Isn't the truth about Buddha contained in your conscience?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
santa100
Posts: 6814
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:55 pm

Re: Isn't the truth about Buddha contained in your conscience?

Post by santa100 »

If one had committed some grave offenses but later on sincerely repented and put in 100% of their effort to better themselves, then everything is possible. It is only impossible when one had committed one of the anantarika-kamma (the five most heinous offenses of: patricide, matricide, killed an arahant, wounded a buddha, created sangha schism), which would put one on an irreversible path toward woeful states. In the case of Angulimala, it'd be impossible for him to turn back to the right path had the Buddha not intervene at the right time to stop Angulimala from killing his last victim: his own mother. THat'd be matricide, and Angulima would've had zero chance for coming back. He must've done something good in his previous life to see the Buddha at the right time!
Ervin
Posts: 103
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2011 4:46 pm

Re: Isn't the truth about Buddha contained in your conscience?

Post by Ervin »

Conscience is very gentle. If I followed my conscience entirely I wouldn't even partake in killing plants for food. But you can't survive that way. If you want to live you must partake in at least killing plants for food and if there was nothing else then you would have to eat animal based food.

So conscience is very gentle and it can be used against you, wich is something you should guard against, since no mater what you might have done, while you are still a human you can go back to being good and you do that by following your conscience, but not by wallowing in guilt.

So its OK in life to be reasonable.

Thanks
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