perfection vs practicality

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
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altar
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perfection vs practicality

Post by altar »

is the perfection of virtue compatible with the incredible "practical" side of life, i.e. a "got-to-do-it-why-not-i'll probably enjoy it anyway" attitude? That covers things like walking the dog and cooking?

a "virtuous enough" attitude seems kind of un-buddhist, or is it buddhist? and then its like...it's almost like who cares I'll just do anything without harming others to the best of my ability and then on the side I'll also care for things and who knows...?
santa100
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Re: perfection vs practicality

Post by santa100 »

Even on the mundane level, there're different standards for different goals in life. An amateur boxer doesn't have to strictly follow a training regiment. But a professional boxer, especially one aspiring to become the best of the best, then s/he'd have to drop that "who cares" attitude and follow the strictest possible training regimen, everything from sleeping, eating, waking up, exercising, etc. Similarly for the supramundane goal on the Path, if not more.
paul
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Re: perfection vs practicality

Post by paul »

There is another aspect to perfection vs practicality and that is it is the beginning of the division between ultimate and conventional realities. All those things which lead to nibbana should be categorized as 'ultimate reality', and all those having to do with mundane activities categorized as 'conventional reality'. Successfully dealing with this division is the first stage of insight, "Purification of View'.
SarathW
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Re: perfection vs practicality

Post by SarathW »

It is a gradual training.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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manas
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Re: perfection vs practicality

Post by manas »

Striving for perfection, takes time and thus patience with oneself. However, beware of perfectionism, as in my experience, it ultimately hinders, rather than nurtures, progress.
To the Buddha-refuge i go; to the Dhamma-refuge i go; to the Sangha-refuge i go.
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Kim OHara
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Re: perfection vs practicality

Post by Kim OHara »

altar wrote: Sun Oct 07, 2018 12:24 pm is the perfection of virtue compatible with the incredible "practical" side of life, i.e. a "got-to-do-it-why-not-i'll probably enjoy it anyway" attitude? That covers things like walking the dog and cooking?

a "virtuous enough" attitude seems kind of un-buddhist, or is it buddhist? and then its like...it's almost like who cares I'll just do anything without harming others to the best of my ability and then on the side I'll also care for things and who knows...?
IMO a "virtuous enough" attitude is entirely compatible with Buddhism so long as the constant background intention is to do the best you can in each situation as it arises. That actually inverts your "who cares I'll just do anything without harming others to the best of my ability and then on the side I'll also care for things and who knows...?"
It turns it into, "I will always care for my own sila and for the wellbeing of all living things, even if I can't always do the right thing."

:namaste:
Kim
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