Cowboy and Swissalyst,
That's interesting what Bharati describes, that finding enlightenment doesn't change your character at all. So you would have to wonder what the point of enlightenment actually is? If it doesn't help society in any way, it doesn't make you a better person or anything? Why even bother with it?
Bharati says that if you were a stinker before realising the truth, you will be a stinker after realising the truth.
I will put these new findings into a new Zen saying:
Before Zen, you are a Stinker
After Zen, you are a Stinker
It has a bit of a ring to it, no? :)
In the case of some gurus (Mooji does come to mind, interestingly) could you become even more of a stinker, on being realised, than you already were? I think we could make a case for this, as power does certainly corrupt, in some instances.
I guess that in the past, enlightenment was sought after within religious traditions that upheld moral standards. It wasn't something that an ordinary person could go after, in the absence of any kind of moral framework.
Just using the example of Zen Buddhists, they had a lot of rules for how to live their lives. It wasn't all about meditating all day. You had to respect and honour all sentient beings. You had to practice compassion.
That's interesting what Bharati describes, that finding enlightenment doesn't change your character at all. So you would have to wonder what the point of enlightenment actually is? If it doesn't help society in any way, it doesn't make you a better person or anything? Why even bother with it?
Bharati says that if you were a stinker before realising the truth, you will be a stinker after realising the truth.
I will put these new findings into a new Zen saying:
Before Zen, you are a Stinker
After Zen, you are a Stinker
It has a bit of a ring to it, no? :)
In the case of some gurus (Mooji does come to mind, interestingly) could you become even more of a stinker, on being realised, than you already were? I think we could make a case for this, as power does certainly corrupt, in some instances.
I guess that in the past, enlightenment was sought after within religious traditions that upheld moral standards. It wasn't something that an ordinary person could go after, in the absence of any kind of moral framework.
Just using the example of Zen Buddhists, they had a lot of rules for how to live their lives. It wasn't all about meditating all day. You had to respect and honour all sentient beings. You had to practice compassion.