[Buddha-l] Loving your object of study

[curt]

"Then there is the case where a monk studies the Dhamma: dialogues, 
narratives of mixed prose and verse, explanations, verses, spontaneous 
exclamations, quotations, birth stories, amazing events, question & 
answer sessions [the earliest classifications of the Buddha's 
teachings]. He doesn't spend the day in Dhamma-study. He doesn't neglect 
seclusion. He commits himself to internal tranquility of awareness. This 
is called a monk who dwells in the Dhamma."

Note that the "monk who dwells in the Dharma" *does* study the Dharma 
teachings - but he also "doesn't neglect seclusion" and he "commits 
himself to internal tranquility of awareness."

All of the "bad monks" were characterized by their neglect of seculsion 
and their failure to commit to "internal tranquility of awareness" - 
while simultaneously (and erroneously) focussing *only* on study, 
descriptions, recitation, or thinking.

Curt

Jackhat1 at aol.com wrote:
>  
> In a message dated 11/20/2007 3:55:51 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
> rbzeuschner at roadrunner.com writes:
>
> Curt did  understand my remark: it is a Western presupposition that makes 
> us  separate out the wisdom/intellectual approach from the "practice"  
> approach. The pathway of wisdom is a form of  practice.
>
>
> I ran across the following: 
> _http://halfsmile.org/buddhadust/www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an05-073.html_ 
> (http://halfsmile.org/buddhadust/www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/an05-073.html)   
>  
> "Then there is the case where a monk takes the Dhamma as he has heard &  
> studied it and thinks about it, evaluates it, and examines it with his  intellect. 
> He spends the day in Dhamma-thinking. He neglects seclusion. He  doesn't 
> commit himself to internal tranquility of awareness. This is called a  monk who is 
> keen on thinking, not one who dwells in the Dhamma."
>  
> jack
>
>
>
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