Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

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dylanj
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Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by dylanj »

"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this: 'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I.'

Majjhima Nikāya 70
“It is impossible, it cannot happen that a person possessing right view could acknowledge another teacher - there is no such possibility.”

Bahudhātuka Sutta, Majjhima Nikāya 115
"In the same way, in the course of the future there will be monks who won't listen when discourses that are words of the Tathagata — deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness — are being recited. They won't lend ear, won't set their hearts on knowing them, won't regard these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they will listen when discourses that are literary works — the works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples — are recited. They will lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will regard these teachings as worth grasping & mastering.

"In this way the disappearance of the discourses that are words of the Tathagata — deep, deep in their meaning, transcendent, connected with emptiness — will come about.

SN 20.7
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It’s when mendicants carefully listen to the teachings, memorize them, and remember them. They carefully examine the meaning of teachings that they remember. And they carefully practice in line with the meaning and the teaching they’ve understood. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”

Paṭhamasaddhammasammosa Sutta AN 5.154
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It’s when the mendicants memorize the teaching— statements, songs, discussions, verses, inspired sayings, legends, stories of past lives, amazing stories, and analyses. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants explain the teaching in detail to others as they learned and memorized it. This is the second thing …

Furthermore, the mendicants make others recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the third thing …

Furthermore, the mendicants recite the teaching in detail as they learned and memorized it. This is the fourth thing …

Furthermore, the mendicants think about and consider the teaching in their hearts, examining it with their minds as they learned and memorized it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”
Dutiyasaddhammasammosa Sutta AN 5.155
These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. What five? It’s when the mendicants memorize discourses that have been learned correctly, with well placed words and phrases. When the words and phrases are well organized, the meaning is correctly interpreted. This is the first thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.

Furthermore, the mendicants are easy to correct, having qualities that make them easy to correct. They’re patient, and take instruction respectfully. This is the second thing …

Furthermore, the mendicants who are very learned—knowledgeable in the scriptures, who have memorized the teachings, the texts on monastic training, and the outlines—carefully make others recite the discourses. When they pass away, the discourses aren’t cut off at the root, and they have someone to preserve them. This is the third thing …

Furthermore, the senior mendicants are not indulgent and slack, leaders in backsliding, neglecting seclusion. They rouse energy for attaining the unattained, achieving the unachieved, and realizing the unrealized. Those who come after them follow their example. They too are not indulgent or slack … This is the fourth thing …

Furthermore, the Saṅgha lives comfortably, in harmony, appreciating each other, without quarreling, with one recitation. When the Saṅgha is in harmony, they don’t abuse, insult, block, or reject each other. This inspires confidence in those without it, and increases confidence in those who have it. This is the fifth thing that leads to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching. These five things lead to the continuation, persistence, and enduring of the true teaching.”

Tatiyasaddhammasammosa Sutta AN 5.156
Born, become, arisen – made, prepared, short-lived
Bonded by decay and death – a nest for sickness, perishable
Produced by seeking nutriment – not fit to take delight in


Departure from this is peaceful – beyond reasoning and enduring
Unborn, unarisen – free from sorrow and stain
Ceasing of all factors of suffering – stilling of all preparations is bliss
User1249x
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by User1249x »

will add this even tho it has been posted recently;
Candala Sutta: The Outcaste

"Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower. Which five? He/she does not have conviction [in the Buddha's Awakening]; is unvirtuous; is eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts protective charms & ceremonies, not kamma; and searches for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Sangha], and gives offerings there first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower.

"Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower. Which five? He/she has conviction; is virtuous; is not eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts kamma, not protective charms & ceremonies; does not search for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Sangha], and gives offerings here first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower."
As for the OP question, think i am doing alright:) I have lately overcome some causes for downfall and am settling into a sustainable mode of practice which will be a cause for growth in the Dhamma and conducive to the development of Path. I still have leaks that need adressing and i hope they will be adressed sooner rather than later.
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Pseudobabble
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by Pseudobabble »

dylanj wrote: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?
Not yet.
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19

'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
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dylanj
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by dylanj »

Pseudobabble wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:00 pm
dylanj wrote: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?
Not yet.
Do you live up to the standards in the quotes?
Born, become, arisen – made, prepared, short-lived
Bonded by decay and death – a nest for sickness, perishable
Produced by seeking nutriment – not fit to take delight in


Departure from this is peaceful – beyond reasoning and enduring
Unborn, unarisen – free from sorrow and stain
Ceasing of all factors of suffering – stilling of all preparations is bliss
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dylanj
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by dylanj »

User1249x wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 10:46 pm will add this even tho it has been posted recently;
Candala Sutta: The Outcaste

"Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower. Which five? He/she does not have conviction [in the Buddha's Awakening]; is unvirtuous; is eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts protective charms & ceremonies, not kamma; and searches for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Sangha], and gives offerings there first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is an outcaste of a lay follower, a stain of a lay follower, a dregs of a lay follower.

"Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower. Which five? He/she has conviction; is virtuous; is not eager for protective charms & ceremonies; trusts kamma, not protective charms & ceremonies; does not search for recipients of his/her offerings outside [of the Sangha], and gives offerings here first. Endowed with these five qualities, a lay follower is a jewel of a lay follower, a lotus of a lay follower, a fine flower of a lay follower."
As for the OP question, think i am doing alright:) I have lately overcome some causes for downfall and am settling into a sustainable mode of practice which will be a cause for growth in the Dhamma and conducive to the development of Path. I still have leaks that need adressing and i hope they will be adressed sooner rather than later.
yes i meant to include this too thanks.

my answer is about the same
Born, become, arisen – made, prepared, short-lived
Bonded by decay and death – a nest for sickness, perishable
Produced by seeking nutriment – not fit to take delight in


Departure from this is peaceful – beyond reasoning and enduring
Unborn, unarisen – free from sorrow and stain
Ceasing of all factors of suffering – stilling of all preparations is bliss
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Pseudobabble
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by Pseudobabble »

dylanj wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:18 pm
Pseudobabble wrote: Fri Jun 22, 2018 11:00 pm
dylanj wrote: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?
Not yet.
Do you live up to the standards in the quotes?
Do you interpret the suttas literally? Three of them are clearly relevant in a society where oral transmission was the only method of preserving teachings. I'm also very aware of the types of things disciples do to dead masters: they valorize them, deify them, and put them beyond reach. I judge the teachings by their practical merit. The only test that really matters is: do they work?
"Does Master Gotama have any position at all?"

"A 'position,' Vaccha, is something that a Tathagata has done away with. What a Tathagata sees is this: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is feeling, such its origination, such its disappearance; such is perception...such are fabrications...such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'" - Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta


'Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.' - Genesis 3:19

'Some fart freely, some try to hide and silence it. Which one is correct?' - Saegnapha
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Re: Do you live up to the Buddha's standards for a dhamma practicer?

Post by Wizard in the Forest »

The above quotes, yes. The Saw Simile quote not included? Not yet. I'm working on it, patigha is the worst hindrance.
"One is not born a woman, but becomes one."- Simone de Beauvoir
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