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From: kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov ( Keith Evans)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Meditation 2 ways: Different yet the Same
Message-ID: <1990Nov16.020441.13897@nas.nasa.gov>
Date: 16 Nov 90 02:04:41 GMT
References: <1990Nov8.012939.14684@nas.nasa.gov>
Sender: news@nas.nasa.gov
Organization: NAS Program, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA
Lines: 44
Approved: prabhu@amelia.nas.nasa.gov

In <1990Nov8.012939.14684@nas.nasa.gov> chee1a1@jetson.uh.edu writes:

>    In practice, concentration is the basis for development of insight 
>  and ultimate enlightenment, and to a buddhist, concentration is not

One will never gain enlightenment through meditation. Shakyamuni Buddha
did!, you say. In the Lotus Sutra, when talking about the length of his
life, he said he had gained enlightenment many lifetimes age, in the 
distant past. Then he predicted that none of his teachings would lead
people to enlighenment 2000 years after he died. Meditation is not the
Buddhist practice in this day and age.
 
>     But to achieve beyond to attain the goal of enlightenment, a person has
>  to develop the insight in analysing the true nature of the world.

If you want to understand the true nature of the world, then you should
first try to understand the true nature of yourself.

>  analysing the true nature of things ((i)impernancy or anicca - 
>  changing nature of things, Nothing is forever. Nature changes, 
>  flowers,leaves, trees, etc. decay, even solar systems, and galaxies 
>  gets destroyed. (2) dukkha, Because of this changing nature of things
>  they bring us dukkha or unhappiness. We feel sorrowful when something
>  we loved departs from us. It is understaning this existence of 
>  unhapiness in nature that leads to further understanding of non-self. 
>  (3) The third perception ,anatta,  is non existence of a soul or self. 
>  When we see,hear, smell etc. something lovely we see it as ours, or 
>  ourselves loving it, grasping it.  But when we see everything changes,
>  uselessness  in grasping lust etc. as good, then it is easy to see 
>  that there is no self(or soul)).  A buddhist does not develop a negative

Yes, everything changes. The question is whether it changes for the better
or the worse. This comes down to your actions. What you are talking about
sounds like Hinayana (lesser teaching) Buddhism. Part of an individual's
happiness is getting married, having enough money, etc. You should try to
understand the true entity of yourself that makes all one's feelings work
in their most enlightened state. I think you are also confusing no self
with the greater self. Obviously, you are a self as your actions will
reflect back on you yourself and not anyone else.

--
   Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.
            Respectfully,
  	         Keith Evans		kde@heawk1.gsfc.nasa.gov