If our Natural state is Enlightenment, but it is simply covered over with ego stuff and not recognised.
Well, can the mistakes and accidents and daft things we do from a seemingly unenlightened perspective, actually contain an enlightened wisdom.
Maybe we trip our ego up to foster doubt in our conventional approach to life?
Although, maybe ego can use 'failure' to its own ends too?
What you think?
2007-07-28 20:38:42 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Susan- Thank you for your reply, I half agree with you. Perhaps it is just a matter of semantics.
I think of enlightenment as 'seeing things as they really are'.
Things are as they really are whether we 'realise' it or not.
Sure the ego can get inflated. We can get a sense of that vast spaciousness, but it gets hijacked by the ego.
The ego says, "I am special, I am the universe, I am etc, etc.. .", but also says, ".. and other people are less than me". If the ego does that, then we are not seeing the full picture. That's not realisation.
But the full picture is always right there for us. We don't need to change, so much as change our ego's.
Spiritual work is about seeing the ego for what it is... a useful tool but not who we really are.
I guess most of my experience has been theTantra/Dzogchen perspective. I understand the Sutric perspective emphasises the gradual transformation of our conditioning.
Personally, I think the slower, sutric approach probably suits me better!!
2007-07-29 03:48:04 · update #1
Yes, more often than not, we as egos 'accidentally' do the right thing in spite of ourselves, and for very different reasons than we first intended.
"Maybe we trip our ego up to foster doubt in our conventional approach to life?"
Yes, definitely..."...woe to them that causes one of these little ones to stumble..."
2007-07-28 20:46:58 · answer #1 · answered by ? 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
This is a great question but rather heavy for a Sunday morning. All of what you describe is simply the nuts and bolts of the human psyche and while we may often walk about like errant objects, being human is exactly that ..... yes, we make mistakes, constantly, and out egos often put us on autopilot but we also inherit passion, empathy and love through it all. 'Failure' is not a definitive result, merely our way of assessing that things need improving and hence a 'better model' will always be on the drawing board for tomorrow. Perhaps you are seeking the meaning of 'what is normal'? The answer to that is nothing .... everyone, everything, is different. The only thing we should be seeking in life is to act with empathy and morals. Man wants a better 'tomorrow' but we sometimes forget the value of 'now'. don't we? AS long as we can all smile and have love in our hearts, the rest should take care of itself. Some of us may opt in, others will opt out. That's entirely natural. Madness is simply a state where some people are at the other end of the spectrum!
2007-07-29 03:55:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Almost all madnesses have method.
An internal consistency is possible with no connection to external reality, and some have built the most amazing structures of belief, pointing out the interlocking nature of the details of such as "proof" of its solidity.
If you start with "Our natural state is enlightenment" that can be done just as well as with other foundations.
"We know *everything*, we just don't dare let ourselves realise that." is a proposition that's come up more than once.
But just as "evil oft will evil mar" without meaning to, doing the right thing occasionally unintentionally, which is inevitable, doesn't *have* to mean unconscious connection to unknown wisdom.
A simple internal consistency:
"Why are you painting white lines on the road?"
"To keep the tigers away."
"There aren't any tigers around here!"
"Good stuff, isn't it?"
2007-07-29 03:51:28 · answer #3 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Yes you are absolutely right, whatever we may think about the activity we are able to register..
but We feel so because we think we are "responsible" one way or the other.
what you say can actually be realized only when we understand that we are also just a part of this activity and in no way, we can be responsible for anything.
as everything happening is the Divine Will carried out with complete accuracy by Time, in a space called "illusion".
-- deito
.
2007-07-29 04:05:18 · answer #4 · answered by deito 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't accept your premise that our natural state is enlightenment. Where does that come from? Doesn't that sound just a little like ego speaking. "Hey, I make mistakes but really, underneath I am so enlightened."
2007-07-29 04:52:42 · answer #5 · answered by susan 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well that could be. There are no accidents on one hand. But then again I don't see a method for enlightenment. Only a method of the teaching of enlightenment, now I'm going mad, *Howl*
2007-07-29 03:52:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Does there always have to be a method?
Can't we all just enjoy madness for the sheer joy of it?
(Takes off clothes and runs through the park singing)
I like New York in June, How about you?
2007-07-29 04:01:12 · answer #7 · answered by Diane (PFLAG) 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To fail is to learn, and understand.
To seek enlightenment is to be given opportunities to walk the path of enlightenment and to make mistakes.
2007-07-29 04:07:39 · answer #8 · answered by cosmicyoda 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Man... you said it... I'm always messing up the right way!
Thank goodness, I know how to catch my goofs, and NOT change them! *wink*
<<<<<<< Goofy Love >>>>>>>
2007-07-29 03:53:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, but that's a good excuse to use when you goof up.
2007-07-29 03:45:20 · answer #10 · answered by batgirl2good 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