[Buddha-l] Re: Re: Buddha as a Stoic

[Cameron Hughes]

This is essentially an elaboration on Benito's post.

> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 21:34:25 +0200
> From: Benito Carral <bcarral at kungzhi.org>
> Subject: [Buddha-l] Re: The Buddha,     an 'emotional weakling'? What are
>        the "joys of living"?
> To: Buddhist discussion forum <buddha-l at mailman.swcp.com>
> Message-ID: <1908931208.20060621213425 at kungzhi.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> On Wednesday, June 21, 2006, Bob Zeuschner wrote:
>
> > The  joy  of  living can include holding hands with a
> > lady  while  watching  a  beautiful  sunset  over the
> > ocean/beach  --  I  suspect  the  Buddha  would  have
> > rejected  this. The joy of living can include playing
> > a  musical  instrument,  singing,  dancing,  and even
> > reading fiction. [...]
>
>   You  know, all the joys that you describe are a kind
> of  anestesia,  they  can  only entertain, and when one
> dies, there is a new and worst life waiting for him.

Even so, attachments can develop to these past times, and once they
are gone (as you described) life suddenly (to this person) has lost a
certain degree of appeal.

>   Most  of  people  in our society enjoy some of those
> joys  and  they lead to the sittuation I have described
> in my previous post.
>
>   The  Buddha  would have not indulged in them because
> they  are  stupid "dukkhatic" ones. Someone could spend
> his  life  being  an  incredible  good guitar or soccer
> player  while  people  are starving, while the Earth is
> dying.  The  Buddha choose to spend his energy and time
> helping   others   to   transform  greed,  hatred,  and
> delusion.

Even that can be enjoyable, but there can be a difference between
indulging and enjoying. But that is discretion, there is no standard
of enjoying a certain hobby and crossing it over into
obsession--however, the line can be very thin depending on the
personality type.

>   Buddhism  is  not  the kind of stuff some Westerners
> like  to  play while they hold to the "joys of living,"
> but a really serious issue born from compassion.

Agreed.


>   Best wishes,
>
> --
> Benito Carral
>  Asturias, Sepharad (Spain
>  Dharma translator
>  Baolin Buddhist Study House, founder and director
>
>
>
>
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> End of buddha-l Digest, Vol 16, Issue 19
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>

Cameron