Good Old Free Inquiry

• unclerexy

  29 Jan 11, 18:06

  In the Zen buddhist tradition, there are several sutras which are of utmost importance, it is said that one of it is the Shurangama Sutra, which assists an individual who studies and upholds it to have their eye of wisdom opened.
  
  The Buddha also taught about the Kalama Sutta, which is a basic Theravada Sutta on the skill towards free inquiry. In the Kalama Sutta, it is advocated that any being interested in spiritual or higher cultivation should adhere to some basic principles (or anti-principles) in ... now this is a tough one... it is neither to prove that one is right, nor is it to prove that the world is wrong. Essentially, the Kalamas are town people who heard so much intellectual and religious discussions that they have no idea what on earth is good or right or worthy of their attention. Hence, to clarify their jabberwock-ish states of minds, the Buddha suggested, but did not insist that they try something called free inquiry.
  
  Which is what in Singapore everybody is being taught to.
  
  Ask questions. Keep asking.Even if it may get you nowhere.
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta
  
  A 2-cents worth, to see also how this forum reacts to postings that may discuss religion. Test water.
  
  YOU KNOW THE RULES! If it's prohibited, stop! And go elsewhere!
  

• 2009novice

  30 Jan 11, 22:33

  how to differentiate free inquiry and doubt?

  贪嗔痴慢疑

  ç–‘......

• Dawnfirstlight

  31 Jan 11, 14:25

  Are we free to ask any questions ? I remember Buddha said we can ask questions if we have doubts in His teachings but is it still true today ?

  Recently, I asked a shifu a question about è§�性. He did not scold me but tell me nicely that I'm committing sins by having doubts and questions  about è§�性. I am kind of shock, instead of explaining to me (may be enlightenment is too complicated to explain), he told me I'm using 凡夫的心to question how a person who is enlightened would live in this complicated world and it is sinful to do that. I wonder how can a question be sinful ? Anyway, I repented to Buddha. I told Buddha I was just asking a question and did not know I can't question about enlightenment. I wonder will Buddha answer my question or He will say the same thing that it is sinful to ask about enlightenment???

   

   

• sinweiy

  31 Jan 11, 15:56

  aiya, ch'an school is like that one. the moment u think, it's already a wandering thoughts.

  When Shakyamuni Buddha was teaching the Sad-Dharma-Pundharika-Sutra (The Lotus-Sutra) at mountain Grdhrakuta, he once ascended up the high rostrum and kept silence without teaching.

   

   

  The mass of people was very much wondered. One minute passed, two minutes passed, three, and four minutes passed.   Finally he held up a flower without speech,  and showed it to the public.   No one in the masses, however, understood,   and all was perplexed.   Just at that time,  Mahakasyapa who sat far behind them was silently smiling.

   

   

  The Buddha at once found Kasyapa’s smile and said:  “I have treasury of the eye of the authentic Dharma,  the ineffable mind of nirvana, and the reality without form.  I have entrusted it all to Mahakasyapa.”

   

   

  So Mahakasyapa became the first patriarch since the Buddha had attained enlightenment.

   

  Afaik, the disciples of Buddha do ask questions. there are sutra where the Buddha speak without people asking, as their wisdom cannot reach the discernment of Buddha, so Buddha had to speak without people asking. like All of purelands sutra that start with "Buddha speaks of...' . so is The Buddha Speaks the Brahma Net Sutra. :)

  /\

   

• sinweiy

  31 Jan 11, 16:12

  Originally posted by 2009novice:

  how to differentiate free inquiry and doubt?

  贪嗔痴慢疑

  ç–‘......

  
  small doubt, small realisation, big doubt, big realisation. no doubt no realisation. :)

  change doubt into confidence.

   

  �疑有�悟，大疑有大悟

  1 禅宗的教学，�出一个问题，�讲，�答�你，让你自己去悟，你还有开悟的一天。你有这个问题，你��求答案，这�疑情。
   
  2 疑情��怀疑，我�了解，但是我相信。相信佛所讲的�决定是真实的，�是我�懂，这就�疑情。
   
  3 禅宗说“大疑则大悟，å°�疑则å°�æ‚Ÿ”，ä¸�ç–‘å°±ä¸�会悟了。疑情ç»�对ä¸�是怀疑，怀疑就ä¸�行了，怀疑是烦æ�¼ï¼Œæ˜¯è´ªå—”痴慢疑。
   
  4 怀疑是ä¸�信，疑情是信。禅家讲，“å°�疑有å°�悟，大疑有大悟”，没有疑情ä¸�会开悟。所以禅宗ä¸�跟你讲清楚，如果跟你讲清楚ã€�讲明白了，把你的悟门堵塞了，你永远ä¸�会开悟。
   
