not saying that they don't constantly arise and I certainly give some of them much consideration but my practice is letting them go and the sitting time is good for this but the standing, walking , lying time is good also. I pay a lot of attention to correct posture, and I agree with Nishijima Roshi that reality is just action. Maybe I've said too much, what do you do?
/Rich