It's remarkably absent. Which would lead one who gives the suttas precedence to the conclusion that the Buddha would have us take the path to Arahantship. Guess it depends on who you take as your teacher. Many people enjoy the Buddha's wisdom and delight in practicing meditation, but otherwise do not surrender to the idea that the Buddha is the incomparable teacher of man kind and therefore they do not defer to him, but refer, especially when it comes to mental pleasure seeking. Unfortunately (as happens to some), once Buddhism is relegated to a scholarly pursuit of knowledge then it is no longer regarded as an urgent medicine for a pressing issue.alan wrote:Nothing I've read in the Suttas says anything about Boddisattvas.
- http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... ml#turban1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"There is the case where a monk, as day departs and night returns, reflects: 'Many are the [possible] causes of my death. A snake might bite me, a scorpion might sting me, a centipede might bite me. That would be how my death would come about. That would be an obstruction for me. Stumbling, I might fall; my food, digested, might trouble me; my bile might be provoked, my phlegm... piercing wind forces [in the body] might be provoked. That would be how my death would come about. That would be an obstruction for me.' Then the monk should investigate: 'Are there any evil, unskillful mental qualities unabandoned by me that would be an obstruction for me were I to die in the night?' If, on reflecting, he realizes that there are evil, unskillful mental qualities unabandoned by him that would be an obstruction for him were he to die in the night, then he should put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities. Just as when a person whose turban or head was on fire would put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness to put out the fire on his turban or head, in the same way the monk should put forth extra desire, effort, diligence, endeavor, undivided mindfulness, & alertness for the abandoning of those very same evil, unskillful qualities. But if, on reflecting, he realizes that there are no evil, unskillful mental qualities unabandoned by him that would be an obstruction for him were he to die in the night, then for that very reason he should dwell in joy & rapture, training himself day & night in skillful qualities.