Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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DAWN
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by DAWN »

daverupa wrote:
DAWN wrote:...
“Ariyo panāyye, aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhato udāhu asaṅkhato”ti?
“Is the Eightfold Path conditioned or is it unconditioned?”

“Ariyo kho, āvuso Visākha, aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo saṅkhato”ti.
“Friend Visākha, the Eightfold Path is conditioned.”

MN 44
Yes, it's sure.

Eightfold Path is used to discover the truth, but the truth is unconditioned, truth have not any condition.
So Eightfold Path is the condition, is the Path, to discover unconditional.
So being on Eightfold Path, we must seek for that is unconditioned, and reject that is conditioned.
We must direct our mind to the Non-conditional.
The word 'direct', means Eightfold Path.
Eightfold Path, is the Path to liberation, liberty is not conditioned, so we must develop the liberty and reject the chain

That's why i said that unconditioned must be develop and conditioned reject.

And as I know, drugs and medicaments is not into Eightfold Path.
Ajahn Sumedho onece said, when a bhikkhu have not any medicament, he alrady have urine.
And if bhikkhu, being the exemple for other buddhists, leading a simple, an unconditioned life, don't have to take any medicament for enlightement, why? Because the Dhamma is somethink very simple, is the ULTIME simplicity.
So i consider that we must rejet all that is complicate, conditioned, not simple, not free, not true..

If is an heretical point of wiev, reject it.
With regards :meditate:
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
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ancientbuddhism
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by ancientbuddhism »

DAWN wrote:
ancientbuddhism wrote:
Hanzze wrote:However, do you think that it aids to Enlightenment?
They enhance cognition
The Buddha is NOT-COGNITION. ....
:strawman:

And "Smart Drugs" mentioned in the OP are not aids to Liberation. They do augment cognition, which is the context for my reply.
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ancientbuddhism
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by ancientbuddhism »

Caraka wrote:...Classic. Claiming amphetamines (Nootropics) can be used without risk is like looking at the sunset going down over the trees while the birds are singing, and saying this is so beautiful it must indeed be the work of God. Taking no account for evolution (facts).

And your only argument is saying Except? I'm curious about what facts you build such a statement upon..
What is "classic" about it? Have you read what I have posted in this thread? The schedule of medications mentioned in the OP as "smart drugs" or Nootropics do not lead to carelessness.
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DAWN
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by DAWN »

ancientbuddhism wrote:
:strawman:

And "Smart Drugs" mentioned in the OP are not aids to Liberation. They do augment cognition, which is the context for my reply.
I'am sorry, i dont understand :embarassed: What is OP ?
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
whynotme
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by whynotme »

original poster
Please stop following me
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DAWN
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by DAWN »

ancientbuddhism wrote: :strawman:

And "Smart Drugs" mentioned in the OP are not aids to Liberation. They do augment cognition, which is the context for my reply.
Ah yes, right, I'am sorry, i was inspired
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
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Caraka
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by Caraka »

They do augment cognition, which is the context for my repl
I think this is still idle speculation, even if you are able to refer to well documented scientific tests. Cause tests just documents the effect and counter effects only on your body (like getting pain, dizzy etc), they will never tell if you become more ignorant or not using. So there will always be a risk of different changes together with use of such medicine.

E.g. lets say you walk past someone who reach out to you for help, and normally you will stop and help cause you are a generous person, but you don't cause your on medicine. There is no tests who will tell anything about this. And you will not know cause you won't notice.
Anything that can lead one onto unwholesome thoughts or actions is not good, I hope all can agree about that. So for me the question is not what Pharmacological Aids might lead to, or not. It is all about what can lead me onto more wholesome thoughts and actions. Alcohol? Drugs? Pharmacological Aids? I don't think so.
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by twelph »

heed·less  
/ˈhēdlis/
Adjective
Showing a reckless lack of care or attention: "his heedless impetuosity".
I have had experience since the age of 5 with everything mentioned in this thread and much more. Any amphetamine causes addiction, just read the numerous scientific reports that the large pharmaceuticals choose to ignore. Addiction causes heedlessness in all cases. Caffeine is a stimulant that also causes addiction, and many people become heedless when they have to go without it.

Did the Buddha state that alcohol makes everyone heedless in every situation? No, but he must have realized if it can cause such extreme actions in one person, at the very least it hinders meditation. I really think the most important thing to consider when taking any mind altering substance is the reason why you are taking it. If you have confidence in the Buddha's path, you should trust that whatever supposed benefits that these drugs might have are nothing compared to what is possible, and relying on these crutches could possibly inhibit your ability to fully realize this. So why take the chance?

Playing devil's advocate here, if someone is insistent on acquiring external help with meditation, on the subject of nootropics I would reccomend they look into drugs like piracetam and it's analogues. They are considered by the scientific community to be "safe as salt" in most cases, and are not stimulants, addictive, or scheduled in the United States.

