{"id":1757,"date":"2009-04-04T02:41:13","date_gmt":"2009-04-03T18:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/?p=1757"},"modified":"2009-04-04T02:48:15","modified_gmt":"2009-04-03T18:48:15","slug":"dont-just-disbelieve-just-try-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/2009\/04\/dont-just-disbelieve-just-try-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Just Disbelieve; Just Try It"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

In Mahavaipulya-mahasanni-pata Sutra, a verse says:<\/p>\n

In the Dharma Ending Age [which we’re about 10% into now],
\nwhen 100 million [times] of 100 million people practise the Dharma,
\nit is rare that one will realise the way [at least Arahatship];
\nOnly depending on mindfulness of Buddha [a Pureland practice],
\nis there be liberation from life and death. <\/p>\n

\u300a\u5927\u96c6\u7d93\u300b
\n\u672b\u6cd5\u4ebf\u4ebf\u4eba\u4fee\u884c, \u7f55\u4e00\u5f97\u9053; \u552f\u4f9d\u5ff5\u4f5b, \u5f97\u5ea6\u751f\u6b7b\u3002<\/big><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some doubt the above with a tinge of biasness and scepticism – without further investigation. (What happened to the practice of ‘Ehipassiko’ (Don’t just believe; come and see\/try)? Whether the Sutra is to be taken seriously or not requires exercise of the Kalama spirit of free and active enquiry with experimentation. Unless we exercise this, who are we to dismiss anything based on our limited wisdom? Isn’t it ironic if we dismiss something as dogmatic hearsay, while we ourselves contribute to perpetuation of genuine hearsay by spreading our unfounded biasness?<\/p>\n

Excerpt from Kalama Sutta (The criterion for acceptance of any teaching):<\/p>\n

“Come, Kalamas,
\n1. Do not go upon what has been acquired by repeated hearing;
\n2. nor upon tradition;
\n3. nor upon rumor;
\n4. nor upon what is in a scripture;
\n5. nor upon surmise;
\n6. nor upon an axiom;
\n7. nor upon specious reasoning;
\n8. nor upon a bias towards a notion that has been pondered over;
\n9. nor upon another’s seeming ability;
\n10. nor upon the consideration, ‘The monk is our teacher.’<\/p>\n

Kalamas, when you yourselves know:
\n‘These things are good; these things are not blameable;
\nthese things are praised by the wise; undertaken and observed,
\nthese things lead to benefit and happiness,’
\nenter on and abide in them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If we are to be biased towards a notion before we investigate whether it is good or not blameable, true or false, we certainly compound the problem of uncertainty – even if this is mistaken as genuine certainty!<\/p>\n

Personally, I have exercised the Kalama spirit. I’d tried many Dharma methods and I know for sure that I’m not the ‘rare’ one (as in the opening quote), out of so many millions, who will realise the way through any other methods. ‘Only depending on mindfulness of Buddha, is there liberation from life and death’ for me. (Though birth in Pureland is not immediate Nirvana, it guarantees it.) While I also keep hearing many inspiring contemporary accounts of successful practice of the Pureland method. Unless one did likewise try this method, I beseech all to please refrain from being dubiously presumptuous or self-righteous.<\/p>\n

I will be unfeignedly keen if I ever chance upon rare ones. I will not hesitate to ask for teachings, for we truly lack enlightened ones in our time to teach us Right Understanding. May all advance towards and gain enlightenment swiftly! ^_^<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Mahavaipulya-mahasanni-pata Sutra, a verse says: In the Dharma Ending Age [which we’re about 10% into now], when 100 million…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[214,380,41,302],"class_list":["post-1757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mix","tag-doubt","tag-ehipassiko","tag-pure-land","tag-sutra","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1757","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1757"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1757\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1757"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1757"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moonpointer.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1757"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}