Chade
newsguy.com> writes:
> On 4 Aug, 21:09, monkeym...@hactrn.ch (Monkey Mind) wrote:
>> Chade
newsguy.com> writes:
>>>>> I think meditating should simply be viewed as an end in it's
>>> self. I meditate because I meditate. If you treat meditation as
>>> work to try to achieve something, such as enlightenment, you are
>>> imposing your flawed expectations on the experience, distorting
>>> it, rather than experiencing it directly.
>>
>> I think I see what you mean, but there have been more sophisticated
>> "personal development" models even in the Buddha's time, for
>> example the "four bases of success/power", the iddhipada.
>>
That's what I had in mind.
Apparently the iddhipada are a popular teaching in Asia, but in
western Buddhism they get deemphasised. One reason for that may be
their proximity to the "psychic powers". Maybe they are not popular
in the West because of their implication that there really is
something to achieve and to be gained through willingness to make an
effort, pay attention, evaluate results, and repeat the whole process
using the insights gained.
Here's a link to a canonic sutta, the "Analysis of the Bases of
Power".
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn51/sn51.020.than.html
What's remarkable about this text is how enlightenment (second last
paragraph) is classed as a supra-mundane achievement, along with
levitation, invisibility, divine hearing/seeing, recollection of past
lives and so on.
But the main point I take from all this is that there really is
something to work toward, progress to be made, skills to be honed and
so on: that the present taboo on goal-oriented practice is more likely
a fashion trend than a fundamental insight.
>>> BTW I warn you now, Florain, any tricky questions will be thrown
>>> over to alt.magick. ;)
>>
>> Ok, here's a tough one: "How do you spell 'Florian'?"
>
> B-A-D-L-Y
>
> Sorry, Florian.
Never mind. It's becoming something of a running gag. :)
Cheers,
Florian
--
Every man passes out of life as if he had just been born.
-- Epicurus (Vatican Sayings 60)
