Spiritual Shopping

[plwk]

What is 'spiritual shopping'? To you?
Let's limit this to within Buddhism...'intra-Buddhism' situation, adopting 2 or more Dharma Tradition practices and teachings...
Now...whats your take on it if:
1. You have a root teacher?
2. You don't have a root teacher?

[catmoon]

"The teachings are everywhere"

-Baba Ram Dass

[Indrajala]

I don't see anything wrong with studying everything within Buddhism.

After all don't we recite this?

法門無量誓願学 (四弘誓願文)

The dharma methods immeasurable, I vow to learn them all.

[muni]

After all don't we recite this?

法門無量誓願学 (四弘誓願文)

Always.

[muni]

Shopping. Yes, but careful.

When we get effective medicines, we respect them or leave the treasure behind, hopping with empty hands around.

[meindzai]

I take the implication in your post to be some kind of "spiritual materialism." (Hence the term "shopping"") The fact of the matter is that it is very diffiult to find a good Dharma teacher in non-Buddhist countries. Assuming you can even find a center, monastery, or medtation group in your area, I'd say the chances of there being any genuine Dharma there are very slim. So I think a lot of shopping is mandatory for some of us.

As to your question, my teacher right now is the Buddha. He came heavily recommended and I have to say he is quite good!

-M

[catmoon]

yep, teachers don't grow on trees around here. As I've mentioned before, I find myself in the most peculiar position of being quite inspired by the Dalai Lama, yet my current teacher is NKT. Fortunately she is no more interested in sectarian argument than I am.

So I am shoppping around all right. Guess I'm just a Dharma ho.

[meindzai]

yep, teachers don't grow on trees around here. As I've mentioned before, I find myself in the most peculiar position of being quite inspired by the Dalai Lama, yet my current teacher is NKT. Fortunately she is no more interested in sectarian argument than I am.

So I am shoppping around all right. Guess I'm just a Dharma ho.

We so mired in dukkha. We meditate long time.

[Stephen]

The teacher should be the Buddha at the least. As to the teachings, it is difficult to say. Each school believes theirs is the correct view, but also each school has created a "self" of history, ritual, traditional and cultural connotations, the texts they choose to accept or ignore if any, etc.; it is rare that we recognize this "self", which like our own mental construct of a self is merely an illusion supported by attachments.

All schools of Buddhist thought teach of suffering and its cessation, and this is that teaching which is irrefutable; seeking liberation is Buddhism. Whether for only yourself or for others, we must at least find our own peace that we may know the way and be proper guides.

The intent of the individual is of utmost importance. Let one who chooses this school or that school do so because its way of teaching the Dharma is in accord with his or her personality and temperament, and so also their ability to understand on a personal level.

I have come to know more and more individuals who profess they are followers of the "Buddha-Dharma/Dhamma" as opposed to of a particular school, meaning that they at the least understand/practice the core concepts of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path, Impermanence, Non-Self or Selflessness, Depending Origination (or Arising, Co-Arising, etc.), Dukkha, Karma/Kamma, Nirvana/Nibbana, Rebirth, Samsara.

I'm partly of this myself, but I also accept that the different aspects taught by each school have their own merit, and in regard to "supernatural" aspects that can be neither proven nor disproven, I've found that not having a belief does not make requisite disbelief. Instead, one can understand on the conceptual level, literal and metaphorical, and exist in the peace of neither belief nor disbelief.

Strange world we live in, eh?

[mudra]

depends. if you have found your teacher and start to really get engaged in a system, I don;t think it helps at all to jump around. You really don't get much accomplished.

If you are still unsure, and checking it all out there is no problem. Just be aware that that is where you are at, and don't blame any lack of progress on the system. Once you opt for something then at least give it a fair go. We are all so impatient, we want instant this and that.

[muni]

depends. if you have found your teacher and start to really get engaged in a system, I don;t think it helps at all to jump around. You really don't get much accomplished.

If you are still unsure, and checking it all out there is no problem. Just be aware that that is where you are at, and don't blame any lack of progress on the system. Once you opt for something then at least give it a fair go. We are all so impatient, we want instant this and that.

Sure. If unsure it is great to do so. All stimulations in some clarity are perfect.
At the other hand, when a student get some understanding, like by introduction, transmission and then try to understand other traditions and methodes, the precious result can lay sleeping under a huge pile of many texts, many explanations. Then it can take lots of imagined obstacles, trying to find the way to clarity back.