Treaders of the Path, why are you not liberated?

[LastLegend]

From 4 Noble Truths
First Truth: There is suffering.

1)If you experience suffering you must be treading towards liberation. 2)Maybe you are not suffering and not seeking liberation.

For 1, if you recognizes what's causing you suffering, then you now can cut it off. Then you can work on your meditation.

For 2, you must be seeking for enlightenment. Here is an except from THE ESSENCE OF MAHAYANA PRACTICE (with Annotation)
BY MASTER BODHIDHARMA
http://ctzen.org/sunnyvale/enBodhiDharm ... ation4.htm

Third, to seek nothing. Ordinary people, in their perpetual ignorance, crave and form attachments to everything, everywhere. This is called seeking. The wise are awakened to the Truth, and choose reason over convention; their minds are at peace and wu-wei. All forms change with karma, all existence is empty, hence there is nothing to be desired. Blessing and Darkness always follow each other. This long sojourn in the Triple Realm is like living in a burning house; to have a body is to suffer, how can one attain peace? Those who understand this renounce all mundane existence, cease desires, and stop seeking. The sutra says, “To seek is to suffer, to seek nothing is bliss.” It follows that to seek nothing is to truly follow the Way. This is the practice of seeking nothing.

三無所求行者。世人長迷，處處貪著，名之為求。智者悟真，理將俗反，安心無為。形隨運轉，萬有斯空，無所願樂。功德黑暗，常相隨逐，三界久居，猶如火宅，有身皆苦，誰得而安。了達此處，故捨諸有，止想無求。經曰：有求皆苦，無求即樂。判知無求，真為道行。故言無所求行。

I still fall under category number 2 as I am still attached to attachment of sensual pleasures. With this attachment, I seek for liberation. And so far it has not been working out. So I don't think that is the correct way to realize liberation. I hope to detach from all sensual pleasures one day, and will be working on my meditation in order to realize wisdom, insights, and such. I don't think it is possible to realize insights even through insight meditation or similar method without being detached from attachments of countless forms. What comes from this is mere delusion. If continue like this, I will only increase my suffering and will not make any progress.

Thanks for reading my rant. Please don't beat this ignorant (sometimes arrogant-an attachment I am working on) fool up.

Any thoughts?

[Astus]

One day on the mountain Master Huike met a lay practitioner who had a skin disease. The layman asked the master, “This disciple’s body is is bound up in illness. Master, please help me repent for my sins.”
The master said, “Bring me your sins and I will absolve them for you.”
After a pause the layman said, “Looking for my sins, I can’t find them anywhere.”
The ancestor said, “There, I have absolved your sins. From now on live in reliance on your true nature, on practice, and on spiritual community.”
Master Huike ordained the layman and gave him the name Sengcan.
(Treasury of the Forest Ancestors)

Daoxin said, "I ask for the Master's compassion. Please tell me of the gate of emancipation."
Sengcan said, "Who has bound you?"
Daoxin said, "No one has bound me."
Sengcan said, "They why are you seeking emancipation?"
Upon hearing these words, Daoxin experienced great enlightenment.
(Zen's Chinese Heritage, p. 24)

[LastLegend]

One day on the mountain Master Huike met a lay practitioner who had a skin disease. The layman asked the master, “This disciple’s body is is bound up in illness. Master, please help me repent for my sins.”
The master said, “Bring me your sins and I will absolve them for you.”
After a pause the layman said, “Looking for my sins, I can’t find them anywhere.”
The ancestor said, “There, I have absolved your sins. From now on live in reliance on your true nature, on practice, and on spiritual community.”
Master Huike ordained the layman and gave him the name Sengcan.
(Treasury of the Forest Ancestors)

Daoxin said, "I ask for the Master's compassion. Please tell me of the gate of emancipation."
Sengcan said, "Who has bound you?"
Daoxin said, "No one has bound me."
Sengcan said, "They why are you seeking emancipation?"
Upon hearing these words, Daoxin experienced great enlightenment.
(Zen's Chinese Heritage, p. 24)

[ronnewmexico]

I think of mostof your issues are evidenciary of a quite advanced spiritual outlook. I know you don't want that said but nevertheless it is true, and that is my comment like it or not.

That said.... personally I don't mind the sensual or any other thing considered a defilement as circumstance(mine) may indeed necessitate I engage in those thing at time for purpose. My aim is not to not engage in those things when circumstances do demand them but to not attach to those things as other than then the context of that descrbed. The moment I take these things of a serious nature or of consequence is the moment the simple circumstance of being engaged in them becomes more than that.
So that is what I am on watch for not the mere presence of those things. Circumstance, not I, demand their presence. I cannot deny circumstance. Some have very fortunate life circumstances(gated communities of the spirit they may be considered to live in)...I don't. I can't deny reality. Accomodate it I must.
So I watch for the attachment only...when that presents I effectively stamp that out not the other. Attached to attachement itself....if studied how can that be so....I find that cannot be so. That may be considered to be a thing I study, and then proceed on that issue. But it is the attachment I study not the attachement to the attachment(a spiral that would never end and lead to naught),

This of course is not to provide rational for violence nor harm to others in whatever form they may be. Attachment it is that causes those things not the emotions themselves.

At times I think it is necessary (though I am certainly noone to be offering others a way to act I study only myself)...to balance insight with calmness.
Thing engaged with a quietness of choice(some things require a active mind)....can have some remarkable results to my experience.
Engageing things thusly with a quiet mind, I do for times, and find the sensual presents in the things found in the sense experiences themselves.
A wind becomes a movement, becomes a energy a energy which becomes a flavor which becomes a taste which becomes a thing sensual...thusly it is found to have no cause for mind to produce the actual object of senation which incites the sensual in conventional fashion. And it is always windy somewhere some how.

So I am at this moment a strong advocate to quite often give it a break, take a minute, and rest in ease of things as we perceive them without the thought of them. I guess when a rat eats my hair I may get mad, but do not discount I find no I that may have his hair eaten, that being considered.
So I don't squash thoughts either. That is a violence upon oneself. Nor do I deny their place.
But it is quite often time to give it a break, take a rest and enjoy....it is really quite remarkable to see and feel what one will see and feel.
I will do this today for many many moments of time.

Then for me....I wonder not a bit if I am liberated. Perhaps I can take this with me to the bardo...perhaps not....I will find out. I doube the bardo is of differing quality then what is here right here and now.

But that's personal stuff of perhaps no consequence to others. But you sort of asked.
So I give it a break, daily always.
Not to be confused I am no liberated person nor with a shred of attainment....this is just what a simple person, me, does. YOu asked...that's it.
I don't worry to much about liberation as consequence.

[LastLegend]

Thank you for your input Ron.

That's just how I interpreted things at the moment, by no means I have attained anything. I also like to ramble in hope to give other Buddhists some ideas about their practice, but sometimes I get stuck with my own arrogance. Believe me I am still working with my own emotions. I feel calmer each day, and I am also learning to relax myself.

[ronnewmexico]

By some interpretations the Buddhas life serves as example.

The Buddha (some even that hold to this opinion) tend to forget was born to the warrior not religious or contemplative sect.
So arrogance, the willing to fight, to plant your flag or mudra stand your ground in the wake of impossible odds(things sometimes mistakeingly abscribed as particular gender traits to great detriment)....are to my opinion critical to this thing of enlightenment.

One must have those qualities to my opinion. A completely passive person I think will not achieve that thing in these terms of achievment. Though they may serve as great examples of sorts at times.
So arrogance may be a friend, as well as the sensual, the defilements in this thing of understanding it seems to me.

[LastLegend]

I agree.

[LastLegend]

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