The current fad teaching that intellectualizing and forming concepts should be taboo on the spiritual journey to awaken, is short-sighted. The use of intellect and cognition in contemplating and becoming knowledgable and insightful into the true nature of things is not only a strong part of teachings over the millenia, but something we do anyway whether we admit to it or not.
Some do get stuck however. Here are two concrete examples:
A 60 yo Shingon Buddhist Chief Priest, Koyasan Temple, Sacramento. Enlightenment cannot occur until after this life. It cannot occur while one is still in the body.
A 50 yo man with a PhD in East-West Religions who has spent many retreats in Buddhist temples in Thailand and Japan. One cannot be free of suffering until one is an Arahat.
My hours of dialogues with them, and giving them references and quotes from Buddha's teachings does not persuade them otherwise. In these cases, it appears that their lack of success at attaining a state of liberation has lead to clinging onto concepts - amazingly, false concepts. this is perhaps because these concepts support their own state of awareness, or can it be said lack of awareness? However, it seems they also reinforce it, keeping them trapped from going further.
So, there are clear cases of conceptualization being associated with failure to deepend awareness. But which came first? Doesn't really matter, if one is operating from a place of delusion, as both are, it is that delusion that must be seen through. I feel their pain!
No comments:
Post a Comment