DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Do we make the Dhamma/Dharma too complicated?

**raspirator** · 04-08-2011, 08:24 AM

Those adornments are the outcome of mind entanglements around a teaching and represent an unnecessary sophisticated elaboration of Dhamma; they are a reflection of that and if we are not aware, the original purpose can be corrupted. This adornments, like the statues and temples you talk about, are cultural elaborations that are full of symbols that are neither good nor bad but veil the direct understanding; they represent mental fabrications and in an unaware mind, they work as noise to the direct contemplation and clear insight.

My point is that whilst they may be a distraction for one person they may not be for another. Simply because there are traditions that one person may not relate to, this does not mean that for someone else, they can't provide a connection on a very profound level. Furthermore, there is more to Pali Dhamma than the four noble truths and meditation. The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a good example of a lot of very complicated stuff. This could certainly be distracting to someone who is mainly practicing a calm mind under a tree. Yet, it is part of the Pali Canon. It is these teachings on the nature of the mind and of phenomena which developed into different and often conflicting schools of thought over 2500 years. I think it actually says a lot for the teachings of the Buddha, that there has been so much to work with, in so many ways, for all kinds of people. "Complicated" is really only a point of view. He gave us a lot to work with.

04-08-2011, 08:24 AM	#22
raspirator Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 419 Senior Member	Those adornments are the outcome of mind entanglements around a teaching and represent an unnecessary sophisticated elaboration of Dhamma; they are a reflection of that and if we are not aware, the original purpose can be corrupted. This adornments, like the statues and temples you talk about, are cultural elaborations that are full of symbols that are neither good nor bad but veil the direct understanding; they represent mental fabrications and in an unaware mind, they work as noise to the direct contemplation and clear insight. My point is that whilst they may be a distraction for one person they may not be for another. Simply because there are traditions that one person may not relate to, this does not mean that for someone else, they can't provide a connection on a very profound level. Furthermore, there is more to Pali Dhamma than the four noble truths and meditation. The Abhidhamma Pitaka is a good example of a lot of very complicated stuff. This could certainly be distracting to someone who is mainly practicing a calm mind under a tree. Yet, it is part of the Pali Canon. It is these teachings on the nature of the mind and of phenomena which developed into different and often conflicting schools of thought over 2500 years. I think it actually says a lot for the teachings of the Buddha, that there has been so much to work with, in so many ways, for all kinds of people. "Complicated" is really only a point of view. He gave us a lot to work with.
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