Edit: also, jumping straight into synthetic stimulants seems asinine to me. There are plenty of natural non-stimulants such as ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and aswaganda that you should be considering first.
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by reflection »

I have no time to read the topic so this may have been said already, but I felt the need to say this:

When talking about concentration, the Buddha was talking about a specific kind of concentration. Not the kind of concentration one uses in everyday life, but concentration based on virtue, contentment, peace. Concentration is not really the right word to describe it because people don't always know about this distinctive type of meditative states the Buddha was talking about and mix it up with general concentration. So the concentration we try to develop is not supported by drug intake.

Same for energy. It's not just any kind of energy that's good, we have to be careful there. Cafeine for example may give energy but it is not a very stable kind; it's very wobbly. Therefor it's not particularly useful and it is certainly not the type of energy the Buddha was on about. That would be the energy more based upon joy.
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by ancientbuddhism »

Caraka wrote:
They do augment cognition, which is the context for my repl
I think this is still idle speculation, even if you are able to refer to well documented scientific tests. Cause tests just documents the effect and counter effects only on your body (like getting pain, dizzy etc), they will never tell if you become more ignorant or not using. So there will always be a risk of different changes together with use of such medicine.

E.g. lets say you walk past someone who reach out to you for help, and normally you will stop and help cause you are a generous person, but you don't cause your on medicine. There is no tests who will tell anything about this. And you will not know cause you won't notice.
Anything that can lead one onto unwholesome thoughts or actions is not good, I hope all can agree about that. So for me the question is not what Pharmacological Aids might lead to, or not. It is all about what can lead me onto more wholesome thoughts and actions. Alcohol? Drugs? Pharmacological Aids? I don't think so.
Not sure what the disconnect is here, but it seems we are not having the same conversation.
I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Secure your own mask before assisting others. – NORTHWEST AIRLINES (Pre-Flight Instruction)

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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by ancientbuddhism »

reflection wrote:I have no time to read the topic so this may have been said already, but I felt the need to say this:

When talking about concentration, the Buddha was talking about a specific kind of concentration. Not the kind of concentration one uses in everyday life, but concentration based on virtue, contentment, peace. Concentration is not really the right word to describe it because people don't always know about this distinctive type of meditative states the Buddha was talking about and mix it up with general concentration. So the concentration we try to develop is not supported by drug intake.

Same for energy. It's not just any kind of energy that's good, we have to be careful there. Cafeine for example may give energy but it is not a very stable kind; it's very wobbly. Therefor it's not particularly useful and it is certainly not the type of energy the Buddha was on about. That would be the energy more based upon joy.
Indeed. Contemplative energy is not the same as that stimulated by a substance. This is why these supplements will not give the results of physical and mental calm conducive to contemplative work.
I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Secure your own mask before assisting others. – NORTHWEST AIRLINES (Pre-Flight Instruction)

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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by ancientbuddhism »

twelph wrote:
heed·less  
/ˈhēdlis/
Adjective
Showing a reckless lack of care or attention: "his heedless impetuosity".
I have had experience since the age of 5 with everything mentioned in this thread and much more. Any amphetamine causes addiction, just read the numerous scientific reports that the large pharmaceuticals choose to ignore. Addiction causes heedlessness in all cases. Caffeine is a stimulant that also causes addiction, and many people become heedless when they have to go without it. ...
I do understand the sentiment, and respect meditation teachers that insist on refraining from even caffeine (Luangpo Teean was one). But one persons addiction may well not be for another, what to say of 'heedlessness'.
I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather a new wearer of clothes.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

Secure your own mask before assisting others. – NORTHWEST AIRLINES (Pre-Flight Instruction)

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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by DAWN »

Internet addiction, information addiction is the worst addiction that exist...
I stop all, but i cant stop internet...
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by Viscid »

ancientbuddhism wrote:And "Smart Drugs" mentioned in the OP are not aids to Liberation.
The drugs I listed would keep you awake and make you attentive. If not being able to stay awake or an inability to pay attention is preventing someone from 'liberation,' then they'd help, but in normally healthy individuals this is not the case.
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
twelph
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Re: Pharmacological Aids to Enlightenment

Post by twelph »

ancientbuddhism wrote:
twelph wrote:
heed·less  
/ˈhēdlis/
Adjective
Showing a reckless lack of care or attention: "his heedless impetuosity".
I have had experience since the age of 5 with everything mentioned in this thread and much more. Any amphetamine causes addiction, just read the numerous scientific reports that the large pharmaceuticals choose to ignore. Addiction causes heedlessness in all cases. Caffeine is a stimulant that also causes addiction, and many people become heedless when they have to go without it. ...
I do understand the sentiment, and respect meditation teachers that insist on refraining from even caffeine (Luangpo Teean was one). But one persons addiction may well not be for another, what to say of 'heedlessness'.
Fair enough. Excluding the factors of addiction and withdrawal, do you believe that the most common side effects of caffeine would fit into the Buddha's definition of heedlessness in relation to the following sutta:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ?

I do believe that strict moderation of certain substances would keep someone from breaking the 5th precept in some cases, but I hold firm in the belief that rather than aiding in the advancement of wholesome states, they do the opposite.
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