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@smlanka4u

22 күн бұрын

The word SUNNA/SUNYA (zero) existed in early Suttas.

@grndragon7777777

17 күн бұрын

Although I can't do that I can like and watch every video.

The quote from the sutras that I like about enlightenment is, “There is, monks, an unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned. If, monks, there were no unborn, unbecome, unmade, unconditioned, no escape would be discerned from what is born, become, made, conditioned.”

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

Yes, I did a video on that passage: kzread.info/dash/bejne/X4uulbBueaStdLA.html

@austinbrown7574

21 күн бұрын

That's kind of a meaningless statement though, because it's not evident that there must exist some escape from what is "born, become, made, conditioned." It kinda sounds like "I want this thing to be true, because my life sucks if it's not, therefore it is true."

@MassiveLib

20 күн бұрын

Bankei?

@wriptag3

20 күн бұрын

@@austinbrown7574 It's either true or not, wishing has nothing to do with it. When they say Buddhism is a come and see religions, this is what it's talking about. Do not have faith, work to have experience.

@shantanushekharsjunerft9783

19 күн бұрын

@@austinbrown7574keep in mind that language is a very poor tool to explain the working of the minds. What Buddha meant was there is an unconditioned process that you can access. Since you have not experienced it, words won’t be very effective.

This is one of the best discussions on the meaning of enlightenment in Buddhism that I’ve heard. Thank you for sharing it.

Thanks for this. Again, when we say "knowledge of..." this and that, we do not simply mean what can be learned in a book or video, but a deep kind of intuitive grasping such that it is known 'through and through' and has become a natural part of our being and how we reactively interact with reality.

@DougsDharma

13 күн бұрын

Yes, for the Buddha true knowledge was of this sort.

I don't think i will ever reach enlightenment in Buddhist terms, i think its too difficult. But I'm happy that some people do

@someoneelse6618

20 күн бұрын

At the moment you want to become aware, awakened or enlightened, it will happen. It's a process that you don't control, or initiate, you simply participate when you're ready. If you're happy where you are then don't move.

It seems to me that enlightenment for me is a matter of degree. The more that I am able to remove greed, anger and delusion from my life, the more that I consider myself enlightened or awakened. It doesn't matter how someone else judges me.

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

Yes, I think that's how it's felt while we are practicing.

@nyannasari4585

21 күн бұрын

It’s a right path to enlightenment

@mayakashisagan4025

15 күн бұрын

It sounds like a very healthy approach too it, specially when we accept that learning is gradual

Love and peace from Germany! ❤️🐱🙏

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

🙏🐈

Really appreciate you taken this talk beyond what is found in early Buddhism to include much later and still prevalent ideas.

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

🙏😊

Sadhu sadhu sadhu Thank you!

@DougsDharma

19 күн бұрын

🙏😊

"Ignorance" should not be glossed over. The question is "ignorance of what?" Ignorance of the true nature of reality, which is not, what it seems to be to us.

Sir you have progressed a lot in spiritual path.

I started with Transcendental meditation age 16, and I remember asking without any sense of irony : 'Do I get enlightened if I do this ?' The teacher burst out laughing , and said : 'I've been meditating for 40 years, and I'm still not enlightened' I was rather disappointed , but still decided to give it a try ;)

@DS-rd9qn

22 күн бұрын

Personally I'd find a better teacher, many are awake. Jack Kornfield for example

@spiritualanarchist8162

22 күн бұрын

@@DS-rd9qn Says who .. Jack Kornfield ?

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

🙏😊

@reedwill953

22 күн бұрын

It seems like the socially obligated response to say one is not enlightened when asked. However, is it to be believed no one has ever been enlightened? It it all a rouse? I don't think so. I like the measuring stick of the absence of greed, hatred, and delusion to establish if *behavior* is enlightened. I don't know if a *person* become enlightened, but those moments where I was able to surprise myself by acting without the three poisons when they otherwise would usually impact my behavior shows me this is something to continue integrating into my life. However, laughing in response to a student because a teacher has been meditating for x amount of decades seems unwise to me. We all have different lengths of time on the path to more and more enlightened behavior. The number of years you've been walking on your path has nothing to do with someone else's path.

