ask a teacher

[nowornever]

Spiny and Monkey Mind are enlightened if I understood the posts(who is enlightened here?) correctly.
Now we can ask them questions. If there are other beings like that please inform us about it. My first question:
1. Where is God?

[GoGet]

No, you're mistaken.  Spiney and MM are most definitely NOT enlightened.  Hedgehogs and monkeys can't attain enlightenment.  They can't because the Super Secret Vajra Decoder Ring won't fit on their hand/paw.


On the other hand, I have not denied being enlightened, so logic follows that there's a better chance that I'm enlightened.  So, you could ask me the question.

Q:  Where is God?

A:  Wherever you think he/she/it is.

I would reveal my Super Secret Vajra Decoder Ring, but then it wouldn't be secret any more.

[Hanzze]

Do you think God is enlighten? I mean it could be that he is very close. *smile*

[nowornever]

Goget and Hanzze are also teachers
Thank you for your answers.

2. What is the quickest way to attain enlightenment?

[GoGet]

2. What is the quickest way to attain enlightenment?

practice  (you don't have to be enlightened to answer that question)

Also:  I never said I was a teacher.  It's just like I never said I was enlightened.

[Hanzze]

Ok, that is what you say, but what do you think? *smile*

What is the quickest way to attain enlightenment?

Buddha told it's all about walking the eightfold path, but fist of all you need a truly and honest reason for it. So why do you like to gain enlightenment?

[Lobster]

if I understood the posts(who is enlightened here?) correctly.

Most of us do not even know the right questions, we assume we can profit from the answers . . .

Now we can ask them questions.

It is a bit like our mind. One arising or question after another . . .

My first question:

You only need to start digesting one answer . . .
What do I know? 

Every question has been asked and answered hundreds of ways,
You did not listen then and you are equally heedless now. 

You are playing a game. Pretending to seek. The reason I know this?
. . . the same reason you can know it or remain heedless . . .

Should we participate in this shameless game? 

[nowornever]

Why do I want to get enlightenment?
FOR YOU

Goget asked not to be a teacher so we have 3 teachers, not 4.

Thanks to answers from this topic I UNDERSTOOD(attained) that now the most important is PRACTICE.

[GoGet]

Why do I want to get enlightenment?
FOR YOU

Goget asked not to be a teacher so we have 3 teachers, not 4.

Thanks to answers from this topic I UNDERSTOOD(attained) that now the most important is PRACTICE.

NO, get it straight dude,  I simply stated that I never said I was a teacher.  You said that, not me.  I also didn't say I didn't want to be a teacher.  You did.

Why do you insist on running around labeling people and then blaming them for the label?

I know .... For ME!
You have attained nothing.  There is nothing to attain.  Read the Heart Sutra aloud (the long, Tibetan version) 108 times. I recommend a standard shrine room chanting rhythm (~120bpm). Recite the Prajnaparamita Mantra 108 times for each repetition of the sutra.

And seeing as your doing all this stuff for US, have you taken Bodhisattva Vows yet?

[nowornever]

Oh Lord. Calm down, sir, please. It is just my style. I just want to sing my song, not someone else's song. It is hard for me to express myself differently. But I will try. I want to help other people - that is my sense of life. Unfortunately my willing is not enough and I must work on the form of my speech. I didn't mean to hurt anybody here. Please forgive my bad tongue; I don't know why I speak like that. Probably because I spent too much time with zen teachers... I do want to learn from you and help you if possible. That's all.
non

[GoGet]

I want to help other people - that is my sense of life.

That's fantastic.  That's why I asked you about Bodhisattva Vows.  Have you taken them?

I don't know why I speak like that. Probably because I spent too much time with zen teachers...

No, Zen teachers have nothing to do with it.  At all.   Take responsibility for yourself.  Don't blame others, especially your teachers unless they teach you adharma or immoral action.

I do want to learn from you and help you if possible. That's all.

Great.  If you want to help, find a cure for cancer.  That would help me a lot.  Barring that, do Tonglen practice.  That helps too.  If you want to do more to help people, volunteer at a soup kitchen or go into hospice work or go to med school.  Take Bodhisattva Vows and abide by them as best you can.

Also, the point of activities for the benefit of beings doesn't generally include telling them about it.  Just do the practice, whatever it is, dedicate the merit and leave it at that.

When people were asking you why you were doing all those bows, they wanted to know by whose instruction and/or for what purpose.  For example, people doing lots of prostration are usually doing so because they're doing their Ngondro practice.  Your response (I'm doing it for YOU) made you sound like a smart-ass. 

[nowornever]

I took 10 precepts(Kwan Um School) but one zen master asked me whether I would like to have 10 or maybe 5, but I asked her not to take away 5 of them so I still have 5. As you can see my life is not clear, zen teachers see it too...
My prostrations mean "Small I bows to Big I".
You are right, I am going to do my practice(zazen) now.

[Hanzze]

Why do I want to get enlightenment?
FOR YOU

What could I aspect from it, if you are enlightened? What would be my the benefit of it? *smile*

[GoGet]

My prostrations mean "Small I bows to Big I".

Prostrations are prostrations.  I'm not sure what you think you're doing.

Go to your Master.  Ask him/her what practices you should do.  Listen very carefully to what he/she says.  Do that.  Precisely that. No more than that.  No less than that.

I'm about 100% sure your master will tell you to do zazen.  Do that.  Forget about anything else.