Posted March 26, 2018 Leo says beware of being a Zen Devil... I don't really know what all that entails, but it sounds more interesting. Can you explain more on what a Zen Devil is and why it should be avoided? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 26, 2018 (edited) A Zen Devil is typically someone who is generally a narcissistic jerk who finds justification of their behavior through the lens of Enlightenment Theory. It’s like a narcissistic, shark-like businessman wearing the clothes of the corporate culture in order to say he’s acting reasonably, normally, and even honorably. The sociopathic guru is a great example of the Zen Devil. The guy you can tell is hiding behind spirituality — he’s clothing himself in the robes of spirituality — but he’s not really a nice person or a good person. He’s a jerk in priestly clothing. He’s using spirituality to conceal his true personality and motives. And if you pay attention, you can see the cracks yourself. Exposure long enough to them with a keen eye can reveal lots of little contradictions. They are acting a role — like a wolf in sheep’s clothing going to sit with the hens in the henhouse. Edited March 26, 2018 by Joseph Maynor Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 26, 2018 8 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said: A Zen Devil is typically someone who is generally a narcissistic jerk who finds justification of their behavior through the lens of Enlightenment Theory. It’s like a narcissistic, shark-like businessman wearing the clothes of the corporate culture in order to say he’s acting reasonably, normally, and even honorably. The sociopathic guru is a great example of the Zen Devil. The guy you can tell is hiding behind spirituality — he’s clothing himself in the robes of spirituality — but he’s not really a nice person or a good person. He’s a jerk in priestly clothing. He’s using spirituality to conceal his true personality and motives. And if you pay attention, you can see the cracks yourself. Exposure long enough to them with a keen eye can reveal lots of little contradictions. They are acting a role — like a wolf in sheep’s clothing going to sit with the hens in the henhouse. Aww I thought it was something cooler... no one likes an asshole. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted March 26, 2018 (edited) zen devil is when you are enlightened to the extent that you have transcended your vital ego or your fears, psychological fear of death, doubts, sufferings, attachments to life, but still have a mental/spiritual ego which is a sense of superiority. It happens because after person have put so much effort for enlightenment and finally became enlightened he will feel like he is a spiritual hero. Because enlightenment doesn't yet mean end of mental/spritiual ego. By enlightenment I mean enlightenment that most people have attained which is birth in the soul when you no longer identified with body. There is also a higher stages of enlightenment when your ego disappears completely and you don't even consider your enlightenment as something special or differentiate between your state and other people's state. The main danger of zen devil is that you will become affected by dark forces if you feed your spiritual ego, and become Darth Vader, this is no good if you do it for too long because your spiritual ego might eventually EAT your soul and you can end up messing up with egoic use of different siddhis and eventually gone insane, or you simply will slow down your spiritual growth by feeling superior, and then you have to resolve your karma in the next reincarnation instead of growing your soul. Zen devilry is a phenomena of ZEN because Buddhism is nontheistic, and Buddhists rely on their own power only, but if you only rely on yourself you will eventually take enlightenment-reward as something that your SELF has achieved and mastered, these will fuel your spiritual ego. To transcend spiritual ego you need to rely and surrender to higher power or God as a higher authority, this will speed up dissolution of spiritual ego. But Buddhists and also modern Western ppl usually don't like to do that, thats why even first enlightenment might take decades if you only rely on yourself, then of course you will feel like a spiritual hero after spending decades in lotus posture. Edited March 26, 2018 by Monkey-man Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
