DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Intellectual understanding v practical application

**StarsWorld** · 09-11-2010, 01:53 AM

I find I can intellectually comprehend much of the buddhist teachings and greatly notice the benefits of meditating, mindfulness and bodhichitta (to name a few) in my life but I struggle to implement some of the other concepts into daily life.

Everyone struggles. Even the most respected monks who are believed to have realized some of the highest states of Buddhist practice have struggled too. That is why it is called a practice and a cultivation. It is a continuous thing.

On one level I completely get the idea that everything is illusion (like a hologram or dream) - I like the concepts of no-self - emptiness - no-thing. That all emotions are dukkha. Everything is connected.

First, where did the Buddha say that everything is an illusion and a dream? He said attachment to things is dukkha not necessarily emotions as such. I am sure the Buddha himself had emotions like compassion towards others. Enlightenment is not a zombie state where you don't feel anything at all. It is a state where you don't emotionally attach to anything as "me" or "mine"

Further, emptiness in Buddhism is meant to mean that "phenomena is emprty of self or things belonging to a self". This is supposed to be "experienced in meditation" not just intellectually comprehended IMO. Intellectual learning is good so that you don't follow a wrong path but without meditative experience it will create just a dry scholar.

On another level in this dream I have a human form that would like a roof over its head and food and clothes and friends - that feels happy and sad (even if I have learnt not to react so much to the more negative emotions or crave only things that make me happy) - that feels pain.

Sometimes I get stuck on the concepts of emptiness and illusion and the living of this human form in this lifetime.

What are others thoughts on this.

I suggest that you read more of Bhikku Buddhadasa: http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/ or any other teacher from the Thai forest tradition. Their teachings are more focused on the here and now practice

09-11-2010, 01:53 AM	#6
StarsWorld Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 425 Senior Member	I find I can intellectually comprehend much of the buddhist teachings and greatly notice the benefits of meditating, mindfulness and bodhichitta (to name a few) in my life but I struggle to implement some of the other concepts into daily life. Everyone struggles. Even the most respected monks who are believed to have realized some of the highest states of Buddhist practice have struggled too. That is why it is called a practice and a cultivation. It is a continuous thing. On one level I completely get the idea that everything is illusion (like a hologram or dream) - I like the concepts of no-self - emptiness - no-thing. That all emotions are dukkha. Everything is connected. First, where did the Buddha say that everything is an illusion and a dream? He said attachment to things is dukkha not necessarily emotions as such. I am sure the Buddha himself had emotions like compassion towards others. Enlightenment is not a zombie state where you don't feel anything at all. It is a state where you don't emotionally attach to anything as "me" or "mine" Further, emptiness in Buddhism is meant to mean that "phenomena is emprty of self or things belonging to a self". This is supposed to be "experienced in meditation" not just intellectually comprehended IMO. Intellectual learning is good so that you don't follow a wrong path but without meditative experience it will create just a dry scholar. On another level in this dream I have a human form that would like a roof over its head and food and clothes and friends - that feels happy and sad (even if I have learnt not to react so much to the more negative emotions or crave only things that make me happy) - that feels pain. Sometimes I get stuck on the concepts of emptiness and illusion and the living of this human form in this lifetime. What are others thoughts on this. I suggest that you read more of Bhikku Buddhadasa: http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/ or any other teacher from the Thai forest tradition. Their teachings are more focused on the here and now practice
	Quote