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It's very strange to me to hear a Buddhist argue that I should forgo something which eases my suffering and advances my spiritual practice because of my biology
by maxbond 3y ago
It's very strange to me to hear a Buddhist argue that I should forgo something which eases my suffering and advances my spiritual practice because of my biology! Also very strange to hear a Buddhist proclaim they not only understand reality, but reality from my perspective. I'm not a Buddhist, but I've been studying Zen lately (though I understand you may subscribe to a different interpretation), and this really flies in the face of everything I've learned.
There's only one person in this world who gets to decide whether my brain is functioning properly, and whether my understanding of reality is advancing my material and spiritual goals. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine who that person is.
- bowsamic 3y ago> It's very strange to me to hear a Buddhist argue that I should forgo something which eases my suffering and advances my spiritual practice because of my biology! Also very strange to hear a Buddhist proclaim they not only understand reality, but reality from my perspective. I'm not a Buddhist, but I've been studying Zen lately (though I understand you may subscribe to a different interpretation), and this really flies in the face of everything I've learned. Well, Buddhism is very strictly anti-drug compared to any other religion that I know of. Of course, Buddhism would argue that it isn't easing your suffering but is actually increasing your ignorance and your likelihood of creating bad karma, leading to a worse rebirth in the future. It is more likely to be reborn in a hell realm if you are on drugs than if you have a clear mind through mindfulness and concentration. If you train mindfulness and good ethics then you can achieve a heavenly rebirth or even eventually exit samsara. Btw, I trained in Soto Zen under an ordained, authorised teacher. Drugs are considered a hinderance, that's why alcohol is a violation of the precepts. > There's only one person in this world who gets to decide whether my brain is functioning properly, and whether my understanding of reality is advancing my material and spiritual goals. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine who that person is. Here's a hint: it's not you, since you are, according to Buddhism, an ignorant, deluded being. Those aren't even terms to be rude, those are the technical terms we use. A vast majority of beings are not in a position to judge whether their understanding of reality is materially or spiritually beneficial, because they lack insight.