@spiritualanarchist8162

21 күн бұрын

@@reedwill953 No ,I think I didn't make myself clear. He was laughing spontaneously , because my teenage directness surprised him. I rather have someone laughing about offering enlightened, then those who claimi to be enlightened ,while making millions selling books and giving talks to the 'seekers' If I learned something in my 50 years meditating, is that the harder you seek enlightenment ,the less probable it is you find it. '

Doug ❤thank you ! You REALLY unpacked “Awakening “ with fantastic historical context - very good visual aids too ! Doug uses Skillfull means ! Sharing with you delighted to find The Berkeley Buddhist Monestary- with daily English practice on KZread Abbot is a banjo playing PhD “regular dude “ and Prof at Berkeley . good Sanga - They are affiliated with “City of 10,000 Buddhas in Eureka - I can make a field trip . Best Steve the stream toe dipper 😂

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

Great, thanks for your comment Steve. 🙏

Dear Doug! In my opinion, The most important knowledge obtained by liberation is that: before liberation, the bottom-to-top processing of the brain is more active and the lower brain centers play greater role in the movement of the will and attention, but in a liberated person, brain's top-to-bottom processing is more active and the higher centers of the brain (or wisdom) plays a higher role in decisions making. So vedana does't affect the will and wisdom is the leader. I have a question too: What is the difference between joy in metta and joy in Jhana? If the jhana is cultivated by meditating on the meta-feeling, when the subject of meditation is the meta-feeling and Ekaggata (one-pointedness) is obtained; in relation to the metta, is the jhanic joy that arises at this stage the same as the meta-joy that is intensified or is it of a different quality?

Great talk! Great channel!

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

Thank you kindly!

Doug thanks again for another beautiful video. What is your personal experience with enlightenment?

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

I can't say I have personal experience with the complete drying up of the underlying tendencies to greed, hatred, and delusion. In my experience however practice does lessen these tendencies.

@Jacques.dAnjou

22 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma thank for replying. I have the same experience. I know in my meditations how to live in the present moment, feel humble and grateful, detach from many concepts and mental formations. That has been a wealth of wisdom, grounding, and profound regard of nature. It is, as I see it, as close as I can get to awakening. Thanks sir I hope we meet some day. I’m much less a theorist than you though, I think I followed the Buddhist path and it has “enlightened “ me

My crazy thoughts.. the start point is to learn and understand the 5 aggregates. There might be something about Vijnana and vipassana. There are “vijnana” element (the 6 elements ) and “vijnana” aggregate ( the 5 aggregates). Vipassana might be the practice to go deep to the core. 🤔

@someoneelse6618

20 күн бұрын

Sadhu sadhu sadhu As Rumi once famously said, we are all sort of searching in the branches for what can only be found in the roots.

Doug, I have a question unrelated to this video. Does the presence of the arupa jhanas validate mind-body dualism? Thank you kindly.

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

I wouldn't say so. The formless attainments (they were not called "jhanas" in early Buddhism) are without perception of form, but dualism is a metaphysical claim that might or might not be true in that circumstance. See also my earlier video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iaB1uLCImbHQaMo.html

PS ❤best EVER explanation of “sensuality = sense desire “ and what that means - excellent excellent Shariputra !

Emptiness is used as synonymous with anatta in the EBTs. They talk about the not self of the ayatana, sense consciousnesses, feelings and graspings. Thats the same as emptiness, nonduality in Mahayana. If the sende perceptions and their referents are non self, all that remains is nondual shunya.

