A path

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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Scott1989
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:36 am

A path

Post by Scott1989 »

The definition of the word 'ego' as I use it here is identification with something (feeling like you are doing something or have to do something). I am not saying that this is what ego means, only that this is what I mean when I use the word.

step 1:
Drop ego whenever it comes up. Don't try to stop thoughts, just drop ego and thoughts will have no more grip on you. Whenever you are turning into this voice in the head, drop ego. Stop your involvement in the story. When you catch yourself saying "I need to drop the ego", drop that too as it is also ego. How can you keep doing this, then? When succesful you will feel the pain whenever the ego is there and experience the relief of dropping it. It's that simple. This is a practice of surrender. Saying 'I have a choice' or 'I don't have a choice' or trying to figure something out is all turning the present moment into an obstacle and is all ego. So, step 1: drop ego whenever you catch it.
step 2:
Be aware of what happens now. You don't have to control what you are aware of and you don't have to label what you are aware of. Doing so would constantly take you out of the now. Just open up your awareness to the present moment. Never try to find a special state of awareness. That would be ego. Your awareness should be flexible and free and never 'stuck' on something. This comes automatically after step 1 and both steps are basically the same, but this practice keeps it in place. So, step 2, be aware of what happens now.
step 3:
Without using words, keep asking yourself 'who am I?'. Keep trying to find who you are. Look for the awareness that is aware of what is going on. Don't try to give answers and don't use words as doing so would mean the ego is back. When ego is back, drop ego again as in step 1. Always keep looking. You might ask me 'who is looking, then?', well when you are looking for who you are there is no delusion since you have no fixed idea of 'this is me!'. When you start talking about it in your head, you will once again have believed that you are your thoughts. The reason for practicing this is that you never become deluded this way and your identity will always be before thought. Basically it is an aid that keeps your 'great doubt' (as they call it in zen) alive. This takes you deeper into the now. So, step 3: without words, keep looking within for who you truly are.
step 4:
Cut down everything in your way. Cut down ideas of 'I got it!'. Cut down magical feelings. Cut down feelings of 'that person gets it!', or 'this is too complicated for me', or 'I will never gain liberation'. Again, an aid to keep your great doubt alive and to make sure ego doesn't return. So, step 4: cut down everything in your way.

Anyone can do this. Results will come if you have all of the following things present:
Great faith. The faith to drop the ego and be in a state of not-knowing.
Great doubt. The doubt of never knowing who you are. Constantly looking to find yourself without accepting any answer.
Great determination. Never stop.
Great passion. Your practice is your goal. You have passion for the practice. There are no thoughts of 'I must gain enlightenment'. There is just the practice.

Doing it is not easy, but it IS simple. Of course, someone has to be ready for this path first, but there are many ways for gaining enough understanding to be ready for this.
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equilibrium
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Re: A path

Post by equilibrium »

Step 1 suggest you are trying to surppress the "ego" and the "I".....meaning it is still there.
One must go beyond the self, to do so, one must know oneself first.....when you know oneself, you won't have to suppress it.

Practice is not the goal in itself, it has a purpose.....if there is no purpose, why are you on it for?
Purpose is to reach enlightenment at least.
Scott1989
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 12:36 am

Re: A path

Post by Scott1989 »

equilibrium says:
Step 1 suggest you are trying to surppress the "ego" and the "I".....meaning it is still there.
One must go beyond the self, to do so, one must know oneself first.....when you know oneself, you won't have to suppress it.
This is a practice of recognizing it, not feeding it further. When you realize that it hurts to put your hand over a flame, you will want to withdraw your hand. Like the zenmasters say, don't make yourself stop thinking, just shut up! That's what I meant too. Telling someone to drop the ego can cause confusion, yes, but that's where the other steps come in. They keep each other up. I'm sure you don't mean to say that there is absolutely nothing to practice?
equilibrium says:
Practice is not the goal in itself, it has a purpose.....if there is no purpose, why are you on it for?
Purpose is to reach enlightenment at least.
With this I truly cannot agree. If we realize we are hurting ourselves, our goal is to stop hurting ourselves for the simple reason of seeing the futulity of hurting yourself. If the purpose is to reach something in the future, what good does it do you when you fail or find out that you are dying? When you practice for the purpose of reaching enlightenment in the future, you have made the present moment into an obstacle that needs to be overcome. That is craving and is actually the whole source of suffering you are trying to remove.

Every moment we are on the path, the path is fully realized. With evey step on the path our understanding deepens though. This makes it easier to keep returning to the path, but the goal is always here and now.
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equilibrium
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Re: A path

Post by equilibrium »

What is the difference between someone who is on the path and someone who is not on the path?
If there is no difference then there is no point being on it....no?

Are you saying the teaching has no purpose?.....no enlightenment?.....are these not your own imagination?

How do you know you will fail?.....your own imagination?
How do you know you will die?.....your own imagination?....more importantly.....do you "know"?

Surely the path leads to somewhere?...no?....is that not what the teaching is trying to tell one to "realize" rather than for the one to "assume" where it is going?
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Cittasanto
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Re: A path

Post by Cittasanto »

why do we need a new wheel?
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
whynotme
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Re: A path

Post by whynotme »

Cittasanto wrote:why do we need a new wheel?
If you have two wheels, you can make a bicycle or a motorcycle. If you have four wheels, you can have a car
Please stop following me
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Cittasanto
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Re: A path

Post by Cittasanto »

whynotme wrote:
Cittasanto wrote:why do we need a new wheel?
If you have two wheels, you can make a bicycle or a motorcycle. If you have four wheels, you can have a car
you still can not reinvent the wheel though
Blog, Suttas, Aj Chah, Facebook.

He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them.
But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side, if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion …
...
He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them … he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
John Stuart Mill
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equilibrium
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Re: A path

Post by equilibrium »

Scott1989 wrote: With this I truly cannot agree. If we realize we are hurting ourselves, our goal is to stop hurting ourselves for the simple reason of seeing the futulity of hurting yourself. If the purpose is to reach something in the future, what good does it do you when you fail or find out that you are dying? When you practice for the purpose of reaching enlightenment in the future, you have made the present moment into an obstacle that needs to be overcome. That is craving and is actually the whole source of suffering you are trying to remove.
More analysis to think about:
Do you notice the "I" in your first sentence?
Enlightenment is the fruits of the path.....it is at the end of the path and not before.....therefore it cannot be an obstacle as you have stated.

Like an apple tree bearing fruit.....the apple is the fruit.....it is at the end, the results from the apple tree.
Do you think the apple is an obstacle to the tree itself?
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