What Are Some Ways That Enlightenment Theories Can Trap A Person

[Joseph Maynor]

Curious.  Let’s discuss.

[Shin]

All of them, your mind should be totally empty when you seek.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Shin

[Matteo]

My mind wants Enlightenment to be completely theoretical, because if that was the case, it could grasp it. In the past, because of focusing too much on enlightenment theory, I ended up spending more time talking about Enlightenment to people who really don't care about it than meditating or doing self inquiry.

[SOUL]

3 hours ago, Shin said:

All of them, your mind should be totally empty when you seek.

 

3 hours ago, see_on_see said:

When you don't do the practice, or you don't follow the 10% theory, 90% practice rule.

 

Trap

Quote

What Are Some Ways That Enlightenment Theories Can Trap A Person

Every way, even a theory that theories trap can trap. Being present realizes enlightenment not theorizes it.

[SOUL]

4 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

If you outsource your thinking you are not Awake yet.  The Awake person does not outsource their thinking.  It’s ok to be influenced by ideas, but do not cling too hard to notions from other minds.  You gotta take the deep-dive into every idea yourself.  Do not trust!  That’s a trap.  You’ll become an ideologue, a follower.  Keep digging and exploring by yourself.  Do this excavation work a little bit every day, like a careful archeologist discovering and gently uncovering dinosaur bone fossils buried in the ground.  

So many traps in your sig by the way.... just sayin'....

[the dream]

The finger pointing can take a myriad of shapes, it's still just a finger though.

[AlwaysBeNice]

Of course, thinking is the number 1 crutch and it often plays in on that.

From a young age most people were often mistreated, so therein often still lies unhealed pain/insecurity, and from a young age you were constantly given the impression that the most important thing was to know stuff and be smart, and that habit was enforced constantly first by school then by culture/friends.

Enlightenment can thus often be unconsciously wanted to be 'the ultimate getting it/source of knowledge' that will make you be special

[snowleopard]

@Joseph Maynor  I'm reminded of the old zen metaphor .... Once a boat has been borrowed to cross a river, there's no need to hoist it on one's back, or drag it around. I'd only add, perhaps push it back into the current of the Tao, where it may be discovered and be of use to someone else ... Freedom is another word for no-thing left to lose.

[Joseph Maynor]

Enlightenment theories are a part of culture.  We gotta become mindful of all of culture, and we gotta make sure that we aren't taking any of it for granted.

[Nahm]

It’s only alone. The rest is a trap.

[snowleopard]

@blazed  For sure, these forums can be an escape, and are no substitute for deep inquiry, but then, so can expensive weekend retreats with an 'enlightened' guru. I know someone who has attended more of those than I can count, and as far as one can tell, has no interest in deep inquiry, but has a lot of merit badges to speak about.  So I don't underestimate the role of these forums as a kind of online satsang, just because there's no-one dressed in white beside a bouquet of flowers, addressing the adoring crowd. And if, as has been suggested, that the Maitreya, the future Buddha, will not be an individual, but a society, then what better way for that society to coalesce than in this chrysalis of cyberspace, wherein its teachers can emerge in countless mysterious ways and forms -- even as those who we might dismiss as insignificant. It all can serve a purpose, even as only a stepping stone on the journey.

Edited December 16, 2017 by snowleopard

[snowleopard]

@blazed  Yes, as I said, it's no substitute for deep inquiry.  Maybe Leo should do everyone a favour and shut it down then

[AleksM]

If you don't verify existential beliefs with personal experience, you're setting yourself for a mindfuck.

Let's say you have all the theory about enlightenment in the world stored in your brain. Well, that's good, but if you don't verify those beliefs with personal experience, you are just wasting time. The information needs to be transformed into knowledge that is based on personal experience.

The Information is not knowledge, knowledge is information put into practice.

 

Edited December 16, 2017 by AleksM
grammar

[snowleopard]

@blazed  Well, I've only been posting for a couple of weeks, so I don't know how long the distracted 'masturbation' has been going on overall. I can only say I have been encouraged by how many young minds are here showing any interest at all, and can only trust that to everything there is a season.