🙏

Hi Doug! First time commenter - thanks for this channel. What are your thoughts on the idea that there is no such thing as an enlightened person, only enlightened behavior? It seems to me someone we call an "angry person" may act from and experience anger much of the time, but is unlikely to be "angry" every single moment of every single day. It seems to me an "enlightened person" may act in absence of fear, greed, and delusion much of the time, but is unlikely to be this way every single moment of every single day. Could there be people who were able to be in this state permanently? Sure! But it seems like shifting the emphasis from 'enlightened person' to 'enlightened behavior' is less 'delusional' since 'who' is the enlightened one anyways? It also seems to remove the possibility of people who are claiming to be enlightened who may either be self-deluded or trying to delude others unwisely?

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

Well the idea at least in early Buddhism was that the "enlightened person" had uprooted even the underlying tendencies towards anger, etc. That's a very important point, since virtually any of us can be without anger for a time. We could talk about this as they're permanently manifesting enlightened behavior, but it's even more than that: it's that they are unable to manifest anything unenlightened.

@reedwill953

21 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma Beautifully said - I can see the importance in that distinction. Thanks Doug.

I wonder how the enlightenment differs between people, I have heard of different clairvoyant experiences. Example, some see spirits once in while and others experience the unseen realm of the elementals beginning their alchemical understandings.

🙏🏼

What's the speed of quiet? Where is counterspace? When is eternity? The Zen master will see you now.

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

😄

Can you do a video on Dzogchen?

@DougsDharma

22 күн бұрын

That's a much later practice. I may do a video on it eventually, but need to find good historical research.

@archiekennedy4741

22 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma I would also appreciate this Doug. You spoke recently about failure, about not becoming a professor. It may not be formal, but I think you've succeeded in becoming a professor of Buddhism. I would like to meet the person with more complete objective knowledge than yourself.

Is the thumb nail an orange rind that was converted into a candle?

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

I believe so!

@scottm2553

21 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma Ooo very cool! Maybe I'll try to make one.

Sir I have a question is this world joy or suffering is this world good or bad what did Buddha said about this

@DougsDharma

18 күн бұрын

The world is what we make of it. Suffering is bad for the person who suffers.

Doug in your opinion if Buddha was alive today how would him deal with the political situation in Ukraine, Israel and the possibility of a new world conflict?

@DougsDharma

16 күн бұрын

The Buddha would most likely have been relentlessly in favor of peace, and against violence. How in particular he might approach it however is impossible to say for sure.

@rafaelecattonar1506

16 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma I remember when I read the book of Thich Nhat Hanh about Buddha's life. There were two Indian kings that wanted to start a war against each other and the Buddha became a diplomat. He solved the situation. The war never started.

@DougsDharma

15 күн бұрын

@@rafaelecattonar1506 True, he tried to solve the problem without warfare. That won't always be possible.

hi, thanks for this video. did you reach enlightenment yet?

@DougsDharma

13 күн бұрын

Oh gosh no.

If there was the possibility of rebirth or reincarnation, I’d want it to happen. Life is great, even with all problems we face. So in a way I don’t want to achieve enlightenment if that means no more rebirths. On the other hand, if I understand well, once enlightened, we gain a knowledge that allows us leave all that behind. Does that make sense? I think Buddhist in general view rebirth as an evil, even if they’re not enlightened, is that right? That’s a concept I still struggle to grasp.

@DougsDharma

21 күн бұрын

As a secular practitioner, I leave aside questions of rebirth as not central to my practice. That said, on the traditional understanding if you want to be reborn, you will be. It's the craving that makes it happen. Giving up craving means in part giving up the craving for rebirth.

Enlightenment is waking up ( "Buddha" means awake as in not sleeping, doesn't it). On waking up we realize that we've been living in a dream, we've mistaken dreams and fantasy for reality; the dreams, sometimes pleasant, sometimes not, and sometimes outright nightmares, but dreams nevertheless . Seeing this and seeing all the consequences of this insight - that's enlightenment.

