[Buddha-l] Re: Mahayana taught by the Buddha?

[curt]

This is a false dichotomy. If you do not understand any
mathematics at all, then you would not be able to DO
any mathematics at all - and if you understood all mathematics
you could DO it all, too. The thing is that mathematics is
so powerful that just understanding a little allows one to
do a lot - so we are tempted to try to find the minimal amount
of mathematics that will allow us to get by - this temptation
is further exacerbated by the generally very poor quality of
mathematics instruction that is available at every level - from
grade school through graduate school. The thing that is so often
forgotten is that mathematics is beautiful - and it is only once
you've been seduced by that beauty that you can learn it for its
own sake - rather than trying very hard to not learn any more
than absolutely necessary in order to DO something.

The same is true of Buddhism - word for word, in my opinion.

- Curt

Randall Jones wrote:

> At 06:56 AM 6/21/2005, Richard Hayes wrote:
>
> > The problem I see in this way of looking at things is that if you don't
> > have the necessary understanding of a teaching, there is no way you can
> > follow it anyway.
>
> You can do quite a lot of mathematics without understanding it, just 
> by learning method.
>
> Is not something similar true in Buddhism?
>
> Or, more generally, what level of understanding is "necessary" for a 
> Buddhist practice?
>
> Randall Jones
> rjones at cm.ksc.co.th
> randall.jones at lannaist.ac.th
>
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