Everyone's already enlightened
Hi TCB,
I was just using the sex aspect for an example, but you got the point. What is the standard? That's why I listed an assumed "enlightenment heirarchy" in my original post. I'm assuming Shakyamuni Buddha and his lineage down to the Ch'an masters of China have the true Dharma. If someone doesn't agree they should submit another standard or there is no point of discussion. Personally, I go with the Zen Buddhist lineage since this is seems to be the best documented and most disciplined path. Even if only a tiny percentage of Zen practitioners achieve satori, I assume that is a higher percentage than any other approach until I find differently.
Why even make an effort at all? Maybe we should just frolic around in the woods all day since everyone is already enlightened? What was that Buddha person after anyway? Why a sangha? Why sit in zazen? Why did the Taoists seem to want to quantify their achievements? I'm assuming there's something there, a point. Then again, maybe it's all a big scam like the Wiz in the Wizard of Oz.
Thanks for actually answering the questions. Maybe you should write a book. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by TaiChiBob
Greetings..
Focusing on such a limited aspect as sex to be an indicator of enlightenment is a fatally narrow perspective.. sex, or the lack thereof, is a small portion of the holistic condition of "enlightenment", if such a condition/concept is anything other than a contrivance of desired outcomes... It would be interesting to see how differently people perceive the concept of "Enlightenment".. what is the standard for determining who is or isn't "enlightened"?
Be well...