[KuevDulin]

A fair question.

Fair doubts

--I sometimes read Shinzen Young's books and listen to his dharma talks. He casually mentions people he knows who are "totally enlightened." I can't help wondering, first, "How does he know?" Maybe in Shinzen's books are some clues about how does he know.

and, second, "What does that mean, exactly?" Totally enlightened means a mind that is free from mental torment. Free from clinging to the five aggregates. Free from craving.

"Is this a realistic hope for Danny?" Yes it is.

"Is it a realistic hope for me?" A realistic hope, yes...

for you Bop... I can't know... depends on that "you".

--On a couple of occasions I have been in the presence of teachers who were enlightened, according to their students or followers. The followers told me I was very lucky to have the opportunity just to be in the presence of such a teacher. Maybe it was. I was very lucky to work hand by hand with a Soto Zen Roshi in a project bringing Zazen to women inmates.

I felt uncomfortable and perplexed. What to think? What to believe? You need not to believe anything but just to open to the experience of being in a group of Dhamma practitioners.

I acknowledge that it could have been quite perplexing if you were a newcomer and skeptic. It's OK.

On both of these occasions, I did not feel any particular reverence for the teacher (no hostility either). For some traditions the reverence for a guru or a teacher is important. It can be felt sincerely or worshiping can be learnt.

In other traditions there is not such a need.

If you do not felt any particular reverence it is OK. Personally I do not worship gurus.

Just mildly curious. Should I try to be more receptive to this teacher's wonderfulness? If one has not seen any wonderfulness in a teacher, how can one be more receptive?

There are great teachers out there. Their greatness do not depend on worshiping. So, it is not needed.

But I will doubt -as you- if worshiping is felt as something that is imposed.

--I read the sutras, but they are not always so easy to apply to my day to day experience. I practice from the Suttas, not from traditions. Suttas are not easy. Suttas are huge in number, style and purpose. Even when I practice from Suttas I do not know the entire oeuvre of the teachings of Gotama Buddha. But any Sutta can bring you some learning.

Some Suttas are too soon to get with them. Leave it aside. Work with those that resonates with you. It is great to practice as you do. Verifying what works with your personal circumstances and what do not.

In an attempt to understand better, I ask myself, "If my wife were awakened, what would that be like?" "If my receptionist were awakened would I know it? What would be the signs?" It is no so complex... just to see how much mental torment 'your' receptionist and 'your' wife are experiencing with daily happenings.

By nature, I'm kinda curious, kinda skeptical. That is OK. Some practitioners are skeptical and started just by curiosity.

To tell you the truth, I'm not always 100% satisfied with the sutras. Yes. There are Suttas that do not resonate well with us. Its OK.

Lots of good stuff there, of course, but some I just can't bring myself to believe. Suttas are about verification through practice. If mental torment has decreased then that Sutta the a good one.

That's why I study philosophy and psychology Psychology is good. Mostly cognitive sciences. Here and there we can find some aspects of what Buddha taught in the sciences of mind.