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More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 4:14 pm
by Lombardi4
I remember a conversation between a Tibetan Buddhist (Namdrol) and a Zen Buddhist (Genkaku). The Tibetan Buddhist said that view is more important than practice, while the Zen Buddhist disagreed, saying that practice is more important than view.

What would a Theravada Buddhist say?

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:18 pm
by reflection
They are both right.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:23 pm
by fivebells
Which is more important to physical vision: the visual cortex, or the eyes? If either goes missing, you don't have much left.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:36 pm
by LonesomeYogurt
Perhaps the division between view and practice is a false one. After all, Right View is in itself a practice. It's not just about sitting there with the right opinions and thoughts - it's about training yourself to see things in a way that is in accord with the Dhamma, and it is as much a skill to develop as Right Mindfulness or Right Concentration.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:40 pm
by daverupa
Practice runs and circles around right view, ideally.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 5:41 pm
by Coyote
LonesomeYogurt wrote:Perhaps the division between view and practice is a false one. After all, Right View is in itself a practice. It's not just about sitting there with the right opinions and thoughts - it's about training yourself to see things in a way that is in accord with the Dhamma, and it is as much a skill to develop as Right Mindfulness or Right Concentration.
:goodpost:

Though I would go further and say that right view has primacy in that it is the beginning and end of the path.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 6:39 pm
by m0rl0ck
"Right view" without practice is like any other view, just another source of pride, disappointment and discontent.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 10:58 pm
by retrofuturist
Greetings,
daverupa wrote:Practice runs and circles around right view, ideally.
That's precisely what I was thinking...
MN 117 wrote:"One tries to abandon wrong view & to enter into right view: This is one's right effort. One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort, & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view.
Metta,
Retro. :)

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:36 am
by kirk5a
Stephen K wrote:I remember a conversation between a Tibetan Buddhist (Namdrol) and a Zen Buddhist (Genkaku). The Tibetan Buddhist said that view is more important than practice, while the Zen Buddhist disagreed, saying that practice is more important than view.

What would a Theravada Buddhist say?
I would say it is more important to have a practicable view.

Re: More important: view or practice?

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:18 am
by hopedhamma
The most important thing to start with is the understanding of dhamma and the nature of it. Starting from the understanding of what dhamma really is will result in the correct path which are the right view and the right practice. The understanding of dhamma comes from being friends with people who know dhamma, to listen to dhamma discussion, to read, and to analyze dhamma when it appears. You can actually start by reading Abhidhamma.