欲望の一つのかたち
One form of desire
2024-05-06 18:00:00
Desire manifests in various forms, and one of them is the notion of "it must be this way."
When this sentiment becomes strongly attached to an object, it eventually turns into obsession, becoming a source of suffering for that individual.
On the other hand, those who have already attained enlightenment do not harbor the sentiment of "it must be this way" in any circumstance. Instead, they believe that if the same objective can be achieved through different means, then it is acceptable and proceed accordingly.
Of course, this doesn't imply recklessness or an attitude of indifference towards everything. Rather, it signifies the ability to substitute alternative options without hindrance, even if the usual means for a certain purpose are unavailable.
In any case, those who have attained enlightenment have uprooted the root of attachment entirely, thereby freeing themselves from associated sufferings.
Simultaneously, enlightened individuals do not lose sight of the objectives pertaining to each matter, and they avoid falling into fixed ideas regarding the means of dealing with them.
Now, if practitioners become fixated on their methods of practice, leading to attachment, attaining enlightenment (= liberation) becomes challenging.
This is because it would impede the journey of pilgrimage, which is integral to the path of Buddhist practice.
That is to say, there is no place for fixed practices in the path of Buddhist practice.
However, haphazardly practicing without direction does not constitute pilgrimage practice.
In this regard, we can find the following principles in the original Buddhist scriptures of Shakyamuni Buddha.
791 Those who rely on the latter (teachers, etc.) by discarding the former (teachers, etc.) and follow the fluctuations of afflictions will not transcend attachment. They grasp and then discard, much like a monkey grasping and releasing a branch. (The Word of the Buddha - Sutta Nipāta Chapter 4: Eight Verses on Purity, translated by Hajime Nakamura, Iwanami-Bunko)
The crucial thing is to personally examine whether the practice itself has fallen into fixation.
Wise practitioners engage in practices aligned with the teachings, occasionally embark on pilgrimage, and gradually progress towards Nirvana.
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