@DougsDharma

18 күн бұрын

I did a couple of earlier videos on what “Buddha” means. See for example: What Does "Buddha" Mean? A Recent Article May Change Your Mind kzread.info/dash/bejne/lZOGlLtrgJTZmqw.html

@branimirsalevic5092

18 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma any Slav can tell you what "BUDdha" means. "Awake" in Czech: proBUDit Polish: oBUDzony Serbian: BUDan Macedonian: BUDen Slovenian: BUDen Bulgarian: BUDen Russian: BODrstvuyushchiy

I think the topic is interesting, but, from a secular perspective it's a mere historical kind of debate. Realistic psychology demands of us that we let go of the idea of enlightenment and the demonizing of normal human impulses.

@DougsDharma

9 күн бұрын

The point of practice is to minimize suffering.

Buddha was said to have said that he received nothing from enlightenment other than a tacit understanding

@DougsDharma

20 күн бұрын

Where do you find this statement?

@MassiveLib

20 күн бұрын

@@DougsDharma John blofelds transmission of mind. Huang Po. One of the finest pieces of Chan Buddhism from China we have.

@transcendentalarts5942

14 күн бұрын

What does that mean?

@MassiveLib

14 күн бұрын

@@transcendentalarts5942 where is this you, this i that can achieve or get /gain enlightenment. Anything you can achieve is conditional. He's pointing that out.

@Lifegoeson166

8 күн бұрын

@@MassiveLib um no. That is completely wrong. You cannot just believe random sentences about Buddha like that 💀Read the thripitaka if you want to find the original writings

You are quite right there is no fixed self. However I tend to agree with Jordan Peterson that there are the authentic views that are compatible with our conscience. You could call that the authentic transient 'self' - passing views and attitudes that make us comfortable in our own skin and help us respond appropriatly if we participate in the moment. We all have our filters of compatability with ideas that arise, and discard ideas that are incompatible. That is what the four great efforts are all about.

tryadhvavyavasthitah sarvabuddhah prajnaparamitam asrityanuttaram samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhah

''My freedom is unshakeable; this is my last rebirth; now there are no more future lives''. This was his polite way of saying that intelligent people don't believe in reincarnation.

I experienced satori and all I got was this stupid shirt

@DougsDharma

19 күн бұрын

They gave you a shirt?? 🥳🤪

In my humble opinion, there's no such thing as Buddha enlightenment. What there is is Buddhist awakening. The very word Buddha is about awakening, not about enlightenment. It's a misnomer with serious consequences.

@DougsDharma

20 күн бұрын

Yes I mentioned this controversy over how to translate "bodhi". I made two videos on the subject awhile back. The first one is here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/lZOGlLtrgJTZmqw.html , the second is here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/Y2ibysakg8fKe5s.html .

What do you think of Hindu sages who claim they are enlightened, like Yogananda or Ramakrishna, or modern nonduality teachers who also claim the same like Rupert Spira, Eckhart Tolle etc? Do you think they have attained the same enlightenment as what the Buddha referred to?

@saralamuni

22 күн бұрын

Nobody becomes enlightened. Only when you disappear, enlightenment is there. If anyone proclaims "I am enlightened" they are deluded by the notion of a self "I", by the notion of being "am" and by the notion of having obtained something.

@neomagnon

22 күн бұрын

So, what is the value in achieving awakening/enlightenment if there is on one to be enlightened? Why go through all the hassle of explaining and following the "path"? Who is the one explaining and who is listening?

@AndyMossMetta

22 күн бұрын

Give and it shall be given unto you........​@@neomagnon

@spiritualanarchist8162

22 күн бұрын

Who knows ? There is no Enlight-meter, so it's all up for grabs.

@saralamuni

22 күн бұрын

​@@neomagnon ​To dispel ignorance and the self-centered view which is the root of all evil and suffering. To live without walls of the mind and thus without fears. To see through delusions and finally nirvana. You ask. That's your mind. I answer. That's my mind. If I had no mind, how could I answer? If you had no mind, how could you ask? That which asks is your mind. This mind is the Buddha.