In respect to your body, are you deluded or enlightened?

Question

When you are deluded, you are used by your body. When you are enlightened, you use your body.

-Bunan

Namaste

Peace and Love

The above quote was taken:
From "The Pocket Zen Reader," edited by Thomas Cleary,

Answer 1

from ch'an/ zen perspectives:

wisdom is a reliable vessel to bring you across the ocean of old age, sickness, and death. It is a bright lamp that brings light into the darkness of ignorance. It is an excellent medicine for all of you who are sick. It is a sharp axe to cut down the tree of delusion. Thus, you can deepen awakening through the wisdom of listening, contemplation, and practice. If you are illuminated by wisdom, even if you use your physical eyes, you will have clear insight. - dogen

Delusion means you are not aware of your own fundamental mind; enlightenment means you realize your own fundamental essence. Once enlightened, you do not become deluded anymore. If you understand mind and objects, then false conceptions do not arise; when false conceptions do not arise, this is the acceptance of the beginninglessness of things. You have always had it, and you have it now - there is no need to cultivate the Way and sit in meditation. - mazu

If you have concerns in your contemplation, gradually let your body and mind go toward the real. Empty out what is in your breast, so that all doings are forever stilled. Aware of things without giving them forms, you move freely in samadhi, closely nurturing the Path and its power. By this means you achieve the dharmakaya, the body of reality. - early texts from tun huang

Dharma students should harbor no doubts concerning the body, and they should realize that, comprised, as it is, of four elements, there is within it no self or master to be found. The skandhas are mind, but no self or master can be found there either. The six sense-organs, six sense-objects and six sense-consciousnesses form the eighteen sense-realms, which are, likewise, void. Birth, death and all things everywhere are empty. Only Original Mind is vast and clear. If one maintains the four elements of this body and allays the ulcer of hunger in a manner free from grasping, one nourishes oneself with wisdom food. On the other hand, if one pursues taste, having no regard for rules of moderation, and uses discrimination to seek things to please the palate and sate his desire-nature, one is gorging on consciousness food. -huangbo xiyun

Answer 2

I feel a little like Quixote tilting at windmills but I have to address some of the misconceptions about Enlightenment.

-Enlightenment is the realization of the Self as the One, source, Consciousness, Awareness, (whatever name is given to God).

-It's the realization that the individual does not exist as a volitional entity and so no individual ever becomes Enlightened. It's the removal of this false identity.

-There are no stages or levels or degrees. One either realizes they are Oneness, or believes they are a human. There is no in between.

-There is no method or technique to cause Enlightenment to occur. There is no individual to perform any technique.

-Buddha's teachings point to Enlightenment. Christ's teachings point to Enlightenment. The founder of every major religion was pointing to Enlightenment, regardless of how severely distorted the teachings became over time due to misunderstandings and manipulation.

Phil

Answer 3

The real delusion is that we think our body is permanent, attachments arise due to its various functions and sensuous inputs.

If we use these various fuctions and become attached to those then we are exhibiting attachment, it is then that we are deluded by those attachments and we should try harder to abandon them.

It is a wrong view to think that the body can use us as it simply exists as a vessel, can a coffee mug use you...? There is no requirement to reach enlightenment to use the various functions of the body as most are automata and as such, beyond our control....

An interesting thought, but a wrong view from a Buddhist perspective, forgive me my small criticism for a very good attempt with insightful effort.

Peace from a Buddhist...

Answer 4

Both its a process. Takes time to be fully enlightened. Namaste Hallelujah,Hare Krishna, Allah Akbar God is one. Simultaneous oneness and difference. Unlimited flavors of beings who are one in purpose of Serving the Supreme.Also known as Krisha, Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, Etc. for universal Truth go to stephen-knapp.com Excellent stuff

Answer 5

there is only silent meditation. Meditation is being in the state of silence. the rest isn't meditation, that is only doing something. it is the real meaning of meditation- all this different stuff has purely been invented by potential of human beings unable to be silent and then they say- it is MY meditation. yet once you examine any old scriptures they under no circumstances communicate approximately each and all and sundry of those humorous concepts that human beings play with now. And why? simply by fact that is stupid. purely calling something meditation is pointless. that is like calling a goldfish an elephant- no count what number circumstances you call it that that is nonetheless going to stay in the water and have googly eyes.

Answer 6

What body? (Saw a great Buddhist bumper sticker the other day: Honk if you Don't Exist). Just a dependent arising, but I'm trying to take care of it while I'm passing through.

Much metta!

Answer 7

That's what I call sage advice to live by :o .

In response to your question, I think I'm deluded. I constantly let my laziness interrupt my work, which often leads to nasty results :(

Answer 8

Confused?

Answer 9

I just checked. I'm enlightened.

Answer 10

My body needs to drive me at times, and I also drive it. It's a synergistic understanding.