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**Solo3uc4** · 12-31-2010, 10:28 PM

I'm serious when I say that, it seems to me, that the only way to be neutral to everything is to be dead or to be anencephalic.

Maybe Balgore was makeing reference to dispassion. Most people that gets into pop Nwe Age Buddhism books equates dispassion, equanimity and neutrality as something understood as the way you have quoted it (I do not mean this is the case for Balgore).

I don't mean to be cynical here - I just can't go along with an idea that would be impossible for me.

When it is not well understood this happens frequently. I have had this kind of reaction with people who is faced with a wrong idea of dispassion or equanimity.

Maybe this can be for some help to make clear things:

"And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they actually are? What is its reward?"

"Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?"

"Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward."

"And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?"

"Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.

"Thus in this way, Ananda, skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward. Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward. Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward. Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward. Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward. Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward. Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward. Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward. Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward. Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward.

"In this way, Ananda, skillful virtues lead step-by-step to the consummation of arahantship."

AN 11.1

12-31-2010, 10:28 PM	#10
Solo3uc4 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 460 Senior Member	I'm serious when I say that, it seems to me, that the only way to be neutral to everything is to be dead or to be anencephalic. Maybe Balgore was makeing reference to dispassion. Most people that gets into pop Nwe Age Buddhism books equates dispassion, equanimity and neutrality as something understood as the way you have quoted it (I do not mean this is the case for Balgore). I don't mean to be cynical here - I just can't go along with an idea that would be impossible for me. When it is not well understood this happens frequently. I have had this kind of reaction with people who is faced with a wrong idea of dispassion or equanimity. Maybe this can be for some help to make clear things: "And what is the purpose of knowledge & vision of things as they actually are? What is its reward?" "Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward." "And what is the purpose of disenchantment? What is its reward?" "Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward." "And what is the purpose of dispassion? What is its reward?" "Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward. "Thus in this way, Ananda, skillful virtues have freedom from remorse as their purpose, freedom from remorse as their reward. Freedom from remorse has joy as its purpose, joy as its reward. Joy has rapture as its purpose, rapture as its reward. Rapture has serenity as its purpose, serenity as its reward. Serenity has pleasure as its purpose, pleasure as its reward. Pleasure has concentration as its purpose, concentration as its reward. Concentration has knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its purpose, knowledge & vision of things as they actually are as its reward. Knowledge & vision of things as they actually are has disenchantment as its purpose, disenchantment as its reward. Disenchantment has dispassion as its purpose, dispassion as its reward. Dispassion has knowledge & vision of release as its purpose, knowledge & vision of release as its reward. "In this way, Ananda, skillful virtues lead step-by-step to the consummation of arahantship." AN 11.1
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