[Buddha-l] Re: Meditating Buddha

[Stefan Detrez]

Benito,

> Archetypical for Buddhist art is a meditating Buddha.
> > However, one can wonder WHY a Buddha has to meditate,
> > assuming the he/she is enlightened, and enlightenment
> > excludes the necessity of (further) meditation.
>
> > Any thoughts?
>
>   I  think  that  the relevant question is a different
> one,  "Why  should not the Buddha meditate?" After all,
> he  didn't  want to teach but enjoy enlightenment until
> his  final nirvana. So I think that deep meditation was
> the  "natural" state of the Buddha and that he went out
> of it just for the sake of beings like us.


First, you suggest that enlightenment is some sort of 'mood' you can plunge
yourself into, which is not exactly characteristic of the permanent nature
of Nirvana.
Second, an all-time meditating Buddha would not be very socially active and,
especially, not very succesful in the proselytical sphere.
Third, you assume that the Buddha spreads the Dharma, 'because he feels like
it'. I don't get the impression that he does this for his own fun. Remember
texts say he had to be convinced to preach.
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