There are many books on popular spirituality currently doing the rounds which propose a kind of instant enlightenment, through the idea that you are already enlightened, if only you would realise it, and focus your attention on the ‘here and now’. These doctrines and teachings are at best silly and at worst seriously misleading. Enlightenment is not easily come by, and takes years of dedicated hard work to realise. It is a special type of insight, not to be confused with lucid states of awareness, or beatific experiences. Most people engaged in spiritual practices and disciplines are firmly locked into mind-games, and into weird and wonderful experiences, believing certain types of thinking, and certain types of experience to be divine in origin. This type of auto-suggestion and clutching at consoling ideas is understandable, but still very feeble-minded, if you think about it. You need to be a lot more hard-headed if you want to be a Buddhist.
1 The purpose of Buddhism is Enlightenment.
2 Enlightenment is a special order of metaphysical insight: rare, elusive, subtle, and beyond the understanding.
3 Direct experiences of God, or the Greater Self, or Universal Consciousness, or Infinite Bliss and all the rest of it, are not Enlightenment. They are peak experiences which are basically no more than modifications of ordinary states of being, and which are really quite gross and primitive when compared with the lucidity of insight. They are obstacles on the path to truth, and need to be understood for what they are.
4 Meditation has its place, but is no guarantee of progress towards a greater understanding. If you are able to use your mind properly, and engage all your mental functions in the service of clarity of thought, there is no need to meditate. Undirected meditation is a waste of time, as is ‘just sitting.’ You would be better advised to have a lively discussion on religion down at your local.
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Crucial points to understand about Buddhism:
There are many books on popular spirituality currently doing the rounds which propose a kind of instant enlightenment, through the idea that you are already enlightened, if only you would realise it, and focus your attention on the ‘here and now’. These doctrines and teachings are at best silly and at worst seriously misleading. Enlightenment is not easily come by, and takes years of dedicated hard work to realise. It is a special type of insight, not to be confused with lucid states of awareness, or beatific experiences. Most people engaged in spiritual practices and disciplines are firmly locked into mind-games, and into weird and wonderful experiences, believing certain types of thinking, and certain types of experience to be divine in origin. This type of auto-suggestion and clutching at consoling ideas is understandable, but still very feeble-minded, if you think about it. You need to be a lot more hard-headed if you want to be a Buddhist.
1 The purpose of Buddhism is Enlightenment.
2 Enlightenment is a special order of metaphysical insight: rare, elusive, subtle, and beyond the understanding.
3 Direct experiences of God, or the Greater Self, or Universal Consciousness, or Infinite Bliss and all the rest of it, are not Enlightenment. They are peak experiences which are basically no more than modifications of ordinary states of being, and which are really quite gross and primitive when compared with the lucidity of insight. They are obstacles on the path to truth, and need to be understood for what they are.
4 Meditation has its place, but is no guarantee of progress towards a greater understanding. If you are able to use your mind properly, and engage all your mental functions in the service of clarity of thought, there is no need to meditate. Undirected meditation is a waste of time, as is ‘just sitting.’ You would be better advised to have a lively discussion on religion down at your local.