Laura/devotion

[Guest guest]

Dear Laura,

 

Because Buddha said it, I am supposed to believe it?

 

If I met Buddha on the road, and he offered some such suggestion as that, I

would kill him immediately! :-)

 

But the Buddha would not say such things to me. He might say it to some

monks who lived thousands of years ago (I say might because there's no

historical proof the Buddha said those words), but he would not say it to

me (I am not a monk, and I am not living thousands of years ago).

 

If Buddha was a Buddha (and " Buddha " simply means " Enlightened One, " he

would know the difference between dead words and living teachings. He

would not speak the same words now as he did thousands of years ago.

 

Approach me never again with some dead, old sutra or scripture!

 

With Love,

 

Tim

 

At 12:02 PM 2/15/2000 -0500, you wrote:

> " Laura Olshansky " <editor

>

>Dear Tim,

>

>> For some reason I don't think devotion can be

> " cultivated. " If it isn't

>> there, it isn't there. Anything cultivated is not

>genuine or authentic,

>> the way I see it. You can't create devotion by

>saying " you should be

>> devoted. "

>

> " Abandon what is unwholesome, oh monks!

>One can abandon the unwholesome, oh monks!

>If it were not possible, I would not ask you to do so.

>If this abandoning of the unwholesome would bring harm

>and suffering,

>I would not ask you to abandon it.

>But as the abandoning of the unwholesome brings benefit

>and happiness,

>Therefore, I say, 'Abandon what is unwholesome!'

>Cultivate what is wholesome, oh monks.

>One can cultivate the wholesome.

>If it were not feasible, I would not ask you to do it.

>If this cultivation of the wholesome would bring harm

>and suffering,

>I would not ask you to cultivate it.

>But as the cultivation of the wholesome brings benefit

>and happiness,

>Therefore, I say, 'Cultivate what is wholesome!' "

>

>-- From Buddha's Anguttara-Nikaya

 

 

-----

Sum Ergo Sum

 

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