It’s bizarre when some Buddhists see ethical perfectionism as a fault. It’s not that all are perfectionistic out of attachment for ourselves, but that our ethics do need to be perfected as part of the path towards spiritual perfection, to better protect other beings. Why else is there a perfection (paramita) called ‘moral conduct’? It is ‘imperfectionism’, or the tendency to settle for imperfection, due to lack of discipline, that is the real fault.
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I wonder how these Buddhists who see ethical perfectionism as a fault see the Buddha. Would they see the Buddha as an extremist?
In true sense, if we want to be awakened, we need to be perfect in wisdom,compassion,conduct,view, etc.. Hence, we need to strive to be perfect but at the sametime not belittling others that perecived as being imperfect. If we are willing and capable of sharing with others to help them to improve or learning from others to improve on our ‘imperfections’, then it benefits others as well as ourselves and people would not fault but have respect for us.
Yes, in order to fully awaken, we need to want to become perfect.
Amituofo
What arises for me when hearing this talk of perfectionism is that the 8 fold path instructs us in Right View, Right Intention, Right Action, etc. It does not instruct us in Perfect View, Perfect Action, true? I question grasping for perfection. With the intention of perfection are we not trying to fix that which we perceive as not perfect in ourselves, in our world, with our ego?
In becoming awakened, achieve Buddhahood, don’t we realize all then? What is Right Effort?
How is it possible to maintain an attitude of perfectionism without grasping, which perpetuates suffering?
Love and light to all beings,
Juju
Then again, the originating post talks about perfectionism in ethics.
I am striving to teach opening the heart and connecting with love to the heart center and I find that it’s hard to separate perfectionism from self judgment, Then the grasping for perfectionism leads to karma arising.
Real ‘Right’ will become ‘Perfect’ with practice. Practice makes perfect, which is why we practice. We don’t say the Buddha has only right but imperfect ethics.
It’s not about grasping for perfection, but doing one’s best in each moment for, as the article mentioned, helping one and all. This is Right Effort – that leads to perfection later.
No need to involve ego. Ethics is important due to interdependence of one and all. No need to stand out in this web with a big ego. The bigger the ego, the less good the practice.
See interdependence to involve less ego – to increase humility. Perfectionism spiritually refers to this too.