[bobibnoxx]

What is your goal as a Buddhist? Is it to be a believer? - or a lifetime student of a teacher?...or is the goal 'unbinding' ?

This was adapted from something Former Buddhist monk suggested in the Tea Room - so if I haven't got it quite right FBM, maybe you can adjust, please.

[w4HPpbSW]

I have no goal I'm just getting on with it, similar to martial arts my goal isn't achiving black belt but to work hard at what I'm on right now. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves.

[neerewed]

I have many goals, both short and long-term. Ultimately they culminate in eradication of all negativity and the actualization of love & understanding so that my inner state is peace & happiness and my actions & expressions also give rise to peace & happiness for others, roughly speaking. Basically do no harm, only good. Good question!

Being a student is important only insofar as it facilitates this. Being a teacher is important because it allows one to take being a student to a new level. Unbinding is certainly an essential process. Making a goal of being a lifetime student of a teacher is a funny idea...! I can understand practicing contentment with being a student... I guess I can understand it as a short term goal as well.

[gvataler]

Dharma practice has been helping me deal with frustration and anger. Whether that's been my goal... I dunno. But it's a benefit I have realized, and it's a sign to me that I'm on the right track.

[Unoloknovagog]

Is anybody's main goal not enlightenment?

[DariushPetresku]

Is anybody's main goal not enlightenment?

Not the case...

Maybe the development of Right View so to overcome suffering... but there are many other aspects so to develop with the practice of what Buddha taught or the Buddha Dhamma... when doing zazen is just zazen what has to be done, when studing the Buddha Dhamma is just the study of Buddha Dhamma what has to be done... when bringing zazen into daily life is just bringing it into daily life... but no, enlightenment is not the goal.

[joOEMcheapSOFTWARE]

I sseeee..... O.o

[Arbinknit]

My goal was a vague "enlightenment" when I started out....but now it could probably be restated as an aim for the cessation of delusional thinking.

[agracias]

My goal was a vague "enlightenment" when I started out....but now it could probably be restated as an aim for the cessation of delusional thinking.

I think this is closer to where I am as well. What got me interested in Buddhist practice at first wasn't that I wanted to accomplish what dharma practice often seems to shoot for (enlightenment, freedom, alertness, etc.), but that there insights there that helped me deal with problems I wanted to solve. I mentioned anger and frustration earlier, and those were part of it.

I think at this point that my continuing interest in dharma practice is due to the fact that the Buddha's liberative teachings have a lot of truth and insight to them. I don't know what I will (or even what I want to) accomplish with continuing my dharma practice, but it's been my experience that greater mindfulness can only lead to better outcomes. So... I work on it, with no real need to dwell on what exactly I'm trying to accomplish. If the means at my disposal are mindfulness and clear thinking, whatever comes out will be fine.

[KinicsBonee]

So... I work on it, with no real need to dwell on what exactly I'm trying to accomplish. If the means at my disposal are mindfulness and clear thinking, whatever comes out will be fine.

Yeah! I think this is a wonderfull aproach to Buddha Dhamma...