Greetings SDC,
SDC wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 11:52 pm
What we have on this forum are people with such fundamentally different modes of operation that disunity is just a matter of fact, and that lack of commonality is grounds enough for some to settle for blood when knowledge does not seem viable. Yes, "Dhamma of the Theravada" is the theme of this forum, but we have seen over the years that there are various ways to utilize the Dhamma. Out of respect for this diversity, we seem to have distanced ourselves from reaching a consensus on that issue. People can literally both be talking
about the Dhamma but have zero grounds for agreement.
Personally, I don't see this as a problem. If I came to a forum and said, "This is how I see things", and everybody responded by saying, "I agree", "I concur", "Yes, you're right"... it might feel nice - like a group hug or a hot chocolate with a marshmallow on top...
... but would anyone actually learn anything new? Would we be able to test our understandings, and refine them based on feedback, and indeed criticism from others? Would we be able to improve our practice, based upon learnings? Would people share links to suttas and other resources which might challenge or significantly expand our existing perspectives? Do we seek the truth, or do we really just seek personal validation?...
Honestly, there has never been any real consensus here at this forum in terms on Dhamma view... it's just that we had one particular member who took it upon himself to play Dhamma Cop and incessantly hound and badger anyone who said anything contrary to his understandings of what was important, what should be respected and what should be protected. I guess you could call that a "consensus" of sorts, but it's a forced consensus, achieved only by silencing and consciously diminishing the voices of those who disagree. Was that a good thing? Maybe some people with similar priorities to the Dhamma Cop might have been pleased about it at the expense of those with different priorities, but if people are being reasonable, independent and objective, I think we can probably agree that that's not really how a "forum" ought to operate.
TL;DR - Ideas can best be explored in a group environment, when people are not emotionally attached to their views, and when people are refraining from the temptation to coerce others.
Metta,
Paul.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."