2011.04.02 - Siddhartha Buddha

[SomaticDreams]

I'm interested in what you mean by the "straight and narrow moderate path"? The eightfold path?

I just mean how he tried starving himself and did all these extreme things, but then recommended moderation to his followers. My understanding of the Buddha's teaching is that he recommends moderation in all things.

Accepting, acknowledging that you are following in "his foolish footsteps" and repeating his mistakes is good- but it makes me wonder; what makes you enjoy the nature of searching?

What makes you think enlightenment is the end of seeking?

The seeking does not lead to enlightenment directly, as if at the end of a journey there is a destination. Rather, the seeking is itself delusion, and after a long time in delusion the soul decides it's ready for enlightenment.

The weird thing about "neti neti" is that it's not about seeking or finding, it's actually about not finding. It's a statement to the self that the Infinite cannot be found through seeking.

So the seeker fasts and says to himself "Nope, infinity is not fasting" and then he prays and says, "Infinity is not prayer" and then he meditates and says "Infinity is not meditation"

I observe the waves of desire, and I follow them through naturally, all the while noting that salvation is not found "there".

Constantly noting what is not The One Infinite Creator, I quickly start to recognize what The One Infinite Creator is, which is unutterable. What is The One Infinite Creator? Not "The One Infinite Creator" Not this, not that. Then what? Something else.

I think it may be a sad path because the self is sad to see its delusional hopes dashed over and over. Neti neti is the path of losing all hope but finding what you were looking for in the one place you can't look.

Interesting that you state "It's a statement to the self that the Infinite cannot be found through seeking.", but then still decide that the neti neti paradigm is one you wish to follow.

I asked about Yogacara, because it seems as if that school would not only be historically close to the ideal of neti neti, but also lays the path for the next 'step', so to speak.

I don't wish to get too far off topic from the original post- I apologize for the tangents.

It could be appropriate to start a discussion elsewhere on the boards however. As a Buddhist, I find most wanderers here are of (or have most experience/exposure to) an Abrahamic religion, so my perspective on the LOO is radically different.