as one seeking to grow and understand and who draws from many different spiritual lineages, i really appreciate these two things that point to trend, i think.
which unfolds itself in stages from the first step of starting and conceptually learning to the ultimate goal
The idea is that after some practice, one can identify and discriminate between wholesome- and unwholesome states of the mind
This points to a person gradually understanding and gaining experience from the practice itself. i am not a fan of dogma and i really appreciate this try it, you will see mentality. of course it can be helpful to have some guidelines, but i also agree if someone enters in with a true desire to learn and grow, they will know <3
I don't see this as dogma although the earliest text don't contain the eightfold path, the systemization of what the Buddha taught came later, probably around the first council. Don't take my word on this, I am taking this from a 20 year old memory.
What the Buddha taught is called the art of living. Depending on one's conditioning there are different teachings to help one let go of their conditioning and see reality as it is not as one thinks it should be. I see the eightfold path as a recipe, I practice making the food and when I become very good at it I can add different flavors and textures but the basic recipe is still the same. We all suffer from ignorance and need help letting that go, for me this is a good path. For others there are different paths to take, I think it's about karma. That's why you don't see Buddhist converting others to Buddhism. If the teachings fit like a good pair of shoes the rocks in the path won't hurt tender feet...hahaha
Maybe someday I can take my Dharma shoes off :p. If the teachings say you can't take your shoes off when you don't need them it's a cult!
hahah love it!
didn't mean to make it sound like i was calling this dogma. in fact i was pointing at the fact that to me it very clearly isn't!
i love this and i love the anecdote about taking the shoes off :) i'm also attracted to this path <3
Yeah anything including medicine that tells me I must take their ideology or views for the rest of my life is going to see me walking away fast! Find a good teacher because when you get into the wilderness of your mind you will need an experienced guide. I am speaking from experience ;-)