Thread
:
Literal Interpretation or Metaphor ?
View Single Post
05-06-2012, 08:33 AM
#
11
Liaptoono
Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
679
Senior Member
The experience -still short- with Gotama's teachings is that there are some that are literal instructions to be followed like the Anapanasati instructions, the Khandha doctrine, the teachings about objects of consiousness and the six sense bases, etc; while others are metaphorical so to illustrate in a more tangible way things that are not so easy to grasp properly like the teaching of the "two darts" or "arrows", the foam metaphor for emptiness or the Fire Sermon.
Also metaphorical teachings are to sensibilize the mind and the heart of Gotama's disciples so to be prepared to undertake the literal ones.
If we have not realize, for example, truly the event of being hurt by a second dart we will never understand how mental suffering really happens and be eager to cease it.
Quote
Liaptoono
View Public Profile
Find More Posts by Liaptoono
All times are GMT +1. The time now is
01:11 AM
.