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**ropinirole** · 06-17-2011, 04:28 AM

Hello and welcome f13ticket !

There seem to be about 15 questions in your post which seems rather a lot for anyone to answer all at once! I'm wondering if they could be broken up into more manageable units ?

with kind wishes,

A-D

Thank you. I did not realize that I had made so many questions at once.

My knowledge of Buddhism so far is limited.

I have read the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Dhammapada.

I have also watched the fallowing presentations and found them interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW5x3...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQ9O...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLMZN...eature=related

I will try to list my questions.

1: How do Buddhists reconcile detachment and compassion?

2: Is the goal of Buddhism to reach a state of being beyond the illusion (world of time, space, and suffering) or is it to find contentment within the illusion that comes from realizing that the illusion is an illusion?

3: If the goal is to detach and go to a state of being beyond this world and its suffering, doesn't having compassion for the world fetter us to it? The Buddha himself left his wife and son to seek enlightenment. Does this not indicate that enlightenment is the priority and everything else second if counted at all?

4: Some seem to see Bodhisatta, if I am understanding the term correctly, as an idea to aspire to as they deny themselves from breaking the reincarnation cycle to stay back and help others reach enlightenment. But the Buddha himself goes on to Nirvana. If the station of Bodhisatta is necessary, why then did the Buddha not exemplify it?

5: Or is it not necessary but rather something some Buddhists still feel compelled to do out of compassion? If so, is this not compassion holding them back from their goal? The very goal that the Buddha achieved.

6: It seems that reaching Nirvana, achieving enlightenment, is an individual goal. Buddha achieved it, then created the formalized teaching so that others could fallow and achieve it also. It seems that the Buddha demonstrated compassion by teaching the teaching. It is the teaching that leads to salvation from suffering as it allows us all to detach from the world that is suffering. Does not compassion beyond teaching the teaching only attach us to this world? Why should we wait for everyone to fallow when the path is open if they want to fallow?

7: Does not compassion enable suffering? If someone is about to hurt themselves, they are about to learn that there is a reaction to what they do. By interfering; it seems I am doing two things. One, shielding the person from the lesson they are about to teach themselves. Two, acting out of attachment by caring for them and their suffering. This further binds myself to them, their suffering, and thus this world. Is it not wiser to let them teach themselves and detach myself while I continue on my journey?

8: Is compassion in Buddhism really something the Buddha teaches? Or is this a misunderstanding of his teachings that were added in long after his death? In all fairness I have only read the Dhammapada once. But almost all of it is about how foolish it is to have cravings, desires, and attachments. I don't remember reading anything about compassion for others outside of teaching the teaching. Perhaps I should read the book again.

9: Many Buddhists write about compassion. Does the Buddha? I don't dispute the four noble truths or the eightfold path. Rather, I have yet to read any work from Buddha that would suggest that compassion is a teaching of his. It seems he wrote a lot. Should I look outside the Dhammapada for this answer?

10: If so, which text of the Buddha teaches compassion and logically integrates it with the goals of detachment? They seem such polar and apposite ideas and goals. I don't know how to reconcile them.

Thank you.

06-17-2011, 04:28 AM	#3
ropinirole Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 477 Senior Member	Hello and welcome f13ticket ! There seem to be about 15 questions in your post which seems rather a lot for anyone to answer all at once! I'm wondering if they could be broken up into more manageable units ? with kind wishes, A-D Thank you. I did not realize that I had made so many questions at once. My knowledge of Buddhism so far is limited. I have read the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the Dhammapada. I have also watched the fallowing presentations and found them interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW5x3...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQ9O...eature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLMZN...eature=related I will try to list my questions. 1: How do Buddhists reconcile detachment and compassion? 2: Is the goal of Buddhism to reach a state of being beyond the illusion (world of time, space, and suffering) or is it to find contentment within the illusion that comes from realizing that the illusion is an illusion? 3: If the goal is to detach and go to a state of being beyond this world and its suffering, doesn't having compassion for the world fetter us to it? The Buddha himself left his wife and son to seek enlightenment. Does this not indicate that enlightenment is the priority and everything else second if counted at all? 4: Some seem to see Bodhisatta, if I am understanding the term correctly, as an idea to aspire to as they deny themselves from breaking the reincarnation cycle to stay back and help others reach enlightenment. But the Buddha himself goes on to Nirvana. If the station of Bodhisatta is necessary, why then did the Buddha not exemplify it? 5: Or is it not necessary but rather something some Buddhists still feel compelled to do out of compassion? If so, is this not compassion holding them back from their goal? The very goal that the Buddha achieved. 6: It seems that reaching Nirvana, achieving enlightenment, is an individual goal. Buddha achieved it, then created the formalized teaching so that others could fallow and achieve it also. It seems that the Buddha demonstrated compassion by teaching the teaching. It is the teaching that leads to salvation from suffering as it allows us all to detach from the world that is suffering. Does not compassion beyond teaching the teaching only attach us to this world? Why should we wait for everyone to fallow when the path is open if they want to fallow? 7: Does not compassion enable suffering? If someone is about to hurt themselves, they are about to learn that there is a reaction to what they do. By interfering; it seems I am doing two things. One, shielding the person from the lesson they are about to teach themselves. Two, acting out of attachment by caring for them and their suffering. This further binds myself to them, their suffering, and thus this world. Is it not wiser to let them teach themselves and detach myself while I continue on my journey? 8: Is compassion in Buddhism really something the Buddha teaches? Or is this a misunderstanding of his teachings that were added in long after his death? In all fairness I have only read the Dhammapada once. But almost all of it is about how foolish it is to have cravings, desires, and attachments. I don't remember reading anything about compassion for others outside of teaching the teaching. Perhaps I should read the book again. 9: Many Buddhists write about compassion. Does the Buddha? I don't dispute the four noble truths or the eightfold path. Rather, I have yet to read any work from Buddha that would suggest that compassion is a teaching of his. It seems he wrote a lot. Should I look outside the Dhammapada for this answer? 10: If so, which text of the Buddha teaches compassion and logically integrates it with the goals of detachment? They seem such polar and apposite ideas and goals. I don't know how to reconcile them. Thank you.
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