  5 教下是讲，讲�是把悟门堵死了�？确实，堵死，但满足你的现实，你现在很满足，往��能满足，所以还是�你自己去悟。
   
  6 一悟一切悟，宗门的方法跟教下�一样，教下是说出�，宗门是�说，�有�的方法，�有�的好处。�我们中下根性的人，�是上根的人，禅宗那�方法，我们是一点利益都没有，我们学了一辈�也�会开悟�
   
  7 �时候宗门大德大慈大悲，你有疑情，他�跟你讲，他�你去�，这是最好的教学方法。现在人他�懂得什么��，把胡�乱想当作�，糟糕�糟糕�
   
  8 现在人天天在打妄想，�如给他说明白，堵死他的悟门，�他�实念佛求生净土，那也就�以了。�求生净土是没办法，能求生净土还�以；�开悟没关系，到西方��世界�开悟去。
   
  �无阿弥陀佛

  /\

• realization

  31 Jan 11, 16:36

  Someone once told me that the quality of your questions are as important as the quality of your answers.  It is by questioning and searching that we arrive at the Truth. 

• realization

  31 Jan 11, 16:42

  Originally posted by 2009novice:

  how to differentiate free inquiry and doubt?

  贪嗔痴慢疑

  ç–‘......

  A famous yogi Paramahasa Yogananda, though not of the Buddhist path, has ever said  that... while free inquiry is good, doubt needs to be suspended for a length of time if one is to test the value and efficacy of any particular spiritual path.  In other words, we must give any chosen path of cultivation a fair go for some time, so as to scientifically ascertain whether it leads to realization or not.

• unclerexy

  31 Jan 11, 21:58

  This is it. Realisation, I have realised. What did I tread, what did I realised?

  I realised that when I am hungry I eat plain rice, and if it does not taste as good I include some vegetables, save the meat for the vegans will oppose. What else? If you are thirsty, take the soup if offered, if no soup was given, get some plain water. If your house has A&W, that will be just as fine so long as you don't consume in excess.

  The Buddha taught a path, and it was the main and primary path. The Noble Eightfold path. That of Right Understanding, Right Intention, Right Action, Right Speech, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration and Right argh. I forgot the last, my teacher taught me that a lifetime of memorisation is nowhere compared to a moment of experience.

  Science is one thing, faith is another. There is nowhere in the Buddha's teachings did He asked a student to dispense with faith. All and all, you need to believe in science first in order to prove it, and as I learned in Secondary 3, all Science experiments do not reveal results that coincide exactly by the textbook. So, if Newton found that apples drop from trees due to gravity, and the Buddha said that such and such is Mind Transmission, as in the case of Mahakassapa, the first Zen Patriach, did either Newton show you the thing called Gravity, or was the Mind ever to be found?

  Before I go astray from my discussion, still, as the Buddha recommended in the Kalama Sutta too, He did not tell the Kalamas to disbelieve everything. He just said you needed reference points, and sometimes one man's medicine is another man's poison.

  Orange is my favourite colour, what is yours?

  Hear me, the moderator made sense, but I could not resist =)

• sinweiy

  31 Jan 11, 22:16

  Right argh Meditation.

  Kalama Sutta, last para is the more important conclusion than the initial inquiring. it brought about confidence/faith.

  But after observation and analysis 
  when you find that anything agrees with reason 
  and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all 
  then accept it and live up to it.

  though Kalama Sutta wouldn't work for non-educated Ah gong ah ma who are not 知识分å­�.

  /\

• unclerexy

  1 Feb 11, 00:12

  My grandmother was my first buddhist teacher. She taught me in order to cook good xifan porridge, it is about the right heat and right water and then the right amount of rice grains, and then when it boils u gotta open the lid, and wait till the rice "open flower".

  every single bit of rice there is dharma, and cause and effect.

  and when she go to the market everybody greet her as if meeting their best friends. i am totally nowhere near her level of attainment. i am rude, punkish, and disobedient.

   

  but watching her grow old day after day, so weak that when sick she falls into the small drain which she used to cross without problem, .. i know what is that thing called inconvenient truth. Live up to it. Waliao... it takes Avalokitesvara's courage and compassion man.

  But after observation and analysis 
  when you find that anything agrees with reason 
  and is conductive to the good and benefit of one and all 
  then accept it and live up to it.

  _/|\_

  Grief. nvm.

• sinweiy

  1 Feb 11, 10:02

  ^__^

  _